Radio sales is a tough job that can be made easier by utilizing some best practices like these 10 ways to increase your station’s sales. These are common-sense practices that successful sales professionals use to keep their contacts interested, happy and coming back for more business. Some of these may seem like simple common sense, and it’s true, that good sales practice is based on solid tried-and-true practices like these. Perhaps by seeing them all written down together, you can be inspired to take action and to think of more ideas of your own.

Here are 10 winning ways to increase your station’s sales:

1. Follow-Up

Contact your customers as soon as they buy their first campaign, with a personal email to say “thank you” and perhaps also to extend a special offer.You can also follow up with automated emails, but that first personal contact after the sale tells them that they are as important to you AFTER the sale as they were before it. (And that’s the truth!)

2. Upsell

Even before the first sale, there’s no reason to be shy about trying to upsell to your clients. Once they book a radioAirtime Campaign, you can offer other channels such as digital advertising on your station’s website and/or app. Sell the benefits of doing so in coordination with radio, and make it easy for them to add that to their campaign.

3. Ask for Referrals

There is no stronger business introduction than a referral from a happy customer. So be prepared to offer something special to all your customers who can refer three or four new customers or prospects to you.

This could be a discount, some free services, or some comps that another customer has given to you. (For example, your hotel client has given you vouchers for a 3-day weekend in a luxury suite. Instead of using it yourself, you could offer it to the customer who brought you the most new business.)

4. Remember the Holidays

Make personalised, handwritten greeting cards for the important holidays, especially the year-end festive season.The positive impression can be made even more memorable with a personal touch that shows your clients that you appreciate them and their business.This is also a good way to begin to bring lapsed clients back to active status.

5. Reward Customers for their Loyalty

You can create any kind of loyalty promotion scheme to offer benefits to your clients. For example, if they book 2 campaigns a year, offer them a Loyalty Reward so they can benefit from stuff such as a 10% discount for any additional campaigns.

6. Give Window Stickers and Signs to Retail Customers

Give all of your clients with retail businesses a colourful window sticker to display at the front door that saysAsAdvertised On… [YOUR STATION].This reminds the general public about your station and promotes a personal connection between the client and your station.

7. Invite Clients to your Studio to Hear their Commercials

Especially if they are new to using radio, always invite your local adver-
tisers to your studios to hear the finished production of their new advert, before it starts on air. “Sell the sizzle” and give them an enjoyable taste of the “showbiz experience.” It’s fair to say that the commercial will sound infinitely better when played through your studio equipment but you should also play it through a little radio speaker to hear it the
way the listeners will.

8. Survey your Customers

Conduct a survey of each customer to ask about their impressions of the results.Then, take a real interest in their feedback.This is extremely valuable information for you, since retaining a client is easier and less expensive than winning a new one.Your survey could even offer a prize to encourage clients to take part.

9. Offer Bonuses Instead of Discounts

Bonuses are better than discounts because they don’t lower the value of your service, they can cost you less and customers perceive them more positively than discounts. For example, you could offer a basic online campaign to run alongside their paid-for airtime campaign. This way you’re offering value without undermining your rate card.

10. Run some Special Offers of the Month

Run some themed “Offer Months” such as a “New Client Month” where you offer a special deal to brand new clients or an “Existing Client Month” where you offer a small package of extra spots or promos for clients who renew or extend their current campaigns.

Originally appeared at Blue Revolution eZine Issue 51.

Blue Revolution Ltd. is a leading supplier of radio programming content and imaging
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