• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

PPM numbers and advertising?

tall_guy1

tall_guy1

Moved from PM to Frank by request--said I should ask online. I spoke with the director of sales at Steel City Media in Kansas City to apply for a sales job. They said PPM numbers determine how much the ads sell for, and when I asked about specific demo information they give to the clients "they don't usually do the math." However, this stands in contrast to you and KM's posts. Care to explain the discrepancy...someone?:confused:
 
tall_guy1 said:
Moved from PM to Frank by request--said I should ask online. I spoke with the director of sales at Steel City Media in Kansas City to apply for a sales job. They said PPM numbers determine how much the ads sell for, and when I asked about specific demo information they give to the clients "they don't usually do the math." However, this stands in contrast to you and KM's posts. Care to explain the discrepancy...someone?:confused:
Click to expand...

Direct selling is far less ratings-based than transactional (agency) selling.

A new seller would likely not be given agency accounts. So it's likely what the DoS is speaking of has to do with direct sales.

In any case, rates, to some extent, are based on audience delivery. To a greater extent, they are based on delivery of the most desirable audience segments. A direct account, though, is not as interested in Cost Per Point as delivery of the kind of consumer that might bring them business.

A sophisticated direct account might be given data on the listenership in ZIP Code areas surrounding the business. Or information on income levels. Or TAPSCAN data on things like car purchases or entertainment choices to name just two.

In other words, you got a simplified... over-simplified... answer to the question. Assuming that you were not hired, it's likely that the DoS did not want to give you any more information than required. The fact you asked "what information they give to clients" probably revealed that you did not have any useful sales knowledge, too.
 
I concur with David's guess. Your choice of words when talking to the Sales Manager and the questions you asked proved to him that you aren't presently in the business. And based on the way he gave you a partial answer he either wanted to get you out of his office because you're too "green" to hire, or he deliberately made up a partly true answer in case you were spying on him on behalf of the competition.
 
My question is who is the "they?" Because the agencies have access to the same information as the station. The station doesn't have to do the math, because the agency already sees what they need to see.
 
K.M. Richards said:
I concur with David's guess. Your choice of words when talking to the Sales Manager and the questions you asked proved to him that you aren't presently in the business. And based on the way he gave you a partial answer he either wanted to get you out of his office because you're too "green" to hire, or he deliberately made up a partly true answer in case you were spying on him on behalf of the competition.
Click to expand...

I am still awaiting a response. They seemed pleased with my interest in radio and I think the interview overall went very well.
 
If this is your first sales job in broadcasting, be prepared to learn.
Hoping for the best for you.

Frank
 
Been there ... done that .... long ago!
Keep a positive attitude and soak up information like a sponge.

Frank
 
tall_guy1 said:
I am still awaiting a response. They seemed pleased with my interest in radio and I think the interview overall went very well.
Click to expand...

Best of luck. And this is the place to ask questions, too. You may get a variety of opinions, because in many aspects of the business there is no "right way" to do something... just many "good ways" to achieve goals.
 
I may not be getting this since most of my sales was direct or had the agency involved more at the direction of the client.

I have seen rate cards that said 'Estimated or Predicted Rate Per Unit' for future quarters which seemed pretty worthless to me. It would give per unit rates in several grids based on quarters. I am assuming the rates were based on the station's prior rating performance and current trending. The sheets I saw offered reserving at those rates, adjusted later but the rate was not guaranteed past the date on the rate card. For example:

Grid I II III IV
Quarter 1 55 50 45 40
Quarter 2 65 60 55 50
Quarter 3 60 55 50 45
Quarter 4 80 75 70 65

I only saw this from a couple of stations in rated markets and these were 'players' in the ratings but not the top 3 to 5 stations although both were easily top 10 overall with much better performance, say #2 or #3 in certain desirable age groups.

On the other hand I have seen dirt cheap rates for weekend fill. As explained, you got a percentage of avails on weekends for, say $1,000 to $2,000 a weekend and the rep would tell you the minimum number for the upcoming weekend as early as midweek. Per unit rates at one station on a TAP was about $85 or $90. As I recall, the average was about 40 units a weekend albeit very night heavy, especially Sunday.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top Bottom