Tag: Steve Lapa

Industry Views

Pending Business: Ad Count

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imHow many times will we research the same subject and come to the same conclusion?

This time it is the podcast. How many ads will the average listener consider “appropriate” in a 60-minute episode?

If you read the recent research from Cumulus/Signal Hill, you know the answer. For the rest of you, survey says under four minutes per 60-minute episode. The same survey says the magic number for a 30-minute episode is under three.

How ironic is that? The typical talk radio hour runs more ads in one break than an entire 60-minute episode of a podcast. Could it be because we have been integrating radio commercials into hour-long broadcast content for over 100 years? Have we conditioned news/talk listeners to accept more commercials per hour? Our TV friends have been at for over 80 years with an even bigger hourly spot load. Anyone ever see audience research that says add more commercials?

Seriously, unless you pay for the ad-free experience of Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Spotify, Pandora, etc., like most consumers of media, you are comfortable with the ad-supported media model.

So, how has the podcast world been so successful with a model that would leave most traditional radio and TV owners, execs, and sellers dumbfounded.

Here is some insight from my experience.

1) CPM is higher in podcast. The hard facts are when you work with higher CPM you can adjust the commercial load. Demand for digital/social media and podcasts with marketable scale is greater than terrestrial radio. The demand curve for podcast advertising is greater than terrestrial radio. Time to wake up, shake up and shout out loud about our 100-year-old sleepy giant!

2) Survey said 62% of podcast listeners prefer the host read. Talk radio sellers should improve this pitch every day. Today, podcast sellers are simply better at it. Podcast sellers get the intimate relationship between host and listener better than most radio sellers get host and audience. Podcast hosts seem more one-on-one savvy. What will Joe Rogan’s next guest say? What will we hear when your talk talent interviews their next guest?

3) Quality. When your local production director is overloaded and needs to get commercials completed on the air yesterday, what wins: quantity or quality? Be honest here. Where is the next audio creative genius like Dick Orkin or Chuck Blore? Do you know those names?

4) Can you really compare ad load levels between the 60- or 30-minute podcast episode to the average three-hour daily talk radio show?

Traditional molds need to be revisited regularly. My experience with YouTube is showing me even newer models for monetization, different from audio podcasts. Does your 2024 planner have any room for innovation?

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.

Industry News

Houston’s KYST-AM to Become Conservative News/Talk in January

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Hispanic Broadcasting Inc will flip Spanish talk KYST-AM, Houston to English-language news/talk on January 1. The company says, “An all-new sound is coming to talk radio in Houston! Beginning January 1, 2024, an exciting new lineup of conservative talk radio personalities are coming to KYST 920 AM.”im The lineup includes Westwood One talk hosts Dan Bongino, Chris Plante and Rich Valdes; Starnes Media Group’s Todd Starnes; FOX News Radio’s Guy Benson, Newsmax’s Rob Carson, and longtime Pittsburgh TV and radio personality Wendy Bell. It will also use FOX News Radio for network news. Hispanic Broadcasting president Matthew Velasquez says, “We’re excited to bring Houston listeners a better choice in news/talk radio. The mission of ‘Patriot Talk 920 AM’ is to become the leader in conservative talk radio with programming that reflects our core values of family, faith and freedom.” For more information, contact Steve Lapa at Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry Views

Pending Business: When the Package Doesn’t Work

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imIt happens to everyone at least once.

You present your package with every asset at your disposal to make the campaign a winner – host read radio, podcast, X(Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and anything else at your disposal. You work with your manager for pricing, coordinate the digital team for input, and touch base with your business department for the all-clear. Your presentation is an award winner, your enthusiasm is contagious and the deal closes. The campaign launches and to your shock and dismay the feedback from your client is utter disappointment as results are anemic. You verify everything is running properly, digital and social media are coordinated, yet the anticipated tsunami of results is barely a rain shower.

Are you kidding me right now? What in the world happened? A little history and a little reality will help you right the ship.

It’s been 60 years since Marshall McLuhan taught us the “medium is the message” and arguably became the original disruptor. He was so far ahead of his time, Musk, Zuckerberg, and Altman would be challenged. The bottom line is McLuhan got it right as we still stumble our way through the performance side of the ads.

Let us examine how we package and sell 60 years later.

Mistake #1- All creative is the same. In the example above, I listed 6 common platforms many local hosts utilize daily to spread the word.

A) Sellers focus on packaging scale, competitive efficiency and closing the business.
B) Hosts focus on product and content acceptability.
C) Managers focus on deal points.
D) Traffic and business focus on integrating systems.
E) Production is ready to deliver the deadline.
F) STOP!!!! Who is focused on matching the platform or medium with high impact creative messaging? “50% OFF” is an empty value proposition when there is no product sell-in. Who is making sure EVERY asset is delivering the creativity that engages and motivates the listener/viewer for each medium?

Mistake #2. I got this. Wake up! The multi-platform package is more complicated than the beta binomial curve for duplication. Oops, did I lose you? The concept is the radio listener may or may not be the podcast listener who may or may not be the YouTube viewer, who may or may not be the Facebook follower, and so on. You are the sales pro who put this package in motion, yet did you stop to think through: Does each medium have a unique campaign with different frequency, creative updates and feedback loops? Do you have any idea how many daily tweets it takes to sell that product or service? Or are you applying branding metrics to sales goals? And that is just the beginning.

We often forget, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, are barely 20 years old and we are still learning. Yet our terrestrial radio station heritage goes back over 100 years, so you think, “I Got this.” To paraphrase the great Marshall McLuhan, don’t drive into the future using only a rear-view mirror.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Coffee Talk

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imHave you tried the $7 cup of coffee at Starbucks?

A recent visit to my neighborhood location was an eye-opener. The demographics were broader than a trip to Disneyland. The service was average, as the baristas gave a hearty Moe’s welcome shoutout, heads down cranking out the orders.

A recent study showed 63% of millennial coffee drinkers are good with that $7 price because the coffee experience made them feel good. I was wowed at the acceptance of the price point. If the average consumer goes to Starbucks 16 times a month, that is over $100 a month on coffee. No wonder there more than 16,000 locations in the U.S. We just can’t get enough!

