Monthly Archives: October 2010

Blogging Your Personal Brand

Blogging Your Personal Brand

 
John Potter, VP Training for the Radio Advertising Bureau, recently wrote ‘5 Tips To Enhance Your Image with a Killer Blog’ .
He said, “If you don’t have a blog, start one” and gave these five tips to make it killer.
1. Develop a strategy. Have a general sense of the kinds of information you will cover and stick to it.
2. Focus on the client. Write about marketing, advertising in general, and successful business tips. Make sure it is all about helping the client, not promoting your station.
3. Include a bit of humor. It rewards the client for taking time to visit your blog.
4. Maintain consistency. Clients should have a good idea of what they will find on your blog each time they visit. Be consistent in presenting your personal brand; ‘Marketing Consultant’.
5. Use all available resources. You don’t have to create content totally on your own. Get your ideas, quotes, and data from marketing articles.
 
John’s tips are bang on, but in all likelihood, you have a day job that keeps you pretty busy. When will you find the time to develop a strategy, research the marketing articles, write your own comments, maintain consistency and administer your data base every week?
 
Our radio e-marketing system, SoundADvice, does all of that for you and more, for less than you pay for your morning cup of coffee every day!
 
1. The Strategy? To position your account executives, complete with their photos and station logos, as marketing professionals who understand how to help advertisers capture bigger returns on their advertising investments.
 2. The Client Focus? Every marketing tip in SoundADvice is designed to help your prospects and clients grow their businesses. While we do not hard-sell radio in SoundADvice, every tip lends itself naturally to an increased use of radio.
3. TheHumor? Our professional writers use every creative technique known to man, to capture attention and ensure these useful tips are looked forward to every week.
4. The Consistency? We email your SoundADvice for you, so it looks like it comes from you, every week. In addition to the 60-second tips your clients receive, you will receive a complete back-up document for you to discuss when prospects and clients click through to request more information.
5. The Available resources? We scan more than 40 trade journals every week to keep the content of your SoundADvice timely and topical. Our SoundADvice Advisory Board consists of six seasoned marketing professionals and your membership includes 24/7 mentoring and coaching.
 
You can view samples of SoundADvice on our website; www.wensmedia.com, or click here to arrange a free online demo of how SoundADvice can become the exclusive personal blog for your account executives.
SoundADvice is a market-exclusive service, so don’t let your competitors beat you to the punch.

Clip Clop Factor

Beware of the Clip Clop Factor

          Beware of background noises when you are on the phone.    I was talking to a client on his cell phone the other day who said, “I’m stuck in (clip clop) city traffic on the way to a meeting(clip clop, and I might lose you (clip clop) when I go under the overpass (clip clop)”.
          Through the entire conversation I could hear this clip clop background noise. Then it dawned on me. My client wasn’t “stuck in traffic on the way to a meeting”. He was on his ranch, riding his horse!  He had no reason to tell me that other than, perhaps it might impress me that he was on his way to a meeting at that time of day.
          I often work from my boat, and when I’m on the phone, I tell clients up front they may hear the odd seagull in the background, and that I’m not boating, I’m just where I work from my boat.
          When you call a client or your boss, be careful what you claim to be doing; someone yelling, “fore” might give you away. 

Death of the RMB

To our Canadian friends;

     I’m appalled at the gradual demise and subsequent death of the RMB, radio’s marketing arm in Canada.  Please read my article entitled, ‘A Sad Day for Radio’ in Broadcast Dialogue magazine by clicking on this link.
http://www.broadcastdialogue.com/Admin/pdf/stories/2010-09%20Opinion_Ens.pdf

     I believe a rising tide floats all boats and I’ve always been a huge supporter of the importance of our industry working together for the good of everyone in it.
     In the late 70’s, I was able to work with the RBC, predecessor of the RMB, to get all of the stations in various markets to work together to host a Radio Day Conference to educate local advertisers on how to use radio effectively.  Every station in the participating markets benefited and we took valuable share from local newspapers and yellow pages.
     In the absence of an effective industry marketing organization YOU can be the catalyst to work together with our stations in your market to educate local advertisers about the important role of radio in the new media landscape.
     ENS Media Inc. has built a new Radio Day Program that includes us acting as an intermediary between you and your competitors to host and deliver a local advertiser seminar highlighting the power of radio in the new media landscape, and custom tailored to your market.  Click here to arrange for an appointment to discuss how we can help you make this happen!

Transitioning from the Front Lines to the Front of the Lines

Transitioning from the Front Lines,
to the Front of the Front Lines

           There is no denying that experience can be a great teacher. But all too often we promote our best ‘experienced’ sales people to sales managers with no management training or safety net.
          It’s not fair to the newly appointed manager, to their staffs, nor to the company.
          Having a successful track record in sales enables the newly appointed manager to capture the respect and credibility necessary to lead; that’s a good thing.
          But the skill sets she/he acquired as a sales person do not necessarily equip them to be great managers.
          I’ve had the heart-breaking experience of seeing dedicated passionate sales leaders crash and burn in management roles. Not because they didn’t have the work ethic, desire, intelligence or integrity to succeed, but simply because they were given the title, an office, and told “good luck”!
          And it can be intimidating for a new manager saddled with a truckload of new tasks to ask for coaching or training for fear they might appear weak or incompetent in their new role.
          I do admire the intent of companies that prefer to promote from within.
If you do promote from within, and want to see your candidate succeed, consider doing two things;
1.) Hire a management coach to confidentially mentor their growth.
2.) Invest in management training to ensure their continued success.
          To not do so is unfair to your new manager, their staffs, your customers and your company. 

Opportunity Perception

The Opportunity Perception

          Have you heard the classic tale of two shoe salesmen who were sent to a remote village to sell shoes? When they arrived at the village, one immediately sent a message to his office saying, “No one here wears shoes. Will return tonight”.
          The other salesman upon arrival, sent a message back to the home office as well, saying, “No one here has shoes, send lots of inventory immediately”.
          Are you saying, “No one here is buying spots” or are you saying “Let’s increase our inventory and offer them special events, promotions, sponsorships, web opportunities or mobile applications”
?
          Problems are simply opportunities in disguise. And the best companies and managers see those opportunities, while others are complacent in the status quo.
          Robert Kennedy once said, “Others see things as they are and say, why? I see things as they could be and say, why not?”
          There is no reason your sales cannot be up dramatically as we sit on the threshold of economic recovery. That is, unless you
are still selling old media packages, rates, spots or rankers.
          Stations that capitalize on their marketing expertise and advertiser relationships to facilitate special events, shows, promotions, web opportunities, mobile applications and other tools to help grow their clients’ businesses, can experience recordbreaking revenues in the months and years to come.
          Need a fresh set of eyes to recognize and capture the opportunities in your market? Maybe we should talk.
[email protected]
 
Do you appreciate your FREE weekly ENS on Sales?  If you do, may I ask a favor in
return?  I’d like to double our circulation next week.  Please forward this to 3 managers you know who might also appreciate these weekly tips.
Simply copy and paste this in your forwarded email:
I receive a free radio management tip every week called ENS on Sales that I thought you would also appreciate.  Simply click here  to subscribe to this free newsletter.  I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.