By Jeff Ogden       

1.If 20% of a sales rep’s list makes 80% of the station's revenue, what Real Marketing Plan do you have on the table for each client next year?

2.If 80% of a sales rep’s list makes only 20% of the station's revenue, what Real Marketing Plan do you have to grow those clients into bigger budgets for next year?

3.If Production/Creative Directors are fast becoming mini agencies to their stations in their markets, where are your long-term annual or semiannual plans for either the 80 or 20 percent of the station’s client list?

4.Who are the biggest local accounts on the station and where are their production plans for ‘04?

5.What clients ARE you or are you NOT planning at least a quarter ahead for?

6.What accounts have you NOT yet taken to your Promotions/Marketing Director to plot contest production in ‘04?

7.Have you created a policy that in ‘04 the station will not take any tape dubs from another station or agency? We will shame the lesser station and go electronic only!

8.Who are the clients in your market you know are addicted to Print, Outdoor or the Paper, and where is the production plan to steal the budget with radio?

9.When did you or will you have the sales meeting to get all of the information you need from that department to make sure you get #1 through #8 done?

10.Is your ’04 goal to increase the client’s revenue through production written from the buyer’s point of view that will generate store traffic?

There isn’t an expense item on this list. You haven’t asked for more stuff or bigger stuff or more money for other stuff. I would be hard pressed to believe that any station could not pull this off with what they have on hand. I would put this up against a new production room any day. But if you really want every bell and whistle, just pull off 1 through 8 and it will become very clear to everyone, that the production department is worth as much as the morning show or the 3rd station van.