Radio Advertising and Broadcasting

blog on radio advertising, promotions, and broadcasting from Parker Springfield.

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Being a General Sales Manager, kinda sucks!

Being a General Sales Manager, kinda sucks!

The plight of the General Sales Manager! It’s alive. It’s well. It is for the ages. But, that is why they get the big buck, right? Below are some of the reasons that being a General Sales Manager, kinda sucks!

Hiring great salespeople is, like, hard and stuff- In most cases as a General Sales Manager, when you are hiring new people to be on your sales staff, you don’t have the best incentives to…

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My PD doesn't pay attention to me!

My PD doesn’t pay attention to me!

My PD doesn’t pay attention to me! Recently, I have been getting a few questions about Program Directors. Nowadays, they are also called Brand Managers. Interestingly, questions have been similar but they come from people in sales and people in Programming. They always question why a PD does certain things, respond certain ways and what a PD might think about this, that, and the other. First, not…

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The Telecommunications Act of 1996

The Telecommunications Act of 1996

Happy Memorial Weekend.

We’ve talked about many of my opinions on advertising and radio programming. I have given positive and negative points about the broadcasting industry as I have seen or experienced it. Your experience may vary. If you experience a broadcast shift lasting more then 10 hours, consult your Program Director.

Something that has bothered me for a number of years, doesn’t seem to…

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Radio promotions and endorsements.

Radio promotions and endorsements.

Now that the warmer weather is starting to hit and summer is about to unofficially kick off this weekend a young Account Executive and their radio station should be looking forward to their summer promotions.

How do radio promotions and endorsements fit in to the picture?

Many times for clients that are ‘budget minded’ a promotions sponsorship can provide a lot of ‘bang for the buck’.

According…

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Programming Rant: bad voicetracking

Programming Rant: bad voicetracking

So, for the most part I have tried to keep all my posts focused on sales and promotional aspects. Today, I am focusing on a programming issue only because I yelled at my radio this morning listening to a local classic rock morning ‘show’.

Over the years talent has learned to embrace voice-tracking. I’ll be the first to admit, when I was faced with our first serious attempt at voice-tracking in…

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Making better sounding client voiced commercial

Making better sounding client voiced commercial

We all have had them. Some are great. Some are awful. The client voiced commercial. How you handle the script and production of such a spot will determine the difference between a good spot or a bad spot.

Let’s face it. When you hand a client a script and crack the mic, most clients’ voiceovers sound like exactly what it is: amateur product. Sometimes, that can be endearing and work in their…

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Proper spelling and grammar means more sales!

Proper spelling and grammar means more sales!

So, your humble author was reminded of something that is very important in any sales related venture. Proper spelling and grammar. In my defense some of the postings on this blog are created on my cell phone and briefly skimmed for ‘correctness’ and sent to the world to judge.

Oops.

Most of it is correct….but some articles contain errors. Which ones leave the impression? You guessed it. So, lets…

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Types of radio sales people

Types of radio sales people

There are many different types of sales people. Radio sales is no different. Many different ego’s and personalities. Chances are you will run into the following types below. It is important as an account executive or a client to understand each type of salesperson so you know what to expect.

1. Da Closer

All salespeople must use closing skills at some point during the sales process. Right now I…

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Mom & Pop radio stations - the future of radio

Mom & Pop radio stations – the future of radio

Radio stations are everywhere….but how many are truly operated and owned locally?

In today’s world it is very difficult to find a truly locally owned and operated radio station that isn’t run by a larger corporation or is attached to several “sister stations” belonging to the same group.

The days of local radio breaking new records, taking chances on unknown acts and responding to it’s audience’s…

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Avoid these mistakes when creating radio advertising campaigns

Avoid these mistakes when creating radio advertising campaigns

When listening to local radio commercials most are done very well. Some…..not so much. It bugs me. As an Account Executive it is your job and should be your ‘mantra’  to give your client the best possible results. There are a few things that should be avoided in any spot:

1. Placing advertising on YOUR favorite radio station. Just because you like a radio station and you listen to it all the time…

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Sales Tips for radio pros

Sales Tips for radio pros

I was talking with a friend of mine who is a local small business owner. He was asking me what I thought of a sales pitch he was given by the local country station WYRY in Winchester, NH. After looking over the proposal I was rather impressed with the deal and told him he should probably go for it. It was affordable and provided a lot of ‘bang for the buck’. Good job to them!

Because the deal was…

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Us & Them - Sales VS Programming Royal Rumble

Us & Them – Sales VS Programming Royal Rumble

It never fails. Regardless of the market. Regardless of the company. Regardless of the format. It happens – sales vs programming. Programming and advertising are split right down the middle with each in a different corner. Like when Rocky was fighting that big ‘ol Russian. Each one of them beating the other to a bloody mess.

You both are on the same team!

Why does this happen? I think it happens…

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Cold Calling Techniques, Tips, and Tricks

Cold Calling Techniques, Tips, and Tricks

  Uh yes. The cold call. It can be difficult can it doesn’t have to be. As a matter of fact you shouldn’t think of it as a negative at all. If you do, it will reflect on your process. Your vocal confidence will be impaired and you will loose appointments. So, what should you do? There are many ways to handle the dreaded cold call and I will outline just a few ‘ideas’ that certainly are not…

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Archie Bunker sells radio? The Sleazy Sales Guy

Archie Bunker sells radio? The Sleazy Sales Guy

It is hard to believe I am writing an article on this subject….but it actually is needed. What is the stereotypical image of a sales consultant? It doesn’t matter what you are selling…I’d like to know what the general consensus is of a stereotypical sales person. For most people the following words have been known to apply:

Pushy

yuck

ugh

hard

difficult

annoying

sleazy

slimy

manipulative  

This…

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The Jerky Boy - Using social media for promotions

The Jerky Boy – Using social media for promotions

Social Media has become part of our daily lives. As a matter of fact, in today’s society your Facebook status is more accurate than wearing a wedding ring! The saying goes….your relationship isn’t serious until you update your Facebook status.

In my opinion one of the most important factors in the Social Media explosion is directly related to the explosion of mobile cell phones. Today’s cell…

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Advertising & Promotions - The Whole Enchilada

Advertising & Promotions – The Whole Enchilada

Sometimes you can be so convincing that the only thing a client needs is to be on the radio. Nothing else is needed to advertise their product or business. Obviously, convincing a client of this is something you *may* think is a benefit for you. If they are spending 100% of their advertising budget on you that means a much bigger commission in your pocket. Advertising & Promotions are about many…

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:30 or :60 second radio commercials....which are better?

:30 or :60 second radio commercials….which are better?

The last radio station that I sold commercials on sold based on the unit not the seconds. So, in other words there wasn’t a difference in price per spot if it was a 30 or 60 second radio commercial. Not every station is like this. It stands to reason that the longer the commercial is….the higher the cost. Remember, we are selling ‘time’ so more time should be more expensive. This station was…

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