There are lots of little things that managers and sellers can do to improve their sales. One of the most overlooked things we do in sales and management is also one of the easiest things we can do to improve sales… yet it’s one of the hardest things for sellers to do.
I’m sure you’ve heard the old proverb, “It’s better to give than to receive”, and these…
“If you want something, give it.” – Deepak Chopra
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
“Life is a boomerang. What you give you get.” – Anonymous
“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.” – Jim Rohn
“Don’t expect to receive if you are not willing to give.” – Anonymous
Giving is a GREAT lesson in all walks of our lives, but today I am talking about giving up accounts on account lists. Seems like an easy enough thing to do, right? Wrong!
One of the hardest things to get a media rep to do is to give up an account that is on his or her account list.
There are two main reasons why account list management is overlooked: First, to some, it doesn’t seem important and they believe it offers little return for their effort. Secondly, it ruffles media reps’ feathers like no other. Giving up an account, regardless of the last time they were called on, can oftentimes seem like asking a child to give up their favorite toy; they tend to throw a fit, promise to call on them right away and offer up every other excuse they can think of as to why they should keep the account.
In truth, there is really only one reason reps don’t want to give up an account. They fear someone else will get that account on the air, which in turn, would make them look bad.
Show me a station that actively and regularly moves accounts around and does it for the right reasons, and I will show you a successful, strong billing station.
It takes a little prodding and pleading to get media reps accustomed to giving up accounts. The key to getting them to buy into moving accounts around is getting them to understand that if everyone in the building is willing to give up accounts, ultimately, everyone will have fresh accounts to call on.
Ask your reps to work with you on this experiment. Keep track of the results on an individual and team basis. Once you can show the positive results, the task of managing accounts will become much easier.
“Give and you shall receive!” Not only are these good words to live by, but they are good words to use when managing account lists. This way, EVERYONE wins!
Whether you’ve been in the media sales game for six months or 60 years, one of the battle cries has always been, “Get more 52-week business on the books”.
There are two main reasons why stations don’t have more “52-week” business or annual contracts on the books. Before we discuss these reasons, and this may ruffle a few feathers, but I suggest being very careful with using the verbiage of “52 weeks”. Not only does it scare the business owner, but the media rep as well. Let’s be honest, for the most part, out of the small to medium-sized businesses we work with, a large majority cannot afford an “effective” 52-week schedule.
This isn’t to say that you should never present 52-weeks. If they have the ability, present away. Instead of referring to it as 52-week business though, try 12-month or annual contracts. It doesn’t sound nearly as long and is less intimidating to all involved.
So, back to the two main reasons why stations don’t have more 52-week advertising contracts on the books:
Reason #1: It’s simple, we don’t ask or present them. Rarely will a business owner say, “Instead of this 3-month schedule, can you show me what an annual agreement would look like?” A large majority of proposals presented to clients are anything but 12-months. Instead, we present monthly packages and schedules, quarterly packages, and if we get crazy, we might shoot for a six-month schedule. By simply preparing and asking for annuals, you are sure to increase the number you sell. Ask for them!
So why do we present more short-term proposals and contracts instead of 12-month or even 2-year contracts?
Reason #2: Media reps don’t have the confidence to ask. This can be attributed to many things, but I might suggest that the main reason is that they have not been taught or trained on how to make radio work, and therefore are hesitant to present something that they don’t believe in.
Taking action and implementing a plan to do something about reason #2, will dramatically affect reason #1.
Simply putting a 12-month schedule together is not the answer. To make radio or any medium work, we must first understand why and how to make it work.
Do you or your reps understand “strategy”, what it means, and how it can have a major positive impact on a business’ advertising success? Once they understand “strategy” their confidence will soar!
Do they understand how to craft a strong message or are they simply “writing ads” that have little impact on the consumer? Once they understand “strategy” they will be able to write and craft better messages.
There’s more to it than just strategy and message, but being able to talk the talk and walk the walk will increase the response to ads, and again ultimately increase the confidence of media reps.
Media reps that understand how and why radio works will have more confidence in their products and ultimately will present and sell more annual contracts.
It really is that easy!
ENS Media consults, coaches, mentors, and trains managers and account executives at radio stations across North America to increase their local direct sales. To learn how ENS Media can help increase your revenues and train your sales team, contact us.
