DROPPING A DIFFICULT ADVERTISER

[RadioAMFM]

My best Account Executive came back in tears today for the second time this month after taking a demo to a long-time "special" client, who reduced her self-esteem to shreds, telling her what a lousy salesperson she is, and what a crappy radio station we have (and that was before she even sat down).

I told her we would drop his account (even though we would end up paying back about $4500 he already paid up-front).  Might not seem like a smart business move in these difficult times, but I have to stand up for my employees and my radio stations (even though this guy is a big spender). 

Any advice on how to proceed with this (dropping the client) without making the situation worse?

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Your course of action would be a great signal to your sales rep that you are a caring person.  Well.... a signal that you are an emotional person.

It is a lot easier for me to offer this advice from a distance,  but if you can do this without "loosing your cool" in the process,  this might provide your sales person with a valuable life's lesson.

Back when I was very, very young I watched one of my employers do the following.  (This was not in the radio business.)

Go see the client.  Tell him you admire his/her business experience and wisdom.  Tell him you have a personnel issue to deal with and it would be very helpful if he could help you decide on your course of action.  Explain that one of your talented employees was treated rather abruptly by a client and you are attempting to figure out how to reinforce the attitude and enthusiasm of this employee, while trying to determine what coaching and skills building training to provide the employee.

By this time your client, unless unusually self-centered and pig-headed, will realize what this is all about.  If the conversation begins to get a bit fragile,  depending on the nature of his business (does he have employees that interface with customers?) you might ask how he would handle the situation if YOU engaged in personal attach against one of his fine employees.

I didn't have strong skills to calmly carry off such a scheme when I was still in the radio business.  I can tell you the day I woke up and realized I had grown into at least a modest amount of ability to do this:  My father had died and I was out testing the market to dispose of his estate.  I was travelling the same roads I once drove trying to sell advertising and visiting with some of the same people (or their descendants)  I had once called on.  I was rather amazed at my "cool composure" as I convince people they WERE going to help me evaluate my task....  people I couldn't stand my ground to walk away with a $200 advertising schedule years earlier.

Thin your way through it.  If you can do this without getting into a shouting match,  you can help your own skills, do something wonderful for an employee you obviously value, .....  and what the hell.... you may do a client a favor with some social skills training while you are at it. 

Walk in the door with your mind already made up.  And maybe a check in your pocket.  If the event goes sour, hand him the check, wish him well, and walk out.  I once worked for a guy to groomed me how to handle a client I would be taking over.  They had such a match 8 years earlier.  Just before I arrived they had agreed that they had proven they could live without each other.  They decided they could live BETTER if the worked together.  I drew some very nice commissions based on that customer.

[Prais]

Dear Mr. Cowboy,

Wow! Great advice. Best wishes radioamfm.

[Alan McCall]

The only thing I could add to GRC's reply might be based on YOUR relationship with this client.

If the two of you "get along," perhaps you could work out something where you work with this
person, rather than your account exec.

Based on what you've shared, these two are never really going to be able to build the trust and relationship that is really needed for a win/win.

I've been in a similar situation, of taking over an account where the business owner disliked someone else on staff. I've also handed over an account or two when I was not comfortable with a business owner.

So, before you drop him, see if you can develop a working relationship with him.

If he's spending $4500 for a station he doesn't like, it makes one wonder what his beef is. I assume you are getting results for him, or he worldn't be buying time.

[NE Miss Radio]

I agree with an earlier post--sounds like it's not a biz decision.  Because of that, I would try digging deeper and not giving money back just yet.   Maybe you're not getting the unvarnished truth about what is happening.  Maybe your sales person wouldn't go on a date with the customer, and they're uncomfortable saying so.

You could also temporarily call on the account yourself (while paying commissions owed to the salesperson), explaining that you and your salesperson think there may be a problem, seeing if they then offer up what's happening.  Then over time, perhaps you could feel them out further as to why they seemed unhappy. 

Or, you could go in with the salesperson and straightforwardly ask how things are going, what they are happy about and what they would like to see done differently.

Just offering a couple more thoughts that might give rise to some more ideas.

That said, there ARE customers whose business you don't want because of low profit or extra "pain."  Those customers you want to identify and get rid of, whether raising the price or simply not calling on them again.

[JustPastBuffalo]

Seems pretty difficult to walk away from $4500 these days, regardless of the market. GRC offered some good advice.

I'd suggest trying to find out a bit more about your AE. Was she curt, rude or on the other hand, demur? I worked with a superb (young female) AE who took no sh*t from nobody (to quote Billy Joel.) I once heard her tell a client "We spent three hours producing this spot, it's great... if you don't buy it we'll sell it to your competition." Holy cow! And she was great at collections with her clients. "I'll be there at 3 o'clock and you better have a check." First time I heard that, I thought she'd get bounced from the store and lose the account. Reality was, she knew her clients, they knew her and she knew when she had to unleash "the attitude." She was just delightfully obnoxious with a great sense of humor.

Maybe it's a matter of the client wanting to mix it up and testing your AE, looking for a little pushback to find out if she could sell. Maybe he wanted to hear "This is a great commercial and we're the best buy in the market..." 

Just a thought. Still, I'd go with GRC's advice.

[RadioAMFM]

I appreciate everyone's great advice.  We sent the cancellation letter, and then he called me to apologize for his behavior and invited us to lunch.  He said his anger was misdirected and pretty much begged that we keep his campaign running, saying that about 80 percent of his new clients came from our station. 

So even though everything took about two weeks (and a lot of drama) to get sorted out, everybody won.  The AE got her apology, the client got his ad campaign, and the station got to keep the money.  I also learned a few new things in the process.

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

In my younger days I was not good at handling conflict.  I guess I grew up in circumstances where conflict was avoided and hidden.  I had no role models.  Through the years I have worked with and for some people who did know how to handle it and "I went to school on them."

Thanks for sharing that with us.  May all of us who participated in this thread have matured a little bit, thanks to you.

[bturner]

The trick with a difficult advertiser varies with what they pay and how you can win their trust.  One guy was really difficult and always placing me in a no win situation.  In time this big dollar buyer trusted me fully and eagerly forgave the only mistake I made in 5 years.

On the other hand, I flatly rejected advertising from a guy who took so much of my time for a minimal schedule I had to say he took so much of my time and caused so much stress he wasn't worth it.  I let my competition have him while I used my time for more pleasant and lucrative purposes.

Sales really is a partnership.  You are indeed working for your client's success but there's usually one or two who don't get it.

[Stewy]

Very glad that it worked out.  Don't ever lose your cool, that rarely works but remember there are some clients that just aren't worth the business.  Additionally, any deal or negotiation that you are not willing to smile, say thank you, and walk away from is a deal you can't afford or a negotiation that you have already lost.