Duane Christensen

Working Fast

/ Duane Christensen

Quick story. I’m having the exterior of my house painted. They’re on Day 2. And they should finish up today. BUT… it’s gonna be HOT. Hot hot. So, when they got here this morning, I opened up the window of my office and said, “I bet you’re gonna work fast so you can be done before it gets too hot.”

And I wasn’t trying to imply to them that they should bust their ass, so my house could be finished. I was just kind of feeling bad that they were going to be stuck outside on such a wicked hot day.

But the owner, Dana, said to me…

“I hear ya, but it’s hard to work fast.”

I stopped and thought about that.

He’s a painter. He’s working on the trim today. There’s some delicate work. If he rushes… then the quality suffers.

There’s “hustle” and then there’s “rushing”. There’s a difference. If I rush through any process of creating great ads for my clients… or skip parts of the sales process… then, the end result suffers. So, yes, sometimes it’s hard to work fast… especially when you’re in the good habit of doing the best work for your customers that you can. Which ensures that some day you’ll get a referral from that happy customer.

Here’s another quote – I think I heard it in the movie “Shooter”…

“Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”

Slow doesn’t have to mean turtle-slow or sloth-slow. It can also mean “smooth-slow”. And isn’t “Smooth” something you’d like to be?

There are many times that I need to hustle. And that just means putting a little extra giddyup in my step and staying focused on my task at hand… and when that’s done, starting my next task. And the next. But I don’t rush something that shouldn’t be rushed. Because then the work suffers. When you can see the bigger picture, “smooth” and “hustle” will always bring you greater success in the long run versus just working fast just to get something off your plate.

Maybe you have employees and you wish them to work a little faster. It might not be “fast” that you want out of them. They might just need to quit with excessive “Lolly-gagging”. Or maybe they need more focus and direction. Don’t assume that faster work means more money for the company. Because if work suffers from too much “fast”… then, your customers will “smoothly” never be repeat customers.

We’ve hired our painter multiple times and referred him to others. And we’ll keep hiring him when we need his unique kind of “smoothness”.

Have a groovy day!

Duane Christensen

9 Yards Marketing

605-940-7984

duane@9yards-marketing.com

Image by Robert Balog from Pixabay

I Want My Pot Roast NOW!

/ Duane Christensen

Great success with your Radio Advertising is like a pot roast.

You’d love it if you could cook a pot roast in 10 to 20 minutes…but you’d be disappointed. You’d love it if your Radio Advertising worked at its maximum level within the first week or month you’re on the air with your radio ads…but you’ll be disappointed.

That delicious pot roast takes some time to fully cook and bring forth all of its juicy, meaty goodness. And it’s the same for your radio advertising…

Image courtesy of "-Marcus-" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “-Marcus-” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

But it’s well worth the wait when you bite into that roast. And your radio advertising will be well worth the wait when it starts getting into the minds of the listening audience (and sticking).

Let’s compare this to Direct Mail – the microwave popcorn of advertising.

Direct Mail gives you almost everything it can give you…immediately. Heck, “they” even say you’re supposed to commit to at least 4 mailings to a particular list before you can see any real results. So, why would you only do Radio for a few weeks and then abandon it when you’re disappointed?

What radio does that any Print advertising cannot do…is settle into your memory. Branding. You can become “the one” most people remember when they need what you sell. Wouldn’t that be cool? You can be “the one” people FEEL BEST ABOUT when they need what you sell. Do you know what the glorious results of that are? It means growth. It means you don’t have to put a “special offer” or discount into every ad. More profits. Better customers who value what you stand for, not people only looking for “a deal”. And that happens because of SOUND. You can stick into someone’s head with a good message faster and more sticky by using the power of Radio sound and repetition. (think Pavlov’s dogs – bell ringing)

How long is your product or service buying cycle? Which means how often to people need you? Every week? Every year? Ever 5 to 10 years? Your answer depends on how fast your advertising will work. If you’re selling mattresses, I’m going to make you a much happier advertiser with Radio versus your print advertising or Direct Mail campaign. Are you a remodeler, home builder, plumber, roofer, garage door company, farm implement dealer, furniture store, glass company? Same. Not everyone needs you today or next week or next quarter…that’s why it makes more sense to take the road to branding and getting into your prospects’ minds as one of the best, safest, most trusting place to buy from when they need you. You can’t make that happen with Direct Mail or the newspaper or a billboard.

