Keeping Your Clients from Your Competitors

Nothing is worse than taking the time to develop a relationship with a new client, educate them, come up with a creative strategy and schedule - only to find that they have already signed a contract with a competitor.

Prospecting the direct clients of other Radio stations and media is a logical strategy. Somebody else has done a lot of work to get the client to use Radio. Now, all you have to do is convince the client to give your station's audience a try. But how do you keep the vultures away from your own direct business? You know that as soon as your new client's spots start running on your station, every other Radio station, media and little agency in town will start calling them. Why just sit back and let somebody steal your budget without a fight? Given that there is little doubt about competitors' contacting your client during your campaign, wouldn't it make sense to do something pre-emptive to help keep the vultures away?

Here is one strategy.
Warn your new client early that it is likely and logical that once the spots start running, the client might be inundated with telephone calls from other Radio stations and other media. Suggest that you would be willing to help the client by handling those calls. In other words, ask the client to refer all media solicitation calls directly to you. Sift through them and bring the best ones to the client's attention. Many clients welcome this kind of assistance.

When you work with local direct clients, you have the opportunity to become their "agency of record." This means that you could be responsible for helping clients plan their budgets, their creative and, now, their media buying.

Imagine the look on your competitors' faces when they learn that you are in charge of the client's media calls. And, of course, the bonus is that you might get opportunities to learn more about your competitor's sales strategies and pricing.

Wouldn't you much rather take phone calls from irate reps at other stations than find out too late that your client is going to spend your budget somewhere else - all because some prospecting rep heard a spot you wrote for your station?





Paul Weyland: 5450 Bee Cave Road, Suite 1-C, Austin, Texas 78746, 512-236-1222, paul@paulweyland.com
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