Growing up in Louisville, I remember the Pegasus Parade – one of the signature events of the Kentucky Derby Festival. The floats, the marching bands, and of course, the horses. But what stood out most to me as a kid weren’t the riders or the costumes.
It was the folks who walked behind the horses – the ones we all affectionately called the “Pooper Scoopers.” We’d cheer for them, too. They had the least glamorous job in the whole parade, but one that made it bearable for everyone else and made the parade smell, well… a lot more like Spring!
In sales, we often want to stay on the float. We lead with our polish: product features, success stories, clever copy. But sooner or later, we’ve got to be willing to “scoop the poop” – ask the hard questions that move the sale forward. And one of the hardest? Talking about money.
Why is it that professional sellers can ask the right questions to discover a customer’s pain, position the right value, and get prospects so bought in, yet they cannot ask how the prospect plans to pay for the purchase?
I was recently presenting to a couple when the wife began discussing one of the features I’d mentioned as a benefit, which her husband agreed with – then he added to it with a couple other items I’d mentioned. I admit this does not always happen on a sales call, but remember, if you’re talking, you’re not selling. You need to ask about what you do; never talk about what you do.
What does it mean to ask about what you do?
Say your company offers an app that lets advertisers select which creative they want to push in real-time. Don’t explain it. Ask: How important is it for you to have multiple ad creatives at the ready and be able to control which version reaches your customers? That sparks curiosity. When they reply with, “That sounds interesting, what do you mean?”—you’re in.
Ask open-ended questions: How important is it for you to… or What didn’t work well in your last campaign? Talking about failure is uncomfortable, but crucial. Marketing is trial and error. What works for a divorce attorney in Vegas might fall flat in Jacksonville. Creative, voiceover gender, font size – tiny adjustments often drive big results. Educate clients on this. Come prepared with creative options for both radio and digital.
Discussing what didn’t work well in their previous campaigns is another difficult conversation that those of us in advertising/marketing must have with our clients, because advertising and marketing is trial and error.
I can run a successful campaign for a divorce attorney in Vegas, and the same campaign will fall flat in Jacksonville. The creative or call to action may need changing, or perhaps the voice-over will need to be female, not male. If it’s a digital campaign, the text color or font may need to be swapped or changed. Small alterations can lead to big results. Be sure to educate your clients on these items and have a couple of different creatives ready for your station and for digital.
But we’re here to talk about money.
Spot cost depends on market size, daypart, and ratings. You likely know your rates by heart, and they should guide your qualifying process. Some businesses won’t fit on your A station but may shine on your X station. In Las Vegas, our sports talker could run national shows 6a–7p for as little as $10/spot, streaming included. Our top-40 midday rate? $575/spot. Not every business fits every station. That’s why budget matters.
I know some businesses will call you and meet with you because they want to see what it will cost to run on your station, even though they have no interest in running a schedule with you.
When someone calls to meet with you, prequalify them by asking what their budget is.
I’ve sat in enough sales rooms where that question was never asked. Someone would get an appointment, go talk with the sales manager, who’d ask, “What’s their budget?” Then the rep pulls a number out of their back pocket. They go on a CNA and put a full proposal together, just for the client to come back and say, “They need to think about it.” Think about what? They never had the budget for it in the first place.
If the customer doesn’t see the value, the price will always be too high. Just like in real estate: you wouldn’t ask a realtor to show you houses without giving them a budget. Same here.
Try this: “Mr./Mrs. Customer, if I know your budget, I can ensure my first recommendation is the best recommendation for you. Otherwise, I could get it wrong, and I respect your time too much for that.”
Ask early. If their radio budget is too low, shift the conversation to digital. Consider streaming. Traffic sponsorships. Get creative. Build a campaign that works over 6–12 months. Smaller budgets need longer timelines to generate results.
But none of that happens unless you’re willing to have the money conversation. That starts with trust. If they’re a new client, explain that you’ll need payment in advance for the first few months while credit is being established.
Don’t gloss over the tough topics. Talk about them early so you can move forward, not stall out. The sooner you get real, the sooner they can become a real client.
Bottom Line: Sometimes, just like the parade, you’ve got to follow the horses. Ask the tough question. Do the unglamorous thing. Clean up what needs to be cleaned up. Because that’s how you keep things moving – and how the rest of the show goes on.
