Did you ever hear about the salesperson at Costco who set a record for one sale? The salesperson was new, and after their first day, the manager asked them how it went. The salesperson said OK, they sold one person.
“One person?” the manager, said. Costco was used to selling ten customers every thirty minutes!
The salesperson explained he sold the man a small, medium, and a larger set of fish hooks, then a fishing rod. The customer told the salesperson that he was going fishing near the coast and wanted a new boat, so the salesperson sold him one. The client explained he didn’t have a vehicle strong enough to pull it, so the salesperson sold him a new truck.
The manager was shocked and said, “You took a guy who came in here to buy a fishing hook, and you sold him a boat and truck?”
“No,” the salesperson explained. “He said he came to Costco for toilet paper because his wife had terrible stomach flu, so I told him his weekend was shot and he should go fishing.”
This story is a good one to show how we can start small with a client and grow. And in 2023 it will be a bit tougher to keep traditional radio clients spending at the same level on your stations. So we need to go fishing.
Traditional media (TV, radio, and print) are expected to be hit by revenue losses. The solution, my friends, is to replace as much traditional over-the-air revenue as you lose with the same amount in digital.
The numbers are different. A 25% loss in on-air billing is a lot of streaming ads. But, if that’s the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about digital, it’s time for an upgrade anyway. Do whatever you can to further understand OOH, CTV, and your in-house offerings in the digital space. Your local advertisers want the information on what to do, and it is up to you to give it to them.
Partner with a digital expert salesperson at your station and share some over-the-air clients with them. They, in turn, can bring some expertise to your OTA clients, and you can expand the budget. You need to lead the conversation with your client and use the expert to wait in the wings and answer anything you choose to have them address. Do your best to study digital opportunities in your group the same way you learned OTA basics. If you want to consider yourself a professional, then act like one!
Doctors must recertify themselves every two, five, or at minimum, ten years. They constantly read and attend seminars to educate themselves on the latest medical developments. Why shouldn’t you do the same in your career?
Review what Cody Welling of Cox Media tells his sellers about selling everything under one roof. Cody and others like former Cumulus Dallas DOS Alec Drake point out we have to know more and different to make the same. Take on learning some new skills in digital selling this year. Make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Don’t take on an entire book or multi-week course at first. Find articles and video training eight to ten minutes long, and ensure you can summarize what was taught. Find stuff that motivates and entertains you even. Focus on the common problems your advertiser faces with digital, and you will see your confidence and fishing hook sales soar
Please take a minute and forward me one idea you would like to read more about in my articles this year. Please email me here.
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.