You can’t do that with a crappy Radio message either. That’s why I focus on crafting a radio ad campaign strategy that lays the foundation for getting people to feel most comfortable with YOU…instead of any of your competitors.

So, let’s be patient and do it right with a tasty pot roast instead of settling for pop tarts or microwave popcorn. Let’s start the conversation. Give me a buzz and we can discuss your unique situation.

Side note: When you’re on the Radio…any Direct Mail piece you supplement your Radio campaign with will have more impact. Just make sure you have a bold message to share. Get noticed. People aren’t waiting patiently for your next advertisement. Every radio ad, postcard, thank-you note, etc., needs to pack a little punch.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media – Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

My work website: http://duanechristensen.townsquareinteractive.com/

If you have questions about the cost of radio advertising, which radio stations would be a good fit, or how to get started attracting more customers, don’t be afraid to ask. I like to help good businesses take a bigger slice of the Sioux Falls market.

I’m a 39-year-old ad writer, radio marketing guy, and business helper. I’ve been learning and growing at Results Radio since 1998. I’d like the chance to show you what we can do for you.

You Put Ketchup on Your Fish Sticks?

/ Duane Christensen

I was 7 years old. My sister and I were staying overnight at Aunt Jackie’s and Uncle Dave’s. But I need to give you a brief glimpse of who Dave is…before I get into the fish sticks.

Image courtesy of "Salvatore Vuono" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “Salvatore Vuono” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dave had a sprint car photography biz back then. He had a darkroom in the basement. A dark darkroom. So, every once in a while I would tag alongside him while he developed his photos. Eventually, he taught me how to develop photos in complete darkness. The steps to take, the chemicals to use, the timing, the care, the precision…everything. I thought it was pretty cool. I respected Dave. He was fun. He let me try stuff, ya know?

Dave’s a Vietnam veteran. I think he saw too much. I’d love to ask him about it sometime…but I’m not sure if he’d be up for that.

Dave built cars, raced cars, fixed cars, and adored cars. He always teased my Mom saying he wanted me to drag race. Oh…I could only imagine. I never got into racing though. Mom always said something like, “Over my dead body.” Ha.

Dave was an Air Force recruiter for a while, too. He’d send me photos of awesome jets and bombers from Abilene, Texas, and cover every inch of the back of the photo with all the specs of those planes. I was in heaven. I’d memorize every detail and hang’em on my bedroom wall.

You probably understand by now that Dave did a lot of things. He wasn’t afraid to give something a whirl. To just “go with it”. It’s a quality that works for some, and for others it scares them to death. Some of him probably rubbed off on me…except I’ve really only been dreaming about things…not DOING them. Some day, right?

So, back to the overnight stay. Aunt Jackie made fish sticks. We each had some on our plates. Then, Dave grabs the fat, glass ketchup bottle, globs a pile on his plate and proceeds to dip his fish sticks in ketchup. Immediately, I said, “You put KETCHUP on your fish sticks?!?!?!?!” …with a scrunched up face. Dave said,

“Are these YOUR fish sticks?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “Am I telling you to put ketchup on your fish sticks?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “Then, maybe you shouldn’t worry about it.”

Wow.

I’m 38 years old. And I still remember that exact moment. But why? Was it a shocking event? Was it disastrous or monumental? No. I think there’s some deep, meaningful thing there that might have changed my life just a little bit. Even if it was just steering me a degree or two back towards “the road”…it meant something. Why else would that memory be burned in my brain?

I’m thinking that I was getting to the age where I might need a few extra attitude adjustments. Or “checks” on my mouth. Is THAT moment why I’m more open-minded today? Is it part of the reason I respected my elders growing up and still do today? Or why I don’t judge as harshly as others seem to?

I don’t put all of that “education” on Uncle Dave…my parents did a heck of a job raising a kid that knows the value of hard work, love, and discipline. I’m sure it’s a series of little events from the time we’re toddlers until the day we die…that makes us who we are. I’m glad Uncle Dave participated in a few of my “little moments”.

Whether it’s in your business, your advertising, or in your life…there are things worth worrying about…and there are things that you shouldn’t be throwing such a fuss about. You may be ready to take some leaps of faith, but your friends or family are holding you back. They say it’s too risky. They say you’re a fool. They say that your advertising is too “in your face”. Are you asking THEM to do the things you want to do? Nope.

I say…let’s go ahead and put ketchup on our fish sticks!

