Lessons from the NCAA Basketball Finals

Lessons from the NCAA Basketball Finals

by | Apr 22, 2024 | ScLoHo Sales Tips, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

It’s been a few weeks and hopefully the sting of your broken bracket has faded enough to apply some lessons from college basketball to our businesses.

Living in Indiana, I was rooting for the Purdue Boilermakers to win it all.  In my family we even have a Purdue grad, my step-daughter.

April 7th and 8th, the top teams played in the Womens and Mens championship games and as I was listening to some of the commentary during and after the games, there was a common theme that the champions had that was different from the runner-ups.

In the Women’s championship game, Iowa had Catlin Clark who was their superstar and has been a media favorite.  She scored 30 points and was the leading scorer of the title game.  Catlin Clark is a college basketball superstar.

The next night, Purdue’s Zach Edey racked up 37 points and outscored everyone of the players from both teams.

Both Catlin Clark and Zach Edey finished their season on the losing team.  Purdue lost by 15 points to UConn and Iowa got beat by a dozen points to South Carolina.

Why is it that Iowa and Purdue, both teams with nationally known superstars lost the most important games of the season?

It’s because Basketball is a team sport.

As I glanced at the scoring stats, this years college champions, both the Men’s and Women’s side, the schools that took home the top trophies had a balanced team that didn’t rely on just one superstar.

The Iowa Hawkeyes had just 5 players that scored while the Women’s champs had 9 players adding to the South Carolina Gamecocks final score.

The UConn Huskies had 7 players contributing points in their win, while Purdue’s Zach Edey, only had 4 teammates sinking the ball.

The day after the Men’s Championship game I was talking with my boss about all of this and applied it to our situation at Federated Media.

My station, WOWO is one of 10 in our company.  5 are in South Bend, Indiana and the other 5, including WOWO are in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  During the 11 years I have been with WOWO, either on the sales team or as the General Sales Manager, WOWO has grown to be the highest scoring revenue station out of all 10.  It’s not the one with the largest audience, and it’s not the one with the most popular music.  They don’t play music, WOWO is a news/talk station.

WOWO’s sales team has depth and balance.  When I was hired in 2013, I was the 5th person on a 5 person team and typically that position is a revolving door.  However in a few years I became 2nd in longevity and when I was promoted to General Sales Manager in 2020.  The year before, in 2019, I was named the top Account Executive in our entire company so my priority was to hire someone to replace myself.  Nearly 4 years later, I hired myself back to the sales team for WOWO and left most of the management duties.

Then and now the WOWO Advertising Sales Team of Account Executives has been filled with strong players.  Tracy has been with us 23 years.  Rob joined 11 years ago and we just added another Federated Media veteran, Brad who spent two decades with our sister station WMEE and returned 6 months ago, this to on the WOWO team.  Having a strong team has helped us nearly triple the revenue results and it doesn’t rest on one person.  Everyone has a slump every once in a while and if you don’t have the others to carry your team through, it can be very challenging.

What about your organization?  How much of the success relies on one person?  Are you vulnerable if something were to happen to that person?  I understand that most companies in the past few decades have become lean and reduced redundancies and back in 2020 with the Covid pandemic, our company did too.   However, we should also create backups for people, not just systems.

Need help on any of this?  Ask me and if it’s not in my portfolio of services, I have connections to people who can assist.

 

 

 

The Long Game

The Long Game

by | May 30, 2023 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

When I say the word “Future”, how far off in the future does your mind think?

Is the Future 5 years away?

Is the Future 20 years away?

Is the Future next week or even next month?

Does it hurt your brain to think beyond today?

Here in the United States we live in short time spans, relatively speaking compared to some other countries around the world.

We elect a President every four years which for many countries is very unstable.  And the election cycle has become shorter and shorter.  If you like your President then, you want them to last not just 4 years, but 8 years.  However if you don’t like your President, you start talking about the next election as soon as possible, sometimes within 6 months.

I find it interesting that we elect government representatives who then create laws that outlast their term in office or in some cases, the laws don’t come into effect until after those that wrote them are out of office.

But enough about government and the Future, let’s talk about business and the Future.  In my world of radio broadcasting, I work for a radio station that is now 98 years old. WOWO radio began broadcasting in 1925 and was one of the first AM radio stations.  This year there was big news about the death of AM radio because certain automakers announced that they were not including AM radios in their new vehicles.  Ford was the big one that caught peoples attention.

The National Association of Broadcasters rallied their members and lobbyists to save AM radio and due to the bad press or pressure either publicly or privately, Ford reversed course and their CEO announced: “For any owners of Ford’s EVs without AM broadcast capability, we’ll offer a software update”.  As a broadcaster who knows how radio broadcasting works, the “software update” made me suspicious.  If all it takes is a software update, that means the hardware was built-in all this time.

