Jim Seemiller's Radio Ready Ideas

 

Radio Revenue Corner

by Jim Seemiller

Interested in Gen Flex?

As a digital media company, our success at Radio Preferred, a division of  Edge Media   in radio marketing is dependent on us delivering innovative revenue producing ideas for radio stations utilizing all the new digital, integrated, interactive components available in the marketplace today.  We differ from other companies in this space because, although we use all the new interactive communications platforms, we still believe that radio MUST  be the core basis of any marketing proposal. We are in the business of offering our radio campaigns to build client business and that will always be our foundation. When radio dilutes their core by getting into Groupon, 1/2 price deals or the like, we have left our strength.  It not only confuses clients but also our own sales staffs. So, in this day when we want to chase all the in things, remember, radio is our CORE BUSINESS.

I have seen the term GEN FLEX appear more and more in today's marketplace. It is a great term in that it so aptly describes what we need to do to continue to grow our business. Gen Flex refers simply to the time that we are now living in.   One must as individual and as then corporately as companies be prepared to be flexible or you will not make the cut to the next level.  We must be the new generation of flexible thinkers and doers.  Society and technology changes and we must change with them. It is time to recognize that as Gen Flexer's, we need to embrace change, new ways to communicate, take risks and be prepared to grow by being flexible.

We speak with radio stations every day and we see a common thread to a lot of decison making or lack there of. A lot of folks are leary about moving fast to grab on to the real opportunities that exist in this Gen Flex society. They wait for someone else to try this or that and then they can blame any possible failure on the ones who have gone before. May I suggest, grab opportunities, run with them, if they don't work then go on to other things.

We recommend that you take a look at www.radiopreferred.com as a resource, providing tools that can add great revenue to your stations.  I encourage you to grab the opportunity, run with it, and success will be yours.

Radio Preferred is a division of Edge Media an interactive web agency that is committed to creating revenue producing platforms and digital solutions for broadcast companies.


 

Since most of our daily work is related to helping radio stations increase revenue, we are asked a lot of interesting questions, some of which we will share with you.

WHAT IS RADIO'S JOB TODAY WITH ITS ADVERTISERS?

When you are making a presentation to a prospective client, the absolute value of our offers lies in our ability to CONNECT CONSUMERS WITH YOUR CLIENTS. Remember that you are EXPERT advertising and marketing consultants, you offer more than media purchasing - radio marketing is full service marketing. That is what we do, that is what we promise to deliver and how well we do that determines the success of the campaign. We also need to ENGAGE SHOPPERS, using our on air or our online products. We just don't deliver messages, we need to improve how we interact. We have seen www.radiopreferred.com offer the best way to accomplish that. Give it a read, it will do a great job for your stations.

ARE YELLOW PAGES REALLY DEAD?

Yes, and we recommend that you soon get into the directory style business to take advantage of the traffic you have. We have seen a few ideas out there that really do a good job of tieing in directory with offers and much more, and the leads are huge when you look at a year old Yellow pages.

HOW CAN WE USE QR CODES INSIDE OUR RADIO CAMPAIGN?

This is great thinking, this can be tied to in store signage, online banner ads on your sites and much more. This is a great tool to expand on your clients campaign.

WHERE DO I FIND NEW LEADS?

This is a question we get all the time. The answer, although unanswered at many radio outlets is not that difficult. A whole new lead source are those clients who do not have the budget to do effective radio on a constant basis. Your job is to bundle your products in a less expensive way to open up these doors.  One of the best at doing this is the Radio Preferred product that we discussed before, it is the answer to going after  a new market segment that was unreachable before. Let us show you how to get to this new group.  E-mail me and we can walk through a brief webinar so I can show you how.    jim@edgemedia.biz

HOW DO WE BEGIN CREATING NEW EVENTS FOR SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS?

We have created many online events that can create a new revenue streams, we offer internet marketing solutions while at the same time increasing listenership. We recommend that you contact Edge Media, the parent company of Radio Preferred, anda full service integrated marketing agency for some great event ideas with little or no costs.