That memory floated to the surface a few days ago and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I suppose I was meant to share it then, eh?

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls

Wouldn’t you rather be remembered… instead of a random option among your competition? I help businesses “say it better” in their advertising. Your advertising MESSAGE holds more power than any other element in the advertising “formula”. 

You’ve Bought Radio Advertising Before? Oh No.

/ Duane Christensen

You’ve advertised on the radio before. So, you know what you want. Ok. But is “what you want”…the best thing for you?

Image courtesy of "Salvatore Vuono" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “Salvatore Vuono” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sioux Falls has a ton of advertising options. You may have already “tried” a bunch of those options. You may have “tried” a bunch of different radio advertising schedules. You may even feel you’ve met nearly every advertising sales rep in the city! Wow, I hope not. That would make ME want to sell everything and move to the mountains!

Do you feel that advertising is a necessary evil? You say, “Well…let’s try another stint on the radio. Can’t hurt, right?” Then, you call up a radio station (maybe me) and ask about the rates.

Now, here’s me. I don’t know much about your business yet. And the number of radio advertising options are pretty high. It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing (if you actually plan on making your radio advertising work). Rates don’t really mean much if you’re not buying into the right plan. Or the right IDEA.

My first thought is… “Do we know what to SAY in the radio ads yet?” No. We don’t. Do I know your competitive landscape? Do I know why your customers buy from you and not the other guy down the street? No.

Image courtesy of "Master isolated images" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “Master isolated images” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Questions. I need to ask questions to offer the best solution. Not just give you a “package” that won’t work. I need to know more before I can recommend a plan for you. Would you like to draw a one-time crowd? Or would you like to become a household name in Sioux Falls? What would you like your advertising to accomplish? Why do you think you’re a big deal? Do your customers feel you’re a big deal? Would you like more of those happy customers? If I asked your customers about you…what would they tell me?

I love to work with Sioux Falls small business owners who want to make a mark. Those who want to serve their customers better than anyone else could, and those who have a goal and want to know how to reach that goal. I don’t really ever feel comfortable being an order taker. I almost always find a major flaw in someone else’s advertising plan. Those flaws could be any number of things that can sabotage a local marketing and advertising campaign. Such as the length of the ads, the competitive strategy, the message in the ads, the number of ads scheduled to air, etc.

If you’ve bought radio advertising before…I want you to forget what you’ve done before. Because if you were doing it right, you wouldn’t have stopped. You wouldn’t have called someone else. So, try your best to erase from your memory what some other advertising person has told you in the past. If you truly want to get it right this time and stop being unsure, skeptical, confused, or frustrated with your local advertising, then, we’re going to start from scratch. We’re going to have a bunch of conversations before I let you spend any money on advertising. We’ll get it right, first. We’ll have a plan. A plan that will carry the potential for good things to happen. Growth. Good word of mouth. Buzz. Increased profits.

When you’re ready, just call.

Thanks. Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

I’m kind of a big advertising nerd. And I’m confident in the power of radio when it’s done right. The spoken word is impressive when you choose words wisely. You can arrange them in a way that can be subtly persuasive, aggressively entertaining, or peacefully comforting. Let’s find the right words to use for your small business. I am a salesperson, ad writer, and marketing guy for Results Radio Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I started there in 1998 (while still a punk) answering phones and scheduling radio commercials on an old DOS program (green and black screen). Yikes. I’ve learned a heck of a lot since then.

I even published a small business advertising book in July of 2012. You can check it out here if you want >>> Take A Bigger Slice (on Amazon)

Ph: 605-940-7984

Email: duane.christensen@results-radio.com

Web: http://duanechristensen.townsquareinteractive.com/

 

 

Take A Bigger Slice, Local Advertising: You’re Doing It Wrong (Amazon book reviews)

/ Duane Christensen

Here’s the latest review on “Take a Bigger Slice”. Very niiiicccce. Thanks a bunch! …

“…BUT…if you want a CHEAP guide to not only breathing new life into your small business, but watching it thrive…buy Duane’s book NOW! Don’t misunderstand me though…’cheap’ only refers to the small price you pay for this book. The contents inside are anything but. Honestly, you could spend 50 times what Duane is asking on other so-called “small business marketing” books. Or you can just buy this one book and start making waves with your business NOW. Duane doesn’t use bloated industry jargon to try to sound like some larger-than-life guru. He’s not out to impress. He’s out to help you grow your small business. You can tell he loves what he does…and he loves helping people. Don’t hesitate to get this book. It may just end up being the best money you’ve ever spent on your business.”

