13 Revealing Questions That Win Trust with Your Radio Clients (and Better Radio Ads)

Ever wonder why some people seem to win clients for life – while others can’t get a call back? Well, it’s not because they have a slicker pitch or a better-looking proposal.

It’s because they ask better questions.

What’s the best way to get a new client and keep an existing one?
Earn their trust.
Earn their trust.
Earn their trust.

There are many ways to do that… but one of the best is by asking revealing questions – the kind that go beyond surface-level chit-chat.

When you ask better questions, you send a signal to the business owner’s brain that says, “This person actually gets it. They’re not just here to sell me something – they’re here to make it work.”

And there’s a bonus: better questions give you better answers.
Those answers become the building blocks of smarter ad strategies – the kind that separate your clients from their competition, fill your notebook with fresh ad ideas, and deepen your understanding of how to truly help them succeed.

Try asking questions like these:

  • What’s the most revealing comment you’ve ever heard from a customer?
  • Do people ever get your business confused with a competitor?
  • What’s harder today in running your business versus 5 years ago?
  • Have you noticed any change in your customers versus 5 years ago?
  • What’s one thing about your business that people don’t know?
  • What was the best year you ever had… and why was it such a good year?
  • Have you ever thought that the money you spend on advertising could be more effective?
  • What’s one thing that your top competitor does that you think brings them new customers?
  • What’s happened in your industry in the last 3 years to make things more difficult for you?
  • What do you see happening in your industry over the NEXT 3 years?
  • When you buy advertising, what are a couple of reasons for choosing which media you’ll use?
  • What’s your biggest grossing product or service?
  • What’s your most profitable product or service?

Coming up with better questions just takes practice. Take 45 minutes, undisturbed, and write down ten of your own revealing questions. Then, go through them again and make them better. Keep your list handy. Then, you can customize each question for any business you have in mind.

You might have clients who’ve been with you for years and you’ve never asked them questions like this. Schedule a meeting purely to learn more – not to sell. When you do, they’ll see you differently. They’ll trust you even more.

Anyone can sell an ad.
But only the ones who ask revealing questions become trusted advisors.

You’ll become the rep they look forward to talking to.

Are You Scarce?

There’s a simple law: no one buys anything unless it produces more value than it costs.

That law applies to sneakers, vacations, and yes… to you – Mr. or Ms. Salesperson.

Clients don’t buy from you because you “need to make monthly numbers.” They buy because you deliver more value than the next. And in a world of look-alike proposals and cookie-cutter ads, how do you make sure you’re seen as valuable? Why pick you and not someone else?

One word: scarcity.

When something is scarce, it becomes precious. Gasoline is necessary, but it’s cheap compared to bourbon that’s been aging in a barrel for 20 years. A plain hamburger is easy to get, but people will wait an hour in line for the one legendary burger joint in town. Front-row seats at a sold-out stadium? Scarce. The bleachers at a minor league game? Not so much.

The same is true in our business. A rep who’s easy to replace gets treated like tap water. A rep who’s hard to replace gets treated like single-barrel whiskey.

How do you become scarce?

  1. Bring insights, not just packages.
    Anyone can quote rates or flaunt the latest rankings. Few can connect marketing dots, explain how creative is the biggest factor in ROI, or show how top-of-funnel radio makes every other tactic stronger.
  2. Write ads that don’t sound like every other ad (or like ads at all).
    Generalities are wallpaper. Specifics are sticky. Dig deep, use stories, and create copy that competitors can’t duplicate.
  3. Ask sharper questions.
    Scarcity comes from perspective. If you uncover something about a business that the owner hasn’t articulated before, you become indispensable.
  4. Invest in creative thinking.
    Big ideas are harder to come by than cheap rates. If you bring them, you instantly set yourself apart. Sometimes all it takes is a quiet room and a few thinking caps (don’t forget you have a team who can help).
  5. Genuinely care about your clients’ success.
    Business owners want someone who cares about their success, not just their spend. That genuine care can’t be faked.

Scarcity creates value

The market pays more for what is rare and hard to replace. If you want your career to command “front-row ticket” energy instead of “cheap-seat” treatment, stop being interchangeable. Create value in ways your competition won’t – or can’t.

Anyone can sell advertising (or try). Not everyone can become scarce.

Still Wasting Words

I wrote on this topic nearly 4 years ago, and believe this or not, not everyone in the radio world read it, and if they did, they didn’t heed the message. Shame on us!

Therefore, allow me to stand on my soapbox for a minute and speak once again to something I am very passionate about, or should I say, very passionate against!

I’m referring to using phone numbers in radio ads. Regardless of what size market we drive through, while listening to the radio we still hear the dreaded seven-digit, or worse yet, ten-digit phone numbers. Yes, it’s still happening! 

Is it happening on your stations?

The ONLY thing that could possibly be an even bigger waste of breath is when we do the unthinkable and repeat the ten-digit phone number.

In recent weeks while driving to see clients, I went through small, medium, and even two major markets. I would guess that approximately 25-30% of the ads I heard included unmemorable seven and ten-digit phone numbers. Why? 

I realize that the business owner is usually the one that says, “I need my phone number in the ad; that’s how people reach out to me”. As media reps, it’s our job to explain to them how our medium is used and instead show them a better way to use those seven, ten, or twenty words. 

