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Today’s “rant” – can’t take eye off the ball

Guest post by: Margie Albert

Article Overview: If we were any other smart business we would shift our attention to where the business is going and we would do it quickly.We would hire the brightest people at the station level and hold them in the highest regard.Maybe to become a GSM you must have DSM on your pedigree?

Today’s “rant” – can’t take eye off the ball

The ascendancy to the top of the sales department 40 years ago was first you were an AE, than an NSM and/or LSM and then you became the GSM/VP Sales. Amazingly enough, it is exactly the same today!

The Digital Sales Manager is not only seldom considered in the hierarchy but isn’t even included in day to day department decisions. The reason I hear most often? “We are focused on the core product which still represents 90% of the business – can’t take our eye off the ball.”

Step away and observe for just a minute. If we were any other smart business we would shift our attention to where the business is going and we would do it quickly. Think of Wayne Gretsky’s famous “watch where the puck is going” quote. We would recognize we are not TV stations but an information delivery company and commercials are nothing more than information. Advertisers know this as illustrated by reduced TV budgets and increased Digital budgets.

As Sales Managers, we would hire the brightest people at the station level (not just promote an AE who likes this new stuff) to lead us forward and not look back. And we would hold them in the highest regard. We would spend more of our time on this portion of the business and it would not be an afterthought. After all, it represents our perpetuity. Maybe to become a GSM you must have DSM on your pedigree?

Or we can continue the 40 year old precedent and go the route of Border’s and Tower Records. By the time they took their eye off the ball the ball was in someone else’s court.

BTW – you’ll notice I kept “rant” thanks to your comments. I know some of you don’t like it but I sincerely hope you will continue to be part of this community. Unlike some bloggers, I actually do care about all of you.

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Article Tags: dsm, gsm, margie albert, Sales Manager, smart business, TV Station
Referred by: http://dannybrown.me/



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