HOW A GOOD SALESPERSON CAN HELP BOTH THE COPYWRITER AND THE ADVERTISER by Dan O'Day 1. Assist the advertiser in clearly identifying the goal of the ad campaign. 2. Dig for information that will help identify the client's unique selling approach. 3. Dig for information that will help identify the key benefits to the client's potential customers. 4. Act as an advocate for the advertiser, rather than an advocate for the system. See your job as producing results for the client, not as procuring clients for the radio station. 5. Offer ideas & observations to the copywriter: What did you see happening on the sales floor when you visited the client? 6. Ask 10 of the client's customers why they patronize that particular establishment; provide that information to the copywriter. 7. Turn in the copy order EARLY. This means re-defining one radio's great benefits, that of "immediacy." Too many salespeople think "immediate" means, "Give me the order today, you'll be on the air tomorrow morning." Sure, if there's a disaster or a cancellation of a sale or a promotion, your station can be on the air with changes & updates within minutes. Under everyday conditions, however, "Immediate" should mean: "Thank you letting us help you meet your goals. Your new commercial campaign will begin next week." The biggest bane of radio station copywriters (& production directors) is salespeople who "just don't get around to" getting the copy order turned in until the last minute. The result: Rushed, uninvolving, non-motivating spots that no one hears or responds to. Excerpted from Dan O'Day's HOW TO CREATE MAXIMUM IMPACT RADIO ADVERTISING.