SHARE:  
Bryson Broadcasting International Newsletter

Raising Radio and TV Revenues Worldwide! 

1 December, 2024



Greetings from BBI:I am honored to again be a part of the 2024 Most Influential Women in Radio from Radio Ink. Thank you!


What Clients are saying about BBI:

"Love the session. Excited for the magic we will be creating in the days to come from the lessons learned today."

A Little About Me

Pat Bryson is an internationally known speaker and trainer specializing in training salespeople and managers. She has consulted stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and Central Asia. Her career has included on air, salesperson, sales manager and general manager. Since opening BBI, she has travelled extensively and has spoken at most major radio conventions on three continents. Pat is the author of two books, "A Roadmap to Success in High Dollar Broadcast Sales" and "Successful Broadcast Sales: Thriving in Change".


Pat has four times been named one of Radio Ink's Most Influential Women in Radio


Did We Roll Back Time to 1950?

Hang on: this one's a doozy

December 2024. It’s nearly 2025 and I can’t believe I’m writing this column. Or more exactly, I can’t believe I’ve been requested to write this column. The subject was requested by a sales manager I know who for reasons that will become obvious, must remain nameless. Ditto the exact location but suffice it to say this occurred outside the USA. That having been said, this same situation could occur anywhere.


Scenario: an eager young female salesperson is calling on a male client. She is invited to dinner by the client. At that dinner, she is propositioned. I've been asked to give advice on how to handle this situation.


Here in the USA, the “Me Too” movement brought this problem to light a few years ago. It gave women the courage to say not just “No” but “Hell No”. Once the light was shined on the perpetrators, it became less common.


Unfortunately in some cultures (sometimes even still in the USA) the female is considered as “inviting advances” or “causing” the situation. The suggestions given below will help avoid that issue. I must also say that in all my years in sales, I never experienced this problem. But I do know people who have, and not all of them were female.


 I am surprised that women the world over haven’t revolted more about this situation than they have. I have worked in some cultures where women are holding important positions in our industry but still face cultural mores that place them in a subordinate position to men. In those cultures, this problem would be ignored because officially it doesn't exist. The culture of this sales manager is one such place.


So, what advice do I have for ladies today?


1.      Approach all clients in a business-like manner. This does not mean that you can’t be friendly. It means that you send no signals other than “I’m here to meet your business needs and ONLY your business needs.”


2.     Dress in a business-like manner. Women especially have more trouble finding business clothes that are stylish but not necessarily fashion forward. Much of today’s fashion is not suited for business. We need to look like we are serious businesspeople. A credible image is an important first step.


3.     If a client suggests dinner, propose lunch instead. You pay for it. If you must go to dinner, you pick up the check. You pick the place and make it somewhere you are well known. If the waiter appears to know you, the client will be less likely to behave out of line. Arrange to have someone with you. Take a production person, a manager, someone associated with the account so that it’s not obvious that you are bringing company for protection.


4.     If you suspect that this client has ulterior motives, decline dinner.


5.     Shame is a powerful thing. If you ARE propositioned, act totally shocked. Say that you CANNOT IMAGINE that a person of their standing in the community (might be a religious community) would suggest such a thing. Perhaps you misunderstood? Give them a way to save face and back out.


6.     Try this line: “Mr. ____ I’m happy to work with you and your account and take good care of the advertising for your business. If you need anything more, I will be happy to provide you with names and numbers for workers in THAT profession.”


7.     If nothing else works, trade the account. NOTHING, NO ACCOUNT is worth sacrificing your integrity. If no one else wants it, fire that account.


8.    Just say “No”. Make that “Hell No”.



My first boss gave me a piece of advice that I’ve held on to for years. He said, “Pat there are too many nice people out there to call on to deal with those who aren’t.” 


Amen and Amen!

The Client's Corner: Is Your Staff Ready For 2025?

I'm always interested in how many stations utilize programming consultants, invest in their technical plant, but do not feed their sales staffs. In today's competitive environment, we need to sharpen the skills of everyone on staff, both the new hires and those who have tenure. Our business has changed. Our clients' businesses have changed. We must be better to continue to thrive and to assist our clients in thriving.


Bryson Broadcasting International serves clients in two ways. In addition to in-person market visits, virtual sales training and sales meetings are available for your stations! We will customize the materials to meet your individual needs. Once a month, these sessions will be done live with your staff. The Zoom meeting platform allows for interaction and discussion as we teach the materials.


We also assist in hiring by interviewing and testing applicants to get you the best clay possible.


It's more important than ever for our sales staffs to have great skills. Good skills are no longer good enough. We can raise the skill set of your staff.


To discuss how we may benefit your revenue department, give us a call at 918.810.3068 or email at pat@patbryson.com. Enter 2025 with strong momentum and A+ players!

Words to Live By ....

"Freedom isn't the ability to say, Yes". It's the ability to say, "No".

Anonymous



Give Your Staff a Christmas Gift That Will Keep On Giving!

What people are saying about this new book:

"Congratulations Pat on another great book. Best book I've read in years on solution-driven sales. I highly recommend it!


Duane Alverson, President (retired)

MacDonald Broadcasting Company

Buy It Now

Book Winners in Mississippi




happy_thanksgiving_card.jpg


We want to help your staff increase revenue!


We at Bryson Broadcasting International are available to help your sales staff achieve its next level of expertise. We customize our programs to meet your needs. As needed, we make use of interpreters and produce sales materials in your language. Our training options include online sessions done live for your staff.


If you would like to discuss your sales training needs, we may be reached at Pat@patbryson.com,


or call us at 918.810.3068. 


For more information about BBI, click here.


©Copyright 2024 Bryson Broadcasting International

CONNECT WITH US!
X  Linkedin