Jim doyle by AJM Marketing Group LLC.

JIM DOYLE & ASSOCIATES

THE LEADERS EDGE Volume 10, Issue 30 January 31, 2014

Dear Leaders Edge Colleague, Amazing! That’s the word lots of people were using about the Sales Managers High Performance Boot Camp that wrapped up Tuesday afternoon. Boot Camp was a truly great experience for me. I loved being with 146 sales managers, GM’s, and group execs. All of our outside presenters remarked about how engaged the group was. You could feel the energy. Everyone was there ready to learn and get better. Each Boot Camp seems to have a couple of lines that resonate with lots of folks. I thought I’d share some of my favorites from this week. If you were there, these are a review. If you weren’t in Tampa, they might give you some ideas you could adapt and use. Randy Pennington kicked things off Sunday morning talking about leading change. My favorite line from Randy? “Past success proves you were right… once.” As he discussed leading organizations that change, he talked about how critical it is to be straight with people. “If we want them to succeed, we owe it to them to tell the truth.” Roxanne Emmerich, author of the NY Times bestseller, Thank God It’s Monday, is a friend of mine, so I expected her to be great. And she was. One of the favorites of our conference. She shared the ways companies create high-performing cultures. She talked about leaders as serving, and shared my favorite saying of hers (it’s been on my Facebook page forever): “Life gives to the givers and takes from the takers. The Universe has a perfect accounting system.” I love that. And my favorite line from her Monday presentation was, “If you want a great culture, excuses have to be leaving the building.” She shared her technique on confronting people who may not be buying into the vision. “I’m really excited about the progress we’re making here, but I sense you may not be buying into the changes we’re making. That’s okay – this isn’t for everyone. So here’s what I want you to do. Go home tonight and take some time to think about whether you can enthusiastically get behind what we’re doing. And let’s talk about that tomorrow.” She calls that “the conversation.” We wrapped up Tuesday with the incredibly talented Mike Rayburn. He’s one of the youngest speakers to be inducted into the Speakers Hall Of Fame and is a unique combination of humorist, guitar virtuoso, and motivational speaker. Mike challenged us with “What if?” and you could see 1

the impact of his message on the faces of the people. The two things he said that really resonated with me were when he asked, “Are you driving with the brakes on?” and “What would I need to do to be the BEST _____________?” (sales manager/husband/parent) You can watch Mike’s program with your team at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c_bd4guK38 So, lots of great ideas and inspiration. I loved it!! Thanks to those of you who were part of it, and gratitude to the companies and bosses that supported your attendance. Here’s another cool thing to read. Leadership coach and trainer, Kevin Eikenberry, had a smart blog post of what leaders can learn from Peyton Manning. If you’re a Peyton Manning fan, as I am, it’s a great read. http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/leadership/what-the-best-leaders-will-learnfrom-peyton-manning-but-most-will-ignore/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Car dealers have a language all their own. If you want to build your credibility with them, learn to speak their language. Want your team to learn more about their dealers’ language? You’ll find it in Dealer Lingo on Page 19 of the Jim Doyle & Associates book, Selling to Car Dealers! For 16 years, Jim Doyle & Associates published Auto Revenue Insights, a monthly newsletter about auto advertising strategies, used by media sales professionals across the country. Selling To Car Dealers is a compilation of the best articles from Auto Revenue Insights. From sections on “Creating Effective Dealer Ads” to “Selling Strategies” and “Selling Used,” Selling To Car Dealers is filled with tools, tips, and ideas to help AE’s deliver dramatic results for their clients in the critical automotive revenue category. The investment is miniscule - ONLY $197 for this powerful sales tool. Do you have some AE’s doing a lot of work with dealers? Suggest they spend a couple of hours with this book and watch their effectiveness grow! Click here for more information or to purchase: Selling to Car Dealers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In This Week’s Issue: 1. COO John Hannon details Three Steps To Tapping Un-Realized Potential 2. Executive Vice President Tom Ray explains Why I Hate Super Bowl

Advertising 3. Street Beat by Senior Consultant Pat Norris 4. Your Sales Meeting Will Get Better This Week If… 5. Thoughts to end your week

