Ready. Fire. Aim.
I have used this phrase and attitude many times in my sports radio selling career. For years, people used the exact words in another more familiar order, specifically to shoot a gun: Ready. Aim. Fire.
Get it?
In 1982, one of the best business books ever written, In Search of Excellence, was published by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. Peters and Waterman worked in the San Francisco office of McKinsey Consulting. Peters traveled the world and talked to the best companies. He was on a mission to learn about ‘organization effectiveness’ and ‘implementation issues.’ He found that what he saw had a profound impact on how companies focused primarily on organization and strategy suffered compared to those who dove in on activity and culture. He also wrote a bestseller and game-changer. He also came up with Ready, Fire. Aim.
What’s your style?
When your company launches a new digital package or NTR sponsorship, do you wait around until forced to pitch it a few times? Or, do you toss it out to some clients who should be open to the idea and then figure it out as you go? Peters would argue you should experiment more aimlessly.
Whatver good came from procrastination? To get me out of a rut, I will ask myself what the worst thing that can happen from asking a client to try a new idea is?
They say no.
Okay, on the other hand, they could say YES. Or, at the minimum, appreciate that you are keeping them up to date with the latest opportunities in the market. Often I will take this approach to oversized packages. Let’s say the station has an NTR project like a concert, sports fair, or event. The title sponsorship package is two times what your best clients have ever spent with you in a single month. Rather than sit around and get a new prospect list ready and customize a package with price-sensitive elements or whatever other excuses I can think of, I take action. I FIRE.
I will call my client, who may get sticker shock, and say, “I want to show you this sponsorship because even if it isn’t a fit for you, you will know what XYZ or ABC competitor is spending and what they got.” I have been amazed at how a few of them have reacted. Out of the blue, they step up and buy to be the big shot in the market. Or, based on their feedback, I learn what they want and pivot and sell them a lower package or some additional program. I AIM after my initial meeting.
Would you please go back and rethink how you can change your approach at whatever you know you should be doing? Are you spending too much time staying comfortable and playing the what-if game? Forget about it. When you are working on your 2022 budget, and deciding which clients can up their spending, get ready, FIRE, and then aim.
Jeff Caves is a sales columnist for BSM working in radio and digital sales for Cumulus Media in Dallas, Texas and Boise, Idaho. He is credited with helping launch, build, and develop Sports Radio The Ticket in Boise, into the market’s top sports radio station. During his 26 year stay at KTIK, Caves hosted drive time, programmed the station, and excelled as a top seller. You can reach him by email at jeffcaves54@gmail.com or find him on LinkedIn.
