7-31-2013
I occasionally receive station presentations in my inbox, and most of them clearly tell me why stations aren?t selling more.
Of course, their first error is sending me the presentations in the first place. The sender has obviously not refined their e-marketing data base, nor custom tailored the cover message to be relevant to me?I?m not a prospect. The senders merely send the same "package" to everyone in sight hoping something will stick... in the 70s we called that the ?spray and pray? method of selling. (It didn?t work then either!)
I received one such email this week for a station selling local play-by-play broadcasts for a nationally-franchised sports team in Spanish. The name has been withheld to protect the guilty.
The cover note suggested three "marketing packages" were attached, but I could find no such marketing package, only three packages of radio spot schedules at three investment levels, $500 a month, $1,200 a month, and $3,000 a month.
The three packages said nothing about "marketing" or what was in it for me to sponsor these packages or broadcasts.
Before I reveal how these presentations should be written, here is a little secret about pricing: Rounded-off pricing results in your prospects asking you to "sharpen your pencil." No one believes there has been any sophisticated rational behind rounded-off pricing. If you want your prospects to feel you?ve sharpened your pencil in your "package" always choose odd numbers, like $565 instead of $500.
Exposing three package levels in an e-mail blast, rather than preparing a custom solution to fit the advertiser?s objectives and budget, only results in advertisers gravitating towards the smallest package.
And in a mass blast like that, why would you pre-suppose certain budget levels? An advertiser with a budget of $2,000 a month, in this case, would have reverted to the $1,200 a month package, leaving $800 a month on the table.
But most importantly, email blasts like this make the classic mistake of not answering the questions advertisers are asking. These packages only revealed X number of spots and sponsor credits for X number of dollars.
Putting myself in the typical advertiser?s shoes, I would have been asking:
-- What?s in this for me?
-- How can this fit my objectives and budget?
-- Why target Hispanics?
-- What are the demographics and purchase patterns of the fans of this team?
-- Will I have an exclusive, or will my campaign be compromised by several competitors who buy the same package?
-- Why advertise in the games?
-- Does anyone follow the games on radio, or do they all go online or watch TV?
-- What successes have other businesses had reaching those Hispanic sports fans?
I could make the list of Frequently Asked Questions much longer, but you get the point. If you want to be successful selling radio you have to quit packaging inventory and start answering questions your prospects are asking.
Before you release any new packages, conduct a focus group of either your sales people who are on the streets every day or, better still, of some of your prospects, and uncover their FAQs. Presentations that answer those FAQs will get results.
Last but not least, don?t blast a menu of packages to unqualified e-mail lists.
Your prospects do not get excited about being presented the same cookie-cutter proposal you presented to their competitors yesterday.
Prepare a creative cover note that captures your prospect?s attention and opens the door for an appointment for you to make a custom proposal to achieve their marketing objectives. And don?t call a spot schedule a "marketing plan."
Wayne Ens is president of ENS Media Inc, www.wensmedia.com producer of the SoundADvice radio e-marketing system and the Winning in the New Media Economy revenue development system. He can be reached at wayne@wensmedia.com
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