Time for newspapers to start thinking like Veeck, as in Bill Veeck and become marketing disruptors

http://www.petevanbaalen.com/single-post/2018/08/26/Time-for-newspapers-to-start-thinking-like-Veeck-as-in-Bill-Veeck-and-become-marketing-disruptors

Bill Veeck was a market disruptor. They didn’t actually call him that at the time. They called him crazy. Looking back now some 32 years after his death, you might hear him referred to as a genius.

Veeck as in wreck is how people described him, and it also happens to be the title for his autobiography. A baseball hall of fame inductee, Veeck owned three different baseball teams including the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. Though he won a World Series in Cleveland, he was a small market, small budget owner before they were referred to as such. This forced Veeck to innovate just to survive.

What made Veeck a genius is he actually thought about the fan experience at the game. Every baseball game you attend that has a special promotion attached to it, from fireworks to bobble heads, exists because of him. Veeck had to create fans of his product just to survive, and that is the lesson we need to learn in the media industry.

Fans of the game of baseball in Chicago have options for their entertainment dollars, including other places to see major league baseball. In Veeck’s era, there were the Cubs on the north side playing at Wrigley Field, and the White Sox with a much smaller following in a dump of a ballpark in a suspect neighborhood on the south side. To gain attention from fans and sponsors, the White Sox had to think differently. Thus they came up with things like exploding scoreboards when a home run is hit, having a crazy radio announcer Harry Caray sing a song with the crowd during the seventh inning stretch and have promotions like “Disco Demolition Night.” Innovative at the time, two of those three examples are now mainstays at ball parks today. “Disco Demolition Night” actually caused the White Sox to have to forfeit a game.

Newspapers should think more like Bill Veeck, incorporating promotions with an underdog mentality to attract fans and revenue. I worked for a couple years for John Dille, who owned The Elkhart Truth. In addition to owning that newspaper, Dille owned several radio stations, and he challenged me regularly to think like a radio station and develop promotions. From special events to contest, the goal was to attract attention to the product and associate good feelings towards it all the while earning revenue.

As an industry, we need to challenge ourselves to make the move from disrupted to the disruptor. One way to do that is to think like a radio station like Dille challenged me. Or Bill Veeck.

In my career, I’ve dreamt up promotions where I hid $1,000 somewhere in the market and provided clues so readers would find it, had a half dozen people live in a travel trailer in the middle of a mall for a week in a Survivor style promotion, among other things. Those were relatively high budget promotions, though I will say neither cost very much compared to the publicity earned. I’ve done many low budget promotions too, which any market at any size can pull off. There is no magic formula. You just have to try!

John Senger, the ad director at Greenfield, Indiana’s newspaper did a scavenger hunt for their readers. Called the “Ultimate Scavenger Hunt” this promotion was a great example of audience engagement, innovative thinking and revenue generation. This was a daylong event promoting the newspaper, its sponsors and the community they serve while generating revenue too.  

Small group of participants in The Ultimate Scavenger Hunt, presented by The Daily Reporter in Greenfield, Indiana.

Innovation often comes from necessity. As the media world changes, we have to think differently to keep the audience’s attention, and to keep our sponsor’s money. Pushing the limits of thinking, and finding promotions and contests that will work in your market will help you do both. If Bill Veeck owned a newspaper today, I have no doubt they would be doing wacky promotions, engaging with their audience, making money and still providing quality content for its subscribers.

Bill Veeck’s son is carrying on the family tradition of amazing promotions and profitability, now for an independent minor league A few weeks ago, they decided to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the movie Animal House with the world’s largest food fight. More than 8,000 people showed up for the game, and the video as of this writing has been viewed over 150,000 times.

OK, so maybe the world’s largest food fight isn’t your cup of tea. I get it. The point is, like Bill Veeck or the St. Paul Saints, to survive in the long term, newspapers are going to have to get creative and become a disruptor.

Hitting the target with targeted advertising

http://www.petevanbaalen.com/single-post/2018/08/06/Hitting-the-target-with-targeted-advertising

I had never heard of Peppa Pig when I received the announcement in my inbox that Peppa was coming to town. Lucky me, I had just scored the opportunity to get pre-sale tickets to the big upcoming performance in early December.