1. Three Steps To Tapping Un-Realized Potential From EVP & COO John Hannon Our team is still coming down from the euphoria of our Sales Managers High Performance Boot Camp. It was great seeing so many friends and client partners. The feedback consensus was three career impacting days well spent. The many positive comments are extremely satisfying and a great payoff for our multiple long weeks of preparation. If you attended our event, thank you so much for your support and confidence in our products and training. If you did not attend, we hope to see you at our next Boot Camp in January 2016! As Jim mentioned, on Tuesday Mike Rayburn entertained and inspired us all through music. www.mikerayburn.com. He suggested three points for tapping one’s un-realized potential. 1) Ask “What if?” Look at your team’s goals. If done properly, you’ve incorporated a stretch in the goals but not anything that is impossible. Now, think beyond what you have established as the current goal(s). What does that look like? Does the view give you a bit of apprehension? The only reason we limit our vision is because of our perceived capabilities. As Mike stated, “The thinking that got you to where you are now will not get you any further.” If we thought of our potential without limits, how much further beyond our goals would we go? “What if?” – everyone on your sales team perfomed at this level? Current budgets would be shattered and new revenue records would be the norm. Asking “What If?” creates a positive environment and turns problems into opportunity. But, nothing happens until you, as a leader, asks the question. 2) Write Music You Cannot Play Mike Rayburn is a self-taught guitar player. Througout his life he has been dedicated to playing music on the guitar in ways that have previously not been considered. Who would ever have thought that Bohemian Rhapsody could be played on a guitar? www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0laDUXXsSs Mike Rayburn believed it and spent over 2,000 hours mastering the song. In our world of television sales, writing music you cannot play equates to setting goals that do not exist. It takes courage to dream big. It takes a tremendous leader to get the team to buy into a big dream. Finish this sentence, “In a perfect world I would…” Doing so will establish your dream or a goal that does not exist. As a TV station manager many years ago, I can recall my amazement in hearing stories of our Evansville station manager. Year after year, this big-dreaming manager would go into the annual budget process proposing an aggressive double-digit revenue increase. After corporate gave their final number approval, the manager would go to the sales staff and say something like, “Corporate only wants a 14% increase but I know we’re capable of more. Let’s talk about how we’re going to deliver +17%!” Meanwhile, sister stations were trying to defend why their revenue increases should be less than 10%. 3

3) What will it take for you (your team) to become virtuosos – the absolute best at what you do? To get your team to do things they’ve never done, they have to start doing things they’ve never done. Is your team driving with the brakes on? As a leader, it’s up to you to establish and secure buy-in to the vision. What are the steps necessary to make your team the absolute best? Define the steps and encourage action. In my last stop, as a TV General Manager, our statement to be the best was easily defined. We committed to being the best 1) in the market; 2) in the group and 3) nationwide. Our department heads defined steps that would help us fulfill each of our commitments in order. Every employee had a business plan and goals, which rolled up into department goals. The department goals then supported the station vision and goals. The most important thing to remember is that nothing happens until YOU make the choice to be the absolute best and your team believes that under your leadership the seemingly impossible is absolutely possible. 2. Why I Hate Super Bowl Advertising From Executive Vice President Tom Ray A Clydesdale and a dog that will tug at your heartstrings. Celebrity endorsements for cars they probably don’t drive. Fantastic “how-did-they-do-that” special effects that make Hollywood gasp in awe. Ah, the spectacle of Super Bowl advertising, as big as the game itself! On Monday, we’ll watch the reports of the advertising winners and losers – who scored big and who got sacked. Let me tell you why I am not a fan of Super Bowl advertising… it sends the wrong message to our LOCAL advertisers. Local businesses watch the Super Bowl and think, “that’s the kind of advertising I want to do!” Big production, story telling, comedy. They think that Super Bowl-style creative is the way they need to advertise on TV. They’d be wrong. Local advertisers need to understand that Super Bowl advertising is done by big brands, with big branding budgets. It’s a showcase where the entertainment value is as acclaimed as any other message that the advertising may deliver. Unfortunately, that’s not how a local advertiser ultimately determines the success of their campaign. And, when is the only time the general public ever hears how much it costs to advertise on TV? Answer: The Super Bowl. And what does the average business owner now think, “Well, it costs $4 million dollars to be on TV!” A dozen years ago, I was a member of a local business person “Tip Club.” We had over 20 members from all kinds of non-competing local businesses who would get together each week and share tips and leads. At the time, I was sales manager for the local Fox affiliate and we had the Super Bowl coming up. I stood in front of this smart group of business decision makers and asked, “How much do you think it costs for a :30 commercial during the Super Bowl here in Rochester, 4

