Pandora Now Has 138 Salespeople

4-23-15

And that's just the sellers in the local markets where they compete against you for radio dollars. The company actually has hundreds more selling the product and is also ramping up its efforts to implement programmatic buying in the very near future. In addition to all the sellers, the company also reported it now has 194 software engineers working at the company, an increase of 50 percent, doing product development.

(4/24/2015 12:08:17 PM)
Go Pandora! Fuck radio!

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Radio Still Using Traditional Salespeople For Digital Dollars

12-17-14

The jury is still out on whether this approach is right or wrong. Some will say the reason radio does not generate more revenue from digital is because it doesn't focus enough dedicated resources to it. Others will say there just isn't enough digital revenue in the marketplace to spend the money on those additional resources.

Radio Ink recently completed a detailed survey of managers that included owners, CEOs, corporate executives, market managers, general managers, sales managers, and program directors. Our goal was to take the pulse of the industry as we head into 2015 and find out where you believe radio sits in the digital marketplace. Our survey discovered that 86 percent of radio stations continue to sell digital products using their traditional sales force while only 14 percent have a dedicated digital sales staff. As a result, perhaps, 63 percent of our respondents report that digital revenue makes up less than 5 percent of their total sales. Another 21% say digital make up between 6 to 10 percent of sales.

Additional results from our survey show that radio managers report they are fairly confident (41%) or highly confident (35%) that they have a strong grasp of emerging digital opportunities and threats. When asked about the advertisers they call on, a majority (70%) say their advertisers are digitally savvy while half (50%) say their companies are digitally savvy.

(12/17/2014 2:01:08 PM)
Fifteen years ago our company Radio Profits Corporation presented at the Radio Ink Internet conference. At the time this same debate was going on whether digital needed a separate sales team. Probably the people who were debating it are no longer in the business.

This industry is sadly stuck.

(12/17/2014 1:01:19 PM)
Ed Ryan, You should go on the road and share your early experiences in selling digital dollars. If the industry wants its share of digital dollars they better train and hire people who specialize in digital.
(12/17/2014 11:20:18 AM)
When we started our digital marketing department four years ago, we had a separate sales staff to sell website development and other online marketing products. This fall we trained our radio sales reps to sell digital.
It has been a very difficult transition as many of the older salespeople have not been receptive to learning digital.
Integrating our clients' marketing is important, but it was much more effective when we had separate sales teams for each product.
(12/17/2014 10:57:17 AM)
Radio made an error giving digital to the regular sales staff. The salespeople were immediately sidetracked from their normal duties which hurt station billing, and poor initial digital pitches were made by inexperienced people causing few digital sales.
Newspapers always had separate sales people for their various products, (display, classified, inserts) But then, newspapers were always a real business.
(12/17/2014 9:43:30 AM)
Toy, how long did it take for FM to become profitable because AM stations gave away advertising to fill inventory on their FM sister stations? Giving something away demonstrates that it has no value.

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Pandora Target: 350 Salespeople by 2015

4-22-14

Crain's New York Business says a new 50,000 square foot office in New York City already has 200 Pandora employees, many of them salespeople who are radio refugees. No doubt with the recent Clear Channel sales layoffs the people pool to pluck from just increased for the Internet pure-play. The Crain's story is actually one of the few published articles that includes someone who doubts the listener numbers Pandora produces every month including that Pandora is the number one station in many markets.

Horizon Media's managing director of audio and promotions Lauren Russo says she does not buy that Pandora is one station and its claim to be number one in some markets across the country. The proof will be in the measurement numbers. And at some point in the future those numbers will be provided by Nielsen. Although Nielsen has told Radio Ink that the Pandora numbers will not be made available side-by-side with Radio's numbers so a fair comparison can be made. And, the reasoning for that is Nielsen has said Pandora is not radio. Of course, that can change by the time Nielsen produces its final product.

In the Crain's piece, Russo says she would like Pandora to be measured by Nielsen, just as the terrestrial stations are, so that all the numbers would come from one methodology instead of two. Whether Nielsen believes Pandora is radio, whether radio believes Pandora is radio or whether Pandora executives believe Pandora is radio makes no difference to the consumer. It's clear the consumer could care less what we call it. And it's clear Pandora is hiring radio salespeople and coming after radio's $17 billion in ad revenue. In 2013 Pandora lost $41 million, despite a 56% growth in revenue, to $638 million.

(4/22/2014 5:35:34 AM)
www.advancedhiring.com

So typical of radio thinkers, Eric.
"No doubt with the recent Clear Channel sales layoffs the people pool to pluck from.."

A lot of smart radio people at Clear Channel "get" that second stringer salespeople are always second stringer salespeople -- that's why they clean house.

But old radio guys still think "previous sales experience" is so critical.

Any Radio Ink readers who want a fresh approach to sales hiring?

Alan
www.advancedhiring.com

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(SALES) The Secret To Finding Great Salespeople

8-21-2013

Any good sales manager understands the importance of having a strong sales department. But actually making that happen ? now, that?s hard to do!

With increasing frequency, clients are coming to me to discuss the large disconnect between wanting a strong sales force and building one. Digging into this dilemma, I have learned that there are two key areas of focus we need to understand in order to close this gap.

First, you must find and select the right salespeople.

Then you must effectively develop and keep them.

