6-7-2013
For the most part, sales meetings at radio stations aren?t very good. I?m not going to go into detail about why they?re not very good. Instead, I want to provide you 10 suggestions to make your sales meetings better.
1. FREQUENCY: The number of markets that have one sales meeting per week is astonishing to me. You simply cannot grow an army in 30 minutes to an hour, one time a week. At a minimum, there should be sales meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. When you read the new things to accomplish, you?ll understand why. Sales meetings should also begin at 8:00 a.m., not 8:30, 8:45, or 9:00. I?ve know many great managers that have their Friday sales meetings at 4:00 p.m. These same leaders always have their last sales meetings before holidays at 4:00 p.m. the day before the break.
2. TRAINING: Although training is something that takes place to some degree in every sales meeting, dedicate one sales meeting every week specifically to training. Topics are the key. I have seen some of the best radio leaders in our business teach more on other business topics than on radio topics. Their philosophy is that if they can make their sellers better all-round business people, then they?ll be better radio people. They?re right. It?s important to rotate your trainers; the GM, sales managers, members of the sales staff, outside vendors and consultants, and clients, which we?ll elaborate on in a moment. Lastly, whenever your VP, COO, or president is in town, have them conduct the training and notify them in advance so they can prepare.
3. PRESENTATION REVIEWS: Each month, select the top presentations that SOLD. Cover these, page by page, critique them. Some teams even score them, with the top score earning a nice dinner for two.
4. RAB & RESEARCH MATERIAL: Every month take any new RAB material received and divide it up among the sellers, say teams of two. Their responsibility is to present it to the rest of the team. You?re forcing the sellers to become members of the teaching faculty. Sharing in the responsibility of the curriculum and the presenting of material is the fastest way to grow. You don?t know it until you have to teach it.
5. BRAINSTORM: Each month, select two or three client challenges. These are businesses that sellers have worked very hard, but cannot get on the air. Present the evidence of what?s been presented so far, then all minds come together to form new, innovative strategies to get the business.
6. QUARTERLY QUIZ: Each quarter, hand out a surprise quiz. This consists of 10 to 20 questions about your own stations, programming, technical facts, your market and competition. Example:
? Who hosts afternoons on WXYZ?
? KXYZ is licensed to what city?
? The largest employer in our market is who?
? What weekend day-part on our station delivers the largest total audience?
? Name the top three industries in our state.
7. PROGRAMMING: Every month, have the PD present updates on programming priorities and issues for the upcoming month. Promotion directors should be in sales meetings often doing the same thing.
8. GUEST SPEAKERS: Every month, have an outside guest speaker. It?s very strategic to make these special sales meetings the one at 4 p.m. on a Friday. It is wise to have these speakers be the top decision-makers from your advertising clients. It is brilliant to make them the top advertising decision-maker from the business you?re unable to get on the air to date. If you want to quickly build a relationship with a potential client, have them be a guest speaker at a sales meeting. Always present them with a station ?thank you? gift at the end of the meeting.
9. ASK THE BOSS: Each month, have each seller write down a question for the GM. In this meeting, the boss will take the list and do their best to answer each question. When they?re in town, VPs and presidents can join in.
10. RECOGNITION: Each month, review who performed the best, who reached new plateaus, whose name will go on the station?s ?Wall of Fame,? and honor them.
Sales meetings can be some of the most motivating and meaningful gatherings we have each week. As managers, of course we have to communicate the information and issues of the day, but never have a sales meeting where something meaningful isn?t taught.
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
(6/9/2013 5:55:55 AM)
Wow. This column is symbolic of precisely why radio revenue is not growing!...The writer advocates a minimum of 3 sales meetings a week,
and all in the first part of the morning??!!...When are you supposed to see clients?! ... 80% of business decisions are made in the morning. The morning is the best time to make in-person calls. ... And "sales meetings" are sales killers. Their are new ways to push information to salespeople - like e-mail...without killing valuable sales time.
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