What’s the Big Idea? @ Burke Business Builders.

I work with over a thousand media sales reps each year in radio, TV, and cable. By and large, these are erstwhile, hardworking, professional men and women trying to do good by doing well for their clients. I’m proud to be affiliated with such a fun, diverse group.

When we call on businesses together, I usually ride with the rep with no manager in the car. It gives me a chance to get to know the person a little and to find out a bit about the client we are going to see. Often, I ask for a little history of the relationship, whether they’re currently doing business together. I usually get more than I bargain for. Reps like to show me how much they know about the client.

During the meeting with the client, I ask some challenging questions of the client. I like to make them think, make them commit. These are things reps are loath to do. Why? They believe they risk angering the client thus damaging the relationship. They might not get on the buy! Most do what the client asks them to do, even if they believe the client doesn’t know what he or she is doing. It’s something I preach against each week.

When our meeting with the client is over, more times than not, the rep will tell me they learned things in the meeting they never knew. I know I have a different impact than a station rep. But I can tell you with the deepest of conviction, if you ask the same types of questions I do, you’ll get much more information than you are getting now. This is key to your success.

Once the call is over, I look at my notes and develop a strategy to solve a key problem. Not all their problems, mind you, but a key one. How did I learn the problem? I asked. Go figure. What really slays me is when the key problem is already known by the rep. We’ll get in the car and the rep will say something like “Yeah, he’s been struggling with the image of being over-priced for some time now.” So, my rep friend, what have you done to fix it?

The answer is almost always that he or she has pitched some sort of ad schedule. “Well, I suggested he run on our early news, where we have a big audience. Then we can say something about him being affordable.” Put yourself in the client’s shoes. Does this sound like a viable answer to his problem? He thinks, “People believe we’re more expensive than we are, so my traffic is down, bringing my sales down. And all she wants me to do is buy a schedule on her station?”

To solve the problem, you have to know what the key problem is, then actually devise a way to fix it, either through copy, a new marketing strategy, a promotional opportunity, something other than a schedule.

Here’s a bulletin to media sales people: a schedule is NOT an idea. When a client says, “bring me an idea”, he doesn’t mean, “bring me a schedule.” He means “FIX MY PROBLEM”. A schedule is a vehicle for the idea, NOT the idea itself. Don’t worry so much about selling the schedule. It’s amazing how much money is available when you come in with an answer to a problem.

When you do sell a schedule to a client, and haven’t done a good job fixing the problem, what happens? Usually he’ll cancel. And be mad that you didn’t deliver. So much for not damaging the relationship.

Dave Burke is President of Burke Media Marketing, Inc, an advertising sales training consultancy. Dave works with radio, TV, and cable sales teams and their clients to help them dominate their markets. He can be reached at (603) 746-5588 or http://www.BurkeMediaMarketing.com