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The clients we call on are bombarded with choices to promote their business. Social media ads, OTT, and digital campaigns fight for your client’s attention. Many choices clients are exposed to are turn-key, plug-and-play solutions to their advertising issues. They can buy annual ad packages with creative or seasonal promotions. Clients now need tidy solutions and want to move on to other matters. They might even want your help in coming up with a slogan. The more we can present total solutions, the more valuable we will be to the client and become that sustaining resource. Enter the spec spot: designed to give clients a real sense of what their radio commercial could sound like on-air. Here’s why it is mission-critical in your efforts:
Makes it Real
With no visuals to show, one of our key challenges is that radio relies entirely on sound. Unlike television or digital ads, radio ads must paint a picture using only words, music, and sound effects. This is where spec spots come in. A good spec can turn their ho-hum 2-for-1 sale into a tangible ad they may want to deploy. You are turning the abstract into reality! And many clients now want to know how things will sound before they buy. I’ve used spec spots to turn lukewarm conversations into forward-leaning deals.
Make it Emotional
Spec spots can be a unique selling tool that allows the radio to cut through the noise. Clients hearing a custom-tailored radio ad loaded with humor or client competitive advantages creates an emotional connection. Potential endorsement clients having their favorite personality address them personally and then deliver a sample radio ad can be like music to their ears.
Minimize Client Hesitation
There are always bound to be hesitations. What if the campaign doesn’t work? How will my business sound on the air? Will the personality do the ad with the right inflections? Spec spots answer these objections head-on by giving the client a preview of the end product. Rather than relying on vague promises of what you could do in production, spec spots offer concrete examples of what they can expect. Spec spots can help you eliminate the guesswork. It allows them to provide feedback, suggest revisions, or adjust their message before committing, creating a smoother path to closing the sale.
Our Production Values ROCK
Spec spots showcase the creative capabilities of the radio station. Spec spots give the client confidence in the process and prove the station’s expertise in crafting effective audio content. And if you are looking for a helping hand with production, I highly recommend Yaman Coskun at Yaman Air. Good and fast. The RAB also has many solutions for you, with no membership required, to write better scripts and produce solid commercials. It’s not enough to just sell air time. Be a total solution and see how your client’s confidence grows in working with you.
Building Trust while Collaborating
Selling advertising is about building relationships. Using spec spots starts a collaborative process between the radio station and the client. Working together on editing a spec creates a sense of partnership rather than a one-sided transaction. This builds trust and rapport and takes the focus off buying and selling. The spotlight is on selling for the business.
Spec spots are not just a selling tool; they’re a chance to connect, collaborate, and show the unique power of radio. Spec spots allow clients to truly understand and appreciate the creative possibilities of radio advertising and keep the focus where it belongs on making the client’s business better.
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.
