As Radio Ink accepts nominations for this year’s Radio Wayne Awards ahead of an October ceremony in Manhattan at NAB Show New York, we’re catching up with some of last year’s winners to see how they’ve evolved, what’s working now, and what advice they have for those on the rise.
For Bold Gold Media New York General Manager and Director of Sales Dawn Ciorciari, success in today’s radio sales world isn’t about filling avails – it’s about building trust and lasting partnerships.
Radio Ink: How do you define sales success today? How has that definition changed in the last few years?
Dawn Ciorciari: Sales success today is about building long-term partnerships and helping clients achieve their overall marketing objectives, not just airtime and impressions. We focus on creating a cohesive strategy across multiple platforms, guiding clients how to best allocate their entire marketing budget. When clients see real results and stay with us long term, that is the ultimate measure of success.
In the past, the focus was more transactional; selling spots for dollars and chasing CPMs. The Client Needs Analysis is a valuable sales tool that is often underutilized.
Radio Ink: What kind of training, coaching, or support is most valuable to you in staying competitive?
Dawn Ciorciari: The fundamentals never go out of style. Consistent coaching around the basics, prospecting, needs analysis, and relationship building, combined with teamwork, makes a huge difference. It’s important to always know what the competition is doing, but it can’t drive strategy. We stay focused on delivering the best local radio and marketing consulting possible.
Radio Ink: How is the growth of AI impacting your sales department internally and externally?
Dawn Ciorciari: AI has helped the sales team internally by making a lot of time-consuming admin tasks easier.
Internally, AI has become a valuable tool that saves time on administrative tasks, allowing for more time to work on the client relationship. We use it for things like thought starters for script writing, client research, prospecting, and proposal development.
Externally, it has actually created an opportunity, because AI-generated content has caused mistrust, driving people back to trusted local radio.
Radio Ink: What’s working right now to bring in new advertisers, particularly local or direct businesses?
Dawn Ciorciari: It’s all about prospecting basics; being in the know in your local market, networking at local mixers, and hitting the streets. It comes down to having an ongoing relationship with your partners, listening to their needs, and knowing what is happening in their industry and market. When clients know you understand them, they trust you to guide their marketing.
Radio Ink: We work in a “content everywhere” world. How do you ensure alignment between your programming and sales teams when new content opportunities emerge?
We operate as one team. It’s not sales versus programming; we have meetings together and brainstorm everything as a team. By doing this, you get ownership from both sides. If the team believes in the content, they sell it both on air and to clients.
Radio Ink: What’s one thing you think the industry isn’t talking about enough in sales conversations?
Dawn Ciorciari: We do an incredible job promoting our clients, but we don’t always do enough to promote ourselves. Local radio works, and the return on investment is unmatched. We should share local success stories and testimonials, and remind advertisers and ourselves just how effective we really are.
The 33rd Radio Wayne Awards will be presented live at NAB Show New York this October, honoring the radio industry’s top sellers. Categories include Streetfighter of the Year, Digital Sales Manager of the Year, and top Market/General Managers by Nielsen rank. Nominate now.