Yes, I am a student of successful marketing no matter what the product or service is. Tide, Starbucks, iPhone – what is it about the product that drives the value proposition? Quality? My gym socks do just as well in the less expensive laundry detergent. Dependability? My iPhone needs rebooting more than I would like to admit. Consistency? Ever taste Pike Place when it is from the bottom of the canister? No product or service is flawless, yet we consistently pay more for some over others. Is it marketing, packaging, or genuine performance? A little of everything.

Let us connect to our sales world.

1) There is no shortage of Tide. Yet it is still the most expensive brand on most supermarket and big box store shelves. Consumers have paid a premium for nearly 80 years because we trust the product. And therein lies the lesson for talk radio sellers. The trust your audience has in your on-air hosts is hard-earned equity reinforced every day.

2) The sit-down experience and service in a Starbucks is unique. From Manhattan to Carmel, California, locally owned coffee shops try, and some may succeed but the overall sit-down experience and service at Starbucks is consistently high-quality, meeting our expectations no matter where you are and so price barriers come down. Lesson #2 for sellers. Is your buyer-seller exchange always at a consistent important level no matter how close your relationship with your advertiser? Even when business is down?

3) There is no way to Google that answer. Put yourself in the shoes of your advertiser, especially a first-time advertiser when the wrong copy runs, an invoice is incorrect, or another issue comes up. Is it quick and easy to resolve a discrepancy? Will you invest the time and patience to ease the process?

Our talk radio business rarely integrates intangibles when it comes to pricing. Competitive, efficiencies and demand traditionally drive pricing. Yet the talk radio personalities are the ones with all the intangibles. From political influencers and offering emergency weather information to life changing news storylines that need interpretation to become more acceptable. Yet through it all, we are still the $1 cup of coffee.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: The Dilemma

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWhat’s old is new again.

From Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain to Winston Churchill, Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager, historic influencers have been credited with owning that phrase as long as I can remember.

That single concept is one of the foundational principles of media sales, even today. If you have been selling or managing long enough to remember pay phones on street corners, in hotel lobbies and airports, you should have a special appreciation for what follows. Let’s start with:

1. The “Golden Choice: Ratings or Results.” Which would you rather be selling? Top-rated content, or content that generates top performance results? No, they do not necessarily go hand in hand. Just because you sell major-scale delivery, doesn’t necessarily mean your audience will meet the advertiser’s expectation of performance. Like many of you reading this column, I’ve had the privilege of representing both sides of the dilemma; top-ranked content in radio, TV, digital and social media that did not meet the Key Performance Indicator requirements and smaller scale content that delivered annual renewals, year after year. I work with content that generates millions of impressions weekly and content that does not participate in Nielsen surveys, or delivers moderate scale, yet the old dilemma of ratings or results seems new to the newer digital/social media sales teams making calls today.

2. Does the creative match the audience? This is one of my favorite questions, especially when it comes to host-reads. The greatest talents I’ve worked with are never afraid to ask for the creative freedom to tweak copy points to match their audience. Every great host knows the audience. Sometimes it pays dividends to allow for creative freedom and sometimes it becomes a fast track to a cancellation. The difference is the confidence the advertiser has in you and the talent you represent.

3. Just say no, or go with the flow? When business is soft, most sellers and managers will take the short-term test dollars. Thirteen-week minimums become two-week tests and thus a product or service is given a short-term ride on what should be a longer-term campaign. But let’s face it, we’ve all compromised somewhere to help make the cash register ring a little louder. With a respectful nod to every seller and manager, that timeless call is totally up to you.

From local radio sales and podcasts to digital and social media sales, what’s old is new again and again.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: We Are Growing

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imSurvey says nearly half of all Americans over 13, nearly 135 million, listen to spoken word formats. The growth curve boasts an eye opening 52% jump in time spent listening at home.

Please keep in mind we are listening in 2023 via different platforms including AM/FM radio, smartphones, computer streaming, smart speakers, and smart TV. Podcasting is a major driver of this growth curve, almost tripling its share of total audio consumption. And the closer is traditional AM/FM radio is still the morning drive, in-car winner controlling 62% of listening, despite the auto industry’s attempt to shun the king of spoken word distribution – AM radio.

Audio marketers, please pound the drum a little louder when you pitch this growth story. I still haven’t seen this new validation pushed aggressively on X (formerly Twitter) among the Taylor Swift running to hug Travis Kelsey posts, have you? Anything on Instagram? Facebook? YouTube? Rumble? Are we reframing a modern version of that 1600s philosophical “if a tree falls in the forest…?”

All sellers need to take a minute to digest, discuss and integrate the findings in the Edison/NPR Spoken Word Audio report and start the drumbeat of growth, impact, engagement and influence. How else will we pushback on the taken-for-granted, same old-same old, spoken word presentation. Freshen up that media kit! Growth is an important sales point to make in any presentation and audio sellers need to keep pointing to that growth curve as competitors lean in on their own story lines.

Let’s get down to how best to answer W.I.F.A (what’s in it for advertisers) on your next presentation.

1) New. One of the most powerful words in sales and marketing. New information can drive new decisions. Let the numbers help make your point as you shape your presentation.

2) The Trend is Your Friend. Every business owner, entrepreneur, investor and CEO always want to be informed and in front of growth trends. You now have the opportunity in front of you.

3) Keep it Simple. Keep your information simple and easy to understand. Many influential newsletters use the simple technique of a bold number followed by a fast fact story line. If it works for the big boys, the technique should work for you.

4) Managers. Bring good news to your sales and marketing teams. Sellers, bring good news to your advertisers. The survey says we are growing, and positive growth is an important part of any business.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Fall Back

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWe all need to learn how to fall back. This is not about daylight saving, retreating, or backpedaling. This is about learning from the most valuable brand in tech, the oracle, and the best practices all of us in sales and management must learn to apply.

