Thanksgiving and Radio Silence

Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and unfortunately for those in media sales, that is when marketing decision makers seem to disappear for two months and leave you wondering why they haven’t signed your annual partnership yet.? I’ve seen it happen a lot where things seem to be moving in the right direction, and all of a sudden... radio silence. This happens because during this time, budgets are being set, and marketers will only meet with you if you are considered a high priority.? If you are not, it means you haven’t built the value of scarcity of a product.????

How can you prevent this from happening to you in future years??The key is to set a plan for yourself today to do the following year.?

• Continuously show value throughout the year, not just when presenting annual campaigns.? Reminder: Value is based on the marketer’s perception of why they would choose you and your product. ?

• Continually make non-sales touches, showing the potential customer you have value beyond being able to say, “Buy this.”???

• Make sure the decision maker understands what scarcity exists with your product. If the potential customer believes your particular product will not be available if they don’t get it now, they will be more motivated to move up their decision-making process.?Warning: Many salespeople attempt to falsely create urgency which can lead to loss of credibility and trust.? Don’t overuse scarcity!? However, if you give the future customer a heads-up on scarcity of an opportunity, it will be perceived as valuable.???An example in the media industry is often with category exclusive opportunities, or 1 of 1 sponsorships.? ?

Make sure you know your reasons for urgency around your solutions and how that relates to the marketer’s objectives and goals.? When you help marketers realize the value you provide professionally, and you give them genuine urgency to say yes prior to Thanksgiving, you will be in a great position for 2025 and to enjoy the holidays!???

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