Author Archives: ensonsales

“You Can’t Grow Without Radio”

(And He’s Got the Receipts)

There are a couple new clips making the rounds in radio land right now. And it’s not coming from anybody inside the radio industry.

It’s coming from one of the biggest advertisers in America. John Morgan, the founder of Morgan & Morgan – a law firm that’s grown into the largest personal injury firm in the country (probably the world) has a pretty blunt take on advertising:

“You can’t grow without radio.”

That quote comes from a recent article in Radio Ink titled “John Morgan’s Advertising Truth? You Can’t Grow Without Radio.”

This Isn’t Theory. He’s Walking the Walk.

Morgan has been using radio for over 35 years. And he’s willing to tell the world that Radio is a must-have if you want to grow.

His company spent an estimated $350 million on advertising in 2025 alone (Radio, TV, Billboards, Streaming TV, Streaming Audio, Google, Facebook, etc.) – with plans to go even higher.

That’s not dabbling. That’s commitment.

And when someone at that level says:

  • “I don’t spend money for no reason… I buy radio because it works.”
  • “I can tell my story… I can grow my business.”

…it should stop every advertiser (and you) in their tracks.

Morgan isn’t saying “radio is magic.” He’s saying something deeper – and more important:

Growth requires reach, repetition, and story.

Radio delivers all three:

  • Reach → You can touch a lot of people quickly
  • Repetition → You stay top-of-mind over time
  • Story → You can actually say something meaningful

Here’s another quote from John Morgan…

“Nothing’s about today… everything’s about tomorrow.”

That’s not a media statement. That’s a business philosophy. He knows what it takes. He’s proof that “getting famous” with broadcast advertising is about consistency and investing properly in it.

One Last Thought

When a local business owner pushes back on radio, it’s easy to get defensive. Don’t. Just remember:

You’re not arguing an opinion. You’re representing a medium that helped build a national brand spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply say:

“Hey… don’t take my word for it. Take his.”

******* Which is even more reason to record your team’s client success stories and use them in your presentations!

Starting right after you click the link on that John Morgan Radio Ink article.

NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!
Duane Christensen & Rick Fink
ENS Media
www.ensmediausa.com

If you’d like to learn how our SoundADvice program can help your entire Radio sales team open more doors, protect more clients, and create more revenue, simply email [email protected] to request a pdf with all the details and pricing. And it costs LESS than 3 lattes a week.

Confused Prospects Don’t Buy

Ever looked at someone else’s proposal… and thought, “Wait… what am I even looking at here?”

And then, imagine you’re the business owner!

Now, take an honest look at your own proposals and presentations.

A lot of proposals, ad schedules, educational pieces, and follow-ups aren’t just unpersuasive… they’re confusing.

They’re filled with:

• Industry jargon
• Missing details
• Vague timelines
• And numbers that don’t clearly connect to results

To us, it all makes sense. We live in it every day. But to a business owner? It’s like trying to read a foreign language. And when something feels unclear… it feels risky.

So, what do people do when something feels risky?

They wait. They stall. They say, “Let me think about it.” Or they buy from someone else. Not because they’re not interested…

But because they’re not confident.

Before you finalize your next presentation or proposal, do a quick gut check:

If someone outside my industry read this…
• Would they understand what they’re getting?
• Would they see how it helps their business?
• Would they feel confident moving forward?
• Am I talking about things they don’t care about?

Clarity builds confidence. And confidence closes deals.

Make it easy to understand… and you’ll make it easier to say yes.

Remember when Tommy Boy finally “got it”? It’s just an example of keeping it simple and understanding what they really want to hear. Check out the short clip here…

https://youtu.be/a5dpBpaFiMo?si=30L82aKyCH2SuJPY

NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!

Duane Christensen
Rick Fink

ENS Media

How To Control Luck in Sales

Ever notice how some people seem to have a horseshoe welded to their hip? Everything just seems to fall their way. Clients love them. Deals appear out of nowhere. The timing’s always perfect.

Meanwhile, others can’t catch a break – no matter how hard they try. Some people are soooooo lucky! Here’s the truth: luck isn’t random. It’s responsive.

Energy Is the Invitation

You can feel it the second some people walk in the room.

They’re irritated, negative, or just plain tired of life. They complain, gossip, or blame everyone else for their problems.