Let us start with Apple. Demand for the iPhone 15 is not lighting the tech world on fire as slow sales do not even come close to measuring up to the numbers delivered by its predecessors like the iPhone 13 when sales jumped 47% two years ago. What happened to all those Apple fanatics who would line up outside Apple stores or flood the Internet with orders ready to buy the next iPhone?

The must-have Apple loyalists were slowed down by the glitches in the iPhone 15 as we have come to expect design perfection. And why not, when you have nearly 1.5 billion users worldwide and sell nearly 100 million iPhones in the first two quarters of this year? Perfection expectations go hand-in-hand with momentum, innovation, and sales. Perhaps the challenge after 16 years of “new and improved” was too much. Tech is not Tide and Apple is not Procter and Gamble.

What are the lessons we can learn from this lower sales cycle?

— Never assume an unqualified welcome sign from your core customers. We earn the welcome sign every day. Fix the problem faster.

— Always deliver on the promise of new and improved.

— Better to delay than disappoint.

Famed Wall Street guru Warren Buffett recently dealt with losses in several of his holdings by being transparent with his stockholders about the challenges at several of his companies and navigating an unfriendly stock market. This is the same Warren Buffett who supported the Cap Cities minnow (remember that company?) swallowing the ABC Radio whale and still is a stakeholder in media.

The 93-year Oracle of Omaha is nimble enough to shift strategies and adjust his investments to maximize results for his stakeholders.

The Buffett takeaways?

— When performance is not up to expectations, adjust the plan.

— Age can be an asset when experience counts.

— When you are in hole, stop digging.

How many traditional packages and sales promotions have you counted on as sure-fire sellers that unexpectedly failed? What does your fallback plan look like?

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: AI vs the Personal Connection

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imReady to go back to the future?

We may need more than Doc Brown and Marty McFly to understand this one: product reviews written by A.I., not humans.

It’s the subject of a debate happening between the mighty Gannett company, owner of Reviewed, and a group of writers and editors who work there. According to The New York Times, the writers and editors group claims several reviews were A.I. generated. The posted reviews in question were run through A.I. detection software and the results were a slim to none chance humans wrote the reviews in question. Gannett says, not so fast, the reviews in question were authored by real humans.

Now here is where we need a time machine to take us a few years into the future. Let’s look at the reviews on our favorite go-to shopping, restaurant or travel review websites. How do we know who really wrote those reviews? This could be a whole new level of truth and proper disclosure in advertising.

Consider the possibilities of A.I.-generated reviews. Is every consumer offering feedback comfortable sharing their name on a Google review when many businesses ask for a positive review? There is a simple alternative to the A.I.-generated product review debate, and it’s right in front of you.

The answer should be part of your daily talk radio local sales mission statement. Demonstrate to your advertisers and prospects the proven results your on-air talent delivers every day. Chances are you may be taking for granted how to bring to life the credibility and trust your local on-air talent earns with each show. Global events, roller coaster economies and shifting political dynamics are all part of the daily conversation on your talk radio station. As your air talent distills the issues for the audience, take a few calls and engage in an energetic dialogue, they develop a bond that is unique to talk radio.

So, imagine the difference in the mind of the consumer when they hear the review or referral from a trusted source versus wondering if the review or referral they read is from a human or A.I. generated.

Is that the DeLorean time machine I hear?

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

Industry Views

Pending Business: When it Matters Most

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imIt may seem impossible, but you need to stay in your lane.

As we live through another dark chapter in world history, staying focused on what we do in sales and marketing will be a nearly impossible challenge. We live in a 24/7, always-on world constantly updating everything from everywhere.

As we work on the sales, marketing and management side, the news/talk and information programming side are in hyper mode logging on, weighing in, competing to never miss a beat. I remember when time stood still as the events of 9/11 shocked the world and time stood still. Talk radio hosts, producers and news departments tried their best to digest the events and offer some level of understanding to a listening audience. For the first time ever, the mainland of the United States of America had been attacked.

And here we are, frozen again. This time the events unfolded halfway around the world. Once again shock, unspeakable actions, thousands of innocent deaths, massive destruction. If you have been doing this long enough, we do have some level of experience with shocking events.

Once again, our talk radio hosts, producers and news teams will be a go-to source for millions of listeners across the country. How do we stay focused, selling, marketing, prospecting as local communities react to all this that is unfolding halfway around the world?

— Our thoughts and prayers are with those in harm’s way. As difficult as it may be, try and keep the opinionated politics away from your sales process.

— Keep the conversation neutral. A challenge for sure. If you are prepared there’s always positive to bring to your sales call.

— The calendar never quits. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, are all around the corner and with that a last-minute marketing opportunity.

— Why are 66% of the U.S. adults over 40 overweight?  Blame the men, we always skew those numbers. Just helping with a little small talk …

As challenging as the next few days and weeks may become, your news/talk radio station will become an important resource for adults on the go who need to know. As you formulate your presentations, stay focused on the unique benefits only your radio station’s lineup can deliver in times of crisis. Your on-air talent have earned the trust of the audience the old-fashioned way…. by being there when it mattered most.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: In Radio Sales, It Pays to Be a Great Listener

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Do you still struggle with keeping the dialogue moving in the right direction on your sales calls? Let’s face it, if you are not careful you could violate one of the golden rules of selling talk radio – be a great listener.

First calls are the most difficult, especially in this era of Zoom, Teams, etc. You try your best to develop rapport, build chemistry and move through a needs analysis as you learn about your potential advertiser. High achieving sellers have that special skill of blending questions and fun facts that build common ground while navigating the needs analysis through a range of questions designed to qualify the prospect and confirm a follow-up call.

Sounds simple enough, but why do most sellers fall short in the starting blocks. There is no mystery here to solve, this is Selling 101 that starts with preparation and ends with a commission check. Let’s walk through some start points:

If you are responsible for any of the 26.5 billion minutes viewed of “Suits” on Netflix, you know that Harvey Spector (lead character) earned millions doing homework and knowing how to ask the right questions. How about you? Are you prepared to ask the right questions and listen to the answers that will lead you to comeback with the right proposal? Sometimes keeping the dialogue moving can be challenging. Perhaps you’ve asked too many questions that went nowhere or just resulted in one-word answers. What to do? A recent article in Make It quoted Matt Abrahams, a public speaking expert at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, who suggests saying, “Tell me more” during a conversation is the secret sauce behind improving the communication flow.