The problem was I had no clue who or what Peppa was. The normally targeted email marketing messages that I receive in my email had missed the mark. I have since found out that Peppa Pig is a British animated TV show designed for pre-schoolers.

I'm a frequent buyer of tickets from Ticketmaster, so I think they have a pretty good profile on me as a consumer, and my buying habits. They are sophisticated enough that I think they pay attention to that information, especially based on other offers that I have received from them over the years.

Aside from the laugh I had trying to determine if Peppa was some kiddie show or possibly a strange punk rock group, it was a good reminder to make sure our marketing message is the right one for the right audience.

Newspaper sales reps don't always think about the audiences within the big readership numbers for their products. What is forgotten is opportunities to reach different segments of readership with the newspaper; male, female, young, old, affluent, business owners and more.

Pending on the size of your newspaper, you have different sections that offer a targeting opportunity. If not full sections, in many cases special pages with different content is available. Sales reps don't always do a good job of trying to match up the various sections of a newspaper with their customers. At most newspapers I've worked at, the reps try to jam all their ads into main news or around obituaries. Certainly there are benefits to those two positions, but there are many others that can be just as valuable to customers.

High school football is starting up now, and reader interest is definitely there. Sales reps do a great job selling the preview section, but are they also tapping into the power of that audience to sell a combination ad for Thursday and Saturday, the days of the game preview and recap?

Many newspapers still run a syndicated weekly NASCAR page during the racing season, which goes from February until November. This is another content page that allows newspapers to offer targeted content to readers. In the case of NASCAR, while the sport has dropped a little in popularity, fans tend to be fiercely loyal to drivers and the brands they represent which opens up ad dollar opportunities.

Local business news, the weekly food page, religion page and special pages for seniors are regular content in many newspapers. Yet ad departments are not always seizing the opportunity to take this targeted content and turning it into dollars. 

It doesn't even have to be special pages to become a premium position and targeted content. I've been working recently with a customer who has to have their content either next to the weather or lottery numbers. In that customer's mind, those are high traffic areas for the customer they are trying to reach. We are accommodating their request, and gaining revenue as a result. Beyond the weather and lottery numbers, both good spots, there are others that can be utilized. Every market has special content, including things like the police blotter, the local school lunch menu, court information especially bankruptcies and divorces.  

Take inventory of your content that runs daily, weekly or monthly. Determine what might be of interest to a specific segment of your readers or advertisers and see what you can generate as a result. Every newspaper has limited resources, so you need to maximize what you have, and that is especially true with content.  If your readers see value in the content, then it is very likely that your advertisers will as well. 

Screen health concerns could help traditional media, especially newspapers

http://www.petevanbaalen.com/single-post/2018/07/03/Screen-health-concerns-could-help-traditional-media-especially-newspapers

"I'm a digital explorer in analog roam, and everybody's on the phone."  -- Jimmy Buffett from his 2006 song "Everybody's On The Phone"

On more than one occasion, I've been accused of spending too much time staring at my phone screen. Guilty as charged. While I'm not ready to call it an addiction, the phone has turned into an important tool in how I manage my life.

Between my phone and my tablet, I regularly visit four or five newspaper websites, and that is beyond the sites for where I work. Those sites are a part of my regular routine, much in the same way that my morning newspaper still is today.

Jimmy Buffett was a futurist when he wrote that lyric, but that has become reality, as we it played out in society today. In 2017, comScore's report on Cross Platform Future in Focus estimated that the average adult spent just shy of three hours a day on their smartphone every day.  I'll do the math for you; that's about 23 days a year.

The old adage about too much of a good thing is a bad thing comes to mind regarding the amount of screen time in people's life, and that is starting to be discussed when it comes to digital consumption. A few weeks back, I read a couple articles on screen health. While a new term to me, screen health is quickly becoming a concern for some people.  Too much time staring at a screen is having negative impacts on people's lives.

In early June, Apple announced in early June that their new operating system for their iPhones and iPads would incorporate a screen health app. It is designed to help people spend less time on their phones. Google has already incorporated this into their system.

People deciding that they are spending too much time on their phones is not enough to cure the ills of traditional media. But to me, this does provide some optimism for the future of traditional media including newspapers.

