There is something powerful about the element of surprise. It has won wars and hearts.

          Advertisers know that, it is the unexpected, not the cliché or ordinary, that captures the attention of consumers.

But did you know that the element of surprise can be a powerful motivational tool with your sales force too?

There is an element of entitlement or deservedness attached to commissions, incentives and bonuses that are part of your deal upfront.

But on rare, warranted occasions, nothing is as powerful as an unexpected reward for effort.

          I learned the power of unexpected recognition from an early mentor of mine who, after a particularly grueling couple of months in a recessionary economy, handed me an envelop.

          “Wayne”, he said “Here are a couple of tickets to Sarasota, Florida and the keys to my condo. I know you’ve had a tough time recently, and I want you to know your efforts have not gone unnoticed.”

          To this day, I remember the impact of that surprise more than all of the bonuses and sales contests I have won over the years.  

          I’m sure my mentor didn’t realize that surprise gesture prevented me from accepting several offers from other broadcasters. Or, maybe he did!

          Sales contests and incentives are great, but the winner(s) expect the reward.

          On that rare occasion when you notice extraordinary effort, a small surprise reward can result in more staff loyalty and greater future performance than you might have ever imagined.

Can consumers really avoid the repetitive advertising messages conveyed by intrusive media….radio and TV?

Have you ever had a prospect tell you: “People don’t listen to commercials. I never remember who was advertising.”

People who make this claim usually cannot be swayed by statistics or recall surveys. They think they know themselves and believe that they, and their prospects, understand what makes them do the things they do.

          When they make this claim, try this tried and proven ENS Media exercise. Ask them: “Did you ever catch yourself humming a tune to yourself that you didn’t even like?”

          Invariably, the answer is, “Yes”.

Then follow-up with: “Now, I’m going to play psychic. I’ll bet you were not only humming that tune you didn’t like, but that you actually knew the words!”

          Watch their facial expression and body language…..their mind will go there and they will realize you are right. Repetition causes recall even against our will.  This self-realization will prove to be much more powerful than any facts or figures you can present to the non-believer.

          Advertising avoidance is just one of the Media Myths which prevent advertisers from investing in broadcast advertising.  

When it comes to intrusive media, like radio and TV, what people want to do, or think they do, and what the mind actually does, are two different things.

          Intrusive repetition is a powerful force. We may think we hit the button every time we hear something we don’t like, but if that’s true, how did that awful tune get into our heads?

          It is partly because of this phenomenon that I question surveys which ask questions like: “How did you hear about our business?” or “What made you buy our product?”  The truth is, we don’t really know all of the influences or reasons our minds do what they do.

 And, while we can’t measure the reasoning of the human mind, we can measure the actions. If you have an advertiser who’s product is flying off the shelf or their phone is ringing off the wall, that should be the only ‘survey’ they need to conduct.

           Now go back to humming that tune you don’t even like. Oh, and don’t forget to throw in the words.  

          The term “gorilla” is often used in reference to “utilizing unconventional tactics to achieve maximum results with minimal resources”.

The best managers have mastered the conventional skills of attracting and motivating good people. When Lord Thomson of Fleet decided to hand the reigns of one of the biggest newspaper empires in the world over to his son, he was quoted as saying “I’ve surrounded him with geniuses so he can not fail”.

   &mmp;nbsp;      I won’t be able to give you all of the skills required to surround yourself with geniuses in this short memo, but here are a few gorilla recruiting tactics you can implement to maximize your effectiveness with limited resources.

1-     Always be recruiting. Do not wait until your top sales person leaves you unexpectedly to begin the search for a quality replacement. Always be on the look out for, and build a file of, good people who could fill the bill.

2-     Check the references the applicant does NOT list. You have to assume the applicant is not foolish enough to list someone who will discuss their negatives as a reference. Do some digging. Find a previous employer or employee, past or present customers, anyone who can candidly share the nature and skills of the individual.

3-     Employ proven profile testing. Having the applicant submit to the testing process achieves a number of objectives, including; a.) You’ll get objective insights to areas of concern you might not have uncovered in your initial interview. b.) The test will give you a refined format for a valuable second interview c.) The process emphasizes how important the position is to you, and creates a more professional image for your company.

