By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — How do you sell into the turbulence of today’s news/talk radio cycle?

If you are fortunate enough to be based at one of the few dominant, highly sold news/talk radio stations with no real competition, virtual high five to you! The biggest challenge you face is working with your management to balance pricing, demand, and relationships. It is tempting to hang the sold out sign in every conversation and email. Careful, as markets tend to correct themselves and comfort zones can be rocked.

If your station is closer to the rest of the news/talk radio business, sales are down, caution and indecision are daily objections and selling into this rugged content environment is like nothing we’ve seen before. Ad sales in a landscape that is becoming more unpredictable by the minute is another dimension. Sales teams with experience and a contact universe may still not know what to do, when to do it, and how to be smart during important calls.

Navigating the sales environment that comes with the unanticipated requires a laser focus on a premise to start selling from.

Pandemic followed by protests that often turn violent…what’s next?

You are not alone and your biggest ally is working on your behalf.

Your on-air team is working hard to deliver the storylines driving the news cycle and talk the talk the listener expects every day. Keeping up with and interpreting the events impacting the country and your community is the daily mission your on-air talent thrives on.

And THAT is the light in the darkness. That critical expectation of the listener attracted to the content of your news/talk programming is your start point. The reason your listener is engaged is your path to a cohesive sales flow that can resonate with potential sponsors.

If you know your basics of selling news/talk, it’s up to you to reconnect with your roots. Right here, right now, let’s start.

Why do people listen to news/talk?  (And it’s the same reason people promote their businesses on news/talk radio.)

#1 takeway: To feel CONNECTED.  Yes, it’s that simple. In one form or another, we are a culture-driven to connect with each other. Think about lockdown isolation, restricted movement, and how media consumption jumped. Media of all kinds became the electronic periscope to learn what was happening.

As we try to get our footing during these extraordinary times, start with the basics as you game plan your next day. People want to feel CONNECTED to what’s happening in their communities, and that is the foundation of selling news/talk radio. Your news/talk radio station will always be a primary go-to source that will deliver an engaged audience to the right message.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.  Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy.  Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com 

Tags: Ad Sales, connected, Lapcom Communication Corp, listener, media consumption, news cycle, news/talk radio, on-air team, Sales, Steve Lapa

Category: Sales