No one ever said selling media, or specifically radio, was easy and if they did, they either have never done it or were lying!
Likewise, no one ever said being a sales manager was easy. As a sales manager, the list of duties, tasks, and expectations is long. But, the number one job of a manager, the task that will determine your success, is the job of maintaining, growing, and building your team of sellers.
Media reps by nature are beaten up on the streets every day. They’re being told and reminded regularly things like your rates are too high, I tried radio once and it didn’t work, nobody listens to radio anymore, and of course more prevalent today than in the past, the economy is tough.
Over time, some media reps can and will begin to believe all the claims and excuses the advertisers make, and because repetition sells, they begin to lose confidence in radio and ultimately themselves!
As a manager, you had to sell them on a career in radio sales and that part of your job never ends as you must keep selling them on the merits of radio every day. Here are a few things you can do to sell yourself and your sellers:
Actively search for and distribute positive news on the economy, business, and the strengths of radio.
Use advertiser testimonials on-air, online, in sales meetings and presentations.
Celebrate success! New clients, up-sells, saves, successful promotions! Make sure the entire staff is aware of how and why radio worked.
Provide tools and information that address the strengths and power of radio.
Motivate – Motivate – Motivate. The mind is a very powerful thing. Display motivational quotes around the office. Share and watch motivational videos. Encourage reading positive mental books.
Negatives should be handled behind closed doors and one-on-one. Positives need to be shouted from mountain tops and shared throughout the building!
Done only once in a while, all of these things will have little impact. Doing them on a regular basis, over-time can and will create the antidote needed to handle the constant objections and negative comments from clients and prospects.
“Having a positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances rather than your circumstances having power over you.”
All of the training, education, systems, and tools in the world will never produce more than attitude, effort, and enthusiasm can generate.
Henry Ford said it best, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”.
Many of the best media reps do this on their own. For the rest, it’s up to managers to help create a culture where they… “think they can!”
Create a culture where they “think they can” and watch the magic happen!
You just walked out from an appointment with your client or prospect and now it’s off to your next task for the day. STOP! What you do next can have a profound impact on your future success in sales. Before moving on to your next task, take two minutes and conduct a self-evaluation of your performance by asking yourself these questions:
1. How did that meeting go? (Honestly rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10)
2. What could I have done better?
3. What did I do well?
4. What did I say or do that I should not have said or done?
Statistically, only 1 in 7 salespeople conduct a self-evaluation after each sales interaction. 85% of salespeople fail to do this.
Self-evaluation is not just for sales. Top athletes self-assess how they performed after each performance. They ask themselves… What did they do right? What did they do wrong? Where did they fall short? What can they improve? What can they do to give themselves a competitive advantage?
This same rule applies to management. If your goal is to improve and continually become a better manager, you too should evaluate yourself after every individual or group meeting with your sellers.
If you are in the 85% of sellers that do not currently do self-evaluations, START! By doing so, your performance will continue to get better with every customer contact.
With a world that has been turned upside down, sales that have fallen to unprecedented levels, and a future that is still filled with uncertainty, recruiting new employees may not be the top priority on your To-Do list. However, an old proverb says, “the best time to make hay is while the sun is shining”.
There are two major reasons to consider looking for your next superstar, right now, while the sun is shining:
Reason #1: Major “Life” events, including what we’ve just experienced, cause people to “re-think” their priorities. For many, this means considering a career move.
A Gallup poll shows that during normal times 67% of U.S. employees are disengaged at work, and 51% say they are actively looking for a new job or are open to one. We can only assume that these numbers have spiked along with unemployment.
Reason #2: As people return to work, some will be even more disengaged. The personalities and beliefs of owners and managers and the “return to work” policies they implement will determine the level of their employees’ anxiety. Some will think the precautions and mandates will be too much, while others will believe it is not enough, both causing uneasiness, disgruntlement, and reasons to ultimately look for a different employer.
One of the most important duties of a manager is building and maintaining a strong team. While recruitment may not be a top priority, it should always be a high priority and a regular, ongoing function for every manager. There is nothing worse than having one of your sellers hand you their two-week notice when you don’t have someone on the bench. The truth is … the two reasons listed above apply to your employees as well.
While it may feel and seem odd, the sun is truly shining. So, get the recruitment machine fired up, make sure the barn is ready, and start making hay! The sun is shining!