Anyway, the future of AM radio accessibility in Ford manufactured vehicles is safe for now.

On the other hand, there has been a lot of noise in government regarding the social media app TikTok.  The concern is that users information is being given to the Chinese Communist Party for evil and it endangers all of us.  The app has been banned by one state and the Federal Government is prohibiting it from being downloaded on devices that are connected to government sites.

Changes are coming as the Future continues to move closer and closer.  How prepared are you for the changes that could occur next year?  Forget about 5 years down the road or 20 years into the future… I bet there are changes that are taking place in your industry that are going to impact your business in the next 18 months or sooner and you have not prepared for them yet.

The idea of The Long Game which is what I titled this piece is not that you need to stick with doing everything the same way forever and ever, but to look to the Future and plan for what is coming or could be coming.

As I announced in May, WOWO radio prepared for the future by adding a strong FM signal, 92.3 to our options for listeners to tune in while they are driving in case their vehicle doesn’t have AM radio.  We were prepared and you need to be prepared too in your business.

When it comes to inviting people to spend their money with you and your business, I have tons of options and ideas that you should consider.  Some are nearly 100 years old, while others are in their infancy.  Contact me and let’s play the Long Game together for today and the Future.

Past, Present, Future

Past, Present, Future

by | Dec 20, 2022 | The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

As I write these words today, we have about 10 days left in the month and the year. Many of you are preparing to take some time off for the end of year holidays, while others are hurrying about trying to keep up with the busyness of this time of year.

Anytime is a good time to pause, reflect, and plan, and I hope you take the time to do that regularly.

Since I work in sales, there are some easy metrics to keep an eye on that deal with dollars and if you are in sales, you should keep an eye on those figures too.

However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Take a look at the details too, such as what did you sell?  How was it priced?  What was the gross profit?

Similarly, look at expenses.  Depending on your business, you may be in charge of just one side of this income/outgo equation, but take a look at the whole financial picture, not just your side.

Why do you sell what you sell?  Are you trying to sell somethings that no one wants to buy?  Or is the reason those items aren’t selling because your salespeople aren’t offering them?  Do yourself a favor and take the time to see what happened this year and why.

There’s another side of business that many companies have needed to pay attention to that a decade or two ago wasn’t really on most companies radar and that is culture.  Culture is the people relationship and we’ve learned recently that it’s a combination of reward and working conditions that determine if you will find, attract, recruit and retain the people you need to run your company.

Our company, Federated Media embarked on a quest to understand our culture in the different departments and find ways to improve it. Federated did an anonymous culture survey conducted by our consultancy the first year to see what the base line was so we could improve each year.

When huge changes in the workplace occurred in 2020 as we adjusted for Covid restrictions, we continued to evaluate and adjust and now on the cusp of 2023, we are continuing to make adjustments based on the present and future needs and expectations.

I am now in my 10th year at WOWO radio and Federated Media.  November of 2013, I accepted a position as an advertising sales representative for WOWO starting in December 2013. At the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, a couple of other changes took place as the General Sales Manager for WOWO radio was promoted to lead the entire Fort Wayne Federated Media operation and I took over as the General Sales Manager for WOWO.

Just about everything I’ve described so far could fall in the category of PAST.

Now it’s time to talk about PRESENT.

September and October 2022, another change took place.  The General Sales Manager of three of our other Fort Wayne Federated Media radio stations joined my sales team.  This lead to my becoming the interim General Sales Manager of WBYR, WFWI & WKJG while continuing as the General Sales Manager for WOWO.

Instead of overseeing and coaching 4, I now have 7.  Plus for the past few months I have been actively recruiting new team members, up to 5 more.  Was I busy?  You don’t know the half of it.

At first, I welcomed the challenge, but after a few weeks I discovered that multi-tasking has its limits.  Federated Media was actively looking for a new General Sales Manager for WBYR and while nothing is finalized as I write this to the best of my knowledge, a plan is in place to bring onboard a Sales Manager for WBYR in early 2023.

With that plan in place, it further defined our Fort Wayne sales operation for 2023 and quite frankly, it’s a relief.  My responsibilities will be more than they were when 2022 began, but less than they are right now.  Instead of running 4 stations like I am today, it will be two or three.

My question for you right now is what resources in people, product and other resources do you have now and are there ways to better utilize them in 2023?   That’s what we are doing.

Which brings me to the Future.

There are all kinds of influences, both internal and external, known and unknown right now that you need to plan for and make appropriate adjustments. If “this” happens, then here’s what we will do.  If “that” happens, here’s our game plan.  Certain elements are under your power while others are not.  Prepare, plan and move forward, the future is coming.

And since I’ve taken you behind the curtain in my life regarding the past and present, here’s a peek into the future, namely 2023…

Federated Media Fort Wayne has 6 radio stations, 4 of them are the major stations in terms of quantity of listeners and revenue, the other two are also great stations with smaller audiences and generate less revenue.  Two of those major stations, WMEE & K-105 have been lead by one of the very best leaders in the country.  Allison was just named a C.S.S. Talent Superstar for 2022 and this is the 2nd time she has received this national recognition which puts her in a unique club called the League of Legends.  Details are here.

There are lessons learned from watching her this year that I am going to integrate into my life in 2023.

First is changes in our people structure. Before I became the General Sales Manager for WOWO, my predecessor was the General Sales Manager for both our Talk Radio Stations and we are going back to that.  I will be the General Sales Manger of both WOWO with our News Talk format, and WKJG with its Sports Talk Format.  My new combined sales team features 5 full-timers with room for up to two more.  However, we’re planning on operating with just 5 unless someone outstanding comes our way that we should add to our team.

(This is one of the lessons I’ve learned from Allison: Wait For The Right Person.)  She had two openings on her two stations for the past two years and she waited and waited until she was impressed enough to bring on two new people to her teams. Allison’s sales teams broke records without those two new people because she grew and developed the 6 she already had.  It takes a lot of time, training and mentoring in the first few years to help a new person in our business develop into a fully contributing member of the sales team.

I have a couple of veterans on my team who have had their best years EVER in 2021 and 2022, so I am going to give them extra help and support to get to the NEXT level in the next two years.   I also have two others on my team who are still at the beginning stages of their WOWO careers and have tremendous potential in 2023, so I am giving them the tools and resources to grow in the year ahead.

And finally I have another veteran on our Sports Talk Station that is in a hybrid position that is getting my attention to take advantage of his unique talents to grow in 2023.

To summarize my future, it’s to grow my current team to help them, help their current and future clients even more and each of them will also be rewarded financially as it happens.

Yes, we are still taking applications and advertising for future openings because we don’t ever want to be left short handed.  People retire, spouses get offered positions out of town, things happen which can create openings.  Contact me, Scott@WOWO.com if you want more information.

While I’m doing this at the end of one year and beginning of a new year, this is a process I do all the time and I encourage you to do the same.

Evaluate the Past.

Take stock of the Present.

Plan for the Future.

January 5th Update:  Just wanted to mention that part of what I wrote in December has been delayed.  For the foreseeable future, I am going to continue to be the interim General Sales Manager for Federated Media’s Fort Wayne Rock Station, 98.9 The Bear.

We are continuing our outreach and evaluation of qualified candidates for this intrical position.  Contact me for details.  

As far as my focus, it will continue to be on our two talk stations with a supporting role for the two music stations I mentioned.

 

Make The Right Adjustments

Make The Right Adjustments

by | Aug 30, 2022 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Fort Wayne, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

“We gotta do something”

That’s been the theme for 2022 from many business people.

So they prepare to Make Adjustments.

Making Adjustments is neither good or bad.  Actually it is something that all of us are doing all the time.

The question that often comes up is “What adjustments are we going to do?”

I urge you to stop for a moment and take a few deep breaths before making any decisions.

As hard as it is, now, more than ever, is time to remove emotions from your decision making process.

Emotions can be temporary, and decisions can have lasting consequences.

If you are running a business and you don’t have a strategic plan in place, it’s time to create one.

If you have a plan, but it was created before March 2020, it’s time to review it and see if it needs updated.

If the plan you created isn’t working right now, it’s time to see why and take a look at the whole picture.

For nearly 6 years I have served on the Board of Directors of Homebound Meals of Fort Wayne and I am in my final 6 months.  Besides myself, there is one other board member who has been there as long as me and his term expires early next year like mine.  The organization has been around since 1971 and during that time there have been dozens of board members, hundreds of volunteers, and thousands of recipients of the lunch time meal program.

Their mission has never changed.  The strategy and tactics used to fulfil the mission have certainly evolved over time including the last few years.  I am confident that the partnership between the board and Executive Director will keep the organization around for many more decades as people come and go.

Making the right adjustments is also something I have seen take place at the church my wife and I attend.  We’ve been members for nearly 20 years and have seen numerous changes take place in leadership as some Pastors retire or are called to other places to serve.  Besides the church, we also have a school and they have had people changes too over the past 77 years too.  This summer their Executive Director, Mark Lange stepped down to move forward with other areas he and his wife Sue are being called.

I bring up Mark’s name specifically because I’ve known him and his wife Sue since I was 13 years old and we went to the same high school.  Our church and school, Holy Cross Lutheran in Fort Wayne was going thru some transitions that many older churches have gone thru and that was simply changes in the make-up of the congregation that was part of what was going to have an impact on the finances of the church and school.

