We open every advertiser workshop and seminar with this statement; “Advertising can’t make a bad business a good business.”

You can begin more realistic advertiser relationships the same way. While every other advertising vendor out there is claiming advertising can solve all of a business’ problems, your credibility will jump to the head of the pack when you start your conversation honestly…advertising cannot make a bad business a good business.

It’s a simple matter to define “a good business” that will benefit from advertising. The Litmus test of a good advertising prospect is to ask, “Do you already get repeat and referral business?” If the answer is “no”, there is something inherently wrong with the business that advertising can’t fix.

But, once your prospect says they’re proud of their repeat business and word-of-mouth track record, you know you can accelerate the success of that business with great radio advertising and build a mutually-beneficial long-term advertiser relationship.

Internet marketing guru Seth Godin explains it this way:

In a competitive business like the local taco shop, here’s how it’s supposed to work:

Keep the place clean. Hire friendly staff. Make better tacos. Offer a fun, connected, even memorable experience.

What often happens instead is that you coin some clever slogans, worry about coupons, cut corners on ingredients and expand as fast as you can. What happens is that you build a moat around your business, get defensive about the status quo and race to the bottom. You’re generic now, and you fight the price-battles that being generic forces you to fight.

When in doubt, make better tacos and offer a fun and memorable experience worth advertising.

Your mission as a radio marketing consultant is to uncover businesses that you know are worthy of your time and can benefit from your advertising.