Makes sense. Showing genuine interest in what your advertiser is saying, allowing more information to be shared, with you spending more time as the listener helps everyone develop better rapport and move closer to a win-win. I have always been a big fan of another Golden Rule of Sales: “Words matter.” Have you ever finished a call and asked yourself, “Why did I say that!?” It all goes back to preparation. If you know what to ask, how to allow your advertiser to expand on a key point, and do more listening than talking, your sales should increase, and your commission checks will show it!

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Still Learning

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

I think it was the great Michelangelo who said, “I’m still learning.” Three simple words that can make or break any of us in marketing.

I am still amazed at the success and customer loyalty at Trader Joe’s. Why is it that a homespun marketing approach develops loyalty, when I have found more competitive prices and sometimes higher quality foods elsewhere?

Yet there I was lost in the regular South Florida Sunday crowd, standing in line, basket-to-basket, ready to check out. I have never heard or seen an ad for Trader Joe’s, yet the store was packed. The scene at the 59th Street store in Manhattan was quite similar last year when I spent three months in the city, or the one in D.C. close to my daughter’s home, even the Trader Joe’s in Sandy Springs, Georgia near my other daughter’s home was slammed on a Sunday three years ago.

Too much information for a column on sales and marketing?  Believe it or not, I still can’t figure out how with no frequent buyer program, super discounts, or incentive marketing I became such a frequent shopper. I guess just like Michelangelo, I’m still learning.

Here is what I have learned from Trader Joe’s that connects the dots to our sales and marketing world.

— Keep it simple. Ever notice how the prices are clear, easy to read and seem to present a perceived value? How does your presentation packaging stand up? Does it take an IT expert to understand how to interpret your computer driven proposals?

— Everyone has something positive to say. I have never heard any of the folks at any of those locations say a negative word, even when parking was a game of musical cars. How about you? Are still blaming the boss for higher pricing or tighter credit?

— Variety is in the eye of the customer. Other stores with more square footage have greater variety. Sometimes you need it, most of the time you don’t. How many times have you thought to yourself, “There are just too many options in this pitch.”

— Got a complaint? We can fix that. Somebody please show us a local radio station training for excellent customer service. It just isn’t a long-term commitment. Maybe a perceived unnecessary expense in our business.

— Consistency. Like every successful enterprise that is public facing, consistency and dependability build trust and customer loyalty. How about us?

Sales and marketing are a dynamic process that is always adjusting to the competitive landscape and the needs of the customer. And that is why we should all follow Michelangelo’s lead and never stop learning.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Demo Talk

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imAttention news/talk radio sellers! Get ready to meet your new best friend… and it is not who you think it is.

Take a guess. Could it be a mega budget opening up from an advertiser targeting 55+?

No. How about your closest competitor admitting defeat and conceding it no longer makes sense to compete?

Close, but this could be better. This is the part where your new best friend becomes such a giant ally, making your demographic pitch so valid, you are left stone-cold speechless. This is where “The Golden Bachelor” answers the double “Jeopardy” question and you could become the next Ken Jennings of news/talk radio ad sales. Give up? Here is the story line.

The New York Times article “TV Networks’ Last Best Hope: Boomers” saluted, validated, recognized, and just about honored the news/talk radio 55+ audience value proposition. We could be talking about a new day for news/talk radio sellers.

When the highly resourced sales teams from linear network TV begin telling the same demographic value story that news/talk radio sellers have been telling forever, well then, it is time to start popping the champagne in your local sales department.

It seems that linear network TV programmers are finally conceding the 60+ audience is the remaining core audience for your favorite network television programs. According to the article, franchise programs like “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “The Voice” have median viewers over 64. Wait, what? Dr. Meredith Grey and the crew at Seattle Mercy are now appealing to seniors? It may have taken 400+ episodes, but the last man standing is indeed grey! The sellers at NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX could start singing from the same demographic page as news/talk sellers and the harmonics are sounding wonderful.

Please don’t be silly enough to think this will ever get truly competitive. No friends, this is where everyone wins if the selling stays at the value level. Media habits are changing at mach 4 speed, and nobody knows the change part of the business better than the terrestrial radio business. From fragmentation to consolidation, we’ve seen it all. Is the best yet to come?

Smart radio sales teams will embrace this opportunity. Do you still pitch the “older demo” value proposition with the anecdotal Grace Slick is 83, Mick Jagger is 80, and Elton John is 76? Time to start talking about the scene where 70-year-old Jerry Seinfeld says to 74-year-old Kramer, “I’m movin’ to Florida! You comin’ with me or not?”

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: A Little Change Can Do You Good

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imLast week, with little time left on the clock, Disney and Charter Communications made a deal so that Charter customers could continue to watch Disney programming. Phew! Just in time for 15 million Charter cable customers to have access to that 53-year-old American institution called “Monday Night Football.”

It’s amazing how the two sides came together just in time to preserve the TV viewing habits of millions of football fans and all those millions of ad dollars sold into the broadcasts. Although both Disney and Charter lobbed streaming options at viewers to help ease the temporary pain, in the end, cooler heads prevailed, and a deal was struck.

Not so fast, somebody buried a headline.

Just before Labor Day, the Charter guys were claiming the current cable TV bundling model ain’t what it used to be, in effect acknowledging the nearly 5 million people a year who cut the cable. The cable bundle value proposition is changing before our blurry gameday eyes, and more options are becoming accessible every day. Does any of this “I can get this somewhere else” ring familiar?

Try this at home. Ask any Gen Z people you know how often they listen to the radio. (Gen Z are roughly between nine and 26 years old.) Now ask the Millennials you know (roughly 27 to 42 years old). The results will frighten you as you realize the greatest freebie electronic entertainment ever invented is losing the future faster than cord cutters on steroids.

