Use your media sales CRM to give your memory a boost when you write emails to your clients.
Gas sentry from the Scottish Highlands reading a letter from home on the British Western Front during the First World War. National Library of Scotland.

On my birthday recently, I was secretly very happy about how many of my friends sent me good wishes through social media and email. I use the term “friends” broadly, because it was a conglomeration of old and current friends, past and present business associates, and acquaintances from my jobs and travels around the world. The fact that they all remembered my birthday is gratifying indeed!

Now, I know they didn't all "remember" my birthday. None of them actually REMEMBERED my birthday. They had prompts on social media, Outlook, or a CRM tool reminding them to make me feel special. These organizational tools will make you look good in media sales…and they can make you money!

For example, in Efficio we have an eMarketing tool that allows you to send personalized emails to groups; and you can group according to job title (owners or media buyers), professional preferences (ratings info or sports opportunities), or personal preferences (concerts, theater, or movies). A media seller can look like they have a great memory (and like they really, really care) by sending emails about their contact's interests, and starting with “I remember you told me you would be interested if we had anything related to sports, and we do have an opening in the scoreboard show...”

A few points about the importance of maintaining your contacts' info, likes and dislikes in media sales:

• Set aside time regularly to add and update your info. In one of my birthday wishes, someone asked me how my mother was, as they enjoyed chatting with her when she called into the station. She died six years ago. Oops. And you really should know if one of your media buyers has moved on, don'tcha think?
• Get some kind of system to help you. An e Marketing tool, which you can use to send mass personalized emails, will really help, especially if you want to send a lot of ratings info, packages or a newsletter. You DON'T want to send an email to a prospect with your entire account list in the “To:” area. That tells your contact that they are one of many, not special, and that you might be working with some of their competitors.
• Many of your media sales relationships are virtual, so reading their office to see where they went to school or how many kids they have is impossible. Take the time to find out what you can through conversation and by listening, and relate to them. Make notes in your system so you can bring up their latest vacation or the concert they were excited to see.
• Focus your emails and phone calls to your contacts on the things they care about. Offering Disney on Ice tickets when the buyer has kids in college tells her you don’t know her, and you are actually wasting her — and your— time. But offer her tickets to see her favorite artist in concert and you will have her attention! Remember your clients’ culinary likes and dislikes too. If they are allergic to seafood, lunch at Red Lobster will not be a treat!
• Your contacts know you had help with your “memory,” but they don’t care. They DO care that you took time to make a note of something that is important to them at some point, and that you thought of them.

So, how was your Memorial Day holiday? I remember you were going to the lake…

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