Being an account executive or sales rep in the radio industry is NOT an easy job.  In fact, it’s one of the HARDEST jobs.  First off, you need the proper disposition, the right personality.   A lot of times, it requires a type A personality…someone who is ambitious, rigidly organized, take on a lot, want other people to get to the point, proactive, and concerned with time management.  If this does not describe you, and you are an account exec (A/E from here on out), then you may (or may not) be in the wrong field.

To be an A/E with any success, one must have the right tools.  Imagine a spy trying to collect intel without any tech, relying only on his/her memory to collect it.  Or a soldier going into battle with nothing more than his/her hands.  It’s possible to win, yes.  But probable?   No.  That’s why arming yourself with the proper tech and/or weapons is key to you coming out of the battlefield alive…and even thriving.

Making cold calls, or walking into business unknown is a feat I admire.  It takes guts.  It takes MORE than guts…it takes a certain personality.  They are rare and special.  I know this because I work with them everyday.  Not in the battlefield of course, but back at the medic station, tending to wounds (revising productions) and arming them with better tools (a great script or spot), so when they go back out there, they have a chance.

Walking into a business with nothing but a rate card and your broadcast range/population/demographic numbers is what every other soldier does…and they get knocked off every day.  But if you walk in with something more, something tailored to that client…a great sounding production, or even just a script – SOMETHING relating to them, something that says ‘i understand what you need, and here it is”…the outcomes chances have just improved from negligible to most likely.

Even if they don’t buy that day, you have put the bug in their ear.  They might put the script down, or turn off the cd/media player that has your spec commercial on it, but they WILL go back to it.  It’s human nature…like googleing yourself…we want to see/hear stuff about us.  And while a script is a great start, having the knockout punch of a script AND a produced spot to entice your prospective client,  well, chances are slim they won’t be interested.

The great thing is that even if they aren’t,  your weapon can be picked up and used again.   Just send us your script/spot with new information about a similar company, we will revise it, and your weapon is loaded again.  Cold call/walk into a similar business and sell them to themselves with your tailored spec spot.   Nothing sells quicker than an image of ones self, especially when one’s self is exactly what they are trying to sell (ie: their business)…Beats trying to convince them that your demographics will do all the work for them.  Not that they aren’t important…it’s just that demographics have no meaning if the message isn’t clear.

The message (the commercial/spot) has to resonate not only on a visceral level, but sometimes must also dazzle…depending on your client.   We can tell which clients are which by the answers you/they provide us in our creative request form.  We create for the client…because from an A/E’s perspective, the creative part is the one part type A personalities may not have time to focus on.  So we do it for you.  It’s a symbiotic relationship, we work with each other to get the job done.

Once it’s sold, load us up with another inexpensive spec to produce and use it to make you more money.

We aren’t interested in piles of money – our prices are proof of that.  We are interested in creating more and more great radio spots.  And because of great A/E’s, we are able to keep doing so.

Thank you to all the great A/E’s that enjoy what they do – they allow us to keep enjoying what we do.