If you have the word ‘agent’ or ‘representative’ in your job title, you could be on the verge of extinction.
Remember the days before Expedia and Travelocity? You had to call a ‘Travel Agent’ to make your plans and book your vacations. The internet has changed the way people buy.
Programmatic buying and being able to book advertising on a wide range of new media via the internet are leading many advertisers away from investing their valuable time talking to media sales representatives.
The only way to ensure your clients will continue to do business with you is to deliver more value than simply selling space or spots.
Noted sales trainer, Jeffrey Gitomer, made it clear to one sales rep that simply ‘touching base’ no longer cuts it. Jeffrey said, “Dude, you’re going to lose all of your customers if you fail to reach them with a message of value every week.”
The litmus test of the value you deliver is simple; do your clients and prospects actually thank you for your service and look forward to the value you deliver over and above the spots you sell?
Our SoundADvice member stations receive thank you notes for the value they deliver like this one received last week in Grand Junction, Colorado;
Hi Maggie,
One of the consequences of a busy mentality is that appreciation is too often ignored or is not expressed appropriately for the many good deeds of people who serve others.
I want to express my deepest appreciation for your Sound Advice communiqué that you send on a regular basis. I want you to know that I read your emails and enjoy the quality of the content.
Thank you.
As John Wooden (UCLA coach) once said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
Keeping us informed of new marketing and reminding us of existing marketing strategies is a big job and your efforts have not gone unnoticed.
Happy New Year!
Gary
If you aren’t currently receiving thank you letters or emails like this, you need to ask yourself these 4 questions about every client on your list, every month;
- 1. What is the last message of value I delivered to this account?
- 2. When?
- 3. What is the next message of value I’m planning to deliver to this client?
- 4. When?
And, if the answer to questions 2 or 4 is longer than 30 days away, you are about to be one of those representatives who loses the business.
Many stations try to deliver a message of value by aggregating content from other newsletters, but our SoundADvice radio e-marketing system delivers all original content, that reinforces the value of radio in the new media landscape and trains your account executives how to deliver more value on every call.
Contact [email protected] for a free demo of how the SoundADvice system can help you sell more radio campaigns.