How do I get national advertisers

[EthanTrump]

I recently started in radio sales 5 months ago and have been doing well with local advertisers but on competing stations I hear big name ads and am wondering how to break into these markets.  For example cupid.com  Match.com  Zycam cold formula.  Sears, Khols, Office Depot.   

[radiodizzy]

Attracting National advertisers takes ratings, and proof of ratings.  That's pretty much it.  Are the stations on which you're hearing these ads part of a larger company, such as Clear Channel?  Sometimes there are National buys that spread out across every station in a company.  If you are a sales manager, I understand why these dollars are important to you. But if you're just an AE, focus on the local guys.  And be the best you can be, do the best by them.  That will help you build a customer base that lasts, and you can continue to build on that as you become better equipped to handle more business at any given time.

[tcsnrayp]

It is likely that most of those spots are part of a barter package or a network affiliation. They may sound bigger and better than cheesy local spots, but they may not be paying big (or any) bucks.

[EthanTrump]

Thank you all for the information.  Yes, I am an AE and low man on the totem pole so every big gravy account is taken by the rest of my fellow salespeople who have been there longer.  I work for a smaller company unlike Clear Channel and you're right we probably can't get the deals they do.  Our station is the #1 adult contemporary station in the area though and I believe if I was put in touch with the right people I could sell them on our ratings and demographics.   It seems like an easy way to get annual sales with no production work.  Not to sound lazy but it seems like easier money than begging Bill's Diner for business only to have him beat me down to $250 for one month of advertising and I have to produce the entire ad.   I am just looking for a way to complement my local sales numbers.

[Stewy]

Ethan, buddy, a word of advice.  Sell your demo, sell the buying power of your female audience, sell the fact that your listeners are easily financed but don't sell based on ratings.  That is the easy way when you have numbers but when Arb. rolls the diary placement and you go from 2 to 7 then it is too late to change your tune.  Better to not even start singing the ratings tune to anyone, remember that todays hottest song will be the one people are most sick of hearing next month.

[amfmsw]

Stewy's on the money.  Live by the Ratings, Die by the ratings. 

Sell yourself, your station's goodwill in the community, your station's image.  Now a $250 buy from a diner may seem dreary, but make the schedule work for them.  Then turn it into a $300 schedule monthly for a year, or if the boss allows, TFN.  Now you've got a $3600 buy.  Find five more.  Keep 'em happy.  Collect weekly.  Go back to them first whenever you get specials or promotions for extra money.  They'll be an easy touch.

Build on that, repeating the theme, but with bigger purses.  Use them for referrals to larger business that the other reps could'nt get on the air.  You'll piss them off AND be a hero to the boss!  That's a win win.

But always go for an annual after a success.  If the Diner is $250 for a month, and you've got to renegotiate and resell every month, move on.  If they beat you on rate, get a concession back.  Never give without receiving.  If your rate is $25, and they offer $15, tell 'em you can do it for $15 in the evening.  You know it's not what they want, that's why you offer it.  They'll come back at $20, which is what your boss wanted in the first place.  Tell 'em you can do $20 IF they commit for a 26 week contract.  If they are unhappy, tell 'em they can cancell  with a weeks' notice. 

They won't.  Because you're going to give them the $20 rate, and tell the boss you got a committment for 26 weeks because you gave them overnights free.  Underpromise...overdeliver = renewals at better rates.

[hammondo]

The stations I owned were all near Chicago and big in ag programming. I visited Chicago twice a year and the big  ag account BUYERS. I brought a stalk of CORN with me to each place so they would remember me and the stations. It WORKED! One of my 4 stations had better than a 26% audience share and they bought our farm programming in a snap.

We eventuallly got a national rep in Chicago and they charged us 20% commission - but about doubled our farm biz.

[pnut rox]

Sorry so late!  I just realized that there are boards for us....radio-info just isn't a place for jocks!

Ethan-

I too am just a local rep!  I started with the small guys and worked my way up.  I have a similar story to your little diner.  My Sales Manager, and mentor preached to us daily "under promise...over deliver".  We work in a little town, a new ice-cream shop was opening up.  I went down one day and spoke to the owner, she told me her complete advertising budget was $500.  When I say complete I mean radio, newspaper, EVERYTHING!, I thought I was going to die!  Back to the office I go crunch some numbers to try to make something work with little money.  The best schedule I could come with that would make an impact and work came to $505.  I went to the ice cream shop and pitched my plan...it worked!  The shop owner bought it.  I prayed that it would work, my manager gave me a pat on the back and told me to go home for the night.  With the schedule I sold her, she saw results.  It started out with $505 a month until she became a regular normally somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 a month!  My manager also told us never forget the little guys, they are the ones who keep food on your tables!

[Holland Cooke]

Ratings, shmatings.

Just tell 'em a joke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOXWKvf9mU8

[KDUN1030]

You guys all seem to have great ideas. Anyone want to lead up a sales effort near Coos Bay Oregon at a 50kw day news talk. Send me an email KDUN.BILL@gmail.com. I am open to all suggestions.Bill