And you can feel the opposite, too. The ones who walk in with a grin, bring good energy, and make everyone’s day a little lighter.

Guess which group opportunity prefers?

Your attitude is either a “Welcome” sign or a “Closed” sign for good things. Energy is contagious – and most people only want to catch the good kind.

Gratitude Is a Magnet

When you focus on what’s working, more things start working. It’s not magic – it’s mindset. Gratitude tunes your brain to notice solutions instead of problems.

The person who’s thankful for every meeting, every renewal, even every tough “no,” gives off a signal that says, “I’m open for business.”

That openness invites chance encounters, referrals, and “lucky breaks” that don’t feel so random anymore.

Hard Work Is the Accelerator

Positive energy and gratitude attract opportunity – but hard work is what lets you catch it.

The universe rewards motion. Every call you make, every idea you bring, every door you walk through increases your odds of “luck.”

Hard work multiplies luck because it puts you in more places, with more people, more often. That’s not coincidence – that’s math.

Thomas Jefferson said it best:

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”

Luck, it turns out, is where preparation meets good energy. You can’t predict it, but you can absolutely control the conditions that make it possible.

Bottom Line

If you want to control luck: Create it.

Bring better energy. Practice gratitude. Work your tail off.

The Letter Nobody Sends Anymore

(Which Is Exactly Why You Should)

When was the last time you sent a real letter to a prospect?

Not an email. Not a LinkedIn message. Not a “Just checking in…” text.

An actual letter. In an envelope. With a stamp.

There’s a line from sales trainer and author Jeffrey Gitomer that always stuck with me:

“The more creative you are in your approach, the easier it is to get the appointment and make the sale.”

Most tend to be predictable in their approach.

Call.
Voicemail.
Email.
“Following up.”
Silence.

Rinse. Repeat. Complain.

What if instead, you sent a letter that made them think? Not a brochure. Not a rate card. Not a résumé disguised as a sales pitch.

A one-page letter with three hard questions.

Imagine a Prospect Opening This:

Dear John,

I don’t know you yet, but I do have three important questions you might want to think about. (or whatever short intro you prefer)

  1. If your biggest competitor decided to increase their advertising by 50% tomorrow… what would you do differently?
  2. Imagine a potential new customer. Would you rather they find your business online by typing in your business name? Or by typing in “plumber in Dayton”? (or whatever category fits)
  3. If I asked five of your best customers why they chose you, would they all give the same answer?

Make your own questions though or tweak these. Make sure they’re kinda tough to answer or at least makes them pause a bit.

You could also come up with a list of questions with your team. Two brains are better than one! Come up with questions that most business owners probably haven’t heard before.

Then…. No pitch. No pricing. Just:

“I’ll give you a call later this week.”

That’s it. You’re not selling. You’re provoking thought.

We’ve talked before about how business owners are evaluating YOU more than your media plan. A letter like this positions you as someone who thinks differently – not someone chasing a quota.

And when you call three or four days later? Don’t ask if they received it (it’s a real easy way for them to say no… and we don’t want them saying no).

“John, I sent you a short letter earlier this week with three questions. Did any of them strike a chord or make you curious at all?

If they say they didn’t receive the letter… just go with the flow and ask them one or two of your questions over the phone. And let the conversation go from there.

Either way… This is a very different phone call than:

“Just touching base…”

Why This Can Work

• Mail is rare now – so it stands out.
• Hard questions create tension.
• Tension creates curiosity.
• Curiosity creates conversations.

You’re not begging for 20 minutes. You’re earning it.

Pick five prospects this week.

Write five thoughtful letters. No fluff. No corporate garbage. No “We are the #1 station in the market.” Just three sharp questions that hit where it matters. Then call them.

If you want different results…

You have to stop doing what everyone else is doing.

Keep it short. Make it different.

So…

How creative are you?

Want EnsOnSales quick tips and advice for Radio Reps & Managers landing in your inbox each week? Head to this web page and sign up. ENS Media USA – Ens On Sales

If it’s not your thing… you can easily unsubscribe. But give it a few weeks — we cover a lot of ground, from the daily discipline of selling to the bigger ideas that make reps better.

Customer Bonding

Most radio ads are filled merely with information. Better price. Faster service. More experience. Yada yada yada… a list of what a business does and a bunch of cliches that mean nothing to a listener. They’re mostly ignored.

