(VIDEO) Harsh Words From a Former Automotive Radio Advertiser

10/24/13

Barry Merrill (pictured, center, at the DASH conference) is the President and General Manager of Grand Ledge Ford Lincoln in Grand Ledge, MI. Unfortunately he is a lost radio advertiser and he blames the radio industry for his decision to turn all of his dollars over to TV. Merrill said there was too much turnover in sales reps, and they were just trying to hit their budgets -- there was no relationship-building. He went from spending all of his advertising dollars on radio to spending nothing. We asked Merrill to give the industry some advice on how to improve.

"When you call on us, use an all-around approach," he said. "Focus on new cars, used cars, promote our website and our Facebook page. Talk about what you can do to promote the dealership as a whole." Merrill says Ford is moving a lot of advertising to digital, including Pandora, and he says it's working."I like to advertise directly," he said. "I get more feedback."

Ford is now at 60% to 70% digital, up from 20T-30%. Merrill also asks, as radio sees technology evolving so fast, how radio is going to be engaged in that: "If it's a regular antenna connecting to the car and everyone else is digital, you are going to be left out of the game."

Here is our extended video interview from DASH with Barry Merrill.

(MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE) While this may be true, there are always two sides to a story. It's doubtful that all the Detroit radio groups simply dropped the ball forcing this guy to abandon radio. There are too many good radio groups in that market. Would have loved to hear what they had to say about it.  
.... Major Market General Manager

What's your perspective? Leave your comments below.

(10/26/2013 9:35:57 AM)
Yet he is in the business of selling radios. One comes with every car.
(10/26/2013 9:07:26 AM)
Eric and Ed,

After considering all the comments (most of them, anyway), it appears to me that the car dealer you chose to offer his thoughts on media use was a poor choice. If the radio guys in the market who know him have him pegged as just a rate objector who relished the opportunity to get on stage and rip radio a new one, then he served no purpose in your intended forum.
RadioInk has made some questionable choices in their recent panel picks. Many of the tech "experts" are people looking for work and get some by opining that radio is nearly dead and only their services will save it. Others are agency reps who change their stance weekly as their ilk always has.
RadioInk is to be saluted for trying to get a conversation going that can be beneficial, but not if all the speakers have the same theme that the sky is falling, because the money people who are building and buying radio stations know that is not true.

(10/26/2013 12:13:13 AM)
"Live and local" is a phrase served with the Kool-Aid. And, like that famous (Jonestown) beverage, very few understand the implications of sucking it up.

Live and local can be programmed in the morning by anybody so inclined. And there isn't a reader here who doesn't know what a shambles and a sham that would be.

Anyway, "Ronnie's" next article deals with that very issue. It may be an opportunity to do something different - like: learn something new.

(10/25/2013 7:38:26 PM)
In Eric Rhoads impassioned separate message today detailing the far-reaching wisdom of his recent conference the ad director for Hyundai and Kia says unless radio maintains LIVE AND LOCAL they will be less of a factor.
Wanna eat your comments of late on LIVE AND LOCAL, Ronnie? We can start with this example of your nonsense.
(10/25/2013 6:45:17 PM)
Got it: It's the advertisers' fault and when it's not, it's the sales departments' fault. Anything to delay taking action on our own parts is acceptable.

So, here is the strategy: a.) Knock a series of homers out of the park for a half dozen different clients. b.) inform the desired advertisers of those results while asking them to drop by at their convenience.

Can't pull that off? Load up on personal supplies; get with station ownership and management; lock the doors; speak candidly and truthfully; participate in making decisions for drastic and dramatic improvements, and after that, determine if there is a personal future in this racket.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(WIZARD) Shine Your Spotlight Of Words?

7-19-2013

A radio commercial begins, ?I?m Ronald Watersdown, and I?m here to tell you about a very important opportunity that I?m sure you won?t want to miss. It?s an incredible chance for you to....?

What did those 29 words make you see in your mind?

Not much, right? But what about these?

?Owl was neither wise nor old. She was a teenage assassin whose large, dark eyes said she was sleepy or depressed or bored. I was never really sure which.?

