Category Archives: Uncategorized

How to “Upsell” More

The most common time to upsell a current client is at renewal time. While this is an opportune time to do so, it’s not the only time that we should be looking to upsell.

As media reps, it’s our job to look for opportunities to help our clients grow their business.

The question is why don’t we upsell more? We have found there are two primary reasons; one, we’re afraid to ask for the additional dollars while the client is already spending money with us, and two, we don’t have a reason to ask for additional dollars!

The key to overcoming both reasons can be summed up with one word, IDEAS!

All business owners really want from their media rep is “ideas”. Ideas to help them grow their business. If you can bring a good idea to them, they will spend the money to engage that idea! Even if they don’t have the money in their budget, they will find the money if the idea is strong enough!

The ideas can come in the form of a sales event or in-store promotion. It can be a great creative idea that will enhance and make their current campaign stronger. It can be a cross-promotion with another client or your radio station. If it’s an idea that will help them grow their business, present it to them, chances are they will buy it!

One last key to successful upselling is that you don’t just “tell” them the idea, but rather you present it to them in a “formal presentation”. Explain your “idea” in detail. Lay everything out from beginning to end and show them what the successful outcome looks like.

If you want to upsell more and help your clients more, come up with more “Ideas”!  Ideas are the answer to upselling!

I love to help come up with ideas, so if you ever need help, reach out and let’s talk!

The More They Know, The More They’ll Buy

The reason most business owners don’t like advertising is because they don’t understand advertising.

Do business owners understand the importance of having Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA) in their business category?

The more you educate your clients and prospects, not only are they more LIKELY to buy from you, but they will buy MORE from you!

If we are simply talking to clients about OUR stations, OUR ratings, and why advertising on the OUR stations is a good deal for them, they may buy, but chances are they will never buy as much from us as they can or should.

Educate them on the “How” and “Why” advertising works and watch your sales grow!

While the digital media world seems to receive all of the limelight today, our ENS Media Share of Mind Surveys and Seminars educate business owners on the important role that radio plays in creating Top of Mind Awareness, how important creating TOMA/brand awareness is in today’s competitive New Media world, and how radio works in conjunction with digital and social media in the buying process.

And…these Share of Mind Surveys and Seminars may be one of the best training and educational tools your sales team has ever seen!

To learn the top 12 ways your advertisers, and your sales team, can benefit from facilitating Share-of-Mind Surveys and Seminars in your market, click here.

The Powerful Point

7 Criteria to Effective Advertising

Hopefully, over these past 4 weeks, you now have a better understanding of how to use and explain the 7 criteria to clients and help them better understand how important each is to advertising.

In the first issue of this series, it mentioned we use this piece to make two specific points; One is to explain to clients how to get a better return on their advertising investment, and two is how to use it to build trust with your prospects and clients.

I also stated that I would share a powerful point that is intended to position the media rep and/or your stations in a very positive light. That is what we are covering today and how we will conclude this series.

At some point during the CNA or one of the first meetings with a client, the conversation will lead to a point where you can bring up the 7 criteria. When it does, we suggest you either pull out a prepared “7 Criteria to Effective Advertising” form on your station letterhead or simply write the 7 criteria on a sheet of paper or a restaurant napkin.

After writing this out and going over each of the criteria is when you make your powerful point, by saying…

“Mr./Mrs. Client, actually, the most important criteria is #6”. (Draw an arrow from #6 Media Rep up above the #1 position and write “#1 Media Rep!”)

Continue by saying…

“If you find a media rep or media group that understands criteria #1 through #6; how to create Strategy, how to create and write effective messages/ads, how to use your advertising budget to dominate, and the importance of Consistency and Frequency… If you have someone that ‘gets this’, then the medium or the station that you choose really doesn’t matter. If you follow these criteria, your advertising will be way more effective. Mr./Mrs. Client, I understand how to do this, and I can help you get a better return on your advertising dollars”.

You have just established yourself as something different than the average media rep who talks about their stations, their media, and their ratings, and you’ve also taken rates and ratings out of the equation.