If you are interested in building a great sales department, you need to do more than just hire well. You must grow and develop your people, too. Here?s how to do it:

Find And Select The Best
The best managers will tell you they rely on these ways to increase their effectiveness as they work to find and select the right people to grow a top sales department.
1. Remember that recruitment happens all the time, not just when you have a position open. Recruitment is a 52-week-a-year commitment.
2. Separate the ?find? step from the ?select? step. When building your team, it will be key to remember that recruitment needs to stand separate from selection. Think about it like this: A college football program recruits a lot of high school athletes every year, but it does not offer scholarships to every one of them. These teams do an outstanding job of separating recruitment from selection, and you should follow that model.
3. Build a specific recruitment plan, and commit to following it. Consider these questions when you construct your plan:
? How many interviews will you do each month?
? Where you will look to find people?
? What process will you use to interview each person?
? Who (other than yourself) will play a role in the interview process?
? How will you set up your files to remember all of your recruits? (These files are your ?talent bank.?)
4. Commit to a strong selection practice, and always select from your talent bank.

Here are a few things to remember when making a selection for your next hire.
? Not all sales jobs are alike ? in fact, they are often very different! So give careful thought to which talents, skills, and experiences you consider necessary for each individual selection you make.
? Salespeople are not all alike, either. No two, including top performers, will be the same, so you need to evaluate each person individually to determine whether they will be the best fit for what you need.
? You must avoid getting fooled by ?glare? that can blind you from seeing the real person. This can easily happen if your sales candidate is from your
hometown, a t t e n d e d your university, plays the same sport, or pushes any other ?hot button? of yours. The qualities that make you ?fall in love? with a candidate often also cause you to lose your objectivity regarding their talent and job fit.

As I mentioned before, though, it is not enough to just find and select the best sellers. If you hire them, you need to commit to grow and develop them as well. That?s how top sales teams are built.

Develop And Keep Them
It only makes sense that if you are going to spend time getting the selection process just right, you would want to invest in those people you eventually hire. Always remember that people join an organization, but they leave their manager.

In order to increase retention of your top salespeople, the key is consistency. Even with your veterans.

Take the time to understand their unique talents, abilities, and coaching needs, then build an individualized growth plan for each person on your sales team. This will cost you both time and energy, but building these customized plans will allow you to grow each individual, which leads to increased retention and profitability.

And it is far less work than having to hire yet another new seller because of high turnover.

Matt Sunshine is EVP of the Center for Sales Strategy.
E-mail: mattsunshine@csscenter.com

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Do You Know How to Recruit Salespeople?

7-15-13

Our latest Sales Meeting Podcast is ready to download. This week we interview Matt Sunshine from the Center for Sales Strategy who specializes in recruiting salespeople for radio. Sunshine is also a regular contributor to Radio Ink Magazine. The Center for Sales Strategy has also published a White Paper on recruiting which details the incredible cost of sales turnover. Download our Podcast HERE

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Former Radio Salespeople Find A New Home With Pandora

3-7-13

When it comes to the job market in radio, it's not often you hear of companies doing a lot of hiring. Conversely, at Pandora, in the past year they've gone from 530 employees to over 700 and many of the hires are in sales. The company is hiring local salespeople as it continues to take aim at radio's $15 billion in annual advertising revenue. The company also recently announced it would be included in STRATA and Mediaocean data that buyers use when considering where to place ad dollars. If you haven't already, you may want to start writing Pandora into the non-compete contracts of your salespeople because CEO Joe Kennedy says the majority of the local salespeople being hired are coming from radio.

Kennedy says, "Overwhelmingly the hires we make on a local basis are coming from broadcast radio companies. Our focus is on hiring the best people with experience in markets. We found a lot of people who are tremendously excited about bringing to the market a product that has targetability, measurability, and interactivity, something that they've never been able to offer to those buyers before. Combine that with the scale of being effectively larger than any broadcast radio station in the market. We see a lot of people with backgrounds from Clear Channel, Cumulus, and CBS."

Pandora now claims to have 8 per cent of all radio listening in the United States, although they have never given any facts or research in detail as to how they come up with that number. The company also claims to be the most listened to "radio station" in many major U.S. radio markets.  

(3/8/2013 2:13:39 PM)
"you may want to start writing Pandora into your non-compete contracts"..
Or....
You could treat your sales people like professionals, arming them with products that work, providing them amazing support, in a positive atmosphere built on music with a team mentality that fosters growth and rewards performance. Like Pandora.
(3/8/2013 12:26:29 PM)
Ed Ryan--

Your comment that "8-10 ads being God-awful"...
If you had to choose One..just One..
A. Your station had high ratings
B. Your station had high revenues

Which would it be?
And don't give me the 'high ratings lead to high revenues.' There have been plenty of stations with good ratings and poor revenue and , conversely, poor ratings and great billing.
The people who choose high ratings do not understand business.

(3/8/2013 11:49:05 AM)
I always liked it when the salespeople who couldn't cut it with us went to work at other nearby stations.
(3/8/2013 10:35:55 AM)
I happen to have an acquaintance who has a long history in radio (if I were a name-dropper, I suspect you'd know the name). He's had a radio show on the air for around thirty years.

When he's off air, I have it on good authority that he never listens to broadcast radio. He listens to the BBC Radio 6 and Radio 4 streams, as well as the stream of a public jazz station.

Soon, broadcast radio will go the way of shortwave and the crystal set.

(3/8/2013 9:51:36 AM)
One thing that struck me was the amount of revenue Pandora was getting on mobile compared to us (radio). And that mobile revenue was growing faster than mobile listening.

And I agree about radio being better at local personalities. It's when there is NO personality and radio jumps right into 8-10 spots that is God awful.

Good comments all.
Ed

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Your Salespeople Have A Free Franchise

10-9-2012

Does your sales staff fully appreciate their FREE franchise?