Others share that optimism, including Angus Campbell. He published on LinkedIN an article titled "Why print will never die". Campbell offered three solid reminders of the importance of traditional print as a marketing tool that, coupled with the increasing concern of too much time in front of a screen offer opportunities for audience and revenue in the future.

In his article, Campbell pointed out that print is more satisfying for the recipient. It engages more senses for the reader, which subconsciously makes for a better experience for the reader. Print can be trusted to deliver. The long history of the newspaper industry is still on our side, and people have a higher degree of trust for the content within those printed pages, editorial and advertising, which helps deliver results. As fake news continues to make headlines, print outlets - especially local newspapers - remain the trusted source.

His last point was his best point in the article, I believe. Print is a tremendous compliment to digital. The fad of using QR codes in newspapers has come and gone largely, but emerging technology like augmented reality and virtual reality is creating new opportunities for readers to engage with print going forward. And even without the interaction between print and a digital platform, the fact remains that a marketing campaign that includes digital and prints - especially print's target audience with a lot of disposable income - works better than a digital only approach.

The struggle is real. Fighting customers that want to place their dollars strictly on digital marketing opportunities is a daily fight. Tell them about screen health, and how a properly managed campaign with traditional and non-traditional media will bring a healthier result to their profits.

First impressions are critical in new business development for media companies

http://www.petevanbaalen.com/single-post/2018/04/30/First-impressions-are-critical-in-new-business-development-for-media-companies

I’ve recently spent some time on vacation, getting away from the normal routine and enjoying some warmth and sunshine in Florida. I’m like everyone else in that vacation time is precious andI want to make the most of it.

Deciding where to eat on vacation is a big decision. Once the destination has been determined, we start in on doing our research. We search online, look for new or different foods we want to try, and ask friends who have vacationed there previously for recommendations. This has been a formula for success for me with many previous vacations.

And you know what, your advertisers are doing the same thing to select where to spend their marketing money.

Advertisers are searching online to see who are the local marketing experts. Business owners are looking for new options to try that might help build their customer base. And they are asking friends what has worked for their business. So what are you doing to make sure you are providing business owners and marketing managers meaningful information for their searching process? The likely answer is you are not covering all of those areas currently, which gives you a chance to implement a quick improvement plan.

On your website, make sure you have updated information about all of the advertising segments you offer. Make sure your information is up to date, and that the contact emails are current. Too many times, this page on your website is set up and then forgotten. If you quote circulation or web traffic numbers, make sure those are current. Your website is often times the first impression to a business owner, and that website should set you up as a marketing expert locally. Local research and market expertise should be on display, to show a business owner they need to work with you instead of your competitor or an advertising agency.

If you’ve started offering new services, make sure you mention them. The business owner is looking at your website thinking of you strictly for your core competencies. They will think you are strictly a newspaper, so if you are also offering direct mail, commercial printing, digital display programs across the internet, you must tell them. The more problems you can solve for an advertiser, the more likely you get that initial inquiry call first. But to get that phone ringing or email sent, your site has to provide the information at a high level.

For vacation planning, getting recommendations from friends that have been there before is the most important segment for me when making a decision. You can use apps like Yelp to get reviews and recommendations, but I prefer getting feedback from friends that I know and trust. Your local market is no different.

At every sales manager position I’ve held, I’ve asked for testimonial letters. And at every position I’ve held, getting those testimonials has proved difficult. The business owners aren’t usually the hold up; it is the sales reps. But getting testimonials is very important to help sway people making buying decisions and you need to make it a priority with your sales team.

Making a marketing buy can be expensive and funds are typically limited. Providing assurances that investing those dollars with you is a good decision, providing a solid return on investment. Getting that assurance from a local business can help sway that buyer and help remove buyer’s remorse.

Providing a preponderance of evidence with a dozen or so testimonial letters from a variety of business types should be a part of your marketing portfolio. If you have five people in your sales department, you only need three letters from each rep, so this isn’t a burden on the sales team. Don’t let the thought of writing a testimonial letter become a burden on the advertiser either. The number one reason your customers won’t do it is the lack of time. So offer to write it for them. You know the highlights you want to feature, and the ways the advertiser used your products to achieve their success.

Media companies are experts in marketing, but rarely do a great job of marketing themselves. These tips can help change that narrative for you in your local market.

