The "Bad" TV Salesperson

Characteristics of the television salesperson you don't want -- but might get:

1. This salesperson knows very little about TV advertising. (Less than you will know after you have read through the pages of this website.)

2. This salesperson has never worked with another business like yours. In fact, he doesn't even think of it as "working with a business"; he just thinks of it as selling.

3. He has no idea whether or not your advertising will work. He doesn't know if your offer is any good. He doesn't know what an "offer" is. He doesn't want to know.

4. If your ads don't produce calls, he will have no idea how to fix the problem or even how to start looking for something to fix.

5. He cannot write or produce a television commercial. All he can do is hand you over to a production manager who doesn't even make a commission from your success and has three other spots to write before lunch.

6. He has no real understanding of how television advertising time is usually sold at varying rates depending on supply and demand. He just gives you the rate they gave him in the sales meeting. He doesn't know how to negotiate, nor does he have the authority to negotiate. Like his manager, he thinks you should just pay the first rate he quotes.

7. He will repeat to you, verbatim, sales pitches he has learned in meetings, even if they don't apply to your situation.

8. His goal is not to help you, help your business, make your phone ring, or anything like that. His goal is to sell you something so he can keep his job.

The bad salesperson just goes along with his management quietly and dumbly without considering what's really best for you. When it comes to money, he tries to gouge you out of every possible penny -- and the problem is, this kind of salesperson will tell you that you are getting a great deal! Unless you can get your hands on someone else's invoice, it's almost impossible to find out whether he is telling you the truth.

On this page, I've painted the bleakest possible picture of TV salespeople. I just want you to be prepared for the worst. I want you to do all the homework you can do, on your own, before you start working with a TV station. At the least, I want you to read every word in this website.

Happily, they're not all bad: The "good" TV salesperson.