Think about it, what do typical franchisees receive when they invest their life?s savings in a franchise?

Franchisees pay for the rights and privileges of using a recognized name and trademark. Your station name, heritage, format, and logo provide a strong brand for your sales people to represent.

Typical franchisers offer protected territories as long as the franchisees meet agreed-to quotas. Most broadcast organizations offer their ?sales franchisees? similarly-protected account lists.

Franchisers continuously improve their products and services. Broadcasters too are constantly improving programming to grow audiences.

Franchisees rely on the training provided in their franchise agreements to teach them the "tricks of the trade" they have invested in. Successful broadcasters continually provide professional training for their sales executives.

Franchisers provide proven systems and procedures. Radio account executives utilize the broadcaster?s traffic, accounting, ordering, and billing systems.

Franchisers advertise to enhance the value of their brand. Stations advertise and promote on-air and in other media to keep their brands current.

Franchisers invest in market research for their franchisees, just as broadcasters invest in research like Nielsen, Arbitron, TOMA, and various other research and marketing tools.

Last but not least, franchisee remuneration is directly proportionate to the success of their franchise. Commissioned radio executives earn incomes directly proportionate to their success.

I have had the opportunity to consult several national franchise organizations and their franchisees. Many franchisees pay $50,000 to $100,000 or more just to buy a small local franchise. They also pay for real estate, equipment, support staff, and ongoing royalties. In spite of their large investment, typical franchisees will earn LESS than the top biller at your station!

One of the benefits franchisers promote is ?being in business for yourself but not by yourself.? In most radio sales departments, professional salespeople are given the latitude to manage their time and their accounts and account strategies, but they have good management supporting and coaching them each step of the way.

Telling your staff about their free franchise can inspire a commissioned salesperson to be more passionate and professional about managing their franchise.

I have learned, however, that not all franchisees experience the same degree of success. More importantly, I?ve discovered that it is the franchisee who makes the franchise succeed above and beyond expectations, NOT the franchisor.

Here?s what your account executives can learn from the more successful franchisees in other fields across North America;

Embrace Change

When a franchiser introduces new products, ideas or changes it is because they are committed to improving results for the franchisee?.and the success of the franchiser is directly dependent upon the success of its franchisees.

Your station?s success is also dependent upon the success of its salespeople. When management introduces change it is because they are convinced it will make their salespeople, and themselves, more successful. The most successful franchisees always give change a chance.

Rally Behind the Flag

In franchising, there is a thing called ?The Franchisee Dependency Curve." When a new franchisee comes on board they are initially delighted, learning new things every day, managing their own business, and appreciating what the franchiser brings to the table.

But some franchisees become complacent. As their learning curve flattens, they begin to begrudge the royalties they are sending the franchisor. These franchisees begin to fail when they say, ?But my market is different? or ? I know better than head office."

Your account executives? fates are no different. When an A.E. says, ?But my account list is different? or ? I know better than management,? they begin to lose the benefits of their franchise.

Go Beyond the Call of Duty

The most successful franchisees I?ve met actually go beyond what the franchiser expects. If, for example, the franchiser expects them to participate in one local charity for publicity and networking, the most successful franchisees will get involved with two or three charities.

The most successful franchisees actually improve upon and build upon management initiatives and volunteer to sit on franchisee project committees.

And when they do find an improvement that works for them, they enthusiastically share it with the franchiser for the benefit of all franchisees. They recognize that a stronger team benefits the entire franchise as well as their local franchise.

These same three keys will maximize the success of each of your salespeople?s franchises; one, embrace change; two, support the brand; and three, go above and beyond the minimum expectations management sets.

Wayne Ens is the president of ENS Media Inc. and producer of SoundADvice, the radio e-marketing system and advertiser seminar that is persuading local advertisers across North America to drop their print advertising in favor of a radio-Internet media mix. He can be reached at wayne@wensmedia.com 

(12/27/2012 3:10:22 PM)
I like much of what I've read of Wayne's stuff over the years; I believe he understands sales and management.

That said, the "free franchise" metaphor used by Wayne and others doesn't walk on all fours. It's a rosy depiction of "blue sky" opportunity. Salespeople remain in the status of employees, paid a salary, commission, or admixture of both for the sales they produce. They cannot leverage the work of others as a franchisee can, though their success does depend in part on their co-workers.

- Rod Schwartz - Radio Sales Cafe(12/27/2012 10:21:27 AM)
"Brazil: Tests Tech Before Implementation"

"After extensive testing of both HD Radio and DRM, the Secretary of the Ministry of Communications Electronic Communications, Genildo Lins, said the tests of the two technologies have had poor results,"

http://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2012/12/brazil-the-place-where-they-test-tech-before-it-is-implemented/

(10/11/2012 8:04:24 PM)
I disagree. A franchisee can charge as he sees fit for his services. A franchisee keeps any profits he makes, minus the franchise fees.

Salespeople are captive to the commissions the station is willing to pay. Radio salespeople have little control over what commissions are paid, and on what terms.

Nice try, but written like an owner, or upper management type.

(10/10/2012 2:25:59 PM)
What is the point of this column, other than to "stroke" radio station owners?... There are way too many "consultants" right now like Wayne Ens, telling other people how they should do their job. ... Radio station owners and managers, should require any of these consultants to actually SELL on the street for 3 months, their radio station(s). Then, the proof of a consultant's value, would be very transparent.

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(SALES) Your Salespeople Have A Free Franchise

10-9-2012

Does your sales staff fully appreciate their FREE franchise?

Think about it, what do typical franchisees receive when they invest their life?s savings in a franchise?

