A CONVERSATION WITH A SUCCESSFUL SALES MANAGER

Paul Windisch recently rejoined radio, signing on with Summit Media as general sales manager in Springfield, Missouri. From 2011 to 2018, Windisch was general manager of Koplar Communications and helped launch Fox 5 KRBK in Springfield. Before his work in television, Windisch served as a market manager for Clear Channel. Then he launched Freedom Consulting, where he helped companies grow through marketing consulting, sales training, recruitment, and operational strategy. Now that he’s back in radio, he has a very interesting perspective on the business and what he witnessed from the other side. Here’s our conversation with Summit Media’s Paul Windisch.

Radio Ink: Why did you decide to come back to radio?

Windisch: I actually wasn’t planning on this, nor looking. My consulting business was going well and I was focused on growing that. But when Janelle Moffett [President/GM of Summit Springfield] called me, I knew pretty quickly that this was what I was supposed to do.

Radio Ink: What was it like on the other side of the desk?

Windisch: After 25 years in the media industry, doing consulting work for businesses was certainly a change. I was able to see things from the business owner’s perspective that I may not have been able to see otherwise. It helped me realize, even more, the ever-changing needs of business owners.

Radio Ink: When radio reps called on you, what was your perception of how they did?

Windisch: I had some projects where radio account executives did call on me. I was probably easier on the media reps because I know how hard it can be to get opportunities to present businesses with advertising plans. Overall, I’d say most reps did well. But I believe there is a lot of room for growth in the training and development of advertising sales reps in general.

Radio Ink: How does working for radio compare to working for TV?

Windisch: There are obvious differences between the radio and television industries. But to me, it was never about the medium. From an advertising standpoint, as long as we are helping clients get the right message to the right people, there will be success with their campaigns, no matter if they are using radio, television, or digital.

I’ve always tried to make my focus about the people. If we encourage and develop our people the right way, and they are doing the right things for the advertising clients, good things happen.

Radio Ink: What’s your philosophy on how to make radio sellers successful?

Windisch: It starts with taking the time to find the right people. Too many companies hire as many people as fast as they can, in hopes they can get a couple of reps that “stick.” This is not effective at all. It wastes valuable time and money and it hurts our industry.

Once you have the right team, I believe you have to lead people based on their personalities and their strengths. Each person is different, so you have to guide each one differently. I also believe that consistent, ongoing training is necessary. Without consistently training on the entire sales process, even the basics, we all tend to take shortcuts and develop bad habits.

It’s like any professional athlete. They are constantly working to perfect their skills. Otherwise, they too develop bad habits. It should be no different in any industry.

Radio Ink: Should sellers be motivated by money or success?

Paul Windisch Some members of the Summit sales team: back row, l-r: Melissa Companik, Jeremy Wommack, Paul Windisch. In front, l-r: Beth Johnston, Rachel Miller

Windisch: I’ve seen many reps who were successful being motivated by money, and many who were motivated by success. But I believe that the ones who are deeply motivated to see their clients grow, and truly want to be a trusted adviser to every business they work with, are the ones who will see the most success, which will also translate into great compensation for themselves.

Do the right things and solve the problems these business owners face trying to reach new customers, and the amount of revenue that the sales rep brings in will continue to grow.

Radio Ink: A lot has been said about the big tech companies taking money away from local radio. How big is the battle to sell against digital, and how do you get sellers to win that battle?

Windisch: There have been so many digital agencies popping up for the last several years. Some of them are great. Some of them hurt the industry by not conducting good business. It’s certainly made it more difficult, because these business owners now have so many more options.

We can’t control what the other companies do, but we can control what we do for the clients. If we are truly seeking to understand their business, and we offer the right plans that include radio and full-scale digital campaigns, we are going to help grow that business and become the trusted advisers that I mentioned previously.

Radio Ink: What advice do you have for someone who wants to become a radio sales manager?

Windisch: It’s so easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day minutiae and tasks in a sales manager position. My advice is to always make spending time with your people the absolute highest priority. Our people are the most important assets we have. If we put them on the back burner so we can knock out our to-do lists and reports, we’re going to miss out on opportunities to make an impact, and eventually we will lose good people.

Radio Ink: What three mistakes should radio salespeople avoid?

Windisch: Forgetting that being face-toface in front of prospects and clients is the most important way to build great relationships.

Thinking that they’ve got it all figured out and that they don’t need to learn anything else.

Fearing that if they ask tough questions that challenge their prospects and clients, they are going to upset them and possibly lose business. (These business owners need us asking tough questions to get to the real problems they face in marketing, so we can help solve them.)

Radio Ink: What is your proudest career moment, and why?

Windisch: There are so many over the last 25 years, I’m not sure I can pinpoint one. I have been blessed so many times, with each company I’ve worked for. My biggest joy in all of it is the fact that I have been able to work with some of the most amazing people.

When it’s all said and done for me, I’ll look back and it will be the people, and the impact they have had on me, that I’ll cherish the most.