The Never-Ending Story

I’ve been talking to a lot of broadcasters lately about the state of radio sales training. The resources are there, from the excellent RAB programs to a bunch of solid, basics-based independent consultants (many of whom are contributors to this publication). But in the current environment, we’ve cut back everywhere, including in places maybe we shouldn’t—which, in my opinion, includes sales training.

But even in the best of times, it’s easy to be discouraged in that area. No matter what we do, no matter how much training, support and money we throw at our salespeople, our turnover rates are astronomical. Who wants to throw money down that black hole?

The RAB, recognizing the problem, has had a policy where if a salesperson you’ve run through one of their programs leaves you within a certain amount of time, you can send another one free. That’s a great benefit, but there’s still a time/money investment at stake.

I recently asked former RAB Chief Gary Fries, the biggest proponent of street-level sales training ever, whether in his 15 years at the helm of that organization he ever felt, on the one hand, that the battle was being won. . .or, on the other hand, discouraged that it wasn’t. His response could only have come from someone with roots in small market radio: No, the tide hasn’t turned. . .and no, he never got discouraged. “You just get up every day and do your best,” he told me.

And isn’t that what we do anyway?

The lesson is this: no matter the leakage—which can be mitigated by better hiring practices, which can be learned—we’re much better off investing in good sales training, in good times and, especially, bad.