If I Knew Then What I Know Now, Wow

From AE to Leader of the Pack

Jenna Fox, E. W. Scripps Radio – Springfield Operations

Lindsay Cerajewski, Director of Partnership Marketing at Emmis

Communications

1) Treat EVERYONE the way you would want to be treated...from the intern to the president. You

never know where people will end up, and that intern could be your boss one day!

2) Raise your hand! The more you volunteer to take the lead on projects or opportunities, the more people will take you

seriously as a leader. The catch is, you need to be able to balance your "day job" with the extras you take on--so that may

require extra time, money, or effort on your part. If you want to get ahead, investment in YOU.

3) Stay out of the BS. We all know misery loves company. It's easy for people to complain or gossip. The more you stay

out of those conversations, the better off you are. Strive to be viewed as a problem solver, not a problem causer. Strive to

be viewed as a supporter of all, not a backstabber.

4) Don't be afraid to make a mistake. Mistakes help you learn valuable lessons. Just be sure not to make the same

mistake twice.

Janelle Moffett, General Sales Manager at The E.W. Scripps Company - Springfield

1. Be a leader—lead by example daily, don’t wait for a title. Everyone has the ability to be a leader in

some way, but it’s a deliberate choice on how and when that talent is activated. You can be known for

something, you can be known as a leader in many different specific ways. Discover what your specific

talent is and expand on the things you’re great at.

2. Look within yourself--Often times it’s a person’s own self-destruction that stands between where they are and where

they want to be. If you’re not where you want to be in your career look within to see what could be holding you back. Be

honest with yourself and open to feedback. YOU are the only thing that you control. YOU are the only thing you can

change. When you change behaviors or your way of thinking, problems or opportunities seem to fall in place.

3. Talk about your goals—make sure your peers and managers know what your goals are….short-term and long-

term. Ask others about the areas THEY think you need to grow, expand your network of mentors, and ask for feedback

from managers and co-workers.

Greg Bilotta, VP Sales, WFAS 1230AM + WFAS 94.3FM at Cumulus Media

1. Every 'NO' pays for the 'YES'

2. Learn by repetition in everything you do and practice your craft in every interaction of your life.

3. Be singularly motivated by money. The purpose of our employment in a media organization is to generate revenue for

ourselves and our employer. If you're not thrilled at earning commission or distraught when losing it, find a new career.

4. Know your customer's business. Know their industry, know their business as it relates to your geography, know their

product/service, know their market/sales pitch to consumers, know their birthdays, know their dogs name.

5. Tomorrow is a new day. Get over yourselves...we market and sell media. Shake it off, sleep it off, get up tomorrow with

a desire to do better. Tomorrow is a new opportunity.

6. Adapt or Perish. It sounds a little harsh, but it's the truth, especially for broadcast media marketers. Educate yourselves

about new technologies, new social networks, and new ideas so you can adapt every aspect of your business and offer

your customers solutions to propel them to adapt their business at the same time.

Jenna Fox, Local Sales Manager at The E.W. Scripps Company - Springfield

1. Build a Board of Directors: If you want to truly grow your skills, build a mentor team. Think of them as

your own personal Board of Directors. Be sure to put together a good mix of people who have skills

and experience you want to develop. Not every person you choose needs to be from your industry

either. Look for people who can provide honest feedback, professional insight, integrity, and

perspective.

2. Invest in Yourself: There are plenty of opportunities out there to grow and develop your leadership skills. Don’t expect

your company to invest in you if you won’t invest in yourself. Find good opportunities for learning and enhancing your

talents and pay your own way. Be sure to bring back information you learn and share it with those around you.

3. Don’t Over Commit: There is no such thing as balance… only trade-offs. Think of it as a pendulum, on one side career

and the other personal. Sometimes the pendulum is going to swing heavily to one side. You may have a strenuous week

at work putting together budgets or a big project that requires extra time and attention. Just be sure that you don’t let it

stay that way. Set boundaries around your personal/family time. Learn to say no or delegate. One of the worst things you

can allow to happen to you as a leader is burnout.

4. Apologize When You Are Wrong: Don’t’ make excuses, just apologize. Put honesty and honor above your personal

comfort. Courage is taking responsibility for your actions and admitting when you made a mistake. When this happens it

can actually help build a culture that increases solidarity, innovation, and openness to change.

5. Preparation Starts Now: If you want to be in a leadership role start leading now, right where you are. The more

mistakes you make now will be more experience and wisdom you have when you really need it. “To every man there

comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special

thing. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.” –

Sir Winston Churchill.

6. Write Down Your Goals: “Goals are a responsibility, not an option.” – Bryan Dodge. Written word provides clarity and

you become more committed to the goal. Put them where you can see them every day. Share them with others.