Twenty-nine words. You saw 1) a momentary owl that became 2) a young female assassin with half-shut eyes, then 3) you considered the emotions she might feel, and 4) you wondered about the relationship between her and the narrator. All in just 29 words.

Perhaps you?re thinking, ?Well, radio ads can?t be as interesting as the opening lines of novels.?

But why is that, do you suppose? Why couldn?t a radio ad begin with 29 words about a teenage assassin?

?Owl was neither wise nor old. She was a teenage assassin whose large, dark eyes said she was sleepy or depressed or bored. I was never really sure which. But her sister Procrastination was even harder to read. Procrastination ... the passive assassin of Opportunity. Silently killing, one day at a time ... Don?t let Procrastination take what you love. Give yourself a new [name of product] today and feel on top of the world. Feel like you can fly. Feel like liquid springtime. Don?t put it off. Procrastination will say ?wait.? But what do you say??

The absence of a real product in this ad disallowed the inclusion of specifics, so we can?t be sure it would bring in customers. But it would definitely hold the attention of listeners with a much tighter grip than the limp, wet hand of Ronald Watersdown.

?A great big bright red...?

English is a language built backwards. We speakers of English string together a list of modifiers before naming the thing we modify. In so doing, we expect our listeners to commit to memory that string of modifiers so they can later be applied to the thing we finally name. I?m told the Romance languages have solved this problem with a much more friendly sentence structure: ?A rose, bright red and big.?

A good ad is a series of vivid mental images projected onto the movie screen of imagination. Here are a few tips for writing opening lines that will flash and crackle in the mind with the smell of burnt electricity:

1. Name something easily seen.

2. Modify it only after you have named it.

3. Choose verbs that carry context. I said ?flash ... crackle ... burnt electricity,? and you saw lightning even though I never used the word. You were engaged by the language, a willing participant in our co-creation of a vivid mental image.

4. Clarity first, creativity last. A few paragraphs ago I wrote, ?English is a language built backwards. We speakers of English....? My original line was, ?We speakers of this inverted tongue....? but I decided that was a little too clever. ?Inverted tongue? is visual, yes, but it?s also potentially confusing.

Creativity that blurs clarity is pretentious.

Creativity that sharpens clarity is genius.

Words carry energy. What will you light with them?

Isaac Newton discovered that impact is mass times acceleration. How big is the idea in your mind? How quickly can you transfer it?

5. Shorter hits harder. Always hit hard.

Now that you know how to write an opening line that captures the listener?s attention, there?s one other thing you always need to do:

Convince the advertiser to give you a message worth delivering.

Bill Bernbach said it best: ?Advertising doesn?t create a product advantage. It can only convey it.? David Ogilvy learned this lesson the hard way: ?Can advertising foist an inferior product on the consumer? Bitter experience has taught me that it cannot. On those rare occasions when I have advertised products which consumer tests have found inferior to other products in the same field, the results have been disastrous.?

An unsuccessful ad campaign is usually the result of an unsuccessful offer. Change the offer and you?ll change the result. I?ve proven this more times than I can count.

Now go.

Find a message worth delivering.

Seduce the attention of your listeners.

Show them what you?re offering.

Be sure they see it clearly.

Accept with grace the praise from your client for a job well done.

Roy H. Williams is president of Wizard of Ads Inc. E-mail: roy@wizardofads.com.

(7/19/2013 3:58:02 AM)
"But, Roy", the advertiser said facetiously. "Where are the three products and the demands to 'get on down here and make your best deal'. And the location. Damn, we can't leave out the location! And the phone number!?"

Indeed, the same thing is being said by the stations' GSM's, reps and probably the GM's.

No arguments, though, from the Creative Department. You know, the girl weeping uncontrollably and cowering in the back corner. Yes, the one with the skin disorder, sallow eyes and nervous twitches.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(SALES) Are Role And Play Really Four Letter Words?

8-27-2012

As a sales manager, you have a plate overflowing with responsibilities, and developing your people is only one of them. But it could be argued that your coaching role is, in fact, the most important role of all. The more skilled your sellers are, the more success they will have reaching their budgets, and the more likely they will be to stick with you. Unwanted turnover is never a good thing.