The pursuit of purpose

http://www.petevanbaalen.com/single-post/2018/04/15/The-pursuit-of-purpose

Recently, I wrote about the pursuit of happiness. It was a quick glimpse into my personal journey through life lately, looking to find that magic bullet of bliss that comes from being truly happy. I wrote that post largely for therapeutic reasons. But then I quickly realized that what I felt resonated with many others, based on the feedback I received. Even while I was writing that, my brain was starting to tackle yet another tough life journey; trying to find one’s purpose in life. 

As wonderful as finding true happiness would be, and it would be wonderful, I believe finding your true purpose in life would be infinitely more powerful. To find the ultimate reason you’ve been placed on this earth, discoveringthe moment that you were meant to shine in, is beyond comprehension to me. Perhaps it is by design that you can’t wrap your head around that knowledge, and we are kept from it. The depth of emotion I believe that would come with such knowledge is beyond our ability to handle.

I can hear the readers of this now. I can hear you saying that I’m wrong. You absolutely know and understand why you were put on this earth and thus have a complete understanding of your special purpose in life. “I’m here for my kids.” “The work I do at my church.” “The charity I volunteer for.” Those are all greatand very worthwhile. I even believe those actions are a part of the fabric that makes up why were are here. Those actions are a part of who we are and the lives we lead,  but a special purpose goes deeper.

This is an interesting challenge; a puzzle. For me, it is like trying to break down the very largest structures of the world to sub-atomic particles. The challenge is to look at your life and try to determine that singular event, moment or engagement with someonethat made a difference; that made THEE difference. Your entire life was centered around that single moment. That is your special purpose, and that is why you were placed here on earth for that singular thing. Wouldn’t it be amazing to understand that, and recognize it when it happens?

I recently stumbled across a new TV series on PBS called “We’ll Meet Again”. Ann Curry is the host of this show that reconnects people who had brief encounters with individuals, from a few hours to a few days many years ago, that had a tremendous impact on a person. The show tells a story very well based on a historic event, bringing it down to that personal connection that I think we all yearn for.

The first episode I saw recounted lost connections from the Civil Rights Movement, telling the story of two individuals that crossed paths during the Freedom Summer, 1965. New York City native Fatima Cortez-Todd was so moved by the events she witnessed on her TV that she went south to help out 53 years ago. The episode tells of a relationship developed over a few weeks that summer; a relationship that was put away and forgotten for over 50 years. Yet the impact that then 17 year old Thelma Caulfied made on Fatima was deep and stirring, and stayed with Cortez-Todd through all the years.

The series is full of excellent storytelling, and a history lesson to boot. But what hit home so much for me as I watched that first episode was that at the time, Fatima and Thelma neither one realized the impact and life changing lessons that were being taught by each other. Their special purpose in life was playing out in front of their eyes, yet they had no clue. In fact, even after they contacting Thelma for the show, I’m confident she still didn’t know. It wasn’t until the reunion, when Fatima was able to tell her, and thank her for that that the true impact of their relationship was realized.

In the episode highlighting Fatima and Thelma, it was a series of shared experiences over an entire summer than made such a difference. Reality is, it can be one moment lasting only briefly. That was the case in the episode of “We’ll Meet Again” which featured Patrick Anderson.

Anderson was at the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel on September 11, 2001. Like so many people that day, Patrick fled ground zero on that horrific day, running to safety. He ended up at a school nearby but safely away, slumped over on the floor trying to make sense of the day’s event and what he had just witnessed. It just so happens that day was school picture day and Emily Maroney was there assisting the photographer when she came across Patrick sitting on the floor. In the midst of all that pain and hate on display, she turned to him and said “You look like you could use a hug.” A simple act, a simple hug to offer some comfort and let them know that there was still love in the world, and it helped Patrick start to make sense of it all.

The young executive and photographer’s assistant ended up spending a couple hours together, with Emily providing him a place to go temporarily to clean up and contact family. A totally random encounter of a few hours over 16 years ago that brought about lasting change in Patrick’s life. We all look back on that day and think of the senseless losses, but Patrick now looks back and sees compassion. He feels love. So much in fact that he had to find her and thank her for those few moments nearly a generation ago.

