The radio advertising business is all about repeat customers. Radio’s power is its ability to deliver both reach (the number of people who will hear your advertisement) as well as frequency (the number of times a listener will hear the same advertisement). Radio, for all of my life has been the medium for delivering the best frequency for an advertiser, but in today’s world, it now is also the best for delivering reach too.
Relationships
It all starts with building relationships with your advertisers. People do business with people they know and like.
When I started out in radio sales, my first goal was to start making friends with each business person I called on. I used to say to myself, “If you can’t make a sale, make a friend.”
Advertising is an Investment
The problem in today’s fast-paced world is everyone wants things to happen immediately. Patience is at an all-time low.
When you’re dealing with people and human nature, things move at their own pace.
Farmers know when they plant a crop, they won’t be going out the next day to harvest it. Likewise, when you put an advertiser’s message on the radio, it will take time to grow in the mind of the consumer. Done correctly, a business can be harvesting sales 52-weeks a year.
Great Radio Ads
Great radio advertising can benefit the listeners of your radio station in addition to growing the business of your advertisers. Great ads speak about the customer’s wants, needs and desires.
Getting Referrals
Make money for your advertisers and they will be happy to refer you to other local business people who could benefit from your radio station’s audience. And unlike cold-calling (knocking on doors of people you don’t know), a referral is like getting a foot-in-the-door. It’s golden.
Fair Prices & Excellent Service
Studies have shown you don’t have to have the lowest price to attract repeat business, fair prices will do.
Combine fair prices with excellent service and you have a winning combination.
Your goal as a radio sales person should be to become a sustaining resource for your customers. A person who they call first when they need help with their advertising or promotions. A person they trust.
You Can’t Do It Alone
Everyone in your radio station that comes in contact with your listeners and advertisers impacts the future relationship your station will have with each of them. Everyone needs to be engaged in delighting your listeners and your advertisers.
It takes a team effort to be successful.
DickTaylorBlog 
As a Clio winner I gotta say I’ve always loved writing and producing the kinds of fun, effective spots we even got occasional *requests* for!
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Yes Brian, I quite agree with you. My son once asked me if he could get a copy of some of the radio spots he heard airing on a station I managing. Commercials, when well conceived, are not a tune-out.
-DT
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“Sell” it once. Quality and service will give results to keep it that way.
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