TV Sales | Margie Albert

Tag: TV Sales

Today’s remark – are you dreaming?

– Posted on Nov 27, 2012 by Margie Albert

Have you looked at your television station’s sales team and wondered what it would be like if your Dream Team became a reality? What it would be like if you had no “C” players or below? What it would be like if your “B” players all had the potential to be “A” players? What it would be like if you had a long list of “A” players just waiting for a chance to join your team?

What’s keeping you from making that a reality? Is it HR? Is it not taking the time to constantly interview? Is it decreased funds to provide continuing education? Is it fear of facing the truth about your team? Or is it just plain settling?

We all know 2013 will be challenging – all odd numbered years are. Can you really afford not to make your Dream Team a reality?

Some suggestions:

Realistically evaluate team and self
Categorize members and self – A, B, C and below
Determine the potential of the C or below players – eliminate the ones who will never be better. This is hard but you are running a business and it will be better for them in the long run!
Determine how to grow your B’s into A’s
Determine how to grow your A’s and how to keep them happy
Determine honestly if YOU are an A player and what it will take to either get you there or keep you there
Interview a potential addition to your team weekly to strengthen your bench
Find the energy, time and money to do this NOW

There is nothing new here. I have heard television sales managers’ talk about this for many years but the key word here is “talk.” I still see many spending more of their time on “C” players with limited potential and wondering why their “A” and “B” players leave.

When the talking stops and TV Stations (and Account Executives) actively start developing their Dream Team they will be on the road to remark-able.

Today’s remark – real questions or just budgets

– Posted on Nov 13, 2012 by Margie Albert

2013 is just around the corner and, like most TV Sales Reps, you probably have been so consumed with 4Q and annuals you really haven’t THOUGHT much about your goals and execution plans for next year. Sure, you may have a list of your accounts and what you think you can get in 2013 but let’s dive deeper for you as well as them.

Let’s start with you. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself –

When I am at my best, kicking butt and taking names, what‘s going on inside and in my environment? In other words, what factors seem to be needed for me to perform at my peak? Make a list and become acutely aware of the main key factors. Those are the ones you want to magnify.
What drove me crazy in 2012? What held me back (no excuses, be honest with yourself)? Redundant processes? Continuous destructive thought patterns? Certain people? Hone in on the big offenders and address them immediately. The goal is to eliminate as many of them as possible.
What do you REALLY want to do in 2013? Not necessarily work related. Loose 10 lbs? Learn to ski? Go visit Aunt Martha in Italy? Close a 6-figure deal? From your list pick one or two and develop a plan to do it. No more talking about it – talking is not a plan!
What in my life do I appreciate most? Hopefully you start with a very long list. From the list pick one or two things you want to do to demonstrate your appreciation every day.

After you have spent some quality time doing this it’s time to move on to your work. How can your work be integrated into the above? How can you make sure your internal and external environment will allow you to do your best work? Now that you are concentrating on eliminating something that drove you crazy how will you use that time and energy to do what you want and need to do? And how will you demonstrate your appreciation along the way?

Your advertisers are making their plans for 2013. How can you help them achieve their goals and focus on customer success? Do you truly know their real goals? Have you asked the real questions or just asked for their budgets and promotional calendar?

Ask yourself and your advertisers the real questions and you will be remark-able.

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Today’s remark – next steps?

– Posted on Oct 08, 2012 by Margie Albert

I recently sat in by phone on a TV Sales Department meeting and at the end I asked for “next steps.” There was silence and I could sense attendees looking at each other wondering what I was talking about. If you are having meetings that aren’t moving your department or team forward with purpose why are you having them?

Are the agendas virtually the same every week – billing and pacing, traffic issues, upcoming unsold inventory, maybe a success story, “housekeeping,” and adjourn? Are you meeting because you don’t trust your people to read so you virtually read to them in the meeting? Are you meeting for team building and camaraderie but calling it a “sales meeting?”

Now think about meetings with your advertisers. How do they typically end?

Here are some suggestions for more effective meetings: