Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1962)

Advertisement RALPH GUILD, 34-BROADCAST VET Executive vice president developed precedent-shattering salesmen incentive program for the Daren F. McGavren Co. At 34, Ralph Guild is a veteran of 18 years in broadcasting, beginning with his own show on KLX Oakland while still a senior at Oakland Technical High School. During the ensuing years, he worked as an on-the-air personality, station sales manager, and general manager. But attending the University of the Pacific had an important bearing on his destiny— his best friend there was a young, aggressive, dynamic redhead named Daren F. McGavren. Both worked on the campus stations. In 1948 they both went to work for KXOB (now KJOY) in their college town of Stockton, Calif., as local salesmen. After being there for two years, Guild went to WNMP Evanston as an account executive. While there he met Calla Murphy, whom he had known in Stockton. Several months later he returned to California and with him was a young lady named Calla Guild. For the next six years, Guild was with KXOA Sacramento, where by dint of his sales tenacity, he rose to national sales manager. During this time, however, he also became deeply involved with station management and in 1956 he accepted the post of general manager of KROY Sacramento. During these years, McGavren was building his rep firm and when McGavren-^Quinn became national in 1958, Guild was recruited to head the New York operation. After McGavren came to New York the following year, Guild continued to head the New York sales operations of the company, instituting precedent-setting salesmen incentive programs and molding one of the most powerful sales forces in the industry. Two years later he became vice president. With McGavren becoming more and more active in administrative affairs and new business solicitations, and with the company sales function growing by geometric bounds, the company became McGavren-Guild the end of last month. Ralph Guild Incentive plans result in high sales UNIQUE SALESMEN SELECTION GIVES STATIONS FAST, EFFECTIVE SERVICE What makes an effective, successful salesman? The Daren F. McGavren Company not only found the secret, but put it to work for their client's stations. But first you find a salesman. He must not necessarily have rep or even broadcast experience (although most do), but he must know how to sell. Because of the company's unique incentive programs under which salesmen compete only with rival firms, all McGavren men must be acceptable to their colleagues as well as management. Each salesman candidate is personally screened by each member of the staff and each recommendation or objection is heavily weighed. The result is a close-knit, compatible sales team of young, aggressive salesmen, with an average of eight years selling experience behind them. Through the continuous exploration of sales techniques — not just rating analysis techniques — and such familiarization pro grams as two weeks each year at a local station by each salesman, the McGavren sales team stays honed for peak performance and results. While getting the order is the ultimate objective of any sales force, McGavren works toward this goal by rewarding good working habits. Each month, every salesman receives a bonus for performing five basic sales steps for each station. This not only provides client stations with faster and more accurate service, but sets the salesman up for many other substantial commissions and bonuses — which amount to more than half of their total income. Each salesman strives to get the highest possible budget available for each station, because he is rewarded commensurately with the percentage of total budget he obtains. Another McGavren incentive is that salesmen receive a commission based on the percentage of closures on the stations pitched. The company also provides its men with the highest profit-sharing plan allowable by law. The results of these incentives is that McGavren salesmen earn their commissions based on results of their individual objectives. There is no bonus or commission based solely on billing. In this way, there is no internal competition for agencies — and ALL stations receive the same, hard-hitting emphasis. Under these conditions, plus a high base salary, and a company policy of never hiring men for solicitation purposes or effect, there is a very low turnover of personnel — most salesmen have tripled their income since joining the company — and those who do leave only go on to major positions. At the Daren F. McGavren Company they believe it's the only way to run a sales force — and sell! BROADCASTING, December 10, 1962 87