I hope that you have found the 7 Criteria for Effective Advertising useful. If you have any comments or questions, simply send me an email or give me a call.

If you would like to receive the one-page form of the “7 Criteria for Effective Advertising”, click here and we will be happy to send it to you. You can use it on ENS Media’s letterhead or feel free to transfer it to your station’s letterhead to use in your sales calls and presentations.

Dominate-Consistency-Frequency

#3, #4, & #5 in the 7 Criteria to Effective Advertising

This is the 3rd installment in the 7 Criteria to Effective Advertising series.  Click here to read the original issue. To read Criteria #1, “Strategy” and Criteria #2, “The Message”, feel free to go to our website at www.ensmediausa.com/ens-sales/.

The reason we are including these three criteria together is they all have to do with budgets and scheduling.

Criteria #3 “Dominate” – In other words, wherever you are advertising – Be There! As Roy Williams suggests, “It’s better to reach 100 people 10 times than it is to reach 1000 people 1 time”.

All too often business owners want to run too few ads on several stations, thinking they are reaching more people. The truth is, they may reach more people, but they won’t affect anyone. This holds true especially in direct response or event-driven advertising.

Criteria #4 “Consistency” – This represents how many weeks per month and months per year you are advertising to the same audience. Starting and stopping a campaign is no way to build a brand.

You have probably heard a business owner or two, or twenty, say, “I have been on this station for 3 months now. I think I should try and reach another audience.” No! No! No! If they only talk to an audience for a limited time and then stop, the majority of that audience will have forgotten about the advertiser long before they will need the client’s product or service.

One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make is starting and stopping.  It’s also a HUGE waste of money! Talk to them about the importance of being consistent!

Criteria #5 “Frequency” -This speaks to how many ads you run per day, per week or per month.

You might also refer to this as “Share of Voice”. If you’re talking to an automotive dealer and they want to run three ads per day, in most markets it won’t be enough frequency. In fact, they might only be whispering. You must have enough frequency to penetrate the minds and hearts of your listeners. However, if you are a roofing company, or a less advertised category, 3 ads per day or 20 ads per week might be like shouting from a mountain top!

The key is having enough ads per week to make an impact in your category!  Both Consistency and Frequency are determined by your client’s budget.

Next week we will discuss why “Media Rep” and “Medium” are at the bottom of the list!  Until then…

“Message”

#2 in the 7 Criteria for Successful Advertising

Again, as a reminder, this week’s ENS on Sales is part of a series of articles started two weeks ago. The original article was titled, “7 Criteria for Effective Marketing”. In the next few weeks, we will be discussing each of the seven criteria. To catch up, click here to read the original issue, and to read last week’s issue “Strategy Criteria #1”, click here.

To start, let’s be upfront about one thing, and that is… No one, and I mean no one, (other than media people), intentionally listen to your radio or TV station(s) for the ads.

I know that statement will offend a few but as I often say, sometimes the truth hurts. The fact is, when the commercial breaks come on, listeners don’t lean forward, and they never turn up the volume. There is only one time a year people intentionally want to hear and see ads. You got it, during the Super Bowl.

The key to successful advertising is getting people to hear and absorb the ads, whether they are intentionally listening or not. The only way to do this is to write and create better ads. Better Ads = Better Results!

Some might suggest that “Message”, the #2 criteria, is more important than the #1 criteria, “Strategy”! To be honest, you won’t get much push back from me. The main reason strategy is #1 is because strategy, communicated in a great message, is better than a great message that doesn’t communicate the strategy!

Strategy is also #1 because if you understand strategy and you can help create strategy, it will position you as a far more knowledgeable media rep.

After all, this is what our “7 Criteria for Successful Advertising” form is all about. Ultimately, it’s something you can share with your prospects and clients, and by doing so, it will help position yourself as a “media expert”.

How to create great ads or great message is a subject of its own and one we will discuss in future issues.

Today, we simply want you to understand that when you’re visiting with your prospects and clients, the topic of “the Message” should be a primary focus. Get them to understand that the message, or great ads that are produced well, will get your clients great results, nearly every time.

Next week, Criteria #3 “Dominate”.