If you have been in the terrestrial radio business for longer than five years, you are aware of the melting ice cube future of radio. Even our friends in the newspaper business are changing with the times, looking for writers who will report specifically on Taylor Swift and Beyonce. They tour the world generating crazy numbers in ticket and music sales. Their appearances and social media impact everything from fashion to politics. How is that for changing a future value proposition?

Sports fan or not, are you in touch with the Coach Prime phenomenon happening at the University of Colorado? The story was featured on the soon-to-be 56-year-old “60 Minutes.”

Deon Sanders is changing college football in Boulder as fans gobble up seats at over $500 a piece.

The point of this column is simple. From cable to pop culture to Coach Prime, leadership is innovating, finding new ways to re-invent and re-package a premise as old as song and sport, a premise much older than the terrestrial radio business. Maybe we can all learn from what we sell.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Persistence vs Passion

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWhich is the more important “check the box” trait – persistence or passion?

Is it easier for your air talent to answer that one? Of course, we want passionate on-air talent – those who live for the opportunity to get behind the mic, break it all down for the audience or deliver the critical information that can save lives and calm the fears of an anxious audience.

In a week, for the 22nd time we will remember the events of 9/11. During that historic window of time, I had the privilege of experiencing firsthand the passion that drives great on-air talent to power through the most difficult unknown to stay close to their audience and calm the fears of an audience in shock.

But we must also consider the day-to-day. How about your on-air talent and their producers who compete every day for that exclusive interview that will surely drive audience levels, advertiser results, and maybe a bonus or promotion?

They power through the multiple calls that are not returned, the polite put-off and unkept promises. Especially stinging is when a competitor winds up with the prize.

Persistence or passion? Stop. Right there you must consider the Abraham Lincoln theory of persistence. His mother died when he was nine, he went bankrupt at 27, had a nervous breakdown before he was 30, lost eight elections, finally in 1860 was elected president of the United States and one year later faced the greatest internal conflict in the history of our country – the Civil War.

Let’s go to sales.

Anyone passionate about selling? My number one theory in recruiting sellers from South Florida to San Francisco was and still is, nobody grows up wanting to sell radio advertising. On the other hand, many of us were and still may be passionate about being ON the radio (before or alongside podcasting, YouTube, Rumble, Tik-Tok and Instagram). The passion to perform runs deep through all media, music, theatre, sports, the law, medicine, even business. The passion to sell? Now that is one complicated conversation.

For what it’s worth, here is my theory. It takes both passion and persistence to be great. What attracts any high achiever to a long-term career typically begins with a passion play. A love for the game and the need to achieve. The harder you chase the dream, the more persistence comes into play. The more you learn the ins and outs of refining persistence, the more you will hit your stride in performing.

And there you have it! Touch those three magic “Ps” every day, passion, persistence, performance and the fourth will come your way: Profit!

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Head Start

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imIt’s time to start planning your holiday strategy.

Wait, what? You have not finished Q3 and here I am pushing Q4?

The fourth quarter is easily the most time consuming, thought provoking, overwhelming mish-mash time of the year for every Baby Boomer and Millennial walking the planet. Especially those of us who earn our keep marketing. The transition window from Q3 to Q4 is the perfect time to lock down your plan and that window is about to open.

Let us review priority planning:

If you sell at the national level, your upfronts are in play and gradually moving to the won-lost report as you juggle and balance your daily avails.

If you sell at the local level here are five thought starters, so start thinking:

— Second Opinions. As we review everything from our insurance, financial, legal and medical needs, everyone can use another set of eyes on the prize. Plans change, laws change, life happens. Suggest messaging that works. Start prospecting now.

— Gift Giving. Last year over $200 billion was spent on the holiday season. Will your audience spend more this year than they did last year? Considering online research is a part of daily life, when do the purchase decisions really begin?

— Politics. You don’t need this column to remind you nearly 13 million watched the debate on August 24. Voters are interested in how this tumultuous political scene will ultimately play out. Politics is big business, and nobody covers it better than talk radio. We are in this window through 2024, get focused on where you need to be.

— Holiday Travel. Just this past week, our family get together was impacted by airline delays, rescheduling, and traffic. Travelers will plan earlier and smarter. You may or may not have contacts at the airlines but consider all the businesses that thrive based on travel and tourism.

— Weather. Is there a market that is immune? From hurricanes and wildfires to snowstorms and floods, weather is a factor that can impact your business flow in both a positive and negative way. As we say here in Florida, Be Prepared!

I am guessing you have thought about everything you’ve just read. I never assume the gap from thinking to doing happens. You know what they say about assuming…

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: TV Knows Best

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imBulletin: “Linear TV” is no longer the winner.

Linear TV is tech talk for combining over the air and cable TV, and according to Nielsen, July 2023 was the first-time streaming TV was the winner, as streaming captured most TV viewing.

From Netflix to YouTube, we are watching more content on streaming channels than linear TV. You have read about the resurgence in “Suits,” the legal drama that originally aired 2011-2019 and is now drawing 18 billion minutes of viewing on Netflix. Whether those 18 billion minutes are part Meghan Markle curiosity or part writers’ strike, does not matter. Those 18 billion minutes of viewing helped drive streaming viewership to an all-time high. Maybe streaming grabbed a page from that old radio handbook that starts with “Content is King.”

But the companies controlling the streaming ad-free experience on Netflix, Disney, Hulu, etc. seized the opportunity and raised rates. Soon, it will cost you more every month to watch your favorite content ad-free.

Wait a minute! Did I just say the ad-free experience as in commercial free or no interruptions? Did the streaming guys just take another page from the well-worn radio programming handbook and turn the commercial-free model upside down to increase income? Streaming channels will deliver commercial free programming and charge you anywhere from $13.99- $21.99 a month as the fees double and triple depending on when you started your subscription.

