4-12-2013
I?ve written several articles over the past several months referring to different things I recommend you do to keep clients. The following story is another real-life example of where these recommendations come from??.
Several years ago I was calling on a car dealer that was a sizeable client of one of my radio stations. I knew him well and we had a solid relationship. I was visiting with his secretary while sitting outside of his office waiting for him to get free. As she and I were chatting, I noticed a stack of magazines on the table beside me. They were all the same. They were dealer magazines exclusive to his line.
As I thumbed through them, I was amazed at some of the articles. One of them had an article about how to do better remotes with radio stations. The more I thumbed through the stack, the more I realized all I could learn by reading them. I just needed to borrow them for a while. His secretary?s name was Ruth and with whom I had a developed a friendship. I asked her before I went in his office, ?Ruth, would it be possible for me to borrow these? I?ll return them in a week or so.? She said, ?Take them all. He never reads those.?
As I was leaving after my appointment, I grabbed the entire 10-inch stack. Over the next two weeks, the sales department and I divided them up, read them thoroughly and presented our findings in multiple sales meetings. It was like going to car dealer school. We learned new things about front-end sales, back-end revenue, F&I, service techniques, advertising, customer incentives, co-op, on and on.
One day, I sent my dealer friend a copy of an article encouraging him to share the content in a sales meeting. Then a week later, another one. After a month or two, he commented that he appreciated the ammo I had been sending him. I told him it was data I had collected from his office. He laughed and was grateful that I had also become his executive reading service.
So, let me ask you, how many radio sellers today are asking their clients if they may have copies of their industry magazines so that they can read them and be in the loop and even further their education to take better care of them? The answer is zero. Reading your clients publications, it?s just another way to keep their business and further separate you from the competition. Today, start reading their mail!
Rob Adair is the President of Pinnacle Solving. His company provides revenue growth solutions, branding and differentiation strategies to radio and other industries. Adair is a former radio industry COO and Sr. VP overseeing 25+ stations and multiple major markets. He can be reached at 405-641-0458 or by e-mail rob@pinnaclesolving.com
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