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Briefcase Basics

November 3, 2022

You probably don’t actually carry a briefcase anymore, yet you get the concept, right? What are the first things you need to learn and know about Radio sales? What are the things you need to know off the top of your head, or at least have at your fingertips to provide to a prospect?

When I was a trainer at Arbitron, I always asked sales managers if there was a specific topic to include in their sales training session. One sales manager always responded, “If you were selling for these radio stations, what would you want in your briefcase?” Though I was initially frustrated that he wouldn’t give me a topic, I quickly came to realize that this sales manager was asking me to focus on the most important aspects of their stations. That was my “topic” – the main selling points for each station.

Here is a list of the basic tools that I recommend for your Radio sales briefcase:

  1. Radio facts for your market. What percent of the total population listens to radio each week? Also have these percentages for key target demos. What is the recent trend over the last several years?
  2. Advertising concepts. When is it best to do long-term vs. short-term ad campaigns?
  3. Reach & Frequency. Do you know how to build each one? Why are they both important to an advertiser?
  4. Station Profiles. Who is your typical listener? How do they interact with your station? What are the best times to reach them? Rankers can be helpful for your knowledge, yet do not rely on them when meeting with your prospect.
  5. Sample ad schedules. Show the reach and frequency – not CPP. This is not about cost efficiencies. You want to demonstrate how different levels of reach and frequency can help the advertiser achieve their goals.

As a Radio seller, you need to know these things. Why Radio? Why your station? Why will the advertiser benefit from the schedule you’re recommending? Create cheat sheets with just the basics that you can review prior to a meeting with a prospect.

What will be in YOUR briefcase? Let us know how we can help.

-Karen Morriss, Director of Client Services

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