Also, as a coach, I?m sure you would agree that in order for someone to become better at something, they must practice. So why does practice in the form of ?roleplay? have such a bad rap? Why do so many sales managers shy away from the opportunity to help develop their salespeople? And why do so many salespeople hold on to the notion that role-playing is a waste of their time?

It seems that nowadays the general idea is that roleplaying is only necessary for the new people to participate in to develop their skills. Using it for ongoing growth and development with more seasoned sellers is seen as a form of micro-management, or even punishment.

In other professions, continuing skill development is common, and in some cases it?s mandatory. A professional baseball player spends time taking batting practice before every single game. That?s certainly a form of roleplaying. Can you imagine what would happen if a player didn?t take batting practice before a game? The reaction from the media, the fans, and his teammates would be loud and critical ? especially if his performance at the plate wasn?t at an acceptable level. That baseball player also spends time in the infield or outfield, running through every scenario his team might face during a game so he can figure out how each play should be handled. Again, that?s roleplay, and not only is it important, it?s expected.

A dancer or an actor will rehearse countless times before every live performance. They will mark their spots, practice using different approaches or emotions, and they will have dress rehearsals before the final performance. That?s yet another form of roleplay. Can you imagine a performance where the performers had not had that opportunity to practice?

A student preparing for the SAT will attend preparatory classes, run through multiple practice tests, and often take the standardized exam more than once to improve her performance and outcome. That?s also roleplay. And not only is it seen as a worthwhile investment of time, it?s important enough that students and their parents pay top dollar for the opportunity.

Think about the best of the best ? the best athlete, performer, or student. When you hear them in interviews, they talk about the practice routine and the role their coaches and teachers played in their development. How often have you heard one of these people say they just had natural talent, so they went out there and did their thing? Never. The greats talk about how much time and preparation went into becoming great. Michael Jordan is most celebrated for the amount of practice and preparation he dedicated to his sport.

I?m not sure why salespeople feel differently, but you can change their perspective. You need to work hard to show them that practice and roleplay are important for their professional growth and that by embracing this, they will see a solid return. But changing their view is something that you?ll need to work hard to do.

Here are eight things you can do to improve roleplaying in your sales organization:

1. Plan to roleplay. Schedule it in advance. No sneak attacks!
2. Make it fun. Perhaps take it out of the office and do it in a new environment.
3. Make it useful. Make sure the scenarios are realistic.
4. Remind everyone that this is practice. It?s okay to make mistakes during practice. It?s how we learn and grow. Better to make mistakes in here than out there.
5. But also decide what perfect looks like in advance, and strive for perfection during the practice time.
6. Set up a system to give consistent feedback. Look for what the person did well, and where they could improve
7. Resolve to make roleplaying part of your sales culture. It can?t just be a one-sales-meeting gig.
8. Keep it positive.

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

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(TALENT) Programming And Other Four-Letter Words

8-22-2012

When I was being trained to do HR-work and personal coaching, I was introduced to a premise that, upon consideration, held true in an alarming number of circumstances. And in no way have radio-folks been inoculated against this particular scourge. The premise was: "People, and the organizations they develop, have a tendency to find out what doesn?t work ? and do it harder!"

All-too-common examples of this phenomenon can be witnessed regularly by observing people who, when talking doesn?t get the response they want, start yelling. When that doesn?t work either, they will up the intensity and the decibel levels. Less-than-cordial responses promptly ensue. At the risk of stating the obvious, the multitude of "yell and sell" and "buy or die" radio spots that continuously wreck our credibility and challenge the patience of the audience, provide another disconcerting example.

Meanwhile, radio -- especially commercial, music radio -- has been applying this ineffective and tragic "find out what doesn?t work and do it harder" strategy for decades. Even a cursory investigation reveals that radio has been sabotaging its own potentials by embracing a series of misconstrued values. The primary one is a focusing on the most direct line between expenses and the bottom line. This line, by the way, bypasses any consideration of the most important outcomes that were, at least at one time, the basis upon which all radio business and programming decisions were based.

To be successful and relevant, radio has a couple of high-level outcomes to pursue and accomplish.

