You’ve probably seen a commercial that goes something like this;

The amazing Acme Slice-All Knife! It cuts through steel, slices bread without making a crumb and after cutting through concrete, watch how easily we slice this tomato! Now you can order this amazing Slice-All Knife for just forty-nine ninety-five. That’s right, only forty-nine dollars and ninety-five cents…
but wait order it right now and we’ll also send you this amazing set of eight steak knives…and that’s not all, the first 100 callers will also receive the amazing Blend-All Blender! Still not convinced? Pick up the phone and we’ll also send you on an unbelievable, all expenses paid trip to a tropical island!
How much do you perceive that Slice-All Knife to be worth when the announcer keeps adding ‘unbelievable’ bonuses?  
I’m sad to say, I often see media sales people devalue their product in a similar fashion with either bonuses or ‘value added’. They might as well be saying; “I don’t believe our rate card delivers value, so here’s what I’m going to do….”
Selling today is all about relationships…relationships built upon trust. Ask yourself; “How much faith or trust does a client have in my product if I believe I have to throw in all kinds of bonuses or perks with every presentation?”
 

          Would you agree that being customer-focused, or placing customers’ needs first in your marketing strategy, is essential to building a sustainable business?
          Would you also agree that the airline industry probably has one of the least customer-friendly reputations in all of North America?
          If you agree somewhat to these two statements, would it seem reasonable that a customer-focused organization would adopt the airline industry’s supply and demand pricing model?
          These two models are incongruent with each other.  The airline industry uses a supply and demand pricing model, gouging customers when they are busy, and selling at a loss when they are not.
          Customers know that fuel and crew costs do not go up with passenger demand and they resent being gouged when they need the airline most, like during Spring Break.
          Ironically, this same pricing model is also responsible for one of the most financially troubled industries in North America today…four out of six major airlines are in bankruptcy protection!!  
           I have yet to hear a convincing argument that supply and demand pricing and customer-friendly marketing are compatible models.
          Advertisers do not receive more value, more audience, better service, more brand awareness or more sales because we are nearing sold-out positions, just as they do not receive less value, audience, margins or service when you can shoot a cannon through your log.
          Marketers who default to supply and demand gouging or discounting do so for one of two reasons:

          1.) They do not care about, or have confidence in, the value they deliver,

                                      OR

          2.) They have not trained their sales people to sell their product for what   it’s  worth in slower demand seasons resulting in the need to make up for that weakness in high demand seasons.

          Oh, I almost forgot one other reason for hypocritical pricing….follower syndrome… “We have to sell cheap in slow times because our competitors do”, is not an excuse that leaders use.
          Selling is simply an exchange of value. The seller delivers value and receives value (money) in exchange for that value. It is not ‘selling’ if the seller does not realize value too.
          If you have made a conscious decision to engage in customer-focused selling, then you must build your rate grids around value…..value to your customers, and value to your stations, 12 months of the year.

          I had lunch with a frustrated radio salesperson yesterday who said, “I have eight car dealers on my list who have never advertised on our station. I’ve been calling and leaving messages, but they never return my calls.”
          “From their point of view,” I asked, “why should they return your calls?”
             He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. The bewildered rep did not have an answer to my question.
          When we call a prospect and leave a message without a Valid Business Reason, we might just as well say “Please mail your wallet to me full of cash.” just like the 21 other sales people who tried to dip into the average client’s wallet this week.
          A Valid Business Reason (VBR) for a call means there is something in it for the client to meet with you. Your VBR might be a new lead, a new business development idea, some pertinent market research or a host of other benefits from a client’s perspective.
          Your prospects have an average of 16 to 21 sales people calling them every week, each claiming they can increase sales. From the sales trainer who says they don’t need advertising and traffic, they need higher closing ratios, to the software rep trying to persuade advertisers that investing in customer relations management (CRM) programs is more effective than advertising, you have lots of competition for that wallet!
          Do yourself and your clients a favor… Don’t “leave a message” unless you have a Valid Business Reason, from the customer’s perspective, for them to contact you.

          Most professions require their practitioners to upgrade their qualifications and skills on a regular basis. This is because there is so much at stake if the professional makes a mistake in judgment or performs their duties unethically. 
          Lawyers must study the latest laws and precedent-setting judicial decisions, doctors must stay on top of new medical breakthroughs and surgical techniques and accountants must stay abreast of new accounting rules.
          Notice that professional skills development is the obligation of the individual professional, not the hospital, the law firm or the accounting practice. And professionals invest their own time and money to upgrade their skills. 
          Professional media executives are no exception.  My friend Kennen Williams of Noll & Associates, for example, makes a point of reading a minimum of one new business book a month. 
Have your people ask themselves:

1.)   Given the skills and integrity I bring to the table, will my clients appreciate the value for my clients’ advertising and my company? 
2.)   What is my plan to continually upgrade my knowledge and skills to ensure that I am qualified to be entrusted with crucial advertising budgets?

 Two final points:

3.)   If a professional only gets the training their employer or industry association offers, where is their competitive advantage over competitors who had the same training?
4.)   When you invest in yourself, that’s who the learning benefit stays with for life wherever your career may take you.

 NOTE: ‘Professionals’ also earn substantially better incomes than people holding down ‘jobs’.

          Did you know there were millions of drills sold across North America last year even though not one person wanted a drill?
            That’s right. They all wanted holes! If another tool would have given them the same holes faster, easier or cheaper they would have bought that tool, not the drill.
            By the same token, none of your clients want to buy radio, spots or schedules. The all want sales and profits. It’s up to us to prove that the features we offer are the best means or tools towards that end.
            All of the traditional sales training courses address the need for selling benefits versus features. It’s pretty basic stuff, and yet the benefits of our features are so obvious to us that we still fall into the trap of thinking our clients will make the feature-benefit translation for us.
          Look at your next presentation or one-sheet. Are you trying to sell features to customers who only want benefits?

Here is the litmus test that distinguishes features from benefits;
A feature remains true if the client does not buy. i.e.;  “Our 50,000 watt signal covers the entire county.”
A benefit only occurs if the client buys. i.e.; “Your selling message is heard across the entire county.”
The benefit always answers the question from the client’s perspective, “What is in it for me?”

          At your next sales meeting it might be a good review to invite your account executives to list all of the features you offer, then round-table the benefits for each feature. 
          Remember, your clients are in business to make sales and profits. Your job is to show them how your features offer the best means to get there.