Selling Radio Direct with Pat Bryson.

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day in many countries, a day set aside to honor our mothers for all they have done for us. I’ve been reflecting on mine as I gathered the pink roses to decorate her grave. Pink was her favorite color. And, for the last few decades, the only way I can honor her.

But, not to be maudlin, I realized that much of my identity was shaped by the lessons my mother taught me. I also realized that these lessons were eerily similar to the lessons I strive to teach my salespeople about what they need to do to be successful in our business. Mother was a beautician for 60 years, not officially a salesperson, but, boy, was she! I learned from watching her interaction with her clientele and with life in general. These lessons have served me well. May I pass them on to you?

1. Organization: Mother had an appointment book in which she wrote all her scheduled appointments. I never saw her miss one thing because of forgetting. And, these appointments with clients were not always 9:00-5:00.
2. She met her clients when THEY needed to be met, even if it meant working late to accommodate them.
3. Discipline: She was always at work, even when she didn’t feel well. She had a job to do, and she was focused on doing it.
4. Understanding her clients: She knew more about the lives and needs of her clients than many of their relatives. She listened to them!
5. She went the extra mile: Maybe it was a bowl of soup if she thought her client was hungry. Maybe it was a jar of face cream. She always found a way to add value to her services.
6. She was always learning: Mother only had an 11th grade formal education. She grew up during the depression on a farm. She had to work. But she never stopped learning.
7. Loyalty: When I was 9 my father became a paraplegic. She cared for him at home until he died 15 years later.
8. Work hard and never give up: When I was 12, our house burned. We had very little insurance, so my mother and one man rebuilt the house, while she was working in the beauty shop and caring for my dad. Talk about extra hours!
9. Creativity: Mother was always working on some project. In her later years, she collected dolls and built a doll museum. This museum had storybook exhibits. She created them all. I’m pretty sure she would have been a carpenter in another life. In fact, she’s probably advising St. Peter on how to renovate the Pearly Gates even as we speak.
10. Laughter and the value of friendship: And she did both often and well. I remember her ability to have a good time doing anything. She made people feel good just being around her.
11. Trust in a higher power: There are times when we need a power greater than our own to help us cope. There were many times in her life when that was true. I know she felt the help of winged creatures to bear her up.

So, what did your mother teach you?

Unknowingly, mine gave me the tools to overcome obstacles, to meet challenges and to love life. She provided a living example of a great salesperson.

She remembered: It’s not about US: it’s about THEM.

Happy Selling!

Pat Bryson is an internationally known speaker and trainer specializing in training salespeople and managers. She is a regular contributor to radioinfo.

Pat has consulted stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and Central Asia. Her career has included on air, salesperson, sales manager and general manager. Since opening BBI, she has travelled extensively and has spoken at most major radio conventions on three continents.

Pat is the author of two books, “A Roadmap to Success in High Dollar Broadcast Sales” and “Successful Broadcast Sales: Thriving in Change”.

Pat has five times been named one of Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio.