Innholdsfortegnelse for May 13, 2024 i Radio Ink Magazine

PUBLISHER'S BEAT Every generation hears stories from its elders about walking to school both ways, uphill and through the snow. And we have all collectively rolled our eyes, thinking, “Here we go again!” As a “seasoned” industry professional, I try to shy away from sounding too often like one of those old-time storytellers. At least some of the time. Reflecting on the past 25 years, however, back to when Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio list began, memories flooded my mental “inbox,” and two main thoughts occurred. The generational shifts that have occurred over those times and even earlier began with the wave of professional women who were born during the Baby Boom years, followed by the second wave — dubbed Gen Xers. Finally, today's rising professionals, Millennials, make…

SALES Over the past 30 years, I've made over 20,000 radio station client jingle presentations. I love meeting the owners of local businesses and helping them build their brands. Here is my take on radio's top 20 hottest local direct prospects: 1. Health care, optical, audiology, and dental. Local health care firms are up against corporate giants, and a strong local marketing campaign is essential. Strong personalities in health care call for the doc to voice their own spots. This works. 2. Senior living, rehabilitation, and hospice. Open house events get the lion's share of budgets, so present creative ways to fill their events with qualified prospects. 3. Lawyers, real estate, and insurance. Every AE on your team should have a 52-week contract with all three of these categories. 4.…

It's no secret that it's a tough environment out there in the industry right now, with major companies in bankruptcy, recovering from bankruptcy, trying to avoid hostile takeovers — and downsizing in general. It's bad enough that employees are dealing with the constant concern for job security, but add to that trying to navigate through cancerous working environments at the same time, and it's the quickest way to create insecurity and paranoia among even the best of employees. In talking with many of my media and broadcast colleagues lately, most of them are living in constant fear, and working in challenging situations that could easily be avoided. Cancerous environments lead to loss of focus, overreaction, and lots of speculation. It's difficult to remember that there are certain things you just…

In August of 1999, Radio Ink honored the influence and impact of 20 women leaders in the radio industry with the creation of the first Most Influential Women in Radio list. Not content to rest on this particular laurel, many of this inaugural class of honorees went on to form a new organization, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio. Twenty-five years later, both the list and the organization have grown. We recently got in touch with some of our original honorees; here's what they had to say about the both the MIW list and the MIW organization, as well as what they are doing now: When Radio Ink launched the Most Influential Women in Radio list 25 years ago, there were only 20 women on the list. Twenty out of…

My reputation is built largely on the fact that I cheat. I openly admit my cheating, but no one cares, because the way that I cheat is not unethical, immoral, or illegal. I realized in 2017 that Warren Buffett and I do exactly the same thing. Here is how he describes it: “Ted Williams wrote a book called The Science of Hitting, and in it he had a picture of himself at bat and the strike zone broken into, I think, 77 squares. And he said if he waited for the pitch that was really in his sweet spot, he would bat .400, and if he had to swing at something on the lower corner, he would probably bat .235. And in investing, I'm in a ‘no called strike’ business,…

Sometimes it seems like there is nothing to distinguish your client from all the other advertisers in their category. Typical clients who seem to fall into the “parity pit”: cell phone providers, mortgage brokers, insurance agents, automotive dealers, mattress retailers, HVAC dealers, and appliance stores. But I've learned that there aren't any real parity advertisers. Each has something unique, or at least there are ways to make any advertiser unique in the minds of potential customers. But it takes work. These approaches will help you lift your “parity” clients above the crowd. 1. Probe for client stories. Asking questions that unearth tales from your client's experience can be rewarding and surprising. Every client serves their customers in unique ways. They often overlook the gems you can polish and bring to…

SALES Haven't you heard? Women are taking over leadership positions in a variety of fields. There can be little question that all of us have stood on the shoulders of those before us. The best male leaders learned from a variety of people, were helped by others, reached out and developed mentors, educated themselves, and took every opportunity to grow. How do you help smart, sharp, strong women grow into influential positions in radio? Here are perspectives from some experts: “I absolutely love seeing so many women thrive in leadership roles in radio! Women who are currently or formerly in leadership positions can best use their influence now to help inspire more women to take up leadership roles in the future by continuing to be advocates for female broadcasters of…

SALES MANAGEMENT In working with salespeople of all tenures and skill levels, I've learned that we in sales can limit our own performance. The adage “If you can believe it, you can achieve it” is true. It's also true that “If you can't believe it, you can't achieve it.” Visualizing how much we want to bill, how much we want to earn, is the first step to getting there. Let's investigate this further with a small quiz: How much did you make last year? Was it enough? Was it more than you've ever made before? How much money is “too much”? (Yes, this is a real thing. People don't feel they deserve to make “this much.” How much money is totally out of reach for you? Second part of the…

The “downsizing” continues in our industry. Labels and radio reduce staff, station clusters are sold, formats are flipped. These things come in waves — especially staff reductions. When that happens, two groups are affected: those who have been “reduced,” and those left behind. Having experienced both, I can relate. I've been one of those doing more with less on several occasions, and, four years ago, I was at the reduction end. I learned some lessons very quickly. First, don't look back, as easy as it will be. Look forward! This may take some long walks (jogs in my case), talks with close friends and loved ones, and some “alone time” to purge the thoughts of the past. Don't harbor any ill feelings moving ahead. They will hold you back. Secondly,…

As a broadcast coach and consultant, it's my job to find and develop talent and shows. Trainer, psychologist, cheerleader, and occasional dispenser of tough love are all a part of it. You could call it “mentoring.” Managers are also mentors. When you view the success of your people as your success, you've moved from managing to mentoring. As a member of Mentoring Women in Radio (MIW), a group that evolved out of Radio Ink’s “Most Influential Women in Radio” list, I have mentored talent, PDs, DJs, and news directors. Each has gone on to further success. All have given back, supporting the MIW organization. Mentoring is like a chain — you are linked to those you mentor, and to those who mentored you. We lengthen that chain each year. Mentors…

Reflecting on the 25 years since the first Most Influential Women in Radio list, it's easy to think about what women have accomplished and those who have “lifted all boats.” Many went on to be major industry leaders, setting a path for others to follow. The women who appeared on the 1999 list have truly been trailblazers. Some continue to be heavily involved in the industry, including Mary Quass, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Maire Mason, Val Maki, and Corinne Baldassano. There is one individual, however, who is unsurpassed and in a class of her own: Erica Farber. And it is to Erica that we proudly dedicate this 25th annual MIW issue. While she will be the first to tell you she is not retiring, simply taking a step back, she would…