1. To attract and develop an ever-growing number of audience members for increasing amounts of listening time.

2. To design and produce effective and compelling commercial content for the benefit of our advertisers while avoiding burning down or blowing out our audiences in the process.

Astute readers will note these objectives have nothing to do with any straight lines joining expenses and profits. Rather, unless and until those lines intersect with the two (above) principles, we will continue to get what we?ve been getting ? an industry at the bottom of the list of desirable advertising media and an industry in obvious turmoil.

Further, as radio?s leadership continues to ramble on about concepts like "innovation," I find myself stymied. No. That?s not nearly strong enough. I find myself dumbstruck that management can use that term at all ? never mind deliver it with a straight face.

For as long as I can remember, any innovations that have come to radio have been those that are strictly technical and that have been delivered from outside our business! The wailing about the challenges of participating effectively through online platforms serves as another recent example of a technical innovation that has been foisted on radio. Certainly this is not a platform developed by radio people. Nor has it been a welcome addition to the owners and management of radio stations. I suspect they would rather have another 50 pounds of bricks added to their sleds.

Programming, meanwhile, has been in the doldrums ever since the Drake format ran out of gas in the early '80s. Ghettoizing spot-sets into irritating, interminable prison sentences for audiences does not qualify as a programming innovation. Whoever came up with that one or accepted it as an "innovation" needs to be taken out back, and at least shown a hickory switch. Likewise for whoever introduced those music sweeps that go on into next week.

Laying waste to the talent-base without having a better, more effective alternative ready to go has been a disaster to those stations attempting to be noticed and accessed regularly ? never mind to those stations? owners who have picked up on the newest buzzword and are insisting on developing a "brand." When a decision to eliminate back-selling tunes on the radio is considered another, important innovation, the next, logical step is to wave the white flag, plead for mercy and, if possible, pack up and go home. We?re out of fight and we?re out of ammo.

Indeed, "innovation" when applied to radio programming becomes another of those four-letter words ? the ones that are rude, crude and vulgar, and that lose their meaning through over-usage.

Only because they have so many other responsibilities in the running of their businesses, am I almost willing to forgive owners and senior management for not coming up with advances in their programming departments. Or rather, what?s left of these departments, particularly after management-applied, "scorched earth" policies have rendered them severely injured, if not entirely immobilized. Professional programmers, however, are not being offered the same free pass. Last time I looked, "Deckchairology" was not a verifiable nor offishul profession.

Although transmitters are still humming and the shells of radio stations still stand while, within, their severely limited staffs stagger about but still carry on, these days may be remembered in one of two ways. One is as a time when radio began to wake up to its responsibilities and its potentials. Or, they may be recalled as the days just before the drawn-out collapse of the industry.

I am of the firm belief there is one primary focus that radio must address and on which it must concentrate to not only save itself, but to put itself in a position to prosper beyond anything dreamed of up to this point.

That primary focus is an acceptance of the necessity for the acquisition of, and training in, the precise strategies of broadcast communications. Anyone in radio who is operating under an assumption they are already delivering their communications/services with precision and sophistication is unclear on where they are and equally unaware of where they could be going.

The evidence is readily available up and down the bandwidths in every small, medium, and major market. While there are still many exceptional, professional performers slaving over hot microphones, the pervasively mundane and insulting (to audiences and advertisers alike) offerings of music radio on an everyday basis are unworthy of those who would be professional on-air communicators, professional creators of effective broadcast advertising, and representatives of these services.

To be sure, real, new and valuable innovations are still available. But these innovations won?t be much like those we are already providing. These strategies may well be the elements of a leading edge, a new paradigm for radio, a quantum leap, or the difference that makes the difference. Plus, my education and experience urges me to say, "Better to go with what works ? and do that harder."

By applying these new, innovative strategies, I claim we can, once again, start considering and projecting another four-letter word: "Success."

Ronald T. Robinson has been involved in Canadian Radio since the '60s as a performer, writer and coach and has trained and certified as a personal counsellor. Ron makes the assertion that the most important communicative aspects of broadcasting, as they relate to Talent and Creative, have yet to be addressed. Check out his website www.voicetalentguy.com

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here