4-     Job shadow. Have the applicant spend the day shadowing two or three of your staff who have similar jobs to the one being applied for. Make sure the staff doesn’t sugar coat the day’s agenda, and that the candidate sees the best and the worst of the job.

Debrief your staff as they may uncover things about the candidate during casual conversation that you might never uncover in a formal interview.

The candidate may also discover during the day that your company culture or the job they’ve applied for is NOT the fit for them they had assumed….better to find out now rather than 90 days from now.

5-     Avoid cloning! I often see sales forces where the staffs are mirror replicas of the sales manager.

Just as a team made up of nothing but goalies won’t give you the cross-section of skills required to win the game, a team of your clones won’t give you the personality diversity necessary to win a diverse group of clients in the marketplace.

Attracting and motivating good people is what management is all about. Managers can not motivate people who do not have an inner motivation, so it is imperative that you acquire the skills necessary to uncover your candidate’s aptitude, attitude, skills and experience if you are going to maximize your abilities as a leader.

First, let me say I am NOT a big fan of “leave-behind” media kits or packages. In most cases these alleged “sales tools” do more to build sales staff comfort levels than they do to actually sell prospects.

          Upon returning from my speaking engagements at the RAB in Dallas last week, I found myself sorting through the numerous “leave-behind” sales pieces from my welcoming kit in a curious way.

          Standing over my trash can, I threw out virtually every piece that only tried to sell me something.

          The pieces that made it to my file, both my memory file and my file cabinet, were the ones that educated me or were useful to me in some way. Sure, these pieces also had a sales story to tell, but they were also useful and helpful…..the old “what’s in it for me?” went beyond simple features and benefits.

          Your web site, your media kits and your sales packages can also be committed to memory, file cabinets and website-favorites by providing useful or educational elements in every one.

          Perhaps you can include Roy William’s Twelve Causes of Advertising Failure or outline the strengths and weaknesses of the various media, including your own strengths and weakness. (as outlined in previous SOUNDManagement tips, admitting your weaknesses will always cause you to rise up the “trust scale”)

          Including elements like promotional opportunity calendars, broadcast calendars or case-study testimonials can also create the image that you are not just selling, but that you are helping and consulting.

          My wife often criticizes me for “giving away too much information that I could be selling”…..like these free management tips, my website or my various trade magazine articles.

          But the reality is, people keep and use my stuff. I get a half-dozen requests from managers like you, each week, wanting to be added to my

e-newsletter. My brand as a helpful and knowledgeable consultant and trainer is being proliferated and solidified with each new subscription.

          In fact, it took several years, but I seldom have to sell my services. People who have used and appreciated my useful “leave-behind pieces” now call me to request my consulting and training services.

          So why not revisit your media kits, marketing packages and web sites?

You can increase retention, in the mind and the file cabinet, by offering helpful or useful information.  Your prospects will keep your material and appreciate what you bring to the table other than spots, data and rates.    

Do you understand what business you are in?

I once asked one of Toronto’s top morning men, Bob McAdorey, how he made the transition from a top 40 format to a country format.  Bob said, “What transition? It’s not about the programming, it’s about the audience.”

Some of us in sales could benefit from that wisdom.

I recently saw two ads from two different media companies that were looking for local sales executives.

One was from a radio station, which among other qualifications, was looking for someone with a “knowledge and love of country music”.

The other was from a newspaper looking for “a representative to provide our valued customer with creative, effective advertising/marketing solutions”.

Having sold successfully for virtually every format, past and present, I can tell you there is a lot more money to be made selling customer-focused ideas than there is trying to persuade someone to like your music or programming.

Put yourself in the client’s shoes.  Do you really care about your account executive’s programming preferences, or do you want someone who can provide creative and effective advertising/marketing solutions for your business?

I strongly recommend that having a “knowledge and love” of your stations’ audience, and an understanding of what motivates them to buy from your clients, is much more important than having a knowledge and love for the music that attracted that audience.

Are your sales people trying to persuade clients to like Waylon Jennings or Mick Jagger?  Or are they focused on generating sales for your customers?