How would you like some exclusive New Business that nobody can touch, wherein you and the Decision Maker are best buddies? Here's a tip that can take you to Prospecting Heaven - at the same time giving you an Outstanding Life-Changing Experience.

Because I ran a couple big stations in Phoenix, a couple times a year I was invited to join the boards of local charitable and civic organizations. At first I thought that it was nice to, as they say, Get Involved in the Community. Little did I know. Do you know who else was on all those boards?  Those boards are filled, not only with representatives of local businesses - but DECISION MAKERS. The most common titles are CEO, COO, Owner, President, Executive Vice-President, General Manager, Director of ___, Got it?

Why

• They'll love you because you're in Radio. From our perspective that would seem as no big deal, but to them you're the local business equivalent of a Rock Star.
• The economy is affecting them too; they're having a rough time raising money. And what is it that you do for a living? Sell?
• Therefore because you know how to raise money you're even a bigger Wowser. What they call Raising Money is the same as our NTR.
• You'll discover that these boards were devoid of jerks; populated by outgoing people who are interested in the community.
• It looks GREAT on a resume.
• It will raise your self-confidence through the stratosphere.
• The work you do will make you just plain feel good.

How

• Find a charity that you believe it. Inquire. Just call. Ask them to send you something. On their stationery you'll find a list of current board members. If you know one or can get an introduction to one, start there. Tell them you'd like to volunteer. When they find out that you're in Radio - you'll get the calls to serve.
• Another way to get there is to take a poll of your largest clients (as in "clients") and ask where they serve. I also asked agency presidents the same question.

Everybody Wins

• You'll be asked to help raise money by contacting businesses. Wait till you experience the welcome you'll get. Ms. Jones, I'm Mary Smith from K102, I'm calling as a board member of Big Brothers & Big Sisters. Is Mr. Brown in?
• You'll meet decision makers you wouldn't have met in a hundred years - under incredibly positive circumstances.

Then

• The fun starts when a CEO says, Can I ask your opinion? We're thinking about doing a marketing project   . . .

It was so good, that our company paid the dues and expenses for any AE that made their way to a non-political and/or non-denominational board. These were charities they picked; ones they were interested in and felt strongly. Collectively we had AEs on twenty of the top boards in the community. Those AE's names (and our call letters) were on the stationery, brochures and programs for every event.

When you have some tenure on the board, you become a person who nominates other board members. That's what happened to us. For four years I was the President of a large charitable board.  By the time my term ended the board was populated by auto dealers, bankers, CEOs of big employers, PI lawyers, retailers, the Bud distributor - AND - CEOs of five of the ten largest agencies in town.

On one hand this sounds self-serving, but we had so much management firepower and community influence that we raised millions. Everybody wins on the deal; the group being served by the charity and you.

You've heard the cliché about we should give something back? The irony is that when you do - you get even more in return. Literally.

This is the week all those statistics are released, like Retail Sales (down), Unemployment (up) GNP growth (down). It's not the statistics per se, but their being repeated every hour on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, all the big web news sites like Yahoo, AOL - and every television station website. Not only that, they're also telling us how terrible it's going to be in the future.

As a result they interfere and take up space in our brain that could be filled with initiative and possibilities. They drag us down. What are some of the antidotes? You'll hear them here.

Selling in a Tough Economy Webinar - Thurs, Nov 20th @ 3:30PM ET for only $99