This story, and the other stories told on this show are perfect Hollywood scripts. Yet, they really happened. Hard to imagine that they were real world experiences, but they were. Unfortunately for us living day in and day out in the real world, it is rare that we get that chance for the reunion and big reveal like on a TV show such as this. Too many times we live our life blind; blind of the impact we make on people’s lives and the impact being made on our own.

That is why that show, and for me this post, is a reminder of the great things that can happen at any time, and with the smallest of things. A hug can change the world; it did for Patrick Anderson. Finding your special purpose and the process of trying to narrow life down to one special thing, that one special moment is difficult. But in the case of the individuals highlighted on that show, you can see the essence of what I’m hunting.

Hopefully you have been blessed with friends or family members that you have gone through life’s thick and thin with. I know I have, with several people I could name that have been there for me or made a big impact on my life. My hope is that someone – somewhere – someday making a list of people that have made an impact on their life might also mention me.

One of those friends that I would put on my list is a minister; not your typical minister but I think that is in part what I love about the guy. He is flawed like all of us, but using those flaws to help lead people to God. We are all imperfect, which is what makes us wonderful. Over the years, we have had some amazing conversations where we both express our concerns, doubts and uncertainty about our abilities as parents, as husbands and in the careers we are in. While I could never do his job, I am very envious of him and the work he does with such ease.

I am very certain that he has made definitive and last impact on this earth. Every time he does an outreach, working with area homeless or troubled youth, his fingerprints are on the present and future, and his purpose comes to life. How wonderful is that, to realize your work is making the world a better place today and into the future. And yet, he and I have had several conversations about what his purpose is in life. In his case, I do believe he was put on this earth to deliver a message to an individual who is at a moment decision in their life.His words of encouragement, wisdom and guidance spoken thoughtfully to that one person at just the perfect time of their life is why he’s here, I’m convinced. Andthe impact of that message is world changing.

There is good and bad with that opportunity. Good of course in the fact that you are doing God’s work, and changing lives and thus the world. But also bad in that you don’t know, and may never know who that individual was that you were intended to guide or the true ramifications of those changes.

There is also pressure with such a responsibility. You have to try and always be on your ‘A game’ too, since you are never sure when that special moment is going to happen. With every sermon, every ministry outreach, that special person who needs to hear your message might be waiting.  While this might be unfulfilling for some, my friend makes the most of it.

A few years ago, my career took a wonderful and totally unplanned detour. I became the publisher of the newspaper in Elkhart, Indiana. I found myself plopped down in a community where I knew absolutely no one, and a family situation that didn’t have my family joining me right away. It didn’t take long for me to get introduced to someone that I now consider one of my closest friends, and someone that I feel like I’ve know for my whole life.

He and I connect on many levels. We have a number of common interest, including a love of the baseball and the Boston Red Sox. We are both strong family oriented men, who believe in serving our community whenever possible. Yet as much as we have in common, we are very different people. Our paths to adulthood could not possibly be different. His background still fascinates me, and I love it when he tells stories about the life experiences he’s had.

Even better are the stories of the lives he’s had impact on over the years.

While my minister friend preaches to large crowds, this friend works one on one. With the smaller audience, you have a chance to sometimes measure the results of the impact he’s had on people. I’ve witnessed it first hand countless times. You cannot help but see it if you spend time in public with him. It would be odd if a young adult didn’t come up to our table at dinner to thank him for the impact he had made in their life. While every single story I heard told contained an amazing turning point where my friend helped someone make a life choice that steered them to good things, the even more amazing part to me was that he remember all their names. As a director for a not-for-profit that worked directly with at risk youths, he has dealt with thousands of kids in his career. And like that favorite teacher you had from high school who remembered your name when you came back to visit 20 years later, he remembers.

He remembered their name, often times sibling’s names and the situations that he helped them overcome to live better and more productive lives. He was able to help guide people during pivotal moments in their life. Years later, you could witness the impact as they came to thank you for just being there. For me, it is that lasting impact, that purpose that I seek. Being that conduit to life changing actions is overwhelmingly powerful when you think about it, and the impact that happens for a individual. But the best part of that power, that purpose is that his impact reverberates to generations to come. That’s a real purpose in life; so powerful that you can see the positive ramifications that extend well beyond your own life.

