Asia Radio Today starts 2014 with a week of advice to help your sales team boost its performance. All this week, respected Australian sales trainer Stephen Pead will share articles from knowledge gained over a 30 year media career.
Why Your Market Isn’t As “Different” As You Think!
by Stephen Pead
Over the past twelve years I have had the privilege of visiting many countries to do the business of training media sales people – countries as diverse as South Africa, Peru, Botswana, Thailand, Kenya and more recently India.
During that time I’ve met so many wonderful people, some are friends today, however I have also learnt an important lesson. In sales we are mostly the same.
Each time I arrive in a new country I’m told with absolute conviction that “our market is different” or “what works in westernised countries won’t work here” and “media in this market is completely different to where you have previously worked”.
And do you know what? Most markets aren’t different!
It’s Always the Same
No matter where in the world I conduct sales training for a group of radio or newspaper sales people I always start by I asking this one question – “give me a list of your sales challenges”. I then write the responses on the whiteboard and without fail the list includes most if not all of the following:
– Finding new business / good prospects
– Making appointments
– Getting prospects to open up /or talk about their business
– Dealing with Advertising Agencies
– Closing deals
– Overcoming objections
– Maintaining relationships
– Getting the right rate
– Client (or customer) retention
– Dealing with the competition
– Differentiating yourself
– Upselling and cross-selling
– Getting long term campaigns
– Negotiating
Recognise this list? It doesn’t change from country to country because this list represents the basics – the basic knowledge that any successful media sales person needs.
Selling Media is Universal
I’ll take this one step further. Not only are the sales challenges for media sales people the same but how customers (or clients) buy is pretty much the same too.
In 2012 I was invited to speak on “The Power of Radio” by the Cochin Chamber of Commerce in the Indian state of Kerala. The event which was a great success had been arranged by local radio group Radio Mango as part of their advertiser education process.
I was amazed by the response that I received from these local business owners. When I asked about their challenges they gave me the typical responses I would have expected to receive in Sydney or Singapore or London. Responses such as:
– How to generate more enquiries using advertising?
– Which medium is most effective?
– Developing creative that gets results
– Holding media salespeople more accountable
– The difference between branding and sales type advertising.
Culturally many markets are different.
We often speak different languages.
Sometimes business practices are not the same.
But when it comes down to it effectively selling media to business people is really a global practice.
Tomorrow – – How Woody Allen’s Advice Helps Radio Salespeople
About the author: Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant global 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