When does your station open its business office for the day?
For most, it’s at either 8:00 or 8:30 AM, the same time the business world in general unlocks the front door. In most markets, retailers are rolling by 9:00. These are accepted opening hours for businesses that expect customers to come to them. In radio, starting general business activities at 8:00 or 8:30 is fine -- the receptionist, traffic director and bookkeeper.
But not for sales.
Some of the most-productive, cohesive and stable radio sales staffs I've had the pleasure to work with routinely hold their sales meetings at 7:00 AM. Whether it's sales meeting day or not, several of those salespeople routinely meet for breakfast at 6:00 AM, then head into the station. By 7:15 each weekday morning every single salesperson is in the station, including the sales manager.
And by 8:30 AM, those sales offices are empty. Their sales teams are all headed out to make sales calls—or are already there.
There are many benefits when every salesperson hits the job early, even socializes over breakfast before the workday officially begins:
- A strong “community” bond is built among the sales team
- Many opportunities and problems are hashed out and dealt with informally before they even hit the office.
- In radio more than any other industry, early is on time. When copy notes, paperwork, calendar updates and similar activities are taken care of first thing in the morning, the entire rest of the day is available for selling and servicing
- Many businesspeople—especially retailers and professionals such as lawyers, doctors and so on—have full days from the moment their businesses open up in the morning. They appreciate the value of being able to meet to discuss advertising before they are immersed in the day
- By the same token, salespeople can create more selling opportunities when they’re already out of the office and making calls at a time when most of their competitors are just staggering through the front doors of their stations, zigzagging toward the coffee pot.
Seriously, though: can you require salespeople to start their days at 7:00 instead of 8:30?
You sure can. Whether they elect to meet for breakfast beforehand is up to them. If it happens, you’ll know a lot about their esprit de corps.
During the hiring process, I hope you specify that radio sales is not an iron-clad 40-hour week. You expect your salespeople to be present at remotes and other functions, even on weekends.
Making it clear that the selling day starts early is another way to get everyone focused and to maximize every minute of every business day.
