Asia Radio Today starts 2014 with a week of advice to help your sales team boost their performance.  All this week, respected Australian sales trainer Stephen Pead will share articles from knowledge gained over a 30 year media career

Are you a radio salesperson or a mechanic?

by Stephen Pead

In my world, radio sales people qualify the “right” prospect, meet with that prospect to see if there are challenges or opportunities they can overcome and then put together an effective solution (or proposal) to help solve the prospect’s problem.

But it seems to me that quite often sales people act like mechanics. Instead of providing their prospect with a solution they send them a “quotation” for work about to be done. Just like mechanics do.

So why does this happen?

Many radio sales people are so relieved when a prospect agrees to allow them to prepare a proposal that they just want to get out of there and back to the office to tell their sales manager the good news. The problem is that they often have no idea of the right level of expenditure and if the prospect will really give it due consideration. In effect they are writing a quotation not a proposal.

They are later surprised to be told by the prospect “you’re too expensive compared to xyzFM” or “I won’t spend that kind of money on radio” or “our budget is committed”.

Surely the alternative is to gain some kind of agreement to proceed?

Try this

At the end of your meeting gain a clear agreement on the next step. For example: “Mr Prospect we might be able to assist with the two or three challenges you’ve shared with me this morning. What I’d like to propose is that we meet again on Monday so I can present you with some solutions I’ll be putting together with our creative and activations team over the next couple of days. How does that work for you?”

If you gain this first level of agreement now comes the next and most important part. “Mr Prospect I believe to effectively run a radio advertising campaign along the lines of what I have in mind will require an investment of around (insert the estimated expenditure). Now obviously until you see what we have put together you can’t make a commitment, but I also don’t want to waste your time. How does that level of investment feel given that I’m confident our ideas will really appeal to you?”

Gain Agreement

The key is to ensure that the level of proposed expenditure “fits” – fits the prospect’s business and budget and fits what you need to do to get a successful advertising outcome. If you can’t gain agreement at this stage why waste your time (and his) writing a proposal?

Without any agreement to proceed it’s going to be a 50/50 proposition at best and in truth opens you up to a “price comparison” with your competitors!!

By gaining agreement from your prospect before you write your proposal your hit rate will improve dramatically. You’ll save yourself a lot of wasted time and frustration too.

Tomorrow: Making sales meetings more effective

About the author: Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant gl obal experience in radio sales and sales training. He has been a sales manager and general manager of radio stations in most of Australia’s major markets. He is now based in Sydney, Australia and runs his own sales consulting company, Sales Solutions specialising in training and coaching for media salespeople and sales managers.

His website is: www.yoursalessolutions.com.au