THE RADIO CENTER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

THE RADIO CENTER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

TRAINEE POSITION: RADIO SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

PROGRAM LENGTH: 6 Months

WEEKLY SCHEDULE: 30 hours per week

At least 4 days Monday-Friday

QUALIFICATIONS:

Strong ability to interact with others verbally in a relaxed, but professional manner. Strong communications skills. Ability to build relationships and be persuasive. Tenacity. Not easily discouraged by negative input.

Ability to use telephone and computer without assistance from other personnel. Solid writing skills. Proper diction and command of the English language. Must be able to articulate and to enunciate effectively.

Radio environments are often unusually fast paced, high stress and high performance. The noise level in the work can be very loud with a great deal of physical activity and movement in the room. Candidates must be comfortable in a busy and noisy environment. Account Executives may experience a high degree of pressure from their managers to perform.

TRAINING

PHASE #1: Introduction to Radio

Week #1: All trainees will spend their first week of training gaining basic familiarity with radio. Emphasis will be put on the overall structure, goals, staffing, and duties found in most stations. Trainees will be assigned to listen and report on several Chicago area stations, including information available on their web sites. An Introduction to Programming will be included in this week.

Weeks #2 - 4 In-Station

The trainee will visit several active radio stations in the area during his or her first month in training.

In order to maximize the learning experience, RCPD trainers will provide an introduction to each station. This introduction will also help the trainee understand what lessons should be learned from each visit.

RCPD will provide trainees with a list of suggested questions to ask and areas of information to be covered by the station employees involved with the trainees. RCPD will also supply the station with a suggested list of information to be covered and goals achieved.

Besides gaining an overall sense of each station, the trainee will also observe and spend in-depth time with:

The Production Director

Goal: To learn how commercials are made

· Pre-produced commercials

· Commercials written and produced in station

· Standard problems in commercial writing

· Cost-effectiveness

· Commercial computer systems

Traffic and Continuity

Goals: To learn how commercials end up on the air in the proper place and at the proper time

· The process from arrival to air

· Acceptance policies

· Introduction to FCC Rules and Regulations

· Logging

· Traffic Computer Systems

· Reconciliation

· Billing

· Make-goods, bumps and other problems

The Sales Department

The visits will include:

n one half day listening to the phone interaction of a senior account executive with his or her clients (RCPD will provide secondary phone hook-ups and headsets to participating stations)

n one half day with an account executive who has worked in radio sales hours 6 - 18 months, learning about problems, expectations, etc. common to any new radio sales trainee. This interaction will include writing some sample copy and putting together a simple presentation.

n one hour reviewing sales materials and presentations with a senior account executive

n The trainee may be invited to accompany the Account Executive on one or more client calls

n Attendance at one or more sales staff meetings

End of Phase #1: Trainees will be given a written test and evaluated through interviews to determine whether they have understood the basic principles of radio to which they have been introduced. This will enable RCPD to determine what areas need further emphasis . Since the ability to sell radio has not yet been tested, all trainees should be able to enter Phase #2 of training.

PHASE #2: Introduction to Sales Weeks 5 - 10

The emphasis of the training program will now turn and remain focused on

selling. The number one goal during the next 5 months will be for the trainee to make his or her first three sales and to shepherd these sales from closing through billing and renewal.

If a trainee achieves $20,000 in sales at any time during this period, RCPD will commission the trainee at a rate of 10%. In this event, no further funds will be accepted for the training of this individual, though formal training and supervision will continue. At the end of six months, RCPD will attempt to place the trainee with a radio station or the trainee may choose to work for RCPD as a fully commissioned account executive.

Learning the process/role playing

In the next few weeks, the Sales Trainee will be assigned certain

“accounts”. Each “account” will be represented by a full time member of the RCPD sales staff. The Sales Trainee will be responsible for researching the client’s business, putting together a presentation, etc. He or she will then “cold call” each “client” and make a presentation in front of the RCPD sales staff. The presentation will be recorded (perhaps videotaped if the equipment is available to RCPD). The trainee’s performance will then be discussed and evaluated by his supervisor who will then make recommendations for improvement.

Phase #2 Evaluation: The trainee will make 5-10 presentations to the RCPD sales staff over a period of approximately one month. In order to “pass” this part of the training, the staff must unanimously vote to “buy” one of the presentations. If after 10 presentations, there is no “buy”, the candidate will receive no further training.

PHASE #3: Making the Sale Weeks 10 - 26

The First Steps: Getting to the client

If the trainee successfully “sells” to the RCPD sales staff, then he will begin the same process with real world clients.

During this period, the trainee may attend a seminar at The Arbitron Company to learn the basics of understanding and using radio ratings. If that is not feasible, the Director of Sales will work with trainee to teach him or her these basics.

The sales staff will work with the trainee on the following areas:

· Prospecting

Methods of finding potential clients. Sources including print,

radio, cable, and the yellow pages.

· Cold Calls

Making telephone calls to potential clients. Getting past the

secretary. Introducing yourself and the station properly.

Keeping the client’s attention long enough to make an

appointment. The crucial importance of cold call quantity –

the more calls made, the more appointments. The more

appointments, the more sales.

· Needs Analysis

Learning to ask questions, find out what the client wants,

needs and hopes. Determining whether the client has used

radio before. Finding out what is important to him.

· Listening skills

Learning when to talk and when to listen. Learning how to

listen between the lines,

· Making the Pitch

Putting together ideas and written materials for the specific

client. Presenting oneself in a professional manner.

Techniques for effective persuasion.

Creating “Spec” spots

Developing Sales Presentations

· Closing

Interpreting the situation correctly. Closing techniques.

Knowing when to stop talking.

SOLD!: Putting it all together

· Writing Commercial Copy

The trainee will work with the production director to learn the

basic of writing effective commercial copy that “sells”

· FCC Rules and Regulations

The trainee will be expected to learn basic FCC rules regarding topics ranging from lotteries, to contests, to

those regarding bettering, alcohol, political commercials, etc.

He or she will have to pass a written test in this area.

· Basic Production Skills

The trainee will learn how to pull an aircheck, cart a

commercial and use a simple digital editor in order to

facilitate servicing his or her clients.