OH Rex (6/11/08 RBR #114), how right you are!!!
I’ve been complaining to the RAB for years that they are on the WRONG side of several major issues and here’s another one.
They’ve needed to stop pushing NTR and start teaching basic radio sales for years, but haven’t. Sure they do their special training…. Whoopee!!! And some of the sales grads get to put a few letters after their name. Problem is, they still don’t know how to sell. Book training doesn’t work on the street. Selling does, and that’s all that counts. ROI is the most important.
Now to have the RAB backing posting, guess I should have expected it.
It sure isn’t the way we learned how to sell for San Antonio Broadcasting and the ORIGINAL Clear Channel.
Most of the time we didn’t have Arbitrons to sell from. L. L. and Johnny Barger wouldn’t put the money out for it. We were always taught, ratings, or lack of, were a reason agencies could and would say no. If you had the numbers, it was order taking. If you didn’t have them or weren’t allowed to refer to them and you brought in the order, it was SALES. (RING THE BELL ON THE SALES MANAGER’S WALL)
Now, it won’t matter what you do. Your grade won’t be if the client received a good Return On Investment, it will only be graded on …. did you have listeners.
Question, do you think this is why small markets are doing SOOOO much better in these economic times than the large markets? Those salespeople can only survive when their clients ring up sales not if they "Post Well."
But then again, I never knew listeners were causing the cash registers to ring anyhow. We always thought SHOPPERS did that. So maybe the RAB and others should think more like retailers and less like suits.
Fear not Mighty Rex Tackett, we were taught correctly and that’s why we CAN still sell with or without numbers.
Your long time friend in the trenches.
Howard 1/2 Price
Winner of the Mays Trophy Race month after month after month