Franchisees pay for the rights and privileges of using a recognized name and trademark. Your station name, heritage, format, and logo provide a strong brand for your sales people to represent.

Typical franchisers offer protected territories as long as the franchisees meet agreed-to quotas. Most broadcast organizations offer their ?sales franchisees? similarly-protected account lists.

Franchisers continuously improve their products and services. Broadcasters too are constantly improving programming to grow audiences.

Franchisees rely on the training provided in their franchise agreements to teach them the "tricks of the trade" they have invested in. Successful broadcasters continually provide professional training for their sales executives.

Franchisers provide proven systems and procedures. Radio account executives utilize the broadcaster?s traffic, accounting, ordering, and billing systems.

Franchisers advertise to enhance the value of their brand. Stations advertise and promote on-air and in other media to keep their brands current.

Franchisers invest in market research for their franchisees, just as broadcasters invest in research like Nielsen, Arbitron, TOMA, and various other research and marketing tools.

Last but not least, franchisee remuneration is directly proportionate to the success of their franchise. Commissioned radio executives earn incomes directly proportionate to their success.

I have had the opportunity to consult several national franchise organizations and their franchisees. Many franchisees pay $50,000 to $100,000 or more just to buy a small local franchise. They also pay for real estate, equipment, support staff, and ongoing royalties. In spite of their large investment, typical franchisees will earn LESS than the top biller at your station!

One of the benefits franchisers promote is ?being in business for yourself but not by yourself.? In most radio sales departments, professional salespeople are given the latitude to manage their time and their accounts and account strategies, but they have good management supporting and coaching them each step of the way.

Telling your staff about their free franchise can inspire a commissioned salesperson to be more passionate and professional about managing their franchise.

I have learned, however, that not all franchisees experience the same degree of success. More importantly, I?ve discovered that it is the franchisee who makes the franchise succeed above and beyond expectations, NOT the franchisor.

Here?s what your account executives can learn from the more successful franchisees in other fields across North America;

Embrace Change

When a franchiser introduces new products, ideas or changes it is because they are committed to improving results for the franchisee?.and the success of the franchiser is directly dependent upon the success of its franchisees.

Your station?s success is also dependent upon the success of its salespeople. When management introduces change it is because they are convinced it will make their salespeople, and themselves, more successful. The most successful franchisees always give change a chance.

Rally Behind the Flag

In franchising, there is a thing called ?The Franchisee Dependency Curve." When a new franchisee comes on board they are initially delighted, learning new things every day, managing their own business, and appreciating what the franchiser brings to the table.

But some franchisees become complacent. As their learning curve flattens, they begin to begrudge the royalties they are sending the franchisor. These franchisees begin to fail when they say, ?But my market is different? or ? I know better than head office."

Your account executives? fates are no different. When an A.E. says, ?But my account list is different? or ? I know better than management,? they begin to lose the benefits of their franchise.

Go Beyond the Call of Duty

The most successful franchisees I?ve met actually go beyond what the franchiser expects. If, for example, the franchiser expects them to participate in one local charity for publicity and networking, the most successful franchisees will get involved with two or three charities.

The most successful franchisees actually improve upon and build upon management initiatives and volunteer to sit on franchisee project committees.

And when they do find an improvement that works for them, they enthusiastically share it with the franchiser for the benefit of all franchisees. They recognize that a stronger team benefits the entire franchise as well as their local franchise.

These same three keys will maximize the success of each of your salespeople?s franchises; one, embrace change; two, support the brand; and three, go above and beyond the minimum expectations management sets.

Wayne Ens is the president of ENS Media Inc. and producer of SoundADvice, the radio e-marketing system and advertiser seminar that is persuading local advertisers across North America to drop their print advertising in favor of a radio-Internet media mix. He can be reached at wayne@wensmedia.com 

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Salespeople Should Not Negotiate Our Rates

8-7-2012

How many times has a salesperson come into your office with a piece of business, at a lower rate, that you've signed an accepted? You know the rate is too low, yet you sign the order and bank the bucks. Your seller has convinced you the client couldn't afford the higher rate and was willing to walk from the order and go across the street to your competitor with his money. This has been going on in radio so long that some radio clients dictate their own rate to salespeople. Cumulus' John Dickey says one of his assignments is to put an end to this.  After all, he says, you are not allowed to walk into Starbucks and haggle on the price for a piece of blueberry cake. Why should anyone be allowed to do it in radio?

Cumulus Co-COO John Dickey is on the next cover of Radio Ink Magazine (release date August 27th). Dickey covers a lot of ground, including Arbitron, consolidation and Cumulus' partnership with CBS Radio on sports. He also tells us about how he would like to see the radio industry gain revenue ground and to do that, he says, it all has to start with the rank-and-file on the street.

"If you think about the thousands of salespeople in our business, they are out today pricing access to radio stations, selling inventory. Quite frankly at whatever they feel like selling it for, within reason. They have that kind of autonomy. That?s a bad thing. You can't walk into Starbucks and have the person behind the counter negotiate with you on how much a piece of blueberry coffee cake is. Prices are posted. There is no impression that is given that you have an opportunity to haggle that price. You pay and you leave. In our business, it doesn't work that way. That's been hurtful. If we have 50,000 units of time to sell on our radio station in 2012, in 2013 we are going to have 50,000 units to sell. That?s not going to change. We have to do a better job of selling all of those units, but we also have to do a better job of selling these units at higher rates. Our sales system, our proprietary enterprise software that we've developed is helping us to solve that problem, but it is a work in progress."

