If you’re a radio advertising salesperson, never lower yourself to a discussion of “Cost Per Point.”
If a buyer even mentions Cost Per Point, stop that person right there and say, “Whoa! Our station never sells on a Cost Per Point basis.”
Discuss only impact.
You’re not selling a commodity; you’re selling results. And if you can deliver greater results than the competition, “cost per point” disappears from the equation.
When buyers try to sucker you into a no-win “Cost Per Point” discussion, stop them cold:
“I’m sorry, but our clients have found that ‘Cost Per Point’ is not the best way to buy Radio. We don’t sell ‘radio by the pound.’
“If all you’re looking for is a station that will sell you a bunch of commercials at the absolute cheapest, bargain basement rates, there are some stations in this market that will gladly do so.
“If we choose to work together on your campaign, you won’t just be buying commercials on our station.
“You’ll be buying access to our audience, which just happens to fit your campaign’s target demographic perfectly.
“And even more importantly, you’ll be buying our expertise in marketing your product or service to our listeners.”
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“And even more importantly, you’ll be buying our expertise in marketing your product or service to our listeners.”
That made me laugh. Good one Dan!
Unfortunately that’s easier said than done. Anyone discussing CPP with a local direct client is crazy. However if you want agency business, telling them “we don’t sell on a cost per point basis” and just throwing rates at them will generally keep you off the buy.
I worked at a mid-to-low level success station once, and I used to get feedback from a client who would say, “People come in and they say “Your radio commercials are SOOO funny!” He’d ask them to give them an example, and they never could, and that really frustrated him.
I told him, “You’ve got bodies in your store. They’re happy to be there. They feel good about your place because they associate it with laughter. Do you really give a rip that they can’t remember details of your spot?”
Of course not.