Walking into the Door

It's the old vaudeville routine come to life.

There's two guys on stage----the first guy, in front, pushes open a door which, of course, snaps back into its closed position after he's through. That leaves the second guy, the stooge right behind, to walk into it face first, and come away rubbing his nose. In essence, that's what happens dozens of times each week on your radio station, when a bad commercial plays in a stop set.

Let's be more literal. Say you own a shoe store and bought time. OK, a stop set opens with a national ad. That ad gets chased by a locally produced ad for Fred's Auto. In this spot, a 60, Fred and his wife sing off key for 25 seconds, then list everything they do for 25 seconds, then sing out for the remaining 10.

It's cringe worthy radio but yet--it airs. Why? Because no one at the station said it couldn't. The equation was----they bought the time, the check didn't bounce, ergo---they're a valued customer. THEY'RE the FIRST guy through the door.

Now, sitting behind them is---YOU. Your product. Your service. YOU did a good job of keeping your spot simple and it's also locally produced. And it's good. But guess what? Doesn't matter. Once Fred and his wife get done, the only people left listening will be a dozen or so shut-in's, the engineer, the board op and the program director (who HAS to listen). YOU'RE the stooge who comes away rubbing your nose.

Is that fair? Should a horrible commercial destroy other client's chances of being successful? This is a conundrum that has taxed radio minds for years.

Valid checks usually trump all. But salespeople CAN step in. This is not to say you're empowered to make decisions for your station. But you DO have experience, along with a responsibility to protect other clients from having to follow bad spots that could drive the audience away.

If you find yourself with a client who's creating a bad spot, alert your program director immediately. It's also a good idea to arrange a meeting featuring your production director. When you bring in an expert, someone who adds experience and creativity, you may steer the client from making an egregious mistake. We at BENMAR do this all the time, and there is a delicate art to telling someone their baby is ugly. But keep in mind, your other clients DESERVE someone standing up for THEM-- because they pay cash money too. They're NOT making egotistical mistakes--- they deserve to have you protect their interests. In truth, it's part of what they're paying for.

Your station's air sound should never be sacrificed for one check. The ripple effect could cost a lot more over time, long after Fred and his wife have disappeared. So if bad radio begins to gain a life with one of your clients, be the professional you are. Use the tools you have and the people who support you, to move your client to a better, and safer place---for everyone.

What do YOU think of me?

There's a great line in a not so great movie ('Beaches') which I am reminded of today.

The movie deals with a very narcissistic (self-centered) woman who's all about her own life. And one of the great lines comes right after a scene in which the self-centered character gets done telling her friend about everything going on in her world. She takes a breath, and in a moment of what you think is self realization says, 'OK, enough about me. Let's talk about you.' Short pause, then, 'what do YOU think of me?". Very funny--and totally applicable when dealing with a client.

Clients want their 30 or 60 second to be about me, me, me, me and more me. Rightfully so, right? After all, they're PAYING for that 30 or 60 seconds--who ELSE should it be about? Well.......

What they don't realize is, they're not talking into the mirror. There's an audience. And the audience may NOT be as thrilled with every little detail about them, as they are. The message about their product or service is important, of course----- but when it's an assault of information of even the most minute details, when it becomes nothing but detail after detail after detail, the message can actually go negative. Bad for them, bad for your station. The audience tunes away-- and the client is left shaking their heads, wondering why their radio spot didn't work.

We're not talking about too much humility here-- we're just talking about how to deliver the MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL, and leave the rest for when the client is actually on the phone or at the place of business--- in other words, at a point of contact where the client has more than 30 or 60 seconds to talk about advantages. There is only so much a radio ad can do---and if you keep the information to a minimum, and keep it targeted, you not only improve the chances of it succeeding, you let the audience revel in the wonder of what the client is offering, instead of shutting their ears because it's reminds them of how their mom would nag them to get all their chores done BEFORE getting on the phone with their friends.

Let the client tell the audience a simple story, THEN ask, 'what do YOU think of me ?'. Chances are, by delivering a simple message, results will be much more ego boosting---and successful.

Green and Gold

Pardon my green and gold pride but my CSU Rams are in the field of 64 for the NCAA Tourney for the first time since '03. Go Rams..!

Exciting new s is coming your way in t he next four weeks. BENMARadio is growing again, innovating again, and offering more ways to make money than every before. Watch for the debut of Radio--the Mother of all Media, Trash Talk Tees and the reintroduction of BENMAR On D'mand, a way to get CUSTOM copy, written hand in hand with your client, instantly. Yes, I said, instantly.

WE ARE innovation. Have a great week.

MM