Somewhere along the line, I got a little smarter about how to catch the attention of a new prospect.  I discovered that "People don't buy radio advertising: they buy what it will do for them!" I learned to approach prospective new clients from THEIR WORLD, not mine.  My ratio of appointments to new calls went way up when I added these "grabbers" to my repertoire:

 

  "Mr. ______, my name is ____. I don't know if we have anything to talk about, but I work with business people who are experiencing frustrations in several areas.  Some are feeling the effects of the down economy.  Some still have problems finding and keeping good people.  Some have seen their profit margins shrink as the large box stores have moved into their area.  Which of these might be a concern for you?  (Wait for answer).  Would it make sense for you to invite me over to discuss this?  Would you be available on Thursday or Friday?"

 

The magic in this "grabber" is that you are positioning what you do in the WORLD OF THE CLIENT.  You don't sell radio.  You solve business problems.  And, you've been successful in developing solutions for many other businesses.  Can you help this client?  Maybe, maybe not.  But, you've helped others, and it would be worth his time to talk with you.

 

Think about what you're hearing from your clients about the problems they are experiencing.  You can list any of these frustrations in your "grabber".  In the summer of 2008, it was high gas prices.  2009 brought slow economies everywhere.  Just remember to develop your list from the client's point of view.

 

to be continued.......

      
                      

I would like to extend my congratulations to Mr. Mark Lippert and Mr. John Spencer of WLPO WAJK and WKOT radio in LaSalle, Illinois. Mark was recently promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing. John was promoted to Vice President of Operations. Both gentlemen do an excellent job. It's a pleasure working with you both!