recently we've been asked by many of our clients if we can give sales advise to their staff.

with the world the way it is many businesses are now asking their staff to take an active role in generating new business.

the biggest problem here is that many businesses aren't training or preparing their staff in the techniques of cold calling and lead generating.

the number 1 roadblock for all people starting out is new business development is:

THE FEAR

- everyone even the most hardened salesman finds the notion of sales terrifying. this fear is born in the source of all our insecurities.
its very common to convince yourself that the people on the other end of the phone hate you, think you have nothing to contribute and is upset at you for bothering them.
and you can prove your fear right especially if those people are rude to you when you do call.
there really isn't anything you can do about this fear. it will forever be a passenger and the only way to move on with it is to

take a deep breath. focus on the task at hand.

pick up the phone. dial.

wait for someone to pick up.

say "hello my name is.......


THE PHONE CALL.

- cold calling is when you call a company or person who isn't aware of you, hasn't contacted you and was not going to contact you.

so why do it?

you do it so you can simply introduce yourself and your company. that's all.

by mentioning your name and your company you introduce a small thought into peoples' heads.
you make it possible for them to think about you and your company in the future. you make it possible for them to need you and you make it possible for them to think about ways you both could work together.

in any initial phone call you want to stay away from selling anyone your goods or services. remember up until this point they had no idea who you were.

simply say "hi."
"my name is."
"i am calling from."
"we do this."
"and these are the people we have done good things for....."

then as lions stalking their prey....go in for the kill.

THE MEETING.

- this is the goal for all first phone calls. to arrange a face to face. period.
NO SALES. NO PUSHING.

the aim of all first phone calls is to get a meeting. say it out loud.

your aim is to get a meeting. period.

the reason is this - people buy from people. people like to physically see the person they will hand money over to. they need to know you are presentable, that your eyes and mind are sharp and most importantly they want to put a face on the person they will hold responsible.

to get the client first get the meet.

this is how the conversation should go.

Hi my name is - i'm calling from - i saw your ad in - we do this - we have done these things to these people - i think we should meet - when are you free?

it really is that easy. unless they tell you to fuck off.....

TIMING
- everything in the world is based on timing. there's no way to teach it. there's no way to learn it. all you have to do is know that if you get an irate prospect or someone who doesn't want a meeting - its neither you or them.

it's just TIMING. call them back in a month or so, keep trying. chances are within 6 months they will have that meeting with you.

hope that helped and if it didn't
- chances are you're still stuck at roadblock number 1.

seems the ABC have banned Kram from Spiderbait's music video from being broadcast on the ABC due to the advertising sponsorships present in the background of the video.
the music video was shot in Melbourne at the Rod Laver arena whilst the Australian Open was on.

the music video sees advertising billboards found commonly at the Open featured in the background and apparently the ABC has banned the video due to these advertising images.

if we were to start banning all music videos due to images carrying advertising and sponsorship images, the ABC would not be airing almost any POP / RNB / HIP HOP/ or RAP music videos.

advertisers product place everything from  high end luxury cars ( Bentley / Mercedes / Lamboghini ) to mobile phones, clothes and accessories.
they do this to help create a culture for the product within the target audience of the video.
product placement gives the product itself more credibility, a celebrity endorsement and helps create desire by showcasing the item in a context that is very attractive.

RAGE on the ABC has and will continue to show music videos by artists who shamelessly have product placement in their videos.

following after the episode of Spicks and Specks - where we found out that the ABC banned the video -  was the Gruen Transfer - a program on the ABC that shows full length commercials and explores advertising campaigns!

so its okay apparently to have your tv commercials and advertising campaigns shown on a weekly spot, its okay to have products placed in your music video if you are a popular artist, but an australian musician who just so happens to have shot his music video in a location that has sponsorship signing.....thats a big NO NO!

sorry Kram, maybe next time you need to be standing next to a million dollar car ( did dig the old maserati at the beginning of the video but you may need something more bling!)  draped in bvlgari necklaces, texting on your new apple iphone while drinking moet and wearing a shirt that has FUBU written on it to get airplay on the ABC. 

ever sold media? we have.

every-time you sell media nowadays you feel like a pusher or a pimp.

this speak sound familiar?

"we have this special schedule, its flown in from the purest networks
 that other stuff you have - is rubbish compared to this schedule.
go on look at its programming choices - see the TARPS - baby you better believe
they're the audience numbers!
one taste of this and you'll be hooked - and the street value, the rate card is three times as much."

just felt like scarface has sold you an ounce?

don't worry you are not alone.

Its like this to the point where we think rate card prices have lost their meaning.
they once stood for prices that acted as a reasonable guide -
a price where if a  client went direct to a station they would just be treated as a punter off the streets.
clients couldn't justify going solo and would seek a media agent.
it gave us media agents the edge, 20-30% discount levels, better placement, bonuses and box seats to the AFL.  

somewhere as in all cases, someone thought:

"HEY NO ONE SEES THESE 'RATE CARD PRICES' SO WHY CAN'T I JUST MAKE ONE UP?"

so the evil plan became to tell the client some over inflated scary price - "hey this cost 5K a spot" - come in at 1K and BAM you are a GOD of media.

all the while the reality is the rate card price has been 1K all along and any decent media agency could have got you the space for $700.

BUT wheres the sex? wheres the thought for the client that they have fleeced a network or station? wheres the clients glee at thinking that their competition is paying through the nose for their media?

well those feelings are sitting at a desk with a name tag that reads 'false economy' - instead of saving 4K the client paid rate card price.

next time a media agent quotes you a figure thats too good to be real - smile and politely say  

"no thank you mr tambourine man, i can get my own supply. "

everyone puts off doing things that they find overwhelming - cleaning the garage, doing taxes, signing off on a media schedule...
everyone procrastinates - gets themselves distracted and everyone makes excuses!
blogging has been the same for us.

it's just one of those things that a few people here do for their own personal amusement - we all certainly read other peoples blogs - hell we even recommend them to every digital client we get!
and like almost every business we encounter we can sometimes not practice what we preach.

so after we've put the bins out, cleaned our rooms, catalogued the album art on our ipods and called our mums, we've taken a deep breath and here goes.

welcome to our first ever blog.