Death of the RMB

To our Canadian friends;

     I’m appalled at the gradual demise and subsequent death of the RMB, radio’s marketing arm in Canada. Please read my article entitled, ‘A Sad Day for Radio’ in Broadcast Dialogue magazine by clicking on this link.
http://www.broadcastdialogue.com/Admin/pdf/stories/2010-09%20Opinion_Ens.pdf
     I believe a rising tide floats all boats and I’ve always been a huge supporter of the importance of our industry working together for the good of everyone in it.
     In the late 70’s, I was able to work with the RBC, predecessor of the RMB, to get all of the stations in various markets to work together to host a Radio Day Conference to educate local advertisers on how to use radio effectively. Every station in the participating markets benefited and we took valuable share from local newspapers and yellow pages.
     In the absence of an effective industry marketing organization YOU can be the catalyst to work together with our stations in your market to educate local advertisers about the important role of radio in the new media landscape.
     ENS Media Inc. has built a new Radio Day Program that includes us acting as an intermediary between you and your competitors to host and deliver a local advertiser seminar highlighting the power of radio in the new media landscape, and custom tailored to your market. Click here to arrange for an appointment to discuss how we can help you make this happen!

Transitioning from the Front Lines to the Front of the Lines

Transitioning from the Front Lines,
to the Front of the Front Lines

           There is no denying that experience can be a great teacher. But all too often we promote our best ‘experienced’ sales people to sales managers with no management training or safety net.
          It’s not fair to the newly appointed manager, to their staffs, nor to the company.
          Having a successful track record in sales enables the newly appointed manager to capture the respect and credibility necessary to lead; that’s a good thing.
          But the skill sets she/he acquired as a sales person do not necessarily equip them to be great managers.
          I’ve had the heart-breaking experience of seeing dedicated passionate sales leaders crash and burn in management roles. Not because they didn’t have the work ethic, desire, intelligence or integrity to succeed, but simply because they were given the title, an office, and told “good luck”!
          And it can be intimidating for a new manager saddled with a truckload of new tasks to ask for coaching or training for fear they might appear weak or incompetent in their new role.
          I do admire the intent of companies that prefer to promote from within.
If you do promote from within, and want to see your candidate succeed, consider doing two things;
1.) Hire a management coach to confidentially mentor their growth.
2.) Invest in management training to ensure their continued success.
          To not do so is unfair to your new manager, their staffs, your customers and your company.

Opportunity Perception

The Opportunity Perception

          Have you heard the classic tale of two shoe salesmen who were sent to a remote village to sell shoes? When they arrived at the village, one immediately sent a message to his office saying, “No one here wears shoes. Will return tonight”.
          The other salesman upon arrival, sent a message back to the home office as well, saying, “No one here has shoes, send lots of inventory immediately”.
          Are you saying, “No one here is buying spots” or are you saying “Let’s increase our inventory and offer them special events, promotions, sponsorships, web opportunities or mobile applications”?
          Problems are simply opportunities in disguise. And the best companies and managers see those opportunities, while others are complacent in the status quo.
          Robert Kennedy once said, “Others see things as they are and say, why? I see things as they could be and say, why not?”
          There is no reason your sales cannot be up dramatically as we sit on the threshold of economic recovery. That is, unless you are still selling old media packages, rates, spots or rankers.
          Stations that capitalize on their marketing expertise and advertiser relationships to facilitate special events, shows, promotions, web opportunities, mobile applications and other tools to help grow their clients’ businesses, can experience recordbreaking revenues in the months and years to come.
          Need a fresh set of eyes to recognize and capture the opportunities in your market? Maybe we should talk. [email protected]

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Year of the Creeping Christmas

The Year of the Creeping Christmas

          While your sales people are boating, golfing and enjoying the summer weather, it can be difficult to have thoughts of sugar plums dancing in their heads.
          But your clients and prospects are planning their Christmas campaigns NOW.
          According to the just-released annual holiday benchmark report from Experian Marketing Services, retailers are pushing holiday sales messages earlier this year.
          And various consumer reports point to consumers being eager to spread their purchases over a longer season versus the hectic last minute spend.
          If you haven’t already, you need to plan your Christmas sales meeting NOW. How many of us have presented a Christmas promotion to a prospect only to hear, “Sorry, I just booked all of my Christmas advertising with the newspaper last week”?
          The first media rep in the door with a targeted Christmas campaign has the odds in her favor.
          To put your team in the Christmas spirit, plan a special ‘Sounds Like Christmas’ sales meeting, complete with Christmas music, a Christmas tree, and even a turkey dinner. Launch your Christmas sales incentives, promotions and brainstorm some Christmas campaign ideas at this meeting.
          Then keep the Christmas theme front and center with visuals in the sales office where sales people can post their Christmas sales and you can track and publish up to the minute results for your Christmas sales and sponsorships.
          And don’t neglect your web potential. The ‘gift guides’, pictures and details that were previously the exclusive domain of the paper, can now be accommodated on your website or by promoting the clients’ websites.
          Doing it now will ensure a merry Christmas for all, and for all a great year–end.

Question Yourself

Question Yourself

          You have undoubtedly been trained in the art of asking your clients questions to determine their needs, wants and desires.
          But have you learned the art of questioning yourself?
          It takes courage to admit you can be a better sales person, and confidence to ask the questions necessary to improve your performance.
          All learning springs from answering questions. At ENS Media Inc, we have two sets of questions account executives can ask themselves to increase their sales.
          The first set of four questions dramatically reduces account attrition rates and builds your brand as a marketing professional. Set aside time every month to ask yourself these four questions on every account;
          1.) What is the last Valid Business Contact I had with the client?
          2.) When?
          3.) What is the next Valid Business Contact I’m planning?
          4.) When?
          If the answer to questions two or four is “longer than 30 days”, the account may be in jeopardy.
          A ‘Valid Business Contact’ is defined as any contact which benefits the client. It may be a lead, a valuable piece of information, a new idea to help grow their business or any other contact that positions you as a partner in their growth.
          Our second set is three questions designed to improve your performance after every single contact you make, be it in person, online, in writing or by phone.
          After every contact, ask yourself these three questions;
          1.) What went well? Then plan to repeat what went well as often as possible.
          2.) What did I miss or forget to do? In spite of all of our pre-call planning, the pressure we feel during a client contact can cause us to forget key points. Identify what you’ve missed on each call, and focus on not missing them again.
          3.) What can I do better next time? There is always room for improvement. The reason employers want ‘experienced’ people, is because each experience can teach us how to be better at the next experience.
          So, when you think of where questioning skills fit into the sales process, don’t forget to ask yourself these two sets of questions.