Sales

Pending Business: Early Warning

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

 

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Despite the calendar, January is over and first quarter is rapidly headed towards spring. Depending on where you are based, some windfall weather-related business may come your way or heaven forbid, those weather-related cancellations. No matter what variables are in play, it’s time for an early review of your sales game plan. Here are some boxes to check with the guidance of your managers.

  • How has your work flow adapted to the ever-changing sales environment? This will require true self assessment balancing your current pending business with your future look over the next 60 days — as in March, the end of Q1. Caution: looking back at your business last year at this time could be pandemic tainted.
  • Has your competitive perspective improved? How is your knowledge base of changes in available local ad pricing? Sometimes it is better to be part of a competitive plan than to be surprised by the plan. Have you ever had that uncomfortable surprise moment when one of your advertisers showed up on local cable, in your mailbox, or on your direct competition? Learn the landscape.
  • What is your 2022 “WOW” Factor? Get your unique factor together, fast. The ad clock is ticking away.
  • Have you updated those success stories or are you still relying on the same old media kit? I still see the family fun kit bio at too many radio stations.
  • There is a lot more to digital than streaming ads. How are you navigating an ever-changing digital world?

And here comes the single toughest question of all: What makes you different and better in 2022?

Ouch!

Why save that question until the end if that one question can take up several columns?

Sometimes we forget sales is a learned skill set. Like any other performance skill, practice, evaluation and repetition makes for improvement. The skills required for success in today’s sales environment may be different from the last few years. Check in with your managers and get some early feedback. Just as the digital world adapts to new rules about cookies, I hope you too are adapting “new rules.”

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com