MIAMI — Today’s radio industry sales reps are similar to an ad agency, advising clients on a multitude of platforms and opportunities. What does it take to stay on top of so many options, and how do top sellers make sure no stone is left unturned – and no potential dollars are left on the table?
It’s a question answered by a Hispanic Radio Conference panel moderated by Entravision’s Angie Balderas.
Joining Balderas, the SVP of Integrated Marketing Solutions at Entravision’s Sacramento station group, on the panel were Ben Downs, VP/GM of Bryan Broadcasting in Byran-College Station, Tex.; Norsan Media Head of Key Accounts Monnette Sewell; and Audacy/Miami GSM Paul Vignau.
Vignau was asked how he manages the managers.
“The first thing we did with our team with 42 sellers and five managers when I was at Comcast was to create a vision, and a very simple vision — to be an expert,” he said. “There are so many things that account executives were being asked to do more, and at first they would say, ‘Well, that’s not my job.’ To be pushing things off was a bit self-centered, and we needed to change that.”
When promoted to Director from LSM at Comcast Spotlight in late 2015, Vignau tackled inconsistencies between departments on account conflicts. “We were very clear and we stuck to the decisions, even when they were tough,” he said.
For Sewell, having a 360-approach and selling the seller the idea of selling a client on an event and other NTR opportunities, a radio station can become a “one-stop shop.”
She said, “It also gives you the opportunity to A/B test when have a 360 approach. And, you will be a happy seller when you have a happy client.”
Balderas then asked the panelists about what the Gen Z radio ad seller will look like in the future. Did Downs have any ideas? “I haven’t had an idea since 1983,” he quipped. “Good sales people are not going to have call reluctance and succeed. They will need to be far more comfortable with technology than they are now. At the same token, we cannot have people let technology replace them and wean our sales people off of Zoom.”
Can sellers be effective remotely or need they be “belly-to-belly” with a client, as Banderas calls it? Sewell argues that COVID-19 shows we can create trust and build on it with a client virtually. While that won’t replace the person-to-person meeting, it has been demonstrated that virtual client pitches work, Sewell says. “Not working remotely and not visiting clients are two very different things,” the Norsan Media exec says.
For Vignau, remote selling is here to stay. Is it the most effective way to sell? “Our clients are basically demanding it,” he says.
Downs couldn’t be more in opposition to those views. “You at least have to establish a relationship with somebody before you reduce your exposure to Zoom or telephone calls,” he says. “You have to be close to them and have them look you in the eye and tell them that you have their best interests at heart.”