Dickey says, radio needs to increase rates if our business is going to flourish. "We are very focused on inserting ourselves in the rate issue in each of our markets. It?s a part of our business that had never been managed effectively as our industry consolidated. It hasn't been managed effectively by corporate or by ownership. Those decision on what we sell our stations for have been done at the salesperson level. There is probably no other industry where salespeople have autonomy or leeway in the price at which they sell a company's goods or services. That is alive and well in our business and has hurt our business. I think one of the great benefits of consolidation is innovation and using technology to manage our business. We?ll get a handle on this pricing issue and have more control over pricing down to the market level, the account level, the sales rep level. We are working hard to make that happen."

When asked about rate cutting to get business, Dickey admitted every company is doing it. "I think everybody can put their hand up and admit to that. It would be unfair of me or anybody else to say one company is better or worse at it than the others."

For more from John Dickey subscribe to Radio Ink today by calling 561-655-8778 or order online HERE

(8/7/2012 6:37:07 AM)
Radio must be more relevant to be worth more to advertisers. Most listeners don't consider radio to be an essential part of their day and advertisers know it by the response they get. "Big" Radio left listeners behind with automation and consolidations that gutted diversity & creativity. Throw out automation and do real local radio. Produce 50+ local programs each week with multiple audio and video services and radio will sell itself and you can maintain your rates. Stop making corporate radio

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(AUDIO) Are Salespeople Losing Hope About Economic Growth?

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8-2-2012

According to a new study released by AdMall the expectation that sales will grow in the back half of 2012 is starting to change. AdMall CEO Lee Smith says local sales managers and media reps (across all media) are still optimistic, but slightly less so than they were at the start of the year.

"Going into the year, 88.2% of sales managers and 90.3% of account executives expected revenue gains over 2011. Those projections have been downgraded to 82.6% of managers and 81.8% of sales reps." AdMall conducts the survey two times every year and has been doing so for three years. We asked Smith to give us more specifics about what sellers are hearing from advertisers, which categories are performing well and the impact digital and mobile are having out on the street.

Listen to our interview with Smith HERE

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Salespeople Challenged by More Competition.

7-26-2012

One of the biggest challenges we hear from radio salespeople is how they have to deal with so much selling competition on the street. In addition to the regular cast of characters from newspaper, television and the yellow pages, sellers also have to deal with every new digital product that comes along such as Pandora, Groupon, Facebook, Google and every local coupon company that John Doe launches from his one bedroom apartment. To help you succeed aster, we've lined up a killer Sales Meeting Podcast that will be available to download tomorrow in our morning headlines and on our website focused on helping salespeople sell more radio right away.

Both Matt Sunshine and Sean Luce will be answering questions that were sent in by our readers. The questions are from salespeople and sales managers, and the challenges and objectives they run into selling radio. If you would like to receive a link to this Podcast later today, before it posts in the morning, please send an e-mail directly to edryantheeditor@gmail.com. Here are some of the topics that will be covered.

#1 More and more competition. Meaning: more avenues to advertise. Newspaper, TV, radio, outdoor, social media, internet, direct mail, etc., etc. Harder to be seen and get the desired and frequency needed to succeed.

-?I tried radio once and it didn?t work?--  Managing your clients expectations because people are very visual and they can?t see their commercials on the radio like they can on TV?Trying to manage the desire for immediate results from the client
- No one says that they are hearing my commercials on the radio
- Since new cars sales are up and successful, what about  satellite radio and Pandora in a virtual dashboard
- Too many different media outlets,  ?I?m confused? with what works best
- Attrition
- Getting the 2nd order from a new client
- Dealing with advertisers who have a little bit of knowledge, all of a sudden are ?experts.?
- Competition painting pictures of what?s a ?must do, must-have media outlet, etc.?
- Clients expect immediate gratification and results.
- Smaller or same budgets, but with more ground to cover.
- The ever changing state of media as a whole.  Outside of radio v satellite radio or even the integration of internet and it?s positive and negative effects on radio, medium, it?s important to stay informed about all the other media you compete against and their changes. (ie. erosion of newspaper readership and why;  cable subscription erosion, DVR and its impact on how television viewing habits have changed, etc.) It?s important for me to understand the positives and negatives of all media because I want to be more than an advertising rep.  I want to be considered a marketing consultant as well.
- Finding new ways to effectively target and come up with relevant strategies for non-traditional advertisers that don?t typically utilize radio as a part of their marketing and advertising plans. 
- Figuring out ways to balancing corporate initiatives and client needs. 

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(PODCAST) Salespeople. Still Using These For Leads?

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5-10-2012

Sales have been flat in radio. There's no denying that. We hear about pockets of strength, mostly in small and medium markets, but we've also seen the big guns report weak revenue numbers. The cuts continue, as companies continue to reduce expenses until the economy rebounds and the sales improve. For sure some of it is the economy. Could another part of it be salespeople not making enough calls or calling on the wrong businesses or hitting the street with a pocket pen and a rate card?

How many times have you returned to the office and announced to the sales team..."that's it everyone, time to go home, we've just been making too many sales calls today. In his earnings report to Wall Street the always colorful Ed Christian said he still believes there are businesses not being called on by radio salespeople and he's been around quite awhile. What we dicided to do in our latest podcast with Matt Sunshine from the Center for Sales Strategy is discuss lead generation.

There are a lot of things salespeople can do to market themselves as the best at what they do. It takes a lot of hard work, consistency and dedication to the job to be the person everyone in your market depends on when they are ready to advertise. That's the relationship salespeople should strive for and to do that, it takes a whole lot more than sitting at your desk dialing for apoointments. In our 30 minute interview Matt gives specific ideas that you can start implementing tomorrow to be a better salesperson. Some of them you may have heard of. The question is how many of them will you implement Monday morning.

