Presenting When Facing Competitors

As a somewhat seasoned networker that I am, even if I do say so myself, we are given the opportunity in these meetings, to give a :30-60 commercial about what we do, what type of leads we are looking for, what can we offer to help someone’s business, etc.

There are times, however, this can become tricky.  I don’t mean for someone who may not be comfortable talking in front of a group, which is very common by the way.  I am talking about when there are competitors within the same industry attending the same network meeting as you are.

Most common that I have come across are real estate agents, insurance agents, mortgage lenders, bankers, life coaches, etc. There are many more I can mention.  But a niche like mine, radio show host, is somewhat rare.  It can happen, like it has recently at a few of my meetings that I currently attend, where others within the “radio” industry are present.

Most radio station representatives are marketing for securing advertisers for the station in general, not necessarily connected to a specific show, as my advertisers are. Then there are the times when other “hosts” attend the meeting and their commercial is very similar to mine, looking to secure advertisers.

A lot of networking groups offer “lockouts” where they allow only 1 business or entity to represent an industry or market.  That is a good thing as it protects the members and their seniority within the group.  When new attendees arrive to a meeting they should be vetted as to their business and see if they are a fit in that group.  Sometimes this happens andddddd………sometimes it doesn’t.

So what do you do when faced with this scenario?

I have been taught through the many years of my work experience that one should NEVER say anything bad about a competitor as it makes YOU, the one talking negatively, appear as the type of person others do not care to work with.  SO DON’T DO IT!

I have changed my commercial on the fly so many times or in a one-on-one meeting, in order to not put any other competing company or individual, in a bad light.  I always want to be the “bigger person” so to speak.

The next thing I do is actually compliment the other company for the things they offer that are positive.  Be sure though that it is not anything that would impact your major benefit to the market.  That would be detrimental for your business.

It is something however, that may come up at some point in your conversation with a potential client.  They may directly ask you, “what can you offer that they don’t?” or “what makes you better than them?” or “why should I do business with you?”  At this point the client is sending out a signal that they ARE interested in what you have to offer and is willing to give you the chance to sell them. At this point, MAKE THE APPOINTMENT TO MEET WITH THEM.

Your spot should be protected in your “home” network group.  If a similar competitor does visit your group and pitches the same as you, SPEAK UP to the organizer(s) of your group in private and NOT in the middle of the meeting. Make it known there is a conflict. YOU should be favored in your spot given your length of time in the group, courtesy for being active, etc.  Otherwise you could lose potential business.

“LET MY VOICE SPEAK FOR YOU”

Until next time…..

3 Reasons To Advertise Your Business On an Internet Radio Show

A lot of businesses are missing out on the goldmine of advertising over internet radio stations that reach their ideal clients frequently and on an affordable budget. Businesses have changed with the times with their equipment and many other advertising mediums, but not in the radio sector. For those who didn’t know there was an alternative to traditional radio broadcasting, this article will introduce you to this glaring and growing phenomenon of people enjoying control of the content they consume and experiencing more connection and community associated with it through internet radio platforms.

Reach your Ideal Listener/Consumer

Internet radio is broadcast (more properly called “webcast”) live, just like traditional radio, only you connect to it via a web address that indicates the opening of a media player. The world of internet radio stations is much more vast and often has a grassroots feel that listeners love and feel more a part of. Gone are the times of purely local agenda. Listeners now can choose radio stations based on their own interests. This is a total advantage to business owners because they can advertise with a radio station hyper-relevant to their product or service. With traditional barriers broken, internet radio stations and businesses can partner in a number of ways that local broadcasts can’t.

Have more of your Listener’s Attention and Time

In our busy 21st century lives, consumers want more relaxing ways to enjoy their entertainment. Streaming music and radio show stations, and podcasts have gained popularity over television, movies, and books the past few years because you can enjoy it while doing virtually anything. This is proven true by the fact that 2 of the top 5 apps in America are YouTube and Pandora.

Traditional radio is typically listened to during certain peaks hours of the day, during the listener’s commute. Internet radio stations can be listened to anywhere, while your ideal listener does anything; walking, cleaning, or lying down with their eyes closed! This means that there are no peak hours you pay a premium to advertise within. Your advertisements will be beneficially webcast to a larger audience of listeners that are already well-matched to your product or service any time of day, for any length of time!

Internet Radio Advertising is one of the Most Cost-Effective Advertising Mediums

Advertising in newspapers, television commercials, and traditional radio has grown in price dramatically over the years, despite their viewership continuing to decrease year after year. Radio, both traditional and webcast radio, have grown less in price than any other form of advertising, so you can take advantage of this unpopular, yet effective medium before anyone finds out this best-kept secret!

Remember, with radio advertising, you’re always the only thing they will (mentally) see or hear when your advertisement comes on. You are always center stage, or front page if you will. Elsewhere, your ad must compete with other advertisements pining for the consumer’s attention, but one listener can only listen to one thing at a time. And with this amazing advantage, you can charm your consumer with more creative expression than ever before. With audio advertising you can use music, voice, and sound effects, invoking emotion that other mediums of advertisement lack.

Another point of advantage is that with online radio advertising, your consumer is already online. If your ad peaks their interest, it won’t take them much effort to browse your website or respond to whatever call to action you put out there.

The Value Of Internet Radio

With the previous advancements of the compression of computerized audio files for easier transmission made by web pirates in the 80s, technology pioneer, Carl Malmud, founded the first internet radio station in 1993. With no other competition, it was simply called “Internet Talk Radio”. It was mostly comprised of entertaining interviews with key players of the science and technology industry. Since then, the growth of internet broadcasting has snowballed into the 21st century after a few musical concerts were broadcast live and music shook loose of its traditional radio roots and became “streamable”.

When internet broadcasters once needed their own servers and platforms, 365live.com changed the game, and newer, better technologies have emerged to offer anyone the opportunity to broadcast in a community. Now, this technology can be used on devices smaller than some wrist watches, such as on iPods and on smartphones. Apps such as Spotify, Apple Music, Google Music, and Pandora are among streaming music favorites and Slacker.com and Internet-radio.com for talk radio.

Why Does This Technology Matter So Much?

For a long period in radio’s history, you were told you could expect little change in the technology and the way the consumer used it. The 21st century had other plans. When once you had little choice of what you listened to and when, you now can completely tailor your listening experience. What, how, and when are all now within your control. You can support that which you personally believe in, rather than what agenda and advertising are being targeted at you. You can more closely engage with people you look up to and communities you want to join. It can be used as a tool to quickly transform your own mindset and life altogether.

The Opportunity It Presents

Not only do listeners stand to gain, but broadcasters just as easily reach their “tribe”, too. Business owners who choose to sponsor internet radio stations are also equally rewarded by being able to target such a specific audience with ads, guest spots, or shows of their own. If they are only advertising with traditional radio stations, they are in for a slim return because it only takes this 30-page report by Larry Miller of New York University’s Steinhart Music Business Program to understand that emerging listeners have no interest in technologies of the past.

The studies says “Generation Z, which is projected to account for 40% of all consumers in the U.S. by 2020, shows little interest in traditional media, including radio, having grown up in an on-demand digital environment”