I’ve said it more than once, that when I grow up I want to be like him. Fun loving, doing great things yet humble, and all the while making decisions that personifypassion and purpose in life. If you ask him how he’s doing, he’ll tell you he has “more blessings than challenges.” Even in my darkest moments, his words remind me that I too have more blessings than challenges. One of those big blessings is a big guy with only a little hair and Boston accent.

It is so easy to forget how blessed we are in life, no matter our life’s circumstances. Our vision is cloudy because of the perceived stresses of life, of work, of family and of our own often unrealistic view of what life should be. In the 1990’s movie “City Slickers” starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance, Crystal’s character and his buddies head to a dude-ranch to work out their mid-life crisis. Crystal,donning his New York Mets hat, gets deeply philosophical with a cowboy ranch hand named Curly, played by Palance. Curly, while speaking to Mitch, could have been speaking to me when he said, “You city folks worry about a lot of shit.” And we do. And I do.

Searching for a deeper meaning, the secret of life is what the movie “City Slickers” is all about. While the movie didn’t solve things for anyone, it does provide perspective. As Curly pointed out to Mitch, the secret of life is found in that “one thing.” That one thing is different for each of us, and as Curly pointed out. “That’s what you have to figure out.” And so we continue searching.

The pursuit of purpose in life isn’t as simple as that one thing as the Jack Palance character suggests. It likely is a series of things, maybe several small things. Small daily miracles, and not so miraculous interactions with people that bring joy, peace and happiness to yourself and others might be it. It is the impact we make in life, however great or small that brings about our purpose. It could be as grand as a masterpiece work of art, or as insignificant and fleeting as footprints in the sand. The true measurement of your purpose cannot be measured on this earth, I believe.

I can see the impact and purpose of others much easier than I can my own. I guess it is like trying to see your own back; try as you might but you cannot contort your body enough to get a full view. It is only through the reflection of a mirror can you get a glimpse. Purpose is that way too, best measured in the way it reflects on others.

Me personally, have I made an impact? A positive impact? I’m still searching, or more to the point still trying to live up to something worthy of such a measurement. I cannot give you a specific moment where the lights come up and the music begins to play like a Hollywood script, and I can say yes here it is! My purpose has arrived! It remains elusive.

But I think it is out there. I hope and pray it is out there, that one person or moment or whatever that I was meant to be here for. And I hope I live up to that moment or series of moments, doing what I was brought here to do when the time arrives.

As for me personally, never in a million years did I expect to be an advocate for special needs, minority adoptions. But I have. Is that my purpose? I don’t know, a cause for sure. At the end of the day, I’d like to thinkI’ve had a positive impact. I think I have had a positive impact on my son, Eric.

Have I made an impact on the lives of others the way that Thelma or Emily did on that TV show? Can I look myself in the mirror and say that I’ve made the world around me better the way that my friends Evan and Kevin have? Not sure, which is a little unfulfilling. But my search continues.

Life doesn’t sum itself up in a 60 minute show like they do on TV, and I’ll never likely know. But I believe if you live a good life, treat people right that you do fulfill that special purpose. Perhaps it isn’t named specifically by those impacted, but it hopefully shows in their heart. A monument in someone’s heart that gives to others is better than any monument made of granite and stone seen by millions. 

Facing the hard, cold facts about the newspaper industry; the good and the bad

I've never attended a roast, except the kind that involves a hot dog. And certainly I cannot imagine being the subject of a roast, having to sit there and listen to people say horrible things about me; even if it is good-natured ridicule.

Recently, I attended a training session that felt a little like a roast at times. Though some of the facts didn't feel very good-natured at the time. It was some hard cold facts about the newspaper business that I'd prefer to ignore if I could. But I can't, and shouldn't ignore them. Instead, as was the case at this training session those issues were turned into opportunities and ultimately a positive experience.

We asked a local advertising agency leader to come speak to our sales team as a part of an off-site training program. Before his arrival, we spoke about the basic expectations of our sales team from the number of sales calls, the use of spec ads and the importance of selling campaigns vs. ads. Audience, reach and frequency are the basics of any marketing campaign no matter the delivery mode.