Dan McKee, General Sales Manager at The E.W. Scripps Company - Knoxville

1. Don’t Wait – I hear far too often, “when I become a manager I’ll start doing X”. Start today. You

don’t need a title, you should always act like a leader. People will take note and when an opportunity

for advancement comes along, you will be a top candidate.

2. Act Like You Own The Business – Early in my career, I was once faced with a difficult client decision. I pitched a

promotion to them that was promoted on 2 stations and I only had a budget on one of them. This sale would put me over

budget. However, the client only had the budget to do one station. We sat in his small office and he said I would be faced

with tough decisions like this throughout my career. If I act like I am the owner of the business and I’m spending my own

money, then the answer would become clear. I listened and ran him on the station I did not have a budget for. He had

his largest sale in the store’s history and became a long term client. When you do the right thing for your clients you will

have long term success.

3. Do A Little Extra – Sounds cliché, but it works. Too many people try to get away with doing the bare minimum. Don’t

tell your client, employee, friend, etc. you are going to do a little more, just do it. This will strengthen your relationships

and build trust.

4. Become An Expert In Something And Become A Mentor – You’ve heard the saying “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

Find something you can be great at. Spend your own money becoming even better. Then share that knowledge with

your peers and clients. You want to become the “go to” person for whatever it is you’re an expert in. It could be an

industry category, writing copy, co-op, promotions, you name it.

5. Deliver On Your Promises – It’s basic and is worth a reminder. Keep one calendar and place reminders to follow up.

Ronald Reagan didn’t have all the answers, but he surrounded himself with experts to advise him. Do the same and

reach out to your support team to get the answers you need.

6. Get Involved In Your Community – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to look a client in the eyes and tell

them that I’ll run into them in the grocery store, at church, on the ball field, at a charity walk, etc. and when I do I’ll always

know that I’ve done everything in my power to help their business succeed. This goes beyond numbers and helps build

trust. Participating on charity boards or committees and coaching my kid’s sports teams have helped me open many

doors simply because a business owner saw how much I care.

7. Publically Praise, Privately Criticize – No one wants to be humiliated, but everyone can improve. People want leaders

who will push them to achieve more than they thought they were cable of. Spend one-on-one time showing them areas

they can improve in. Then when you see positive changes, praise them in front of their team.

8. Allow Someone an Out – Early in my career I caught a client in bold faced lie. I thought he was also a friend so I was

upset. I raced down to his office and called him out on it. He was backed in a corner and had to admit he was wrong.

Well, have you heard about winning the battle and losing the war…by the time I got back to the station, every order I had

from that agency was cancelled. It took me over 6 months to get them back on. A mentor told me to always allow

someone an out. If you say something like “maybe you were thinking X, but I went with Y…how can we make this right?”

The person will know they were in the wrong but they will save face and appreciate how you handled the situation. Again,

it’s all about building long term trust and relationships.

9. When I Got My First Opportunity To Be A Manager I Copied Something From Radio Sales Today And I Still Look At It

Every Day…

The responsibility of a sales manager is to attend to these 5 things and these 5 things only:

1. Holding sales people accountable

2. Developing the team with training opportunities

3. Coaching sales professionals

4. Motivating sales staff

5. Recruiting new talent

Scott Vowinkle, General Sales Manager at The E.W. Scripps Company – Omaha

1. Remain Relevant. So many people – and not just in the Radio business – get to a place in their

careers and stop growing. They stop learning new things. In my opinion, to be a great leader you have

to remain relevant and knowledgeable about trends in your industry.

2. Servant Leadership. In a business full of massive egos, it’s easy to become a dictator. My previous boss described me

as a “servant leader who sets the course then gets out of the way, but is always supportive and engaged.”

3. Ethics: Again, in a business that has its share of less than ethical people, I’ve built a career around being honest and

doing what I say I’m going to do. That stance has lost me some business because I wouldn’t cave to unethical practices,

but it’s made me much more in return.

4. Have Fun: We are a “show business” business. Don’t forget that. We are a “business” which has serious demands,

but we have the luxury of being in a business that’s fun because of its showbiz aspect.

5. Understand the Responsibility We Have: To serve the community we impact through our programming, to serve our

customers in ways that are more compelling than the competition. We can all cite (or should be able to cite) examples of

how our listeners have been impacted by our stations…in many cases we save lives. We can also cite examples of how

we helped businesses grow. Both are awesome responsibilities.

6. Belief that Radio has a future: In light of what we hear or read in some places, it’s critical in any business, but particular

in Radio, to have a belief on the product and its future.

