By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Seems there was a research release rally last week. Did you show up?
Probably not. Based on my sample base, most sellers were heads down doing what they like to do best. How about your manager? Did the boss bring something new to the tool kit? Sorry, bosses out there. If not, no worries. Read on as we scan my yellow highlighter for the quick notes.
From Edison/NPR Smart Audio:
- Survey says: 35% or nearly 100 million of us have smart speakers at home. Short take: Pandemic motivated use or not, smart speakers are morphing from techno-novelty to convenience and every American loves fast and easy. The good news is smart speakers are all about audio. If your talent does a podcast, even if it’s repurposed from the daily show, chances are that audio is available through some platform feeding your smart speaker. Who sells the ads on that Alexa or Google audio feed? No matter how your digital platforms are packaged, the concept of “influencer” is alive and well when a listener accesses that feed. And every listener who accesses that smart speaker audio feed adds impressions to your talent’s content. The world of impression-based influenceability is growing even faster via smart speaker convenience-based technology, with speed and accessibility being premiums in this always-on sales world.
- Survey Says: 34% (or nearly 340,000) listen to three hours or more of news per week on their smart speakers. Short take: If we drill it down to Monday-Friday, we’re talking over 30 minutes daily of smart speaker-based audio news consumption. That’s a meaningful number to integrate when you present the concept of listening to audio news. The newer work-from-home options have clearly impacted how we engage with audio.
From I.A.S-Amplifying Media Quality Digital Audio:
- Survey Says: 93% of media experts are likely to use some form of digital audio advertising. Short take: It’s no secret that this opportunity is the fastest-growing space in the audio advertising business. As most senior sellers struggle with navigating the learning curve, your package presentations need more time to develop and that could be costing you money while fast-track sellers fill the void.
Maybe some of the above or other newer findings have made it into your sales meetings, maybe not yet. As the audio world gains more attention, again, find the time to freshen your tool kit and look ahead. Even if the information seems like a stretch, better to know what’s coming than be ambushed. Anyone confirmed an appointment recently from a pay phone? I’ll bet they still work… somewhere.
Happy selling.
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