Here’s a link to see some others if you’re still not convinced that 4.99 is a pretty sweet deal for this 100+ page e-book…

Take A Bigger Slice, Local Advertising: You’re Doing It Wrong book reviews

Duane Christensen

http://smallbusinessadvertisingkapow.com/

Your Customers Don’t Care About You

/ Duane Christensen

An excerpt from my book, “Take a Bigger Slice – Local Advertising: You’re Doing It Wrong”

People don’t care about you or your business. They care about their own well-being long before yours. They care about how your product or service can HELP them.

You might say, “I have customers who are LOYAL to me!” But dogs are loyal too, until you start abusing them.

Image courtesy of "Felixco, Inc." / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “Felixco, Inc.” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s really not loyalty; you just have customers who are currently happy with you. CURRENTLY. As soon as your service or product starts lacking, they’ll find somewhere else to go. Or as soon as they find a company who treats them better or gives them more value (or perceived value), they’ll switch. Your customers only care about solving a problem THEY have, or improving the quality of THEIR life. But you always have to make them feel like they received a good value – that their money was well spent.

Your marketing and advertising success depends upon loving your customers.

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls, SD

Home

You’re a Darn Good Business

/ Duane Christensen

You bet! You’re a darn good Sioux Falls business… and you take care of your customers! But you might also wish you could tell people about all those great things before they make the decision to buy from someone else.

Have you watched the singing show “The Voice”? It’s phenomenal. It kicks the living tar out of American Idol… and any other singing competition out there. In my opinion, it’s because of a few of things…

1) They pick the qualifiers based on their voice. Not their looks.

2) The coaches are sincere. They actually care about the singers. They connect with them. So, it seems very real.

3) And the stories that are told are inspiring. The best singers seem to come from some kind of adversity or some other fascinating stories. We love those. All people love a good story. We get caught up. We tear up. It’s emotional.

Which brings us to telling people about your business. Advertising. You consider “advertising” a bad word if you’ve never figured out how to do it right. Or if you haven’t found the right person to help you.

Your advertising needs to be more like “The Voice”. It’s real. It’s fairly raw. It shows the emotion. There are real connections being made. It moves audiences.

The advertising that you usually see is none of that. It’s usually fake, fluffy, and full of clichés and “safeness”. And a big, fat waste of money. We are emotional beings. That’s where great advertising can start. Arouse something in us. Make us wake up and smell the roses.

We want to connect. We want to “feel” something. We love naked TRUTH. When your advertising shares a message with the public that truly SHOWS who you are instead of just trying to tell people what you are… you can “move” audiences.

You’re a darn good business. And you take care of your customers. Don’t hide that behind something you “think” is advertising.

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

Local Branding: Part 2

/ Duane Christensen

Here’s the final piece of my branding video —

 

Did I clear anything up for you? Did I confuse you more about advertising or branding? I’d like to know. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you’d like to talk about your unique situation. Thanks!

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

 

I’m a marketing guy, ad writer, and business grower at Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls. I’m on a mission to help local businesses get more from their advertising bucks. I also wrote a  a no-nonsense book about how to take a bigger slice of market share with better advertising. It’s called “Take a Bigger Slice”.

Buying Bad Radio

/ Duane Christensen

You might think that “Radio” is “Radio”. And when you buy Radio advertising, you may feel the wise choice is to pick the station or stations with the lowest advertising rates – or find a stellar ad package where you buy 1 and get 1 free. After all, you’d be saving money, right?

Here’s the problem with buying radio ads in that fashion…

You could buy the cheapest radio ads in the world, but they’re still EXPENSIVE… if they DON’T WORK. The best way towards getting advertising results will be with the CONTENT of your ads.

Your advertising person should emphasize the unwavering importance of the strategy of your ad campaign. And about the ad itself. The message you communicate to the public will always be the biggest factor of whether your radio advertising works or doesn’t work.

The hefty portion of our training is all about writing the best ads. Not about winning awards and being creative… but focusing on being persuasive and making an impact with our clients’ ads.

Here are 3 kinds of ads, which would you rather have?