Jim Seemiller's Radio Sales Success Strategies

We hear that it is now budget time!  So many of our radio clients have completed or about to complete estimated budgets for 2012. I would like to offer some last minute ideas to think about:

ATTRITION

This is a huge problem yet we do not hear any of our radio sales folks addressing this area. In the past the year to year attrition was about 20%, we are now hearing numbers that are staggering, 40% is not unusual. That means for next year, if you lose 40% of your accounts to attrition, and you want a 10% increase, simple math tells you that you must open doors to 50% more NEW clients...period. What are you doing that will help you find that amount of new business. We have just exactly a revenue tool that can do that.

SALES STRATEGY

If you are to be successful, you must have a selling strategy and plan for individuals and sales staffs that directs you to success. I recommend that the radio marketing strategy be full of new concepts, expectations, and goals to create a clear picture regarding direction. No strategy equals limited success.

ADD ON SALES

We all know that the most profitable business is having current advertisers add on to their existing campaigns. These clients are already sold, any add on is easier than developing new business. Here is a revenue suggestion (and we have a lot more) - do a monthly sales blitz called DOUBLE DOWN, offer them the same number of spots they are currently running for additional 15%, these spots can be streaming, they can be in off dayparts, overnights, etc. If you have several hundred clients on air, just a conversion of a 33% of these will add an immediate 5% revenue per month.

NEW PRODUCT

Develop new products.  There are too many copycat ideas out there and advertisers have heard them all. We suggest that you look into one of the finest radio marketing revenue ideas, Radio Preferred. Just go to www.radiopreferred.com for more.

CREATE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING CONSULTANTS

This is the age where our sales reps should able to help clients in almost all marketing channels.  If your sales training does not train your sellers in interactive marketing, you should adjust that immediately. We offer sales training webinars, in most cases free, to do exactly that. Learning new skills for your advertising and marketing consultants is a must for new budget numbers.

POLITICAL

This is going to be the biggest revenue political season EVER...what are you doing to go after that business. There is going to be $4 Billion, that's right Billion dollars spent on electing candidate. I suggest that you contact us TODAY about UCOUNT.US, a revenue and ratings tool unheard of in political history.

As you finish your budgets, remember, your mission in 2012 is to connect consumers to your clients.  You must be a solutions provider and reach out of the box for growth opportunities.  The same old things are not working....success to all of you!

We can not do the same things and expect different results so my recommendation is do something new, something that is not risky but anything that will lead you to different results. One of the keys to achieving different results is to start by preparing a NOT TO DO list - I believe this is critical to creating a successful revenue roadmap.

At Edge Media and Radio Preferred, we communicate with hundreds of radio stations every day of every week.  Most broadcasters understand that it is critical to add revenue from the digital world, but often find themselves recirculating the same tired ideas that everyone else is using.  Take for granted the half price deals....  The fact is that there are now over 700 companies that are marketing half price deals!  As a digital media company, we understand how to fully integrate radio marketing  with digital solutions. I hope you will give us an opportunity to introduce a revenue tool for local radio stations that offers your advertisers a total integrated marketing solution at an affordable price. It harnesses the power of radio, internet, streaming, voting/rating component better than Angie's list, opt in massive shopper data capture,mobile marketing, SEO,  QR codes, & apps.  it's exclusive, and it is no risk. Check us out at www.radiopreferred.com to see how we take all the elements of the digital world and marry them with radio.

We have seen radio group after radio group put out a massive menu of NTR, Digital, Internet but we have found that the key to monetizing it, bundle it with all the elements add some real interactive as we do, and you have a well focused campaign that is not a conglomeration of many sales offers...just one that is easy to sell and buy.

One of the big problems we see at the sales level is this lack of focus, it's a throw every thing we can at our salesstaffs and hope that something gets sold. Please, look at focus, combine, package, bundle to make it easier for sales and buyers do business. We guarantee that our Preferred Marketing System will do all of that and more.

We can help your advertising and marketing consultants become the experts in helping local businesses.  Our sales training teaches marketing and advertising consultants sound strategies to advise local advertisers on ways to RECESSION PROOF their businesses.  This means they must intensify their marketing (not spend more, but intensify) and most importantly re-evaluate their marketing plan.  Of course, as the advertising and marketing consultant,  if they don't have a marketing plan, you can help them create one! 

No one is coming to the rescue, your revenue for this quarter and for next year is in your hands. Let's do something that can really impact it...  E-mail me to schedule your complimentary radio revenue consultation - jim@edgemedia.biz.

Happy selling!

