The Three-Tiered Bullseye

Anyone who’s completed a sales training with Chris Lytle or his team can tell you where a business gains from being “top of mind:”

• The folks in the center of the target are in the market for what you have to sell right now.  
• The second ring of the target “might” be in the market for it, but need a reason to get serious about it now or you have to wait for their need to become more urgent.  Maybe they need it but don’t know they do and all they require is an explanation of why it’s important.
• The ones in the outer ring might as well have the audio turned down on their radio.  They don’t care and won’t have any use for it for the foreseeable future.

Exercise: 

1.  What sales phrase in the lead sentence of your pitch or commercial would you use to activate the people in your bullseye?

2.  The ones in the second ring?

3.  Listen to as many commercials on your radio station as possible and sort out the ones that seem to be talking to the people in the outer ring.

4.  Rewrite to make them more effective.

Let's Go To Summer School

It's an honor to be a part of The Conclave's kickoff event this year.  Many thanks to the Jacobs Media team for inviting me to be a part of it.  Here is what's in store:

1:20 – 1:40 Mobile 2.0 – Paul Jacobs runs jacAPPS, radio’s #1 mobile app developer.  In this presentation, he’ll show some new findings from Techsurvey9 and talk about 2013 state of the art for mobile apps, revenue generation, and how stations can get involved.

1:40 – 2:10 One-to-one with Jaye Albright – The Rockwell winner has a great story to tell and in a no-holds barred conversation, we’ll hear her amazing story, how she and Country have been great partners, what today’s radio stations need to do to stay more competitive, and a host of other issues from one of radio’s brightest minds.

2:10 – 2:30 Simply Social – Lori Lewis demystifies social media at the station level.  She’ll review some top-line Techsurvey9 findings, and then dive in with a simple, straightforward look at the basics, as well as an overview of new social media platforms that should be on radio’s collective radar screen.

2:30 – 2:50 Building from the Outside In – Building a great morning show is like building a house. You start by picking a neighborhood (your market), a plot of land (your format) and the outer structure (your listeners).  In this presentation, Jacobs Media’s newest consultant, Mike Stern, will give you suggestions about how to focus your efforts.

2:50 – 3:20 Target Social Media – Target’s social media specialist, Joe Curry, takes us into the backroom of how this amazing retail chain connects with its customers and grows its relationships.  
 
3:20 – 3:50 Inside the Mind of Dave Hamilton – An interview with one of the finest programmers in radio.  Dave will discuss his programming philosophies, his success with KQRS in Minneapolis radio for decades, managing and growing great talent, and his view on the state of the industry.
 
3:50-4:10 Radio & The Connected Car – The lion’s share of radio listening now takes place on four wheels.  A look at the landscape and a deep dive into what the automakers are thinking, doing, and planning.  You’ll see great video with the movers & shakers of Ford, Cadillac, Fiat, Chevy, Toyota, and others.  This is a hot topic that will get Summer School attendees thinking.

4:10-4:35 Let’s Go To The Mall – Erin Vande Steeg is the Mall of America’s PR head and social media pro.  This place is like its own city, and Erin will talk about the challenges of managing the social life and culture of the biggest shopping mall in America. 

4:35-4:55 10 Things I Know For Sure – Journal Broadcasting’s VP of Programming, Beverlee Brannigan, brings her wealth of experience to Conclave, focusing on stretching, trying new things, growing your brands, and your careers.   And the reality is that broadcast executives are only sure about maybe 20% of what they do.  Beverlee will present 10 things she’s totally sure about – great advice for broadcasters in all markets.

4:55-5:10 16 Habits of Highly Effective Programmers – In his three decades of experience in radio programming and brand building, Fred Jacobs takes a look at how today’s PD’s can sharpen their skills to meet the challenges of modern-day radio.

It's A Good Time To Hone Your Skills

As news of layoffs and firings come daily amidst this tough economy, one good aspect is that we all are finding our who are friends really are, who's been thinking about the future and who's not.

Two resources worth using whether you still have a gig or not:

1. This month, the Conclave launches an essential two-part webinar series aimed at assisting those who have either lost a job in the industry, or who would like to learn how to explore new opportunities inside and outside of radio.

2. A-Ware Software, Inc. providers of MusicMaster for Windows music scheduling software wants to assist displaced Program Directors and Music Directors who are looking to broaden their skill set as they seek new employment. A-Ware will be conducting a series of free webinars each Wednesday covering not only an introduction to MusicMaster, but basic and advanced topics as well.

If you know of others, please share them!

Steal This From Clear Channel (I Bet They Won't Mind)

Have you spent time with the "advertise on radio" website, which is accessible from every Clear Channel station's home page?

Anyone who sells radio for a living, especially anyone who competes with Clear Channel, needs to listen and read everything on "Why Radio?", "How Radio Works," and "Creating A Commercial."