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SALES - Why Do Salespeople Give Up Too Soon?

12-28-2011

Successful salespeople are able to bounce back from rejection. They understand that it?s business, not personal. However, many sellers give up too soon. They take ?no? literally and don?t keep pursuing their prospect, whether it?s for an appointment or securing the deal. If I?ve determined an ideal prospect for my business, I don?t stop pursuing them until they say ?Theresa if you don?t stop calling me?I?m going to get a restraining order against you!? which has never happened. ?No? is never final in my mind; it?s just a wake-up call that I haven?t established value in the prospect?s mind.

Why are they saying no? 
No is a natural response when you feel you are being contacted by someone who is trying to ?sell? you something.  History has trained us that most salespeople waste our time and provide no value; therefore you stop the process before it before it begins, ?NO!? Clients tell me they don?t want to do business with anyone who doesn?t fight to earn their business. If someone gives up at the first sign of resistance, it?s perceived as a lack of resolve. The old axiom ?winners never quit and quitters never win? is true in sales.

How to overcome rejection
Remember the Tony Orlando and Dawn song ?Knock Three Times?? Make this your mantra. Change it to ?Ask Three Times? (at the very least) when gaining commitment. In other words, ignore them when they say ?no thank you? and repeat your request. Don?t ask why immediately, either. Just rephrase and repeat.                                                                                                                                                                     

Seller: ?When would your schedule allow 15 minutes for my presentation??                                             
Prospect: ?I?m very busy right now.?                                                                                                                 
Seller: ?I?ll be in your area next Tuesday; will you be in your office that afternoon?  I?d like to demonstrate how Social media can support your marketing efforts.? Always move forward with a valid reason for them to grant you a meeting.
Prospect: ?No, I will be traveling a lot in the next couple of weeks.?
Seller: ?I understand, why don?t we set-up a virtual call then?? Acknowledge politely, but keep coming back with options that accommodate their needs. 

I often say ?I never take no for an answer.? If I?m trying to book a table, at a hot restaurant for Saturday night, and I?m told they?re fully booked, I make a note to call again the Friday before, when reservations are confirmed. If they?re still fully booked, and everyone?s confirmed, I call again Saturday afternoon or early Saturday evening and I always get in. Same holds true for getting an appointment with a doctor, or securing a hotel reservation. There is always a break through point; all it takes is a little staying power.

Persistence is not to be equated with being a pest. When you hold the line, it demonstrates belief and discipline?you have a plan and you?re committed to it. You?re seen not as a pest, but as someone who obviously feels strongly about their product or company?s work. I can?t count the number of times new clients revealed that they were going to say ?yes?, but a seller stopped asking too soon. It?s a matter of critical mass, either you give up or they give in. People buy you first, or they buy nothing at all.
Theresa Merrill is the Director of Business Development for Anovick Associates. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in NY, Boston and Atlanta working for Katz Communications, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision and can be reached at 201.444.2991 or by e-mail merrill.theresa@gmail.com

(12/28/2011 8:27:31 PM)
Buddy, I agree that you have to be "persistently valuable", that is a theme throughout all my blogs. When I reach out to a prospective client, I've already done my homework and determined I can provide a solution to their problem; that conviction is what drives me to persist.
(12/28/2011 1:25:24 PM)
We can all agree that persistence is essential to success in sales, but the example cited above has the trapping of a pest.

Rephrasing your question until you get the answer you want is a self-centered tactic that brings no value to the buyer.

Be persistently valuable.

(12/28/2011 12:51:58 PM)
Thanks Kevin for your continued support and feedback; keep in mind that the sale is not over until you quit.

Matthew, good point about having nothing to lose; after all 20% of nothing is nothing, right?

(12/28/2011 8:41:52 AM)
This is really good. I am glad that I am not the only one that feels like a pest sometimes. I will continue to press forward.

Thank you,

Kevin

(12/28/2011 8:08:37 AM)
Good advice, Theresa. Like you say, persistence is not being a pest; its the measure of hard work and determination. What a lot of salespeople fail to realize is until you have something, you have nothing. Meaning, what is there to lose if you don't have the appointment anyway? If you believe wholeheartedly that your product/service can benefit your prospect, than no one can fault you for working diligently to meet with them.

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SALES - Why Do Salespeople Give Up Too Soon?

12-28-2011

Successful salespeople are able to bounce back from rejection. They understand that it?s business, not personal. However, many sellers give up too soon. They take ?no? literally and don?t keep pursuing their prospect, whether it?s for an appointment or securing the deal. If I?ve determined an ideal prospect for my business, I don?t stop pursuing them until they say ?Theresa if you don?t stop calling me?I?m going to get a restraining order against you!? which has never happened. ?No? is never final in my mind; it?s just a wake-up call that I haven?t established value in the prospect?s mind.

Why are they saying no? 
No is a natural response when you feel you are being contacted by someone who is trying to ?sell? you something.  History has trained us that most salespeople waste our time and provide no value; therefore you stop the process before it before it begins, ?NO!? Clients tell me they don?t want to do business with anyone who doesn?t fight to earn their business. If someone gives up at the first sign of resistance, it?s perceived as a lack of resolve. The old axiom ?winners never quit and quitters never win? is true in sales.