Jim Seemiller
Managing Partner
Edge Media
Radio Preferred

As we watch the economic climate move in a direction that is contemplative at best, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes, "When the storm hits, some run for cover or shelter while others build windmills".

Today in the radio business we had better be looking at ways to build windmills to increase revenue in the economic storm. Our revenue strategy can not be driven by just a survival, turtle in the shell mode, we must build the windmills of revenue opportunity now. We would like to offer you a market exclusive, no risk turnkey revenue solution that is perfect for weathering this economy. You can view it at www.radiopreferred.com .  Contact us for a complimentary webinar. We offer completely integraded radio/internet/mobile marketing solutions with our Radio Preferred digital media platform.

We have heard all the news about the economy but one of the after effects of all this news is something I want to share today. As we go from market to market to train salespeople and roll out our revenue ideas, we are finding more and more radio salespeople are suffering (and sometimes not openly) from a lack of confidence. As much as they try, there is more anxiety produced by a negative outlook on selling than ever before. I suggest that your sales meetings address this real problem.  Your sales team needs their mojo back, something that will regain that swagger in their step. This is one of the biggest problems we have as we try to build our windmills.

Another thing that we Radio Sales Managers must re-emphasize is we not longer peddle spots for dollars, we are expected to be full service marketing people with solutions from many platforms.  If you are still selling spots, you have missed the market. If you want digital revenue, teach your sellers how to be sellers of marketing solutions. This is the real difference between success and helping clients grow their business, be MARKETERS.

Remember one of the ways to recession proof an advertisers' business is to intensify marketing efforts  without spending more as well as re-evaluating their current marketing plan(hopefully to include your ideas).

We would like your feedback and appreciate your thoughts on how we can increase the radio revenue pie.  Have a great week!

Jim Seemiller
Managing Partner
Radio Preferred
www.radiopreferred.com
Edge Media
www.edgemedia.biz

About Edge Media:  Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency specializing in cutting edge marketing solutions that deliver exceptional return on our clients' marketing investments.  Radio Preferred, a division of Edge Media, offers radio marketing solutions for broadcast clients, including turnkey internet marketing solutions and bulk SMS services.

I just finished reading a good article on the timing and content of sales meetings. It was enlightening and gave me thoughts to pass on to you. The worst time to have a weekly sales meeting is Monday morning, too many things are on everyone's mind as they begin the week, transition from weekend to work mode. The second worst time is Friday, most folks are mentally shut down and are ready to do the weekend thing and your content will be lost within 20 minutes of the meeting ending. The best time is Tuesday morning, and 30 minutes before normal work time till 30 minutes after normal work time. A manager must prepare for these meetings and make sure all topics have been reviewed for content and what is to be accomplished.We recommend a combination of salutes for good orders, presentations, proposals etc, giving everyone a moment in the spotlight to get some credit for their efforts. The next thing should be introduction of new products, new concepts and have them laid out so they are ready to roll when they leave meeting. Try to keep away from complaining, but do not be afraid to cover problem areas, as long as the problems come with possible solutions. Make meetings, fast, fun, full of content, full of interaction.

Most of us have links on station websites that will direct you to the advertising pages with information on radio stations. We recommend that you try to capture data from visitors to this site, offer incentive to capture the data because these are interested buyers of your product. Why not do a video pre-roll into this section explaining radio station heritage in warm friendly manner to sell yourself?

Whatever happened to the handwritten thank you note?  In our digital world, we just don't do it anymore. I suggest that you buy 50 thank you notes and send them out after a sales call and watch the difference in customer attitude. It takes the same amount of time as an e-mail but is 1000 times more effective.

If you are doing mobile marketing at your stations, remember sending a re-market message can be timed well and the best time is right before lunch. Most folks review texts before lunch or during, it is a great time to send.

We all say that CNA OR CUSTOMER NEEDS ANALYSIS determines what clients need.  If you are looking for some effective questions, e-mail me and ask for my  complimentary "7 MAGICAL QUESTIONS". After over three decades of radio, and helping thousands of businesses grow, I have this process down to a science. 

Leadership tip - Success is not a chance event, leaders do things right but they also must do the right things.

My final thought - tf you think your revenue posture is more survival mode than aggressive growth, contact us for new ideas from a digital media company that does it all for you -  from internet marketing solutions to radio marketing ideas.

Happy selling!

Jim Seemiller