Category: Sales
Pending Business: The Anecdote
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — News and talk radio sellers are boring.
Sorry if I offended you. But that’s what I see in the marketing work I do.
It’s all about numbers on paper. If ratings are not part of the pitch, it comes down to a laundry list of predictable guests, a boilerplate bio, and whatever else is fast and easy.
Pending Business: It Should Be Easy
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — How easy is it to do business with you?
I’m betting it’s more difficult than you think. Most professional sellers rarely “eat their own dog food,” as in be the advertiser at your talk radio station.
Try this exercise. Be the client trying to make an advertising inquiry. Is the experience of going through the switchboard at your station friendly or is it the typical “if you know your party’s extension….”? Is it a confidence builder or killer as you go undercover and try to navigate becoming an advertiser?
Pending Business: The Talk Radio Metaverse
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Imagine the next wave.
The Great Town Hall Debate is a video game designed by experts, where players pick political parties, moderators, topics, questions, debaters, venue and media coverage. Can our video game be so advanced you can program facial expressions, gesture reactions, even voice volume and inflection? Maybe some gaming wizard is working on the concept as you read this, or maybe not. But let’s go with it for a minute and sell it.
Pending Business: Marketing Madness
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Have you noticed the marketing driving the madness this March? The marketing machine seems to be present everywhere — especially the sports book marketing. It’s reinventing how marketers use some old school media.
Last time we noticed, our friends in the bus shelter business simply painted bus bench backs or posted large signage in the bus shelters. This static advertising supported branding, location-based ads, and in the case of the old school bus bench, catchy phrase, logo or headshot and phone number.
Pending Business: Reimagining How News/Talk is Sold
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Maybe it’s time take a minute and reimagine how news/talk radio is sold. I am serious. Because your company is offering audio options like:
1) Fight clutter with less inventory.
2) Offer host-read endorsements.
3) On-demand.
