Sales

“If you’ve stolen from me, you’ve stolen twice!”
Of the MANY consultant jokes, that’s still my favorite. And behind the humor, there’s an important fundamental. Yes-we-DO travel-around from-town-to-town, up-and-down-the-dial, telling-stations-here what-stations-elsewhere are up to.

And after all, which gives you a better night’s sleep?
a) Experimenting?
b) Or implementing proven tactics, adapted to your situation?

Times-being-what-they-are, I’m thinkin’ (b). So here are some durable faves from notes I’ve been squirreling-away during the 15 years

Radio-and-the-Internet:
As usual, the best ideas seem to sprout in the smaller markets. Hear a couple, from “The Small Market Idea Swap,” in my interview in NAB’s podcast from the convention floor:

We knew this day was coming. But so soon?
We took comfort that “TV was supposed to kill radio, and it didn’t.
And Sirius and XM were supposed to kill radio, and they didn’t.”
While, all around us, we saw the Internet ramping-up like no other medium in history.

Even just several years ago, “Internet NTR” seemed forward-thinking.
Provocative theoretical ideas at the RAB convention.
Soon, stations were selling-out on-air spot inventory, yet missing budget.
Then adding inventory, and still missing budget.

Then stations got Internet revenue goals, dictated by Corporate…which wasn’t as-specific about how to attain those goals.

Then the economy tanked.

GMs are over-tasked; Sales Managers are forced to over-promise.
Radio trade publications are dominated by who-got-fired-today stories.

Program directors have two kinds of meetings: Who’s getting fired; and who will assume the duties of who-just-got-fired.

Now, dashboard Wi-Fi is in showrooms, Wi-Max just lit-up Baltimore, and Google is making a pile of money in your market.

Radio is following, not leading, listeners to the Internet.
In 1995, I was trying to get GMs exciting about building a station web site and streaming. Their concerned reply was often, “But we’ll end-up chasing our listeners to the Internet.” Now, it’s all we can do to chase ‘em there. Santa passed on HD Radio again, but The Apple Store was the busiest in the mall. Headline news: “the digital future” is NOW.

In recent research, Arbitron asked: “HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE HAS _____ HAD?”
“RADIO” (21%) came in second to “CELL PHONE” (33%).

More Arbitron data: Digital listeners DON’T spend less time with AM/FM: They are:
• 50/50 male/female
• Demographically, in radio’s sweet spot: 25-54 indexes 134 (34% above average).
• Good qualitative: college grads index 136; full-time employed index 133.
• 70% of online listening is away-from-home, largely a weekday workplace phenomenon.

Content-we-feed-to-a-transmitter is now just one aspect of what a station does.
Since technology enabled them to, TV newscasts have touted “LIVE” on-scene reporter work.
Now, NOT-live is an emerging value proposition for on-demand content offered online.
Ditto for radio.
Stations should archive all sorts of relevant audio/video/text content.

“WHO-the-heck will DO all this?” you’re wondering.
I have the answer, and the price is right.

And I will detail specific, sponsorable content opportunites that are right under your nose.

If you’ve been following my weekly 10-part series in Al Peterson’s NTS Media Online E-weekly, you’ve already read some of the proven low-cost/no-cost techniques that stations are already using to make money.

“This has been good, relevant content for readers.”

“New Year, New Internet Revenue: FREE AND CHEAP THINGS YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH QUICKLY IN Q1 2009″ is 22 pages of ideas for growing revenue and audience online. For an instant download, click here to use any major credit card. It’ll be the smartest $19 you spend this month.

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“What the best sales people sell (in order): Themselves. Their company. Their service or product. The price.”

Internet NTR… at the library?
Been to your public library lately?
It’s busier there, according to various reports.

Makes sense…the price is right.
Why pay Blockbuster when there are FREE movies on DVD at the library?

And the library may offer an Internet NTR opportunity for radio.
See what I’ve outlined for several client stations in the November issue of my monthly newsletter.

Also in the November issue:
Are you observing “The New Frugality?”
And I don’t just mean implementing budget cuts.
I mean are you OBSERVING-how-LISTENERS are cutting-back?
Example: “I’m saving a lot of money,” Californian Tony Leach told The Wall Street Journal. He canceled his $60-a-month cable service, and watches all of his favorite TV shows on the Internet.

I outline how-listeners-are-coping, and how-radio-can-help…and even prosper.

Remember who made money during the Gold Rush of 1849: the guys who sold the maps and picks and shovels. Right now, THAT can be radio.

New: Making Money Online:
Radio Advertising Bureau training video interviews HC.

“Podcasting: Upload Content, Download Dollars” See-and-hear my presentation from the NAB Radio Show:

The Impact of Commercials on the Radio Audience. In a standing-room-only NAB Radio Show session, Jon Coleman of Coleman Reseach released the results of a study that will arm you with convincing data that rebuffs convention wisdom about commercial tune-out.

The industry mistakenly believes radio loses a considerable portion of its audience when commercials run. Conventional wisdom among radio and ad agency people is that button-pushers are off-like-a-prom-dress when spots air. NOT true. On average, radio holds on to 92% of its lead-in-audience during commercial breaks.

Radio audiences do NOT drop significantly between the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth minutes of a commercial break.
Shocker, eh?

Read more – including why “radio should be cautious about ‘overselling’ its role as an in-car medium,” when you download this report FREE and in its entirety.

Read Every Great Sales Idea Ever… …published in my newsletter in its first ten years. TWENTY-FOUR pages, a whopper, a dang coffee table book. It’s chock-full of proven packages you can put on the street today. You won’t finish this issue on one sitting. But when you do, you will have read: >Things you’re under-selling; Things you never thought of selling. Some without spots! >Say it better: Tips for writing more effective commercial copy. >Don’t deny strengths, exploit weaknesses! Turning lemons into lemonade, for thirsty advertisers. >How-To Make Money With How-To Shows: Attendees stood and applauded after my RAB session. >Turning Kibbitz Into Kash, a kouple kute ideas. >LEADS! Advertisers you should be pitching, and proven copy points to recommend. >Tips, Techniques, and Only-Slightly Dirty Tricks. You DO want the order…right? >Ideas, Ideas, Ideas, including a major agency buyer’s advice on pitching Internet NTR. Click here for an instant download, the smartest $49 investment you’ll make this month.

 

How would your listeners answer this question? In a national research survey, I asked radio listeners: “Some radio personalities recommend products or services that they, themselves, use. When you hear such an endorsement… a) You assume that such claims are exaggerated, because the personality was paid, or got the product or service free. b) You trust such an endorsement more than similar claims made by an anonymous announcer. c) It would depend on your opinion of the personality making the endorsement. d) The endorsement makes no difference. You weigh the offer based on what you are being told, rather than who is telling you. The results may surprise you: a):32%, b):8%, c)27%, d)33% Conclusion? TECHNIQUE MATTERS. Because so many stations – especially News/Talk AMs – do so many endorsement spots, this is a whack-on-the-side-of-the-head. One-third of listeners downright disbelieve endorsement spots and another third dismiss ‘em outright; and to nearly another third, it’s all about WHO is saying “take it from me.”

 

Because every rep needs a joke to tell on the next call:

Every Sales Buzzword Ever Spoken…
…is decoded in 9 pages of Universal Radio Buying and Selling Terms

Here’s a slogan you won’t hear in a radio ad! GUARANTEED: a GSM in that market is demanding to know “why we’re not on the Sofa King buy?!?!?” THEN, wait’ll he/she hears the copy!