NY?” The answers I got ranged from $50,000 to $500,000. I saw looks of astonishment when I told them they could have a :30 spot in the game for $12,000 (and I would have taken $9,500!). Each time I managed a TV sales staff that had the Super Bowl to sell, I’d say, “You have the key to any office in town!” There’s not a business person out there who isn’t curious as to what it costs to be in the big game. But I also offered my words of caution. The platform is not for everybody. And most importantly, the strategy for one-time, big-event advertising is completely different from what the LOCAL advertiser needs to be doing on a consistent basis – higher frequency, have an offer, and target the core are basic principles that will deliver more consistently. Enjoy the game, enjoy the ads, just be prepared to have a conversation with your LOCAL advertiser next week when they say, “I want to do something like they did in the Super Bowl…” 3. Street Beat By Senior Consultant Pat Norris

The 2013 Auto Industry’s Biggest Winners and Losers Automotive News recently published “The Tale of the Tape,” recapping the industry’s final numbers for 2013. Here are the results: TOP 5 WINNERS AND LOSERS BASED ON BRAND SALES INCREASED OVER 2012

Winners Jaguar +41% Subaru +26% Ram +22% (Tie) Cadillac +22% (Tie) Porsche +21%

Losers Volvo ‐10% Volkswagen ‐7% (Tie) Scion ‐7% (Tie) Smart ‐7% (tie) KIA ‐4%

I think one thing the numbers spell out is that luxury cars are back in the “driver’s seat” for the first time since the recession. The stock market has been up and those with more discretionary income are feeling better about loosening up the wallet. Luxury cars were the fastest growing segment last year at over 10% growth! So what does this mean to you? I would get your team out there and talk to your “Top 5 Winner” dealers and discuss how you can help them get the great news out to the market. Create a strategic campaign that extols the news of them leading market growth with their brand (everyone wants to buy a winner) and a strong hook to draw in new prospects who may not have considered their brand before. All of these top winners have entry level brands that will work for the “Honda-ToyotaNissan-Chevy-Ford” buyer. Maybe a message could be:

“Cadillac beats BMW‐Mercedes and Lincoln in 2013 sales… get into an all new Cadillac ATS for only $379 this month… No one, but noooo one, can beat an Ajax Cadillac Deal!” Conversely, talk to your “Top 5 Loser” dealers and find out what they have planned to gain back lost market share. Is their message inconsistent; lacking a focus? Are they still not utilizing the powerful combination of broadcast and digital to drive more opportunities? Maybe a call would start something like this: “Mr/s Dealer, I saw in Automotive News that Volkswagen was off 7% this year. If you have 15 minutes I’d like to come see you to discuss your marketing needs and bring back some winning strategies. These strategies have worked great for our sister stations in other markets to help their dealers quickly gain back market share… is today or tomorrow better for me to come see you?” Drop the mouse… grab your keys. Good luck and good selling! 4. Your Sales Meeting Will Get Better This Week If…       

It’s less than 1 hour You consider standing up to lead it You have an agenda Your AE’s lead parts You share case studies You resist the temptation to beat people up It has elements of fun and applause

Your sales meeting is your #1 sales call of the week. Have a great one. 6. Thoughts to end your week Show me a guy who’s afraid to look bad, and I’ll show you a guy you can beat every time. -Lou Brock You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. -C.S. Lewis Sometimes questions are more important than answers. -Nancy Willard We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. -Mother Teresa

Have a great weekend. Sincerely,

Jim Doyle PLEASE NOTE: LEADERS EDGE IS AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP. THIS DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE FORWARDED OUTSIDE OF YOUR IMMEDIATE OFFICE. THANK YOU. ©January 2014