For your clients’ sakes (and your future success), we need to get beyond “ordinary” and “below average” ads. There’s a level of ad writing / ad creative that will help you dramatically. 

It’s called customer bonding. 

I think Roy H. Williams coined the term. Or at least that’s where we heard it first. We’re going to do our best here to explain customer bonding ads. They’re the best way to cause a listener to “feel” who a business is and what they stand for.

Customer bonding ads are the shortest distance to earning trust.

What is Customer Bonding? 

Branding is what you do. But customer bonding is what happens when you do it right. The meaning is literally in the name. And it forces the right question. 

Instead of: “Does this ad look/sound like our brand?” 

You ask: “Will this make someone feel connected to us?” 

The problem with the term “branding” is that it’s been watered down to mean: 

  • logos  
  • colors  
  • consistency  
  • “looking professional” 

Customer bonding is what branding was always meant to be — we just forgot. 

It’s about being chosen. And people don’t only choose a business they know… they choose who they feel connected to. 

When someone experiences a good customer bonding ad, they think: 

  • “They get me.”  
  • “They’ve been where I’ve been.”  
  • “I trust these people.”  

Why Features & Benefits Fall Short 

Features and benefits speak to the mind. But decisions don’t start there. They start in the heart. And as Roy H. Williams puts it: 

The mind will always find logic to justify what the heart has already decided.  

If you haven’t read Roy’s Wizard of Ads trilogy… you should order them today and read them ASAP. Roy started out as a very young radio sales rep and made a lot of mistakes early in his career. But over time, he learned how to turn ‘dreamers into millionaires’ by writing better ads. And you can too.

If your ads only gives people reasons… and never gives them a feeling… you’re making them work too hard to choose your client. 

What Customer Bonding Looks Like in Real Life 

Customer-bonding ads don’t really sound like “normal” ads. 

They sound like: 

  • A business owner’s story about a turning point  
  • A story about a moment of doubt  
  • A struggle people recognize and go, “Hey, me too!” 
  • A belief that feels human and real 
  • Being submerged into a moment you’ve lived before 

They’re often a little vulnerable. A little unexpected. A little different. 

And that’s exactly why they work. Because predictable ads are ignored. But human moments are remembered. 

This is How You Can Separate Yourself 

Anyone can sell: 

  • Spots  
  • Schedules  
  • CPMs 

But when you help a client uncover: 

  • Their story  
  • Their “why”  
  • Their human moments  

Now, you’re not selling ads anymore; you’re helping them bond with future customers. 

And that’s where:

  • Brand preference is created  
  • Price becomes less important  
  • And competitors become forgettable 

And to wrap this up today… 

We’ll share an example of a customer bonding ad in a moment.

There are many kinds of bonding ads — I guess this one below would be considered an “origin story”. Yes, it’s a 60-second radio script. I know most of you don’t do 60’s… but I’d reconsider that when you have a type of ad like this. You can’t tell a very good story in 30 seconds. And if it’s written right… people will listen all the way through. Why? Because we all love a good story. We’re hearing Jerry’s story here. I think most people would feel a little more connected after hearing it. It will be listened to and remembered far more than any blah blah blah regular old 30-second ad that lists a bunch of stuff that a business does – and usually gets completely ignored…

“In 1960, when I was no taller than a clogged P-trap, my Dad brought the Roto-Rooter franchise to our great community. He worked his tail off to make sure his customers got better service than they expected… and that’s what they got. Hi, I’m Jerry from Roto-Rooter. 38 years later… I left the fire department and bought the business from Dad. I learned a lot from him and continued his dedication and work ethic. BUT… I wanted to serve our customers even better. Respond to calls faster, be friendlier, and work around people’s busy schedules. And we’re doing just that! But change is always happening and you’re busier than ever. There’s always something to do and somewhere to go. And we wanna keep up with you! So, we never stop improving. Our guys are trained to be the best. We fix it fast… and fix it right. My continued promise to you – is great service at a fair price.  You know what? I think Dad would be proud.”
(Roto-Rooter Jingle Out)

NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!
Duane Christensen & Rick Fink
ENS Media
www.ensmediausa.com

If you’d like to learn how our SoundADvice program can help your entire Radio sales team open more doors, protect more clients, and create more revenue, simply email [email protected] to request a pdf with all the details and pricing. And it costs LESS than 3 lattes a week.