Q: I'm dealing with a radio salesperson who won't
negotiate the price of commercials on his station. Is there any way
for me to get a better deal?
A: Almost always. If you're new to advertising, the
salesperson will want to train you so you won't get feisty with
them until further down the road. At this stage of the game,
you'll probably encounter resistance not only to your request
for a more favorable rate, but also in the time slots you want.
Lower rates can usually be found in rotating schedules where
your commercials are run during the "best times
available" between 5 a.m. and midnight. If that time frame
doesn't set well with you, tell your rep you want your
commercials to start no earlier than 6 a.m. and run no later than 7
p.m., or in whatever combination of times will suit your business
best. Provide them with a logical reason, such as "My business
isn't open that early/late."
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One caveat of lower rates is your spots are vulnerable to being
"bumped" by a higher-paying client. First and third
quarters are the least-common times for low-cost spots to be bumped
because most radio stations--unless they carry loads of sports
programming--are hurting for business.
You can lower the possibility of getting bumped by asking your
radio rep every day to provide you with the time slots you've
been given for the next day. If they know you'll be seeing your
times in advance, they may work harder to give you good ones. If
the times aren't well-distributed or you're getting bumped,
postpone or cancel the schedule.
You can also take advantage of special packages offered
throughout the year that come with attractive rates to bolster
sagging quarters. In this deal, you purchase a specified number of
commercials plus a number of promotional and sponsor ID
announcements. I recently consulted with a gentleman who was
offered a Christmas Music package right before the holiday season.
The normal $150-per-spot rate had been reduced to $50 per spot, but
the station rep said everything in the package had to run during
December. The client felt January was a better time for him to
advertise, so he asked if the station would run the promotional
announcements tying his business to the Christmas event during
December and move his 60-second commercials to January. The answer
was no.
The sales rep's true reason for saying no was that the
station needed to show the billings in December to make budget. I
asked if they could bill the client the full amount in December for
the promotional mentions and write the remainder of the contract to
show the 60-second spots as "no charges" to be run in
January. The answer turned to yes.
Here are more tips to help you find the best rates:
- Let the salesperson know you're talking to other reps.
- Gather proposals from other stations and see if the salesperson
will beat the best one.
- You're the client and it's your money. Always be
willing to walk away.
Don't be intimidated by advertising reps who say no or who
are resistant to negotiating prices and placement to meet your
needs. They not only want and need your business, they also want to
keep your dollars away from their competitors.
Kathy Kobliski is the founder and president of Silent Partner
Advertising, where she oversees multimedia advertising budgets for
retail and service clients. Her book, Advertising Without an Agency, was written
for businesses owners who are working with small advertising
budgets and can't afford professional help. You can reach Kathy
via her website at http://www.silentpartneradvertising.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are
those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are
intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific
geographical areas or circumstances, and should only be relied upon
after consulting an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.