The client - who's never done radio before - calls their favorite radio station asking for information and the receptionist says: I'll transfer you to the SALES Department. Aha! Nice first impression. It basically says to the prospective client, We have an entire department that's going to try to SELL something to you. Not help you - but SELL you. Is that the message we want to get across?  What if the receptionist said, I'll transfer you to... (Here are just some possibilities that might sound more inviting to a new client.)

• Advertising Department  - like the newspapers call it. That's what the client is looking for - advertising information - not how to be SOLD by us.
• Or how about, the Customer Service Department,or
• Customer Assistance Department, or
• Business Marketing Specialists.

Sales is what WE do - not what the client is looking for. Think of the difference.  They don't call themselves Stock Sales Department they call themselves stockbrokers. They don't call themselves Ticket Sales Department - they call themselves travel agents.  Not an Advertising Sales Company - an Ad Agency.

So what to try? What's a great name for what we currently call The Sales Department that has some nice client appeal? We've got to be able to do better than this. Let's hear your idea.

Sounds crazy, right? If you read yesterday's newsletter, you read my belief that everyone on the same sales staff hears mostly the same objections. I've been in meetings where we did the exercise. Everyone wrote down their five (or whatever) most heard objections then we collected and counted them. Usually four or five objections make up 70% of the total. Next we came up with a couple solid responses to each and memorized a simple keyword to each. The results were devastating. They were used two different ways. One group waited for the client to bring up the objection then quietly, confidently answered and turned the conversation. The second group (myself included) was more comfortable with casually initiating them during the presentation - just dropping them in, well before the thought of closing. In both cases it gave the AEs just super-confidence.

Now. Today's take on that. You have the objections, correct? Then after a couple weeks you've practiced using the answers, right? At this point you know what works. Take those same responses and make them a part of every presentation. A couple examples . . .

• Your listeners are too old.   
• The highest and most disposable income group.
• Too young. They're too young to have brand loyalty. Our audience will try anything, especially new.
• I Can Buy it Cheaper Down the Street. And I can probably buy it even cheaper than the rate they gave you. But who cares? Sure our rates are higher. That's because of demand - the market knows what we're worth. Better hurry up before they're gone.
• Not enough Web Traffic. How much is enough? Looking for traffic or results. (Well, first of all, don't sell traffic. It's a trap. Rotating banners get lousy results. )
• Want all prime time. Our audience changes with daypart. You can get the entire cume by using Drives, Midday, Nights & Weekends. 
• No Budget. This promotion, (remote, copy, idea) is hot. Too bad somebody else will get it.
• Don't Like the Format. If enough people didn't like it, it'd be gone in a flash. The only reason we use it is because it gets audience response. It works.

Get the idea? Every one of these can be turned into positive statements at the BEGINNING of the presentation.  Re-phrase them a bit and they can go on a media kit, business cards, etc. You get the idea.