Jason Bjorson, General Sales Manager at The E.W. Scripps Company

Milwaukee

1. To rise above your peers, you have to earn their respect. To do that, you have to work harder and do

all of the things that they aren't willing to do. First one in, last one out. Night and weekend remotes.

Stop by other seller’s events and remotes. Meet with promotions, spend time doing things that make

you $0 commission for the good of the team. All at the same time, you can't miss your $$'s. As a 29 year old, I became

the team leader of some reps in their 50's and 60's. They will test you nonstop. Don't let them get under your skin or rattle

you. If you don't know the answer, tell them that. Then figure it out. It doesn't matter how old anyone is, everyone just

wants to know... Do You Care? Do You Really Care? That means different things to different people. You have to read the

room quickly. For a 40 year old mom, do you know her kids names, what school they go to and sports they play? Can you

help the 30 year radio veteran to close a big new deal? Do you take the newbie on cold calls to show them the ropes

when they know you are busy? It's not a sprint. You can't earn trust and respect by words. Only by consistent action over

a long period of time.

2. If you want to be a true leader, you have to check your ego at the door, not your confidence. In fact you have to be

more confident. It's okay to be competitive, but make sure you focus all of that competitive energy against your

competitors, not your team. Celebrate others wins more than yours; teaching or helping one of them how to win must give

you more gratification than your own victories.

3. Remember that your job is to breathe energy into the team. You are not the person who is dragging in Monday morning

or in the afternoon. When they see your energy, it rubs off onto them. When your energy is what picks everyone up, you

become the center of the sales team’s universe.

4. Bring the energy. Listen. Bring the ideas. Care. Deliver on your $$'s, help others deliver on theirs. As a result, Your

peers will have energy. Your peers will listen to you. They will care. They will deliver. You will rise to the head of the pack.

Stacey Kauffman, General Sales Manager at Entercom Sacramento

If someone is a true sales leader on the floor, it's not entirely different from being a sales leader in a

management role. It's about consistently leading by example. Be the AE you'd want to manage.

I thought it may be helpful to share what I'm looking for, when I'm evaluating who on the sales floor

may be ready for a management role, or at least to put on the management track.

What I'm looking for is someone who:

-is a leader on the floor; who sets a good example for others. Even better, someone who mentors others. Someone who is

the undefined leader on the floor that AEs go to, when they need help and a manager isn't around.

-has a positive attitude and stays out of the drama. They don't have time or care for it. They know it's a bad investment of

time and energy.

-is competitive, but can also recognize others' success (the mindset that her/his success is independent of mine, and

doesn't affect my opportunity for success).

-is tenacious

-has mental toughness

-has an employer, not an employee mindset. Someone who can see the bigger picture beyond themselves

-is a marketer, not a widget seller

-knows how to tackle business development

And then this is the other big one...do what you will ask of others. If someone knows they want to go into management,

while they are still in sales, they really need to be conscious of how they are presenting themselves and what kind of

results they're achieving. It's true that there are great sales managers who weren't as great salespeople, because there

are some different skill sets to each. It's also true that it's a lot easier to hold someone accountable to something that you

were able to achieve yourself. So my recommendation is, right now: compete and win the new business contest. Hit your

budgets. Find another pocket of money into that existing key account. Be a cold calling machine. Be consistent.

Be intentional about how you are navigating your day, and let it be an example of what you would like to see for your team

when you are a manager. You will create success stories for yourself that you'll be able to duplicate and teach to your

team when you are a manager. Be your own model AE. Even better, mentor another AE and show that you can help

develop talent. There is plenty you can do as an AE to prep for your move into management, and the great news is, it all

starts with you!

Carrie Lorenz, Director of Sales at Zimmer Radio Group

1) Don't be stuck in your ways...how things worked 10-20 years ago doesn't mean they are going to

work that well today....we need to always be out looking for new ways to connect with our listeners and

clients and live in today's world.

2) You have to learn how to adapt to work with every personality...not expect everyone to think like you.

3) You cannot motivate people. They have to be motivated themselves and you are there for support. Also, people are

motivated by different things. I think sometimes we roll out incentives or fun things to get people motivated without

realizing that some people don't need tangible items, sometimes it's just words of encouragement.

4) Always be recruiting. The best candidates tend to be the passive ones not currently looking.

5) Probably the most important one to me is customer service. And I know that sounds super cliché but I don't know a

better word for it! What has really got me to where I am today is my relationship with my clients. From the very beginning

when I was first hired, and still today, I treat every client like they are my only client. Clients need to feel wanted and like

you are an unpaid employee of their team. If they know you want to take their business to the next level as much as they

do, it goes a long way...showing how passionate you are about them succeeding vs just selling them something. This is

what sets the great salespeople apart from the mediocre.