Our advertising agency representative was brought in to talk about the various competition. He talked about the strengths and weaknesses of each competitor we face, along with all the changes that have taken place in all media. I think often times we in the newspaper business get all wrapped up in the fact that we've been going through seismic shifts in our industry, forgetting that the same is true with all of our competitors.

As expected, he started to talk about the negative changes in the newspaper business. Circulation has declined, both daily and Sunday. Our print audience, while getting smaller is also getting older creating long term concerns for the industry. Each fact stung as he said them, even though I'd heard every one of them countless times.

But....

Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, he turned to the next slide to discuss all the reasons he still believed in newspapers. Just like those celebrity roasts on TV, after the hurtful comments, they always came back and talked about the traits that endeared the person to them. And so it was with newspapers for him.

With all the circulation loss, there was still not a single local competitor that could deliver a bigger audience than our Sunday newspaper. Only Facebook can reach a bigger audience in our market. I would bet that is the case in nearly every newspaper market.

That single fact made me smile, and yet he wasn't done. The core newspaper reader, baby boomers are big spenders with high levels of disposable income and the segment is growing. As every media outlet tries to adjust to the new norm, the newspaper industry has large audiences in both the traditional and digital platform. Who else can tout that?

For me, the best comment he made was his last. In this world of fake news and a general distrust of things you see and read online, it is the local newspaper that remains the trusted source. "You have the largest staff of professional journalists and reporters of any medium in the market, translating to high quality, trustworthy content." While he was speaking about my market with that comment, that is the case in nearly every market across the state and around the country.  Providing a safe, trustworthy platform for content - in print and online - is a valuable asset to offer the communities and advertisers we serve.

Choose your words carefully to improve the confidence your customers have in you and your products

In my local market, one of the radio stations is playing regularly a public service announcement against drunk driving. As is often the case, the PSA is very well written and certainly has got me thinking.

The obvious intent of the message is to get my thinking about the dangers of drunk driving. Point taken. But for me, the story the thirty second spot has universal application beyond that initial intent. The basis of the commercial is the narrator talking about the word "probably," calling it the least convincing word in the English language.

Probably is certainly not a power word, or one that evolks confidence. And that has got me thinking about the selection of words that move people to action, or a lack of action in some cases.

At the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, Robert E. Lee famously told a general to "take that hill, if practical." That general evidently didn't think it was practical and didn't take the hill. As a result, the next two days the Union army had the high ground and won the battle, stopping the rebel army advance through the northern states.

Word selection is critical in every facet of our lives. The battles won or lost might not be as pivotal as Pickett's Charge during the Civil War, but in the day to day of business, your sales team the choices made are still critical.

I would encourage you to spend a few minutes listening to your sales reps and see for yourself. When they role play - they are role playing as a part of training, right? - are they talking with confidence, using words to suggest they know something instead of think they know? In the case of a staff that is not doing role playing, listen to them on the phone. Are they talking with their customer, mentioning the benefits of the product and the results you (the customer) will receive, or are they focusing on themselves?

Simply things like what is the distribution of your product. For example, many sales reps will tell the customer the distribution is "about 10,000." The interjection of the "about" into that phrase makes it less exact, and can have a negative impact on the perception of the customer. If the distribution is 10,000 then the salesperson should say "it is 10,000."

Setting up training for your team on word choice is a good investment. Jonha Richman wrote for Salesforce.com a guide for the most powerful words to use in sales and marketing. Richman charts five examples that should become a guide for your team on the right frame of mind for all communication with customers. And while I've focused on the verbal form of communication, these same rules would apply to email communication as well by your sales team.

https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/2016/06/powerful-sales-and-marketing-words.html

Spend a few minutes shopping on Amazon.com and you'll see one of Richman's examples of great word choices. Amazon will try to sell you new products to increase their revenue and thus profits. It is how they do it that is noteworthy, and something your sales team could learn. Rather than saying, "Here are some products to considering buying," Amazon let's you know "We have some new recommendations for you." Simple word choices puts the focus on the buyer in a consultative approach.

Picking powerful words is likely training you've never considered doing in the past, and that could be because you didn't need to. For years, your sales staff like mine was experienced and had already developed a proven sales method with a quality vocabulary. But the job market has changed, and the new candidates you are getting likely have significantly less experience than those previously.