One of the favorite phrases of a wily veteran manager in a company we work with is “You always go back to the devil you know.“
In the increasingly competitive world of broadcast marketing, that means selling spots rather than selling solutions. Relatively speaking, spots are easy — pitch a package, close the deal, enter it into the traffic system and move down the dialing list.
Solutions are much more complex — an exhaustive client needs analysis, researching available broadcast and digital marketing options best suited to meet those needs, crafting a detailed proposal, and walking the client through goals and expectations. All this before there is a signature on the bottom line.
Packages and spots are easier, but a true marketing solution is so much more fruitful for your client — and will be for you.
There is a parable of an old man fishing from the bank. Cast after cast, he hauled in a fish. A crowd gathered to watch this expert at work. With every fish he caught, the old man pulled out a tape measure. Smaller fishes were dropped into the cooler, while the more impressive catches were tossed back. Curious, he was asked why he was keeping only the smaller fish. He answered he only kept catches less than 8 inches.
“But why?” he was asked.
“My frying pan is only 8 inches wide,” he responded as if he never considered getting a larger pan.
If that is your approach to sales, you are missing out on the bigger fish!
Yes, you have the amazingly effective tool of broadcast marketing at your disposal — and if you are taking the time to read, learn and improve, you’re probably darned good at it.
But we live in a time where we all have extremely effective digital tools in our box, as well. And if you ignore the fact a solution is more valuable to a client than a spot, you are tossing back the big fish.
Those big fish often become your best customers — those who value your insight, see your service care as a reason to do business with you year after year, and recognize your solutions are superior to your competitor’s.
Don’t be so quick to go back to the devil you know. Get a bigger frying pan.