TV Stations | Margie Albert

Tag: TV Stations

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 – PowerPoint RANT

– Posted on Oct 30, 2012 by Margie Albert

If you have attended any of my sessions you have heard my PowerPoint rant. Now, if you choose, you get to read it!

Why do so many TV Station AEs continue to think PowerPoint is a series of note cards?? I see it every day and so do you. The presentation is for your audience – they can’t read and listen at the same time. It is impossible and you are confusing them.

Well, actually, no you are not. They make a decision – they tune you out or they are reading (assuming they are interested in your material which is a HUGE assumption). If they are reading you have become completely dispensable. If that was your goal may I suggest another line of work?!!

As I say all the time – THE PRESENTATION IS YOU! Not the PowerPoint!!

Here are some suggestions:

Your slides should support your proposal, not regurgitate what you are saying.
Images are much better than words. According to a Harvard Business Review study, slides need to pass the “glance test” –no more than 3 seconds to completely process and comprehend the slide.
Your oral presentation must be the focal point – know your stuff, be prepared and rehearsed.
Use a simple unique template – not one of the standard templates included in the software.
White backgrounds!
And does your station logo REALLY need to be on every slide? The presentation is about them, not you, and they know where you are from. If they don’t you have another problem.
Avoid animation and transitions – they look like your 9 year old child created your presentation. If you use them they are to emphasize a specific point. Otherwise, they are a distraction.
ALL parts of the presentations must be visible to the back of the room. NEVER say “some of you can’t see this.” No eye tests allowed—EVER.
The PowerPoint presentation is not detailed or meant to be a leave-behind. If you need a detailed leave-behind put it in a separate Word document with all the details. That’s where you can include your station logo and your complete contact information.

The attention needs to be focused on YOU if using PowerPoint. Please stop PowerPoint abuse and make all your presentations remark-able!

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Today’s remark – you are such a “geek”

– Posted on Oct 16, 2012 by Margie Albert

Recently a subscriber who works in the IT department at a major media company asked me how she and her fellow employees could improve their inter-departmental communication. She observed there are major differences in personalities, communication styles and perceptions and her team seems to come across as “geeks.”

The following is loaded with generalizations – you will find exceptions for sure – but may be a snapshot of personality styles within your building:

IT Department – analytical, technical, detailed, factual, data driven, oftentimes introverted and oftentimes perceived as “geeks”, “Refiners”
Sales Department – in a hurry, friendly, extroverted, not into details or the technical side of anything, easily annoyed at technical issues, “don’t tell me or show me – just do it so I can move on,” can be perceived as arrogant and flippant, “Creators/Advancers”
News – in a hurry, direct and to the point, facts only when necessary, “don’t tell me or show me – just do it,” can also be perceived as arrogant “Advancers/Executors”
Engineering – similar to IT

If you are an IT’er working with Salespeople please don’t go into great detail about what the issue is. If they are to blame for the problem just show them how to make sure it doesn’t happen again – that is all they care about. And if there’s a way you can just fix it do that! They don’t mean to be rude but often they appear to be. Impatient and irritated is more accurate so don’t take it personally.

If you are a TV Account Executive working with someone from IT remember their work environment is very different from Sales. Most often they are treated like a dentist –they are either fixing a disruption or causing one and neither is welcomed! But remember, their wins are much more difficult to measure or celebrate. They may be “geeks” in your mind but be grateful and appreciate their abilities. Maybe if you took the time to get to know them you would find they are much more than “geeks!” Their lives aren’t that much different from yours but their talents are very different. And being a “geek” today is a compliment!

The point is – we need to communicate in the style the recipient will find most beneficial. That may not be the style we personally enjoy but communication is not about us – it is all about them. Respect each other, focus on their success and you will be remark-able.