Radio Ink Magazine October 19, 2020

There are probably as many management styles as there are managers. No two managers are exactly alike, any more than are those they manage. And there is no perfect model. Like parenting, some days you get it right, and some days, well, the day gets you. As someone once said, “By and large, radio people are good people.” And so, too, are managers. Over my career and before I became a manager, I worked for three distinctly different and, I might add, excellent managers. Each had their own unique approach to the business, as well as to those under their command. Thanks to each one, I learned new ideas, and collectively, they helped inspire my own style of management. I was hired into radio by a man who knew how to nurture…

Robert Frost died when I was 4, so we never met face to face, but throughout my formative years I spent an hour with him every night before I fell asleep. Robert Frost taught me how to write. If you want to write like Robert Frost, you must approach your subject from an unexpected angle. Few things capture the attention like the unexpected. But when your listener has chosen to follow you on a journey, it is because they expect to be fascinated, intrigued, and delighted. Don’t let them down. Robert Frost knew that things can be used as metaphors for other things, which is why his poems often finish by making a powerful point we didn’t see coming. The dual nature of metaphors makes it easy to tell two stories at once. In…

“Selling air” has always been a battle when your biggest competitors have visuals to show off or data to brag about. Throw in COVID-19, and 2020 may go down as the toughest year to sell radio yet. We turned to several of our 2020 Radio Wayne finalists and asked them what their biggest challenges were (outside of COVID-19) and how they overcame them. The biggest challenges I face as a seller are the continued explosive growth of digital media options, the ability for local businesses to do a lot of their own marketing (some at no cost), and the amount of “fake news” when it comes to the value of radio. I overcome this with the old school belief that “knowledge is power.” I share information with prospects and clients about…

Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, said, “Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” Today we focus on the leadership traits of great managers as a way to shine a light on what makes so many great organizations excel. There are so many examples of how excellent organizations create that “something special” that yields high-quality output. ENVIRONMENT My friend Sami Shalabi spent many years in a design leadership role at Google and is presently CTO at DVx Ventures. He phrased it so well: “Creating an environment of psychological safety brings the best out of people.” It all starts with environment as a backbone for leadership success. Great programmers like Chuck Knight of Chuck Knight Media realize it’s something that is critically important; he says a great environment is vital “to give your…

So … you’re in radio sales … in a pandemic. Selling air … in a pandemic. Doesn’t sound all that appealing when worded that way, does it? Think again! As a radio salesperson, you are indeed selling one of the most exciting products around! Almost everyone listens to radio — each and every week. And almost every business owner or marketing director you speak with does as well. And you’ve got something they need — solutions and ideas to help increase business, build their brand, make their phone ring, increase traffic to their websites, help with their social media pages, raise awareness for their fundraisers, sell tickets to their events, help them hire additional help, and so much more! I’m often asked, “What’s the most important thing a radio salesperson needs to…

Francisco “Frank” Montero is well-known throughout the radio industry. His specialty is telecommunications, broadcasting, media, and technology, and he’s helped many broadcasting companies with his legal expertise. His practice includes FCC regulatory counseling, corporate finance, asset and securities acquisitions, intellectual property, and real estate and commercial transactions. Montero was an appointed member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age. He served as director of the FCC’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities during the Clinton administration; while at the FCC, he worked extensively with industry, trade associations, financial institutions, and governmental agencies to create business opportunities for entrepreneurs and technology and telecommunications startups, and he was recognized by the chairman of the FCC for “dedication to bridging the digital divide.” Montero is well-known as an early advocate…