"One of the things radio does better than any other medium is establish a connection with listeners in the com- munities we serve." - Ruth Wardrop RUTH WARDROP WCFT, WRBG/WQBG, WLGD, WHLM Plus all Seven Mountains radio stations Seven Mountains Media Selinsgrove-Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, Market 25 years in radio What is the key to being a successful radio seller in 2023? Ruth Wardrop: The key to being successful in 2023 is relationships. We've all seen the trends - marketing directors/business owners are seeing fewer and fewer "sellers" these days. Every year it is getting tougher to get face-to-face appointments, even with established clients. If you become a reliable resource to your clients or potential clients, they will take your calls. While sending articles and useful information is good, I'm talking about actual useful information or connections that solve everyday problems. It might not have anything to do with what you are selling. I've helped clients adjust direct mail pieces to hopefully increase ROI for them. I don't sell direct mail, but I want my client to succeed. Success might also look like creating an integrated marketing campaign that includes strategies like digital marketing or creating a video. I'm fortunate at Seven Mountains Media to be able to provide my clients with overall marketing solutions. These options are becoming more important every day. Suggest an idea for a fun social media post, or give them a feel for business trends in your local community. Does your client need a food truck or a Santa Claus for a promotion? Do they need a reliable contractors or manpower to help set up for their annual open house? Can you connect two clients to mutually benefit each other? That's priceless. I try to be a true marketing partner someone they can bounce ideas off of, whether it's related to what I sell or not. I'm not just talking about your relationships with your clients. I'm also talking about the relationship your radio station has with your local community. One of the things radio does better than any other medium is establish a connection with listeners in the communities we serve. We help raise money for the local food banks or help our communities come together and mend when tragedy strikes. This relationship with our listeners is what I believe we are actually selling to our clients. You can allow your clients to become a part of that relationship by helping them to become involved/known in the community and helping to create stories or authentic messages for their commercials. Once you get the message right and share it on air, the listeners will respond. Remember, radio is fun. Invite your clients to the party by getting them involved with your station. Detail what you do to keep your skills sharper than everyone else's. Wardrop: I'm not sure my skills are better than anyone else, but I do believe consistency is key, and it is a skill that is often lacking in this profession. Consistency usually implies a positive sense of dependability.
 support for the causes, plus the advertis- ers see the dollars raised and the items dropped off at their business for the cause, and they see attendance at our fundraising events. What is your number one radio sales success story ever? Wardrop: A few years ago we had a format change and went from Hot AC to Country - just a little bit of a change. After a few months, one of my annual clients told me he was going to pull his ads because no one was listening to the new format. This client actually had three businesses, all on air with me, so the pain was real. I worked with our talented VP of creative, Dave Taylor, and my incredible market manager, Sean O'Mealy, to put together a texting campaign to prove him wrong. I convinced the client to provide a "buy one, get one" offer to our Country audience for one of his restaurants. The plan was to feature one business a week for three weeks, each with a different BOGO offer through a text bounceback message. He said, "Sure, go ahead," and he upped the offer by making it "buy one entree and get one free." (Remember, no one is listening.) It started on a Sunday. By Monday he called to say, "Do you realize there are hundreds of people texting for the offer?" By Wednesday he said, "They are coming in and ordering the most expensive entree and getting the second one free." By Thursday he asked if we could stop. He is still on the air with me five years later. "Even with all the options for people's attention in today's world, just about everyone still listens to the radio every day. When purchased correctly and targeted to the right demo- graphic (with a good message), it works amazingly well." - Jeff Kolb JEFF KOLB Director of Sports Marketing/ Account Manager WPRT (102.5 The Game) & 94.9 The Fan Cromwell Media Nashville 38 years in radio What is the key to being a successful radio seller in 2023? Jeff Kolb: Always prospecting, every waking moment. While driving, watching TV, listening to other radio stations or Pandora. Every morning, reading the busi- ness section of the local newspaper and the Nashville Business Journal. I attend every business get-together with local organizations like Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Sports Council, press confer- ences, etc. Love to network and meet peo- ple. Hyper-focused on client servicing to help ensure retaining them for the future. I make it a point to have ongoing contact during their active campaigns. In-person social invitations, or a simple e-mail or text about their favorite team's win or loss. The key is every reach-out is not to sell them something. Another key is the client has to believe that I truly care about making their investment successful. Detail what you do to keep your skills sharper than everyone else's. Kolb: I am fortunate that our ownership is big on staying up with the latest tech- nology in the advertising world. We have every tool available in today's marketplace for digital and radio to offer to clients. Embracing new technology and making an effort to understand it so I can talk intel- ligently is a priority. How do you convince clients that radio must be in their media mix? Kolb: I don't convince clients that radio must be in their mix. Depending on the client, digital, social, or other forms of advertising may be more suited for their needs. It does not happen too often because I'm pretty good at spending my time in front of someone where radio, digital, or social is a good option for their business. The needs analysis process uncovers which direction I feel is best, and we pres- ent solutions accordingly. That way I am viewed more as a marketing partner ver- sus a product peddler. Why do you believe radio works for advertisers? Kolb: Because even with all the options for people's attention in today's world, just about everyone still listens to the radio every day. When purchased correctly and targeted to the right demographic (with a good message), it works amazingly well. What is your number one radio sales success story ever? Kolb: Back in August of 1997, I, along with a couple of partners, launched the first all Sports Talk station in Nashville. We liter- ally dusted off an old 500-watt AM tube- type transmitter and turned it on. The frequency had been off the air for several years. Our studio was in a closet on the second floor of an office building in down- town Nashville. This was when ESPN was first offering a radio network - if I recall correctly, they only offered a few shows and not a full 24 hours of programming. One of the shows that we picked up was The Fabulous Sports Babe, who also had a TV show on ESPN. In early October we got a call from ESPN that the Fabulous Sports Babe needed to be in Nashville and asking if we could accom- modate broadcasting her morning show from our studios. We immediately said yes. Knowing our studio was in a closet. I didn't want to be embarrassed by having her do the show there, plus I saw it as a sales opportunity. At the time I had a relationship with the folks at Hooters from a previous position with the Rock station in town. They agreed to have her do the show from their down- town location. Now, Hooters normally is not even open in the morning. They cre- ated a special breakfast menu and we pro- moted for about a week that the Fabulous Sports Babe would be there live. Only a couple of months after signing on the air with a low-power AM station, the 26 RADIOINK COM JANUARY 9, 2023

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