How about our friends at Amazon Prime jumping on “Thursday Night Football,” or Apple and Peacock pushing baseball? Do not forget the YouTube NFL packages starting at $250. No, this is not a veiled plug for paid programming, nor is it a critique of the value propositions offered in the streaming world. Time for a long look in the mirror:

— The commercial-free experience began when radio programmers dropped the commercials, programmed longer, commercial-free segments to drive listenership and ratings up. In the short term it worked. My hand is in the air, guilty as charged. Maybe I was one of the lone radio management voices who asked, “Then what, run the spots and drive the audience away? Are we sending the wrong message?” We were dumb. After commercial free came rates, packages, and promotions. None of us said, “Raise the rates when the commercial-free stops!” The streaming guys got it right – just raise the rates.

— There is no older radio programming mantra than “Content is King.” You can name the iconic talents with one word, Howard, Rush, Imus, yet major radio organizations struggle as they search for great, soon-to-be iconic talent. It is faster, easier, and more lucrative to become a Tik-Tok, YouTube, or Instagram star.

These are all just examples of how radio was first in and stopped innovating. There is some good news on the horizon. Facebook is stepping back from the news business as news organizations ban together and ask for compensation. This could be the first chink in Facebook’s 113-billion-dollar ad armor. Maybe not. Either way, the old school top-of-the-hour newscast, or large market all-news radio should be re-imagined, opening the door to the next generation of innovators.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Nobody Cut Their Way to the Top

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

EDITORS NOTE:  In addition to conveying a powerful message, the article below by industry expert, consultant and TALKERS contributor Steve Lapa contains a tremendous limited-time opportunity for the readers of this publication to partake in a free offer to receive a valuable radio sales support tool.  We strongly suggest that readers involved in any way with radio sales read this article and take advantage of Steve Lapa’s offer at the end of the piece.    

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imRadio station personnel could be facing the worst environment – ever!

Endless bankruptcy headlines. Painful personnel cuts. Soaring retail prices. A number of radio companies are struggling, preparing for the worst and there is no cavalry in sight. No matter where we start sorting through the current tsunami of problems, every solution typically ends up in the same place: more income.

I could never understand why we don’t just cut to the chase. It would be a lot more efficient and a lot less painful if we all agreed on one premise – nobody cut their way to the top. Cost conscious, attention to expense detail and planned expansion is one thing… however destroying motivation, morale, passion and attraction for the radio business is fatal. Yet we continue to repeat the same mistakes. What do they say about doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome?

Imagine if you invented the medium today. Simple advertiser pitch: reach 83-90% of the US population for a CPM lower than your favorite Starbucks drink. Yet, radio still has the never-ending low man on the electronic media totem pole advertising image. Consider all those direct response advertisers who started on radio and “graduate” to TV. Where were the radio sellers partnered with creators focused on performance? It’s a mess, I know. What does it take to power through a mess like the one we are in now? How do we come out the other side generating income for our companies, our families, and ourselves?

Start by looking in the mirror. Re-commit to getting your skills razor sharp and get your focus laser targeted. If you are a seller, manager or owner, re-educate yourself. If you are on the programming or on-air side, passionate about your content, help your sellers and managers. Time to learn the skills necessary to help your team and yourself at the same time. The radio business is becoming so undervalued and distressed, beaten down by too much debt and not enough disciplined, strategic thinking.

Let me step up. I AM WILLING  to share my 40+ years of proven sales and management performance system with you for FREE. No risk, no exchange of dollars, because if we do not fix the radio problem NOW, we all go down together. Radio companies are preparing for the worst. Stop waiting, stop hoping. Go to https://3MinutePlanner.com and take advantage of my offer to help. Sellers, managers, owners, new-think programmers and talents, time to mount up and join the radio cavalry!

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: The Agony of Complacency

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWhat happens when the world-wide leader is for sale? When they stopped spanning the globe 25 years ago, I thought the budget cut would help the leader. I could still hear the great Jim McKay describing the agony as Vinko Bogataj rolled down that ski slope in utter defeat. There were so many different images of the thrill of victory, but for most of the 37 seasons of “Wide World of Sports,” the agony of defeat was forever connected to that helpless Yugoslavian skier.

Maybe the real story of Disney/ABC/ESPN’s “Wide World of Sports” is lost in the silo of being first in on the marketing ladder and not recognizing opportunity.

The world-wide leader was the first to televise Wimbledon, the Indy 500, and who could forget the Pro Bowlers Tour? Not recognizing the need to expand into targeted sports coverage, pre-empt competitive efforts, and experiment with new media may be a flaw in an otherwise crown jewel. Did Mickey Mouse see the “Rugrats” coming? You mean history repeats itself when the successful get complacent and positive paranoia is the domain of the dot-com entrepreneurs?

Ok, it’s getting a little heavy here. This column is about sales and marketing, not business theory or case studies. Or is it?

The lessons here are classic and are a direct connect to your commission check.

ESPN is searching for answers, and when billions in ad sales, cable fees, streaming subscriptions and theme park attendance isn’t enough to goose the growth curve, well, Houston, we’ve got a problem. But let’s learn how to work with what surrounds us.

— What are the biggest challenges to your business base?

— Can you identify the challenges in your control, and which are not?

— How would you rank your competitors?

— As your local ad market shifts into more digital advertising, who are the winners?

— Can you name the five biggest digital-social media ad spenders in your market?

— Do you keep updated on new ad marketing opportunities presented to your clients?

Forgive the blurry lines that connected the dots in the Disney-ABC-ESPN story. The business lesson, however, is clear. Sellers can only control what they are asked to sell. But when complacency sets in at any level, take a time out and rethink your playbook.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: The Big 20 Countdown

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imNo, this isn’t about college football or New Year’s Eve. Wait, maybe it is.

This is about getting you to start the 20 benchmarks every news/talk or sports talk manager, seller, even owner should be reviewing, analyzing, and preparing on their 2023/2024 calendars.

Call me the Detail Doctor, because as we all know the dollars are in the details.

Let’s start with August:

— College Football kicks off at the end of the month and your packages are closing out.

— The NFL season kickoff is full of new competition, so close, close, close.

— Labor Day is on the way and depending on your market dynamics unique packages could swing momentum your way.