1) Cheap ads

2) Glittery and Creative ads

3) Cash-register ringing ads

That doesn’t mean you can’t also have a creative ad that gets great results. But we focus on the “results” part first. And it also doesn’t mean you’ll never find a less expensive ad that can get results. You just need to make sure that the people you’re buying radio advertising from, actually KNOW how to write a good radio advertising campaign.

Have you ever had an advertising person give you a “spec” ad before they’ve ever learned anything about you or your business? You might even think it’s clever or funny. But that “spec” ad will never hold a candle to a well-researched ad campaign where the ad rep or ad writer asked you a lot of good questions and dug deep for the “good stuff”.

Look for an advertising person who can give you a proven track record. Ask for references… and then call those references to hear what they have to say.

For example, if I moved to an unfamiliar city to open a new business. I’d want to hear from local business owners who are getting great results from their advertising. When all the ad reps started calling me, wanting me to advertise with them, I’d definitely ask for a list of their happy clients. And I encourage you to do the same right here in Sioux Falls.

So, give me a call. And ask me for my list of happy advertisers. Have a conversation with them, business owner to business owner. Ask them about what radio has done for their business and ask what I bring to the table that they really appreciate and enjoy.

Of course, I’m not perfect. I’ve had my share of failing ad campaigns. But it was usually because I wrote ads that the business owner wanted to hear and insisted upon, instead of writing ads that their potential new customers would like to hear. I’ve LEARNED from my 14 years here. I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. I’ll help you avoid “buying bad radio”.

So, when you’re ready to grow and take a bigger slice of the market… let’s get this party started!

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio / Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls

I’m a marketing guy, ad writer, and business grower. I’m on a mission to help local businesses get more from their advertising bucks. I also wrote a  a no-nonsense book about how to take a bigger slice of market share with better advertising. It’s called “Take a Bigger Slice”.

More Marketing in Sioux Falls

/ Duane Christensen

How do I explain how to market a small business in Sioux Falls?

Ummm…that’s a tough one. It’s best left for a one-on-one conversation with you. Radio might not even be the best option. Whether it IS or ISN’T, I’ll tell you. I’ll be honest with you.

Marketing is about taking a product or service and trying to make a few bucks. Marketing for YOU could be getting in front of as many people as possible to share the goodness that you can offer. OR you might offer something more niche, where only a small select group is your target audience.

RADIO will help a business most when a large portion of the population will need what you offer at some time in the future. Radio ads are like an army of tiny salespeople.  What kind of businesses would benefit from a good radio ad campaign? Plumbing and HVAC, check. Grocery stores, check. Mattress or furniture stores, check. Fitness centers, check. Restaurants, check. Even psychological services, attorneys, dentists, lawn care, landscaping, or a sewing store can benefit from radio.

There are a few businesses in which I will recommend something different though. Maybe they’re exclusively targeting people who have a combined household income of  $200, 000 or more. Then, I’d say go with Direct Mail. Or maybe you’re a one or two-person shop. You might not be able to afford a radio campaign at this time. BUT… every situation is different. We need to have that one-on-one conversation to discuss a good plan for you.

RADIO is great because it can reach a lot of people. But the best thing about radio is how you can AFFECT people with a good radio campaign. You can change perceptions. You can make people feel most comfortable with YOUR business by saying the right things in your radio ads. Don’t settle for the same old radio ad that sounds like a newspaper ad read into a microphone. It’s not gonna work.

Radio advertising done right will cause the listeners to feel good about you. When we find the right things to say in your ads, you will experience a tipping point. Meaning, there is a building up period in which your messages are starting to stick into people’s minds. You’ll know when your tipping point has arrived. You’ll feel it. Your cash register will reflect it.

So, when you’re wondering about marketing in Sioux Falls… let’s see if radio is a good fit for your business. Let’s sniff around and come up with some amazing ways to get people to love your business. If radio IS right for you, I know that I can help you achieve your tipping point and start growing like you never thought you could. It’s exciting when that happens.

And when you look back on all those years of being frustrated with local advertising… you’ll wonder why you didn’t call that Duane guy sooner.  : )  But I’ll be honest with you. If I don’t think something will work, I’m not going to let you do it. I’ll help you understand what works and what doesn’t.

Here’s to your business growth!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Advertising blog

Townsquare Media – Sioux Falls

I’m a marketing guy, ad writer, and business grower. I’m on a mission to help local businesses get more from their advertising bucks. I also wrote a  a no-nonsense book about how to take a bigger slice of market share with better advertising. It’s called “Take a Bigger Slice”.