How to overcome rejection
Remember the Tony Orlando and Dawn song ?Knock Three Times?? Make this your mantra. Change it to ?Ask Three Times? (at the very least) when gaining commitment. In other words, ignore them when they say ?no thank you? and repeat your request. Don?t ask why immediately, either. Just rephrase and repeat.                                                                                                                                                                     

Seller: ?When would your schedule allow 15 minutes for my presentation??                                             
Prospect: ?I?m very busy right now.?                                                                                                                 
Seller: ?I?ll be in your area next Tuesday; will you be in your office that afternoon?  I?d like to demonstrate how Social media can support your marketing efforts.? Always move forward with a valid reason for them to grant you a meeting.
Prospect: ?No, I will be traveling a lot in the next couple of weeks.?
Seller: ?I understand, why don?t we set-up a virtual call then?? Acknowledge politely, but keep coming back with options that accommodate their needs. 

I often say ?I never take no for an answer.? If I?m trying to book a table, at a hot restaurant for Saturday night, and I?m told they?re fully booked, I make a note to call again the Friday before, when reservations are confirmed. If they?re still fully booked, and everyone?s confirmed, I call again Saturday afternoon or early Saturday evening and I always get in. Same holds true for getting an appointment with a doctor, or securing a hotel reservation. There is always a break through point; all it takes is a little staying power.

Persistence is not to be equated with being a pest. When you hold the line, it demonstrates belief and discipline?you have a plan and you?re committed to it. You?re seen not as a pest, but as someone who obviously feels strongly about their product or company?s work. I can?t count the number of times new clients revealed that they were going to say ?yes?, but a seller stopped asking too soon. It?s a matter of critical mass, either you give up or they give in. People buy you first, or they buy nothing at all.
Theresa Merrill is the Director of Business Development for Anovick Associates. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in NY, Boston and Atlanta working for Katz Communications, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision and can be reached at 201.444.2991 or by e-mail merrill.theresa@gmail.com

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Recruit High Powered Salespeople

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Ken Thoreson is the CEO of Acumen Management Group, an organization that helps build successful sales and sales management organizations. Thoreson has written several books, including "Recruiting High Powered Sales Teams." We had a chance to interview Thoreson about his book, his techniques and how radio stations can recruit, hire and compensate superstar salespeople in 2012. Thoreson details how to properly interview, how to spot a superstar seller, the traits of a great salesperson and when to stop nurturing someone who is not going to make it.

Our interview is 30 minutes long. It can also be downloaded from iTunes as a Podcast to your smartphone if your interested in listening on the go. Listen to our interview HERE or download from our iTunes page.

Reach out to Ken HERE
Check out Ken Thoreson's website: www.Acumenmanagement.com and his blog www.SalesManagementGuru.com. You can also follow him on twitter: www.Twitter.com/KenThoreson

(11/23/2011 8:30:43 AM)
"How To Recruit High Powered Salespeople" ought to be a question and not a headline.

Here's how.....give'em something to sell and pay'em well.

(11/22/2011 11:25:24 AM)
This industry has systematically bled the life out of every rep and sales manager over the last several years. Does anyone want to argue this point?

To whom is this article/podcast directed--the disconnected, absent owners? Certainly NOT anyone tasked with finding and retaining top sales talent in the radio industry.

Please stop peddling this crap; it confuses upper management into thinking they CAN find/train/retain superstars while paying them minimum wage.

Get real.

(11/18/2011 9:01:37 AM)
The Radio stations I successfully managed in Yakima Washington from 1987-2000 had a staff of 12 sellers and two sales managers. We paid 20% on direct local business...15% of agency business...and 22% on new business. We were the cash-flow king of the market.

Today that same group of stations (after Corporate America screwed them up)now pays 12.5% on local direct business, and 10.5% on agency business. That group of stations is also down to six sellers and one sales manager. Super-star sellers want and expect to be compensated fairly. You will not retain, let alone recruit quality sales people when you care more about your shareholders than you do your employees and the community you are entrusted to serve. David Aamodt/General Manger (former) RESULTS RADIO-YAKIMA, WA.

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(AUDIO) New Company Gives Salespeople Exactly What They've Been Looking For

12-14-2011

Part of radio's problem has always been that we can never be totally sure an ad we played drove a specific consumer to purchase a specific product. Sure we try to produce anecdotal survey information or ask an advertiser if sales increased month over month. But how many times have you heard the story of a consumer who purchased a product after hearing a TV ad yet the ads only ran on radio. Serial entrepreneur Tom Burgess (pictured), with VC backing, has launched a company that gives radio salespeople specific data that shows advertisers exactly how many consumers respond to an ad. It's the information salespeople have always wanted, solid proof that radio advertising works. Of course the ad still has to be well produced and the offer from the advertiser has to move the consumer to action.

Here's how the new technology works. When an ad runs on your station, if the listener is interested in the product he or she interacts with that ad, for example by sending a text or short code. The offer or discount made in the ad is automatically added to the consumers credit card once your listener goes shopping. It's an instant rebate, without the mailing, without any paper to fill out and without any coupon scanning. It's the listener interacting with the ad.

Burgess has solidified relationships with all the major banks and credit card companies. Nothing needs to be done by anyone at the checkout counter. Once the campaign is over linkablenetworks provides you with the data of how the campaign worked, which you can then show the advertiser. Private information such as credit card information is never shared. You can take that data to the advertiser and say 50 people or 100 people or 1,000 responded directly to your ad this week. Of course, this also puts a little pressure on you to make sure the ads are well done, make a great offer and move people to action.

Bain is a financial backer of the 2-year old company. And, just an FYI, there is no cost to you to use the technology.

