How to Sell Radio Advertising

Learning how to sell radio advertising requires people skills, personal knowledge of your radio station and the art of making friends. In this article, we'll carefully lay out the step-by-step process of being a successful account executive for a radio station. We'll consider the best ways to sell radio ad space to potential clients in your market, while building strong relationships for future business.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Telephone Computer Radio ad package

1. Know your radio station inside and out. Selling radio advertising is important to the overall financial budget of any radio station. Therefore, it's vital that a salesperson, also known as an account executive or account representative, be aware of the serious role he plays in a radio station's success. Know all the statistics related to your radio station: the programming, the audience, the demographics and the radio personalities.

2. Have some knowledge as to why your radio station is a cut above the competition. Have key examples ready to use during your sales pitch. Establishing credibility concerning your radio station's history, its community involvement and special entertainment or programming related to a particular audience can be a major plus in selling radio advertising.

3. Have radio spot samples ready to share via MP3 files online. Email these in advance or have them available on your radio station's website. Try to share commercials relevant to the businesses to which you are trying to sell radio advertising.

4. Build relationships with potential clients. Even if you don't make a sale the first time, establish a business relationship. Be friendly and courteous. Establish rapport by getting to know the person and their company, and keep up to date with trends in their industry. You're more likely to sell radio advertising to a friend than to a stranger, so learn to make friends out of all your business clientele.

5. Downplay the sales pitch. Be aware that most people don't care for salespersons and sales pitches, so downplay the whole "sales" attitude and let the package you give them do the "selling." Your job is to build relationships.

6. After making initial contact either by phone or email and sending or leaving a sales packet about the radio station and programming, call or email the person and ask if they have any questions. If not, and they are still not sure about buying radio ad space, be prepared to make them a special offer. Provide them with ad incentives, radio copy and maybe even a special spot you created in advance that they could use and personalize to their business.