Yearbook of radio and television (1958)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< TV Film Looks Bright, But Salesmen Hold Key To Its Future Performance <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< IN any discussion regarding salesmen it would be unrealistic for me to look at the sales personnel situation without first sending off a salvo in tribute to those "pros" who are currently selling film at a rate far beyond early industry predictions. I have worked with, and against, the best equipped men to be found in any business. They are smart, personable, forceful, and their knowledge of the broadcasting business is farranging. I have a great admiration for my colleagues and our competition and, at the same time, an intense curiosity about who will replace them when they move into administrative work or retirement. Most of the people I know come either from broadcasting or motion pictures. They were the first in a young industry and since everyone was starting at the same time there was tolerance for mistakes and early misconceptions about the selling of television film programs. Then was then, however, and today there is a great sophistication to be found in the business of selling films for television. The men who are selling know their profession; they know their product so thoroughly they can offer it in a wide variety of appealing manners. Because the selling of film programs has become so highly developed, it is time for us to let the present take care of itself and expend some thought on the future. And in a business where there is such intense competition for the advertising dollar, the difference between success and failure will rest in the sales department. For that reason, CBS Television Film Sales has embarked on a Sales Training Program. When we look for a man to go into film sales today, we look for a man who has a proven record of success in this field. If we can't find him, rather than convert someone who has been trained to sell another product, we prefer to take a young man and train him our way. It has been CBS' notion for some time that the best executives are those who have started at an early age and have grown up with our company. Consequently, in the past few months, when we have increased our sales force 27 By JOHN F. HOWELL Gen. Sales Manager CBS Television Film Sales, Inc. per cent, half of the personnel hired have had no previous television experience. They were brought to New York for an intensive training course in the home office and then assigned to their particular offices. They are going to have a rough time of it for awhile. They will be competing in the field with salesmen who have been highly effective for many years. But if they stick with it— and I'm convinced they will— they will be among the key men in CBS Television Film Sales in the years to come. We have several goals in our training program. First, we teach the man to know his company. He meets the key executives, converses with department heads, spends time in each area of our operation. If he is transferred 3,000 miles away, and a problem arises, he knows whom to call. This is basic, but it serves two important functions. It gives the new account executive a realization of the service staff behind his line operation. Secondly, his indoctrination gives him the feeling that he is a company man, and I mean that in its finest sense. We want the new account executive to realize that he is CBS, and not simply a toiler in a remote outpost of some big New York company. Beyond that we try to instill three cardinal strengths in our account executives: 1) Know your product, 2) Know your client's problems, and 3) Solve your client's problems with our product. We at CBS Television Film Sales are bullish about the future of television film, at the national, regional, and local levels. In just a few years we have seen it grow from a business where we were offering two obscure musicals to a point where we are now offering one hour originals and the best product ever turned out in Hollywood. The growth in dollars and in the quality of our product has been fantastic. 91