— Early 2024 upfronts should be game planned now.

— Review your recruitment profile.

September:

— Election Day is 9 weeks away. Are you ready?

— Do you finalize goals/budgets for 2024?

— The Jewish community observes High Holidays at the end of the month.

October:

— Tweak your Q4 packages.

— Thanksgiving

— Christmas. Sunday/Monday this year.

— Too early for New Year’s Eve? Sunday/Monday this year.

— Financial Category. We all want second opinions, right?

— Legal. ditto

— Lock in your 2024 goals.

— Monitor pacing for 2024 upfront.

November:

— Check your crystal ball for final 2023/early 2024 performance.

— Daylight Saving Time ends. Change those clocks!

— Start thinking Vegas, baby for the February 11, 2024 Super Bowl.

— How did those upfronts close?

December:

— Renewals for 2024 done?

— Pacing for 2024?

— Actual selling days in the month is deceptive.

— Review those wins AND losses.

— Happy New Year.

This exercise is a simple, functional start point. Every seller, manager, and owner will add, delete, or adopt this list. My hope is you will move to do something to help your 2023 income finish big and 2024 start even bigger!

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Pulling the Rug Out from Under

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWhen was the last time you went shopping for a quality living room rug? Not an oriental, because that is just too easy. We’re talking high quality living room rug that will blend in and stand the test of time… and the dog. Next to fighting with a credit card company, it’s the worst shopping experience ever.

Try this at home when you have nothing better to do. Chances are you want to find the rug of your dreams, so you check out the major department stores. Up the escalator, walk through home furnishings and an employee may or may not be available. Most likely not, so you head to an adjacent department, and someone sends someone who barely knows the product and selection.

This scenario is repeated at most major department stores today, so off we go to our favorite furniture store where rugs are an accessory, like belts in the men’s store. No go here. Time to head over to the carpet, tile, and rug store.

Employees here are a bit more available and knowledgeable, but the quality and selection are just not quite right. Time for the expensive specialty store where expertise and service are #1 and so is price. $10,000 for that!

Time for the online experience to take over with countless purchase options, reviews, and confusing virtual reality options. This is getting painful. The attempted purchase is frozen in frustration. What does this have to do with what we do? Live and learn.

— Are you always available for your advertisers? When business is soft you lob in a mandatory attempt and move on. When business is through the roof, are you quick to return a call or open a new door?

— Do you simply walk through the same motions, or reflect the energy and enthusiasm of an exciting program lineup? Think of the rug seller, flipping through those rugs. Boring!

— Do you earn the price or just blame the boss? Since day one, some sellers find it easier to blame the boss instead of earning the value proposition.

— Are your advertisers frozen in frustration? Feel free to use the phrase that pays. Defrost that frozen decision maker before your competitor does.

A great program director once told me, the best on-air talents observe life with a pad and pen. Their notes come to life when the mic goes on. The same is true for great sellers and managers. Every purchase experience can improve your next call.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Shorter and Faster is Better

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Looks like Major League Baseball is about to show the radio business how to score the winning run. Major League Baseball decided it was time to reverse the aging fan base, declining gameday gates, and shorten three-plus-hours of in-game boredom.

Despite the downhome storytellers doing play-by-play on radio and innovations of TV coverage, the game was getting tedious, and it was time for Major League Baseball to change or slowly but surely face the fate of the dinosaur.

Sound familiar? Yes, there are some baseball innovations that entertained people like the infamous mascots of yesteryear, but MLB is about the hallowed Hall of Fame heritage of pinstripes, red socks, and Dodger blue. Change means risk and in baseball swinging for the fences is a 1 in 18 shot.

Getting a little too close for comfort? Fans and sponsors needed a new spark to ignite baseball fever, so MLB responded with a pitch clock to speed up the game and bigger bases to bring back one of the most exciting plays in sports. Guess what? Games are being played faster, gameday attendance is up 8%, TV viewership is up 14% and according to the Insider, social media views are up 67% as under-35 demographics are up 14%. Let us start connecting the dots to our business.

— News/talk radio relies on a 55+ audience. Nothing wrong with the “money demo.” But talk radio needs to look ahead to what happens AFTER the election cycle.

— Most daily talk shows are three hours long. So were most MLB games… until this year. Shorter became better as attendance and viewership shot up. Wake up radio programmers, hosts, managers! Do we have the courage and budget to program and sell shorter, faster moving programs? Radio is so stuck in an outdated model; the low growth is about to make another appearance in bankruptcy court.

— Fans got excited and social media exploded. Last time I checked, Savannah, Georgia was Nielsen radio market #145. No news/talk radio station in the top 100 U.S. radio markets has as many Facebook followers as the Savannah Bananas baseball team.

— Fans and sponsors needed a new spark. What has your radio station offered lately that is new, exciting and lights the fuse for sponsors and listeners?

Recently, a 21-year-old baseball star stole two bases then decided to steal home and the fans went crazy. Through the years we have seen the play. But every time it happens the fans in the stands are on their feet, cheering, high fiving, and re-living every detail of the excitement. Baseball is back, bigger and better than ever. All of us can learn from today’s changes in America’s Pastime.

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.

Industry News

Napolitano’s Podcast, CMG Partner for Sales and Marketing

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Judging Freedom LogoJudge Andrew Napolitano, his Ampere Parkway Productions, Lapcom Communications, and Crossover Media Group enter into a partnership to expand sales/marketing of Napolitano’s “Judging Freedom” podcast. Crossover Media Group managing partner Sue Freund tells TALKERS, “The addition of the ‘Judging Freedom’ podcast to our portfolio is an honor. This partnership signifies our commitment to bringing diverse voices to the forefront. CMG has seen the positive results the judge delivers for advertisers which has further reinforced our enthusiasm for being involved with – and taking –  this podcast to the marketing community.” Lapcom Communications president Steve Lapa – who writes a weekly (Monday) column for TALKERS – comments, “The ‘Judging Freedom’ brand resonates with over five million fans each month. We look forward to the expertise of the Crossover Media Group team as they take ‘Judging Freedom’ to the next level.” Napolitano adds, “We are thrilled to embark on this exciting marketing partnership with everyone at CMG. Their expertise and dedication fit perfectly with our vision for the ‘Judging Freedom’ podcast.” Napolitano’s storylines have included legal, government, and national security issues. The partnership begins with Napolitano’s 30-minute interview of Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Good News Bad News

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Survey says, the good news is, 49% of local direct advertisers use AM/FM radio.

