The GM’s Role In Sales

Hank Price

A new general manager once asked me how he could tell if his sales department was doing a good job. With quite a few new GMs coming from the product side these days, I’m sure that question is on the minds of many.

My first GM’s job was at a CBS affiliate in North Carolina. The station was a strong No. 1 in those days, so I had the luxury of making a lot of mistakes — which I did. Because my background was product and marketing, it was clear that learning the ins and outs of sales would need to be a top priority.

My first clue something might be wrong came when an ACC basketball game in primetime ran with few commercials but was jammed with promos and public service announcements. The next day I asked the sales manager what had happened? He replied that it would not happen again.

Next week’s game, also in primetime, was filled with commercials, but the late news was made up of promos and public service announcements. You can see where this was going and why I eventually ended up with a new sales manager.

Over the years I’ve noticed that many new general managers simply bluff their way through sales, trying to pick up the language and processes along the way. Others think sales is a secondary priority and leave everything to the GSM. The best put in the hard work of learning the processes and understanding the details. Those willing to make that effort are always rewarded on the bottom line.

The best time to learn about sales is while you are still a department head. I’ve advised many news directors who want to be on a GM track to make their station’s sales manager their best friend. Ask questions, starting with the basics. What does a sales department do and how do they do it? What are the department’s goals and how are they achieved? Learn everything from rate structure to how to read an inventory report.

New general managers are also advised to ask questions of everyone involved with the sales process. Go to sales meetings, go on calls, visit the company’s traffic center and take any other learning opportunity. Never skate through something you don’t fully understand. Seek complete explanations.

If during lunch with an agency person you are told your station is “easy to buy,” that’s a red flag. What you want to hear is congratulations on great service along with mild complaints about how high your rates are. Also, never let a lunch end without asking if the client believes your AEs and managers are helpful with their overall marketing, not just selling the television station and your own digital products.

As you get deeper into sales, look at new business development, churn and effective selling across platforms. Sales is a metric-based enterprise, so all of these things are measured against goals. You should expect nothing less than exceeding expectations in every area.

Of course, goals will only be achievable if observable culture, comraderies and overall attitudes are positive. If the culture is great, you can further enhance it by building relationships with every manager and AE. The more comfortable they are with you, the more you will learn.

Once you start to understand the process, there are some things you can do right away. For instance, if you run a strong station and key time-period inventory is sold out, then the GSM is underpricing inventory. Money is being left on the table.

If promos do not have a fixed schedule, or if they are routinely being preempted for commercials, that’s another problem. On the other hand, if you have heavy political demand, some promos might need to be temporarily preempted for the greater good.

It takes years to master all the peculiarities of sales, but you can shortcut some of that by asking experienced general managers for advice. You might be amazed at what you will learn.

Perhaps the most important thing is to determine the strength of your general sales manager. Don’t rush to judgement either way. Once you have a good understanding of the department you will know the answer to that question.

Finally, never step on a GSM’s authority. If you find something wrong in sales, talk to the GSM, not the people involved. Also, don’t micromanage. GSMs need room to do their job.

I realize none of this is easy. Every new GM feels pressure to know everything about a station from the start. It can be hard for someone under that kind of stress to ask a department head for an education. But remember, the best general managers all had to start somewhere. If sales is your somewhere, then start now.

And never forget this: Sales performance and news performance are equally important. As a general manager, it’s your job to make sure both are performing at the highest level because both are essential to station success.

Hank Price spent 30 years leading television stations for Hearst, CBS and Gannett while concurrently building a career in executive education. He is the author of Leading Local Television and two other books.