Category Archives: Sales

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?

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The Knight’s Code

A medieval knight is standing guard outside the gates of a village. Armor on. Sword ready. Watching the road… making sure nothing dangerous reaches the people inside.

Knights lived by a code…

Protect the innocent. Defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Now before anyone starts ordering chainmail for the sales department… let’s bring this into your world. Because the best reps operate by a code too.

Protect Your Clients

Business owners get “attacked” constantly. Digital agencies. SEO companies. Social media “gurus.” New platforms promising magical results.

Most business owners don’t fully understand everything they’re being sold. They just know they need customers.

That’s where YOU come in.

A good rep isn’t just trying to sell airtime. You’re there to help them wade through what’s valuable and what’s just another pitch. You’re there to help them see the bigger picture of how to truly grow a strong local business.

Yes, Local SEO is valuable – but not to the tune of thousands of dollars a month.

Display and Search marketing may have their place, but they need to be part of a larger strategy and not consume more of the budget than necessary.

Social media can help local businesses stay in front of current customers and even potential ones… but it’s not how they become top of mind in their community.

Print and outdoor media can remind people of the Radio or TV ads they’ve heard or seen in the blink of an eye (Roy H. Williams calls it “anchoring”)… but visual-only media doesn’t come close to branding a business like the power of Sound.

Keep a Sharp Edge on Your Blade

Marketing knowledge is one very sharp edge of your sword. 

Never stop learning.

When you become more than just another radio salesperson, your value to your client skyrockets.

Be real with your clients. Be brutally honest. The same goes for your prospects. The client you land with a song and dance—or with nothing but rankings and numbers—will usually be a temporary client.

But if you educate them from the start about what truly makes a business a household word in their community… you can have a client for life.

It means doing your homework—researching their category, watching their competitors, and bringing them ideas and information that might help their business… even if it has nothing to do with advertising.

When a business owner realizes you operate that way… something important happens.

You stop being a vendor. You become someone they trust. And when that trust forms, the relationship gets a lot stronger. Business owners are constantly asking themselves whether you’re just there to sell something… or actually help them grow. 

Protect Their Results

Protecting your clients also means protecting the quality of what goes on the air.

Bad ads waste money. Great ads build businesses (and keeps them).

That’s why the best reps spend time helping create ads that are memorable, emotional, and effective. Ads that don’t blend into the background. Ads that are unexpected and can’t be ignored.

Because creative is the biggest driver of advertising success. The #1 skill you could sharpen as a radio salesperson that gives you a major edge up on any other media rep in the area… is copywriting. Period.

#2 would be to increase your overall marketing knowledge.

Yes, it takes a certain skill or quality to “get” a sale. But what will make you, your radio group, and your clients more money is by creating better ads. 

Be the Knight

When you’re the “knight” who protects and defends your clients…

You won’t need to chase renewals or wonder if they’ll renew. You’ll already know. 

You don’t have to have all the answers, but you should become the person your clients never hesitate to call when they have a question about marketing or growing their business.

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Sell More with Big Ideas

How to Get Advertisers to Spend More and Even (Gasp!) Pay Higher Rates

Selling ads can sometimes feel like convincing a cat to take a bath. There’s resistance, clawing, and maybe even some hissing. But what if you could make advertisers not just agree to renew, but invest MORE? The secret? A BIG IDEA. One so good they can’t say no (or at least question their decision if they do).

The Business Owner’s Daily Thought Process

Every morning, business owners drive to work, sip their coffee, and wonder, “How do I grow my business?” Then they get to work, put out a few fires, answer emails, and before they know it, they’re driving home thinking… “Wait, how do I grow my business?”

They’re looking for ideas. Not just any ideas – ones that actually make sense for them. The bigger and better the idea, the more they’re willing to invest.

Just Asking for More Money is a Tough Sell

If you walk into a renewal meeting and say, “Hey, it’s that time of year again! We’d like to charge you more now,” don’t be surprised if they suddenly need to “think about it” (translation: avoid your calls until next quarter). But if you walk in with a well-thought-out BIG IDEA, you’ve got a real shot at getting them excited to invest more.