Here's our interview with Burgess who explains in more detail how the technology works.
Read more about Linkablenetworks.com HERE

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(PODCAST) Recruit High Powered Salespeople

Download this show

Ken Thoreson is the CEO of Acumen Management Group, an organization that helps build successful sales and sales management organizations. Thoreson has written several books, including "Recruiting High Powered Sales Teams." We had a chance to interview Thoreson about his book, his techniques and how radio stations can recruit, hire and compensate superstar salespeople in 2012. Thoreson details how to properly interview, how to spot a superstar seller, the traits of a great salesperson and when to stop nurturing someone who is not going to make it.

Our interview is 30 minutes long. It can also be downloaded from iTunes as a Podcast to your smartphone if your interested in listening on the go. Listen to our interview HERE or download from our iTunes page.

Reach out to Ken HERE
Check out Ken Thoreson's website: www.Acumenmanagement.com and his blog www.SalesManagementGuru.com. You can also follow him on twitter: www.Twitter.com/KenThoreson

(11/23/2011 8:30:43 AM)
"How To Recruit High Powered Salespeople" ought to be a question and not a headline.

Here's how.....give'em something to sell and pay'em well.

(11/22/2011 11:25:24 AM)
This industry has systematically bled the life out of every rep and sales manager over the last several years. Does anyone want to argue this point?

To whom is this article/podcast directed--the disconnected, absent owners? Certainly NOT anyone tasked with finding and retaining top sales talent in the radio industry.

Please stop peddling this crap; it confuses upper management into thinking they CAN find/train/retain superstars while paying them minimum wage.

Get real.

(11/18/2011 9:01:37 AM)
The Radio stations I successfully managed in Yakima Washington from 1987-2000 had a staff of 12 sellers and two sales managers. We paid 20% on direct local business...15% of agency business...and 22% on new business. We were the cash-flow king of the market.

Today that same group of stations (after Corporate America screwed them up)now pays 12.5% on local direct business, and 10.5% on agency business. That group of stations is also down to six sellers and one sales manager. Super-star sellers want and expect to be compensated fairly. You will not retain, let alone recruit quality sales people when you care more about your shareholders than you do your employees and the community you are entrusted to serve. David Aamodt/General Manger (former) RESULTS RADIO-YAKIMA, WA.

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How to Recruit and Hire The Best Salespeople

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Recruiting and hiring great salespeople to represent your station or cluster is all about Talent, Training and Tactics. All too often managers get into the habit of hiring whoever, whenever. As EVP at the Center for Sales Strategy Matt Sunshine puts it "If you're starving, you'll eat anything." In our 60 minute webinar with Sunshine yesterday we detail how to avoid making bad hires and how you should keep sales talent ready to take the field for your station or cluster. The audio from our interview is available now and also includes:

- Why military vets make great salespeople
- How to build a talent bank
- Why you should build a talent bank
- How to avoid interviewees who have "glare."
- What you should say to recruit the right people for your funnel
- Why new salespeople who make a sale in their first week is BAD

Listen to the audio from our webinar HERE or subscribe and download the audio from the Radio Ink page at the iTunes store.

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iBiquity Giving Away Cash And Receivers to Radio Salespeople.

June 15, 2011

iBiquity Digital is offering cash incentives to reward radio industry Account Executives and Sales Managers that use the HD2/HD3 multicast channels made possible by HD Radio Technology in their clients' on-air advertising campaigns. Some examples of possible entries include NTR events, campaigns exclusively on the HD Radio channel, or campaigns that combines all digital assets of on-air, website, and HD2/HD3 channels. The prizes are: $5,000 to Campaign Judged Most Effective, $1,000 2nd Place Award, HD Radio Receivers Awarded to 3rd Place Finishers.

Joe D?Angelo, iBiquity Digital?s Senior Vice President of Broadcast Programs and Advanced Services, stated ?We are excited about the potential of this program to help publicize the innovative sales programs we are seeing in the market, and to influence more stations to bundle their digital assets.  HD2/HD3 Channels are becoming increasingly prevalent in the ratings and now is the time to market the unique benefits they offer to advertisers.?

Sales teams can submit their stories of campaign success using HD2/HD3 channels at hdradioalliance.com between June 15th and August 15th 2011. There are three reward levels: A grand prize of $5,000 cash, followed by $1,000 for second place, with the third place winner receiving a total HD Radio upgrade for car, home, and on the go. The panel of judges includes John Potter, Vice President/Training at the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), Mark Turley, Director of Corporate Media Sales for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Diane Warren, President of the HD Radio Alliance. Prizes will be awarded at the Radio Show in September.

(6/16/2011 7:24:00 AM)
You've got to be kidding! They couldn't sell them on QVC and now their giving them away. How tacky. Digital radio - what a joke.
(6/16/2011 12:22:59 AM)
The problem with adding advertising to the HD2 and HD3 channels is the reason people listen to them now is because of the lack of advertising.

It is true that the content on the HD2 and HD3 channels is excellent, but that will change as HD Radio continues to increase market penetration and stations try to monetize the sub-channels.

(6/15/2011 5:34:13 PM)
"HD2/HD3 Channels are becoming increasingly prevalent in the ratings and now is the time to market the unique benefits they offer to advertisers."

Yea, because of analog FM translators! Another stunt from iBiquity's bag of tricks. Sad. Go Pandora, congrats on your IPO! iBquity says "Me too!, Me too!" LOL!

(6/15/2011 3:14:53 PM)
I guess they finally found the right price for receivers.
(6/15/2011 1:58:59 PM)
if they had a real value prop for customers, they wouldn't have to resort to cheesy giveaways!

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