The bad news is, the same survey says, 65% of that same group uses social media advertising. Advantage +16% for the digital team. The good news is, you are comfortable selling/managing digital and social media vehicles because like it or not your local advertiser is leaning in on the digital/social media advertising opportunity.

Survey says, more bad news, 54% of the local direct advertiser group is buying event-sponsorships. The good news is, you are comfortable selling/managing event-sponsorships because like it or not your local advertiser is leaning in on the event-sponsorship advertising opportunity.

Now for the closer, survey says, over 50% of these local advertisers are now budgeting only 2% of gross revenues on advertising. Thank you Borrell for the researched eye-opener and thank you pandemic for shrinking the local advertiser’s marketing dollar.

Show of hands, please, anyone reading this totally surprised? The online digital/social media advertising world has been on a double-digit growth tear as long as anyone can remember. The growth continues as AM/FM sellers stand by and watch the parade go by, sorry guys. The facts are… there are roughly 310 million smartphones in the U.S. According to the last Edison survey, 68% of U.S. homes own 1.5 radios. In round numbers 338 million radios at home. Wait, what? Are there almost as many smartphones as AM/FM radios at home? Anyone own more than one smartphone? I thought there was a radio in almost every room in your home. Not anymore, you say? Quite different from the average five radios per household when many reading this column earned their first double digit commission check as a member of that fun loving sales team. The times are a changin’ and I hope you are changing with the times. Let us start here:

Update your value proposition for “Why Radio?” Make it current and relevant to today’s media ecosystem.

Sharpen your new selling skills. Get ahead of the curve and leave your competitors in the dust.

Ask yourself, “What happened?” The numbers of smartphone users are growing. Maybe not as fast as in the past but growing. The number of AM/FM radios in the home is shrinking. Look to your leadership for some answers.

When the trend is NOT your friend, it’s time to think like the great leaders who built our country and media empires, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: You’re Halfway Home

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imCongratulations! You’ve made to the halfway point this year.

Stand by to prepare for the second half of the year like you never have before. This upcoming second half could be so confusing even WAZE may not get you home.

The economy is sending so many mixed signals it is almost impossible to distinguish flashing warning signs from healthy growth curves. From home sales to new car sales, prices are holding as mortgage rates are at a 15-year high and new car prices redefine sticker shock.

Hiring in many categories was robust over the last few months, signaling a better economy ahead. Here comes the tricky part. For most in the news/talk sales world, the next quarter isn’t exactly on fire and as usual precious few sellers and managers are working on Q4 as they wrestle with the headwinds they now face.

Sorry to report there is no fast fix or instant solution. But let’s at least try to review some basic game planning:

— Are you still spraying and praying, or have you zeroed in on growth targets? Every survey says, “revenge travel” and dining out are big factors in local economies this year. What’s on your target list?

— Open your eyes. What’s hot and what’s not? Here in Florida, there are two Peloton stores in two major malls as well as a full display in our local Dick’s Sporting goods. All three venues are forever uncrowded – as in empty. Yet have you checked out the price of bicycles, golf clubs, or leisure wear? The consumer is spending, but not where you may think.

— Back to the basics. Medical, dental and general wellness should always be on your radar as most of us are ready to invest in health and happiness. Does the category profile show on your target list?

— Unpredictable economies require smarter financial and legal plans. Are your listeners ready for a financial check-up? Laws change and staying current with tax and estate laws is always a challenge. The news/talk audience always over-indexes on financial qualitative.

— How is your competitive periscope? Are you aware of any new media competition that may be carving into budgets? Have you come to terms with the growth in local digital marketing or is your head still in the sand?

The second half of this year is up to you. Make it or break it, it’s your call.

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.

Industry Views

Pending Business: What Will You Focus on Today?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imSimple question, tricky answer. Unless you are organized.

If you are a professional athlete, you are paid to put points on the board or stop the opponent from scoring. Did you ever watch a competitive body builder work in the gym? Some have a journal and a tripod to mount their mobile phones recording technique as they work through their routine, carefully blending form and precision. The professional entertainer? Paid to sell tickets. Professional politicians? Easy, get the most votes.

Professional ad seller? You get paid to close business.

Is the better question, “What business will you close today?” Of course, it is. Wait, most sellers never start every day with the stomach-churning question, “What business will I close today?” Maybe that question is a little too focused. After all it drills down the process to the very measurable result of being organized, skilled, and focused. Just like that high achieving athlete or getting a ticket to that sold-out performance, someone was ready to answer that elegantly simple question, “What will you focus on today?”

Let’s start the process of learning how to better sharpen our focus skills. Suppose we start with an easy how-to, as in how-to prioritize your call activity. Your sales calls will fall into five major categories:

— New Business. The lifeblood, the very oxygen of the radio business. Remember this: radio advertising, when measured honestly (political ads, COVID economics adjusted) is a single digit growth business. Unless you are making developmental calls, attrition, competition, and the wobbles in the economy will overwhelm you. Make the developmental calls a priority.

— Renewals. The most efficient sale you will make is the business you currently have. Work on renewals when timely.

— Service. My experience is this is the number #1 weakness of most radio ad sellers. Learn how to follow-up, check-in and listen without looking for a transaction. It’s about making sure your rapport is healthy and ready.

— Collections. Do you need an explanation? Just be sure of your numbers and documentation before you make the call or send the email.

— Internal. Collaboration with management, programming, production, or biz ops starts here.

Simple enough. Five columns to list, prioritize and budget your daily call activity. Owners and managers who are reading this, help your sellers when they get distracted. What will you focus on today?

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.