For the Sake of Radio…

Earlier this year, Wendy’s released a new commercial to promote one of their latest menu items. Having worked in both sales and research, I think the concept is hilarious.

After getting my laugh in for the day, it hit me. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN RADIO WHO DO THIS. Here at Research Director, Inc., we’ve seen it happen. Not only does it hurt your personal credibility, but it can hurt our entire industry’s credibility.

So, we ask of you, for the sake of radio, please don’t source Gene Gunderson.

It’s a pretty clear-cut strategy that’s been used for decades. Whether it’s researching the reviews of a product or asking a close friend for their opinion, third-party credibility can play a massive role in the decision-making process.

When third-party research is used correctly, sales reps are able to leverage an unbiased confirmation of validity to their advantage. It can certainly make selling radio easier. However, if third-party research is used incorrectly, it can completely backfire, often resulting in an immediate, and potentially permanent, loss of opportunity.

With that said, here are a few basic (yet important) tips for using third-party research:

Make sure the data is relevant to the buyer

You may think the data you have is groundbreaking, but if the buyer doesn’t have interest, it won’t help your cause.

Know as much as possible about the research provider

Through your own personal investigation, there’s a chance you may discover that the provider is a fraud, or you may not feel confident in their methods. On the contrary, you just might find a company that will help you win on multiple levels for quite some time.

Use an industry expert

Sure, you could probably find some analytics folks to crunch some generic numbers for you, but industry experts can offer additional insight to help you achieve your goals. In addition, sourcing the best in the industry can help your personal credibility with the end buyer.

Do you have any questions or research needs? Perhaps you already have some data that you want validated by a credible industry resource. Feel free to reach out! After all, we didn’t name ourselves The Ratings Experts…our clients did!

Tyler Plahanski
Sales and Marketing Associate