Sometimes I think I look at billboards just to torture myself.
I saw a billboard for a company that rents townhomes. At least, I THINK that’s what they do. Their name was enormous, but I practically needed binoculars and a stoplight to read what they actually offered.
It was basically a very expensive name tag. I didn’t even recognize the name.
Could the billboard be better? Absolutely. Something like, “Outgrowing Your Apartment? Rent a Townhome.”
But wait. That might convince someone to start looking for a townhome… but does nothing to convince them to rent from THIS company.
Their advertising could end up making their competitors very happy.
So, could Radio work for them?
Absolutely. Especially, when I can use 30 or 60 seconds versus seven.
But first, I’d want some answers. How many vacancies do they have? What makes their townhomes special? What’s a new long-term renter worth to them? Are they planning to grow?
If they have plenty of vacancies and something truly unique that we could build some emotionally compelling ads around, I might get pretty excited about selling them Radio.
But if they’re just looking to fill a handful of vacancies, Zillow or some well-placed Google Ads might make more sense.
Just because a business CAN buy Radio doesn’t mean it SHOULD.
And that brings me to PROSPECTING.
Are you spending your valuable time chasing businesses simply because they might buy Radio? Or are you pursuing businesses with the potential to become happy, long-term advertisers?
Be selective. Look for businesses with growth potential, passion for what they do (this is a big one), adequate budgets, and a willingness to invest in building their brand over time. Businesses you can truly help grow.
Because the more happy, long-term clients you develop, the less you’ll stress about whether you can hit your numbers or not.
You’ll be happier. Management will be happier. Your clients will be happier.
And those short-term advertising dollars you pick up along the way?
That’s just gravy.
Sometimes the smartest sales decision you make is deciding who NOT to sell.
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