We need support. And by that, I mean sales support. NOW. I try to write this column with the salesperson in mind. This column, however, is for General Managers, DOS, and owners. Please, look at how you are spending your staffing resources closer.
You are missing the bus if you are not funding a sales support person or TWO. The ENERGY bus! Most of the corporate radio groups are putting more and more of the data entry burden on the backs of the salesperson. Production, handling billing inquiries, credit card charges, collection issues, CRM reports, and order entry are energy sucks for AE’s. By eliminating local business managers, traffic people, and HR personnel, the email back and forth yo-yo is growing.
All of this activity robs a sales rep of energy. And, when they are out of energy, they are not as motivated to go out and find new clients to create more paperwork. I have not wanted to sell specific digital programs because I didn’t want to add to the data entry time. Often, I was given a video tutorial and sent off on my own to figure it out. I had the time to do that but not the energy. I am sure you want the most optimistic, upbeat salesperson you can have representing your station, right? Then do something about supporting them with admin and clerical functions.
Here’s an idea!
Add a sales assistant part-time, full-time, or both to your roster. Your stations could be the envy of every salesperson in the market. Maybe they will all want to work for you. TV stations regularly employ continuity people to handle all the trafficking of ads. The salespersons would sell it and turn over the production piece. I always envied that.
Not in radio. I am sure there was more at stake per missed spot on local tv, so that made some sense. But now, with shrinking sales staffs and more initiatives to sell, the need for sales support is here. Here is how INDEED describes a sales support position.
Sales support people assist the salespeople with administrative and clerical tasks, and I am sure you can hire one full-time and a part-timer for about $3,600 a month. That’s 60 hours a week to support, what ten salespeople? It’s six hours per salesperson per week. An hour a day approximately of data entry frustration GONE! And, who knows, maybe those assistants will go on to become salespeople!
I have seen station resources spent on HR assistants, receptionists, promotions department staffers, street-teamers, contract engineers, and assistant program directors. How about sales support staff? Go ahead and try it out. Have a sales meeting and ask the room how much it would be worth to them to have a person or two hired to help with data entry, billing issues, and production. Just imagine how much positive energy the salespeople will now have! Showing support for your sales staff will produce 20% more in sales in my opinion and the opinion of others.
I know station management wants to maximize the amount of billing each month, and they spend a considerable amount of station income on commission. So, the commitment to the salesperson is there. I wouldn’t be surprised if those ten salespeople were willing to give up 1% of their commissions to fund the positions. Let’s try to address this issue before the salesperson becomes extinct. The lack of resources that the average cluster gives its salespeople to handle clerical and administrative tasks is only eclipsed by the lack of advertising that clusters purchase to promote their stations. Now that’s an energy suck for a different column.
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.