The listeners of your stations do not stand by with a pen in hand, waiting to write down a phone number from an ad they previously heard that may or may not air again in the next commercial break. It’s simply NOT how people listen to the radio. It’s not how people watch TV either. Do you have a pen and paper handy while watching TV?

If the message is strong enough and creates enough desire, the interested consumer will find them. Nine times out of ten they will google the business name or speak into their phone and simply say, “Call Joe’s Pizza”, “Central HVAC”, or “Sioux Auto Sales”.

There are only 5 scenarios when we should use phone numbers in radio or TV ads:

  1.  When the number is very easy to recall – For example (prefix) – 1-2-3-4 or (prefix) – 20-20 (I’m still skeptical)
  2. It’s said in a unique way that makes it very easy to recall – For example “541- twoooo – sixxxx….seven – eight”! (Still skeptical!!)
  3. A vanity number – For example 541–BEDS, or 1-800 – GOT JUNK
  4. Direct Response ads – The rule of thumb is to repeat the number 4-6 times.
  5. When a business doesn’t have a website or social page. (Shame on them)

Let’s make the world a better place and eliminate phone numbers in radio ads!

O.K., I am now off my soapbox! Thank you for allowing me to vent!

A Good Spring Cleaning

While March 20th was officially the first day of spring, in some parts of the country, it really doesn’t feel like spring until much later. That’s especially true this year for those of us in the north. It’s late April and we’re still not sure spring has sprung!

When you think of spring cleaning, you think of washing the windows, thatching the lawn, and picking up the sticks and leaves. Some go much deeper and include washing and cleaning the garage floors, vacuuming, dusting, and washing vents, baseboards, windowsills, blinds, light fixtures, and shades. They call that deep spring cleaning!

There are many reasons why we should do a spring cleanup both inside and out. Without going into specifics, spring cleanup prepares us for the next few months. Not only is your home clean, inside and out, but it’s also healthier and you and your lawn are better prepared for new growth.

That relates to you and your home. But what about your business?

In sales, it seems that more often than not we simply go about our days and only think about cleaning our office area and evaluating how we go about our profession at the very end or beginning of each year.

Springtime is a great time to stop, pause, and think about how your 2023 has started off, and it’s a great time to make necessary adjustments and get ready for growth.

Start by looking at your workspace; is it clean and fresh? Does it provide a positive, light, and creative space or is it drab, dark, cluttered, and uninspiring? Do the same thing with your clothing. Do you need to throw out some of the old and get a new clean, fresh, and professional look? Is your vehicle clean, inside and out? Remember, you are being judged by everyone around you. Your co-workers, your leaders, and your clients and prospects!

Next, does your workspace need a spring cleaning? Even if you are one of those people that believes you function better in clutter, the truth is, when we spruce up and organize our space, we feel better about ourselves, and we can’t help but function much better! This includes your desktop and your files, paper and digital. I have never once cleaned or spruced up anything, car, wardrobe, or workspace, and said to myself, “Man I wished I hadn’t done that. I was more productive when it was dirty and unorganized”. I doubt you have either!

Lastly, do a quick check to make sure all your tools are prepared and in place for the coming months. Are you prepared to keep everything in tip-top shape so that you can look, feel, and function at a maximum level so you can be as productive as possible?

A good spring cleaning is good for the Mind, Body, and Soul, in Life, and in Business!

Separating YOU From THEM!

While reading a story on customer satisfaction with products, it dawned on me that the reasons people stay loyal to certain products or brands are the same reasons that business owners stay loyal to their media reps and stations.

A story published in eMarketer.com quoted several surveys, all related to “Why we Buy: Consumer Behavior and Loyalty in the Age of Infinite Options”. One survey by Criteo stated the obvious, and that was that quality products or services at a good price are still the biggest drivers of brand loyalty.

More importantly, the article went on to quote a survey conducted by Epsilon that said, “Eighty percent of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences”. In our line of work as marketing reps, this is where we start to separate the GREAT reps from the good reps. What type of personalized experience(s) do you offer to your clients and prospects that make you stand out from the crowd? 

Yet, in another survey by Morning Consult, it said 88% of respondents agreed that well-priced products with matching quality are important. More significantly, 92% said reliability and durability were key in creating brand loyalty. Are you reliable and durable for your clients? Are you there when they need you, and are you continually bringing them ideas to help them grow their business? 

Finally, and here is where we really separate the GREAT from good, and good from average…The same survey from Morning Consult stated that the primary reason for abandoning a brand was that the quality had gone down. Never take your clients for granted. Always be doing things (personalized experiences) that make them appreciate you more and more every month and year.

Here’s the big question. As a media rep, what are you doing that separates you from your competitors?

ENS Media’s SoundADvice program can be the very thing that will start separating YOU from THEM!

Here’s what one satisfied sales manager has to say about SoundADvice:

“More Training? All well and good but how ‘bout actually changing the landscape to make it easier for your well-trained sellers to succeed?

We’ve found SoundADvice is far and away the easiest, turn-key way to position yourself and your team as the local “go-to” experts. It’s true. When it comes to marketing ourselves, we don’t practice what we preach AND we’ve got the stations!

I know you’re busy and more time-poor than ever. All the more reason to use SoundADvice. They do the heavy lifting. You reap the referrals.”                                           

Click here for more SoundADvice testimonials.

To find out how easy and affordable SoundADvice is and how effective it can be to help you keep and build better relationships with your prospects and clients, click here to arrange a call with Rick.