Author Archives: ensonsales

An Ounce of Prevention

So one of your biggest accounts has just announced they intend to cut some of their traditional media in favor of digital. They currently use outdoor, radio, newspaper and TV in their traditional media portfolio. How much time and effort will you invest to present your stations to avoid becoming one of the victims of the pending cuts?

Allow me to share a hidden truth in pending cuts… long before that cut-back announcement was made, the client was already forming hard to change perceptions on which media they should cut.

“Preventive maintenance” is always more effective, and less costly, than “damage control”.

Do you have a preventive maintenance program or does all of your energy go into making the sale, looking for new business, and damage control?

A well-planned system of regularly thanking your customers, a continuous education system like our SoundADvice highlighting broadcasts’ relevance, and regular post-campaign analysis and wrap up reports can put you in the driver’s seat when advertisers hungry for change begin to wield their cut-back knives.

If you’re surprised by a cancellation or cutback, it’s probably because you didn’t have a preventive maintenance program.

The Secret to More 52-Week Business!

Many of the stations we consult are surprised when they discover the number one reason advertisers don’t often schedule 52-week or 12-month campaigns.

So, what would you guess is the number one reason advertisers do not schedule 52-week campaigns?  I’ll give you a hint. It’s not because they don’t have enough of a budget to advertise 52-weeks of the year.

Here is a countdown of the top four reasons!

Reason #4: They believe their business to be seasonal and want to invest their budget only during peak sales periods.

Reason #3: Because they’re not sure what their inventory levels will be, or what they’ll have to sell, ten or eleven months from now.

Reason #2: (this is often disgustingly true) because they believe radio stations will offer much better “deals” on sold inventory if they wait until the last minute to schedule each month.

The #1 reason why businesses don’t schedule 52-week or 12-month campaigns is … “we don’t ask them to”.

Advertisers tell us that most radio account executives have never shown them a 52-week plan or validated a solid benefit to booking 52-week schedules.

So, there you have it, the number one reason you don’t have more 52-week business is because you don’t ask for more 52-week business. It truly is that simple.

Ask and you just might receive!

Are you planning a company sales conference or association convention? If so, click here to inquire about scheduling our Selling Advertiser Annuities Workshop to help your salespeople capture more 52-week business.

Opportunity is Knocking!

Are you willing to open the door and see what’s on the other side? If so, follow the two easy steps at the end of this post.

At ENS Media, we work with broadcast companies across the US and Canada and have several markets that are looking for salespeople, sales managers and even general managers. These are located in small and medium-sized markets.

If you or someone you know is looking for a new challenge or looking to move upward and even onward to another market, please forward your complete resume to [email protected].

All resumes are held in the strictest confidence and never presented or discussed with any of our clients without your advanced permission.

                                 Knock – Knock – Knock!  Interested?

Step 1: Send your resume to [email protected].

Step 2: We will reach out to you and discuss each of the opportunities. Then, you can determine if you would like us to present your resume to the available markets and if so, which ones.

Come on in! We look forward to receiving your resume!

Offense or Defense?

While watching World Cup Soccer recently, and at the same time thinking about work, some thoughts occurred to me. What’s more important in sales, offense or defense?

We all understand offense, right? You go out there and score, get the sale and celebrate! It goes without saying that to make money you must make sales! Soccer, as in sales, is very strategic, the better the planning the easier it is to score.  But occasionally, they take random shots. I suggest that you be more strategic in your approach, but every so often it’s OK to take that random shot. If you’re keeping track, a “No” is one step closer to a “Yes”.

So where does defense come into play? Defense in sales is what keeps your client a client for a long, long time.  It’s the service work after the sale, the little extras that go above and beyond what other reps are willing to do.

Like offense, defense takes practice, but it isn’t always as much fun.  In soccer, as in most sports, offense gets all the recognition. Offense is fun and rewarding. Defense is work, but as many great coaches have preached, “Defense Wins Championships”!

Let me ask you a question.  Do you think your client would prefer you be better at offense or defense?

This week, if you’re not already, I encourage you to add “defense” to your practice schedule!

If you would like some help with offense or defense, let us know. We would love the opportunity to visit about how we can train and brand your stations and account executives as professional marketing consultants and help grow your revenue with our proven sales and training programs.

It’s Not a Problem

It really doesn’t matter what line of business you’re in or what your title is, if you are working, you’ll have problems!  Some have more than others and some are certainly bigger than others.

I learned a lesson a long time ago when I walked into my General Manager’s office late one day and said, “I’ve got a problem”!  He looked at me, smiled a bit, shook his head and replied, “No you don’t”.  I said very matter of factly, “YES, I have a problem!” Again, he replied with a grin, and I will never forget these words, “No, what you have is an OPPORTUNITY to create a SOLUTION to a certain SITUATION!”

I can’t honestly even tell you what the problem situation was, but I can tell you those words have turned a lot of “problems” into “situations”, and ultimately into “solutions”. This way of thinking not only helped the business we were working with, but equally as important, it helped create a better relationship between the business owner and the Marketing Rep. When they turn a SITUATION into a SOLUTION, everyone wins!

The next time someone comes to you with “I have a problem”, look at em’, give them a grin and say, “No you don’t!”

….and good luck creating SOLUTIONS to your SITUATIONS!