A few years ago, I was one of a dozen who were asked to serve on a task force to explore the future needs and future circumstances using demographic studies, internal surveys, and antidotal stories.  Mark showed me how each year we had a financial plan and each week he would release numbers that showed how our income compared to the plan. He also included the actual expenses which were the reality of what was spent and I learned in my conversations with Mark how we were making adjustments as the year progressed.  Besides having the initial plan or budget, we also had a plan on what adjustments to make as needed.

No matter what business you are in, there are a few things you need to always include in your plan:

  1. Products and Services to sell
  2. Have the People and Infrastructure to create those Products and Services
  3. Invitations to potential customers to buy your stuff and ongoing marketing to keep those customers.

Some of you have had to change the portfolio of products or services you sell.  I’m not talking about completely abandoning everything, I’m talking about making adjustments. Fast Food places that were short staffed ran drive-thru only and closed their dining rooms for awhile.  Some restaurants limited their menu to their best sellers.

I’ve also seen some of you expand and not shrink.  Two ways to do this have been to add more products to sell to your customers.  One company added a second business that went hand in hand with their primary business and it’s created more opportunities.

The other way to expand has been to raise prices.  Too many businesses have been afraid to pass along increases to their customers because they were afraid of losing customers.  But inflation is one of the biggest headlines of 2022 and you really need to pass along your additional costs to your customers.  They are expecting it.  No, they won’t like it, but they will understand, (most of them).  You will also lose some.  A few years ago I told one of my clients that she needed to raise her prices which she resisted at first for those same reasons. However this is the ideal time to do it.

Some of the adjustments you may be tempted to make is to cut your advertising.  To which I say, maybe.  However the answer is probably maybe not.

It really depends on your overall strategic plan, not just current circumstances.  While I sell advertising on WOWO Radio and lead a team of advertising sales pros, I’m also a marketing and advertising consultant.  I want what is best for you and your company now and for the future.  If we can help with using the advertising resources of WOWO radio and our online options… great.  But I don’t want you to buy advertising from us or anyone that isn’t in your best interest.

More on what happens when you cut advertising in a future article.  For now, I urge you to Make the Right Adjustments for the Right Reasons, based on a Strategic Plan, not emotion.  Need help?  Contact me.

You Can’t Whine & Win at the Same Time

You Can’t Whine & Win at the Same Time

by | Jul 5, 2022 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo Sales Tips, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Congratulations, you have successfully completed 6 months of 2022.

How do you feel about that?

Well first off, for making it this far this year, you and everyone else gets a participation trophy.

However the real trophies in life come from more than just showing up.

If this sounds like a little rant, it is, so buckle up.

We often hear news stories and articles talking about “the average” this and that.

You know what an average is right?

You take it all, the good, the bad and the stuff in-between; add it up and then divide by the number of figures you averaged.

There’s an old joke about three guys at a shooting range.  The first one misses his target by 6 inches to the left.  The next one also misses his target by 6 inches to the right.  The third guy happens to be a statistician and says, “Well I don’t even need to shoot, ’cause if you average out your two shots we got us a bulls-eye.”

No matter what you are doing, there is going to probably someone better than you and worse than you.

You certainly don’t want to be in the worst group, right?  In business those who are doing the worst are failing.

The next group, the one in the middle. These are the ones who are doing average work.  Their business is not quite failing or not making boat loads of money either.  They are just surviving, for now.  Or maybe they were surviving and then something happened and now they aren’t doing so well.

The last group, those are the winners.  Above Average.  Top Performers.  They get more than a participation trophy, they get the prize money for coming in 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

You can tell alot by observing and listening to the people in these three groups.

At the bottom, there is often a lot of grumbling and blaming someone else or something else for their troubles.  Rarely do these people and their businesses succeed.  They are too busy whining and You Can’t Whine And Win At The Same Time..

In the middle you’ve got those that wish things were better but don’t commit to the changes needed.  Their businesses are built on Hope and Hope Alone.  “If the stars align…” Right.  Similar to the bottom group but at least they have ideas on how to get better.

Those at the top are a different breed.  They are not willing to settle for mediocre.  They don’t want to be average.

Of course there are fewer of these winners than the other two groups but they are also significantly outpacing the others.

And finally when I say, You Can’t Whine And Win At The Same Time, Winners also whine sometimes too.  But they don’t get stuck there and make whining a lifestyle.  Winners push thru the tough times and realize that they are not helpless victims of circumstances.  They adapt, they innovate, they create, they find a way to move forward and don’t let the set backs paralyze them forever.

If you run a business that wants to win and you are in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, contact me.  I have some marketing wisdom to share.

If you are an individual with a winner’s heart and attitude, contact me too because I am always looking for that kind of person to consider for openings on the WOWO Radio Advertising Sales Team.

Scott@WOWO.com is my email or you can find me online by Googling ScLoHo.