Tag Archives: radio sales training

Thoughtful doctor illustrating the Peak-End Rule and why the ending of a sales meeting matters

Don’t Blow the Goodbye

A study about colonoscopies is about to make you better at sales.

Yes. Colonoscopies.

Researchers Daniel Kahneman and Donald Redelmeier studied how patients remembered unpleasant medical procedures. Interestingly, people’s memories weren’t simply an average of the entire experience.

They were heavily influenced by the most intense moment – and how the experience ended.

It became known as the Peak-End Rule. Later research even found that patients given a slightly less-unpleasant ending remembered the overall procedure more favorably.

No, I’m not suggesting your sales presentations resemble a colonoscopy.

Hopefully.

But think about how many good client meetings end like this:

You’ve spent 30 minutes asking questions. You uncovered something important. You shared a great idea. The client is engaged.

Then…

You start gathering your papers.

“Well, I’ll put something together and email it over.”

You shake hands.

And… scene.

Don’t waste the ending.

Before you leave, remind them of one important thing they told you, connect it to one idea you’re excited about, and establish one specific next step.

Something like:

“You told me getting more qualified applicants is probably your biggest problem right now. I’ve already got an idea rattling around in my head for that. I’ll work it up and bring it back Thursday.”

That feels different, doesn’t it?

It shows you listened. It creates anticipation. And it gives the meeting an ending worth remembering.

We spend a lot of time worrying about how to open a sales call. Maybe we should put a little more thought into the last 60 seconds, too.

Because apparently, the goodbye matters.

Even with a colonoscopy.


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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.