What’s a BIG IDEA?

It could be:

  • An audio signature / “sonic image” tagged at the end of every ad. Using voice, sound effects, and/or music. It can be just the name of the business or it can also include their slogan. Your production department can help with this. Your station uses sonic imaging throughout the day with background whooshes, zaps, or subtle effects that enhance the station’s energy.
  • A promotion that gets people talking. But don’t let it be predictable… “Oh, it’s just another giveaway where I have to visit a store to sign up and I’ll never win anyway.” Some people you work with are probably really good at coming up with out-of-the-box promotions – ask them for help.
  • A new slogan that makes their brand unforgettable. Still using an old slogan that doesn’t mean much? Bring them one that makes them say, “Yes!”
  • Ad Creative – Yes, we’ll continue to beat this to death – better creative! There are infinite big ideas when it comes to ad copy. Humor, stories, whit, emotion, etc. Bring three months’ worth of radio scripts on steroids that can’t be ignored.

The key? Make sure it’s about them, not your station. Sure, your summer car giveaway is your biggest event of the year, but the advertiser needs to see how it benefits them. Otherwise, it’s just you asking for a favor.

Before any proposal leaves your office, ask yourself: Does this include a strong idea tailored to the advertiser? Selling radio is tough sometimes. Coming up with good ideas makes it much easier.

At the end of the day, business owners don’t just want ads. They want solutions. So, be the person who walks in with the idea that helps them grow – and watch your sales grow right along with them.

Now, go put your thinking caps on and create some BIG IDEAS. Especially, for those clients who you know have potential to spend more, and for those prospects who you know are spending in your area but need a lot of help with strategy and creative.

If you need help with big ideas, that’s what your team is for. You’re all in this together. So, get a group together, caffeinate, and go brainstorm! The more you do, the easier it gets.

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Are You Playing “Twinkle Twinkle”?

We’re channeling Philipp Humm today. The “storytelling guy”.

Imagine a piano player.

A beginner sticks to a few keys and plays something simple like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It works… but it’s basic. And you probably wouldn’t want to listen for very long.

A master pianist is different. They use all 88 keys. Soft. Loud. Fast. Slow.

They create contrast — and contrast is what keeps people listening.

According to Philipp Humm of Story Lab, most speakers are still stuck playing Twinkle, Twinkle. Same tone. Same speed. Same emotional color. Over and over again. And eventually, the listener’s brain checks out — because it’s predictable.

“Great speakers work like great pianists.

They don’t speak louder all the time.

They simply use more of their options.” – Philipp Humm

Vocal Range Isn’t About Being Dramatic

This isn’t about turning everything into a performance. It’s about range and keeping people listening.

Here’s what that actually looks like:

  • Vary your speed – fast creates urgency, slow adds weight to your words
  • Vary your tonality – let your voice rise and fall naturally
  • Vary your emotion – don’t just describe the moment, feel it
  • Use pauses – real pauses give your words room to land

Or as Philipp says:

“Vocal range creates contrast. And contrast keeps people listening.”

How to Practice (Yes, we should practice)

Take an easy piece of text. A children’s book, a short article, or anything simple. Then, read it out loud. While you’re reading it…

  • Speed up
  • Slow down
  • Pause longer than feels comfortable
  • Let emotion show up

Aim for range. Go some place private and practice big. Exaggerate. So that when you’re in front of a client, on the phone, or in the recording studio — it feels natural, not forced.

Why This Matters for YOU

You don’t just sell ideas. You deliver them. And how you sound often determines whether someone leans in… or mentally checks out. Your message matters and your delivery should too.

This also relates to your ads! Same advice. Give them range and unpredictability. If a client is recording — be a good director. Guide them. Help them understand how crucial it is to stand out and keep people listening. Not just with great content, but with how it’s delivered.

Stop playing Twinkle, Twinkle. You’ve got “88 keys” available.

NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!
ENS Media