Paul Savka Gives Advice to a New Out of Home Sales Rep

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Paul Savka just retired after a 47 year career with Park Outdoor which included stints as a chart and lease manager, assistant manager, sales manager, general manager and most recently as VP of sales. Savka’s boss Rick Steele (EVP Market Operations) says this about Savka “In my 30+ years in media, I have worked with a lot of outstanding people.  Paul is second to none.  He is the consummate professional and someone who treated his co-workers and clients with the highest level of respect.  Paul represented our company with pride along with an inspiring passion for outdoor advertising.  Park Outdoor Advertising is a better company because of people like Paul Savka.”

Insider asked Savka to talk about what he’s learned about out of home sales.

How did you enter the out of home business?

I graduated from Bloomsburg University in 1972 with an Accounting Degree and there were absolutely no accounting jobs available in the Scranton area.  I went to Binghamton, NY, because my sister and brother lived in the area, and placed applications in IBM and Endicott Johnson, still nothing available.  It was a very bad job market at that time.  I then went to an employment agency in Scranton and they sent me to Park Outdoor Advertising to interview for a Chart & Lease Manager position.  I was told I was one of 32 candidates interviewing for the position.  I was not familiar with billboards at all and thought this would be a waste of time, but I was was the one chosen for the position.  After six months at this position, Park Outdoor let me sell part time along with doing the charting and leasing.   I soon became the number one sales person in Scranton and they asked me to sell full time, I look back and I am so happy I never found that accounting position I was in search of.  I have met so many clients I can call friends in this industry.  I couldn’t imagine having a more gratifying and satisfying career.

What was your most satisfying sale?
There were many satisfying sales in my 47 plus years in outdoor advertising, but I look back and think of the days I sat in the Coca Cola’s waiting room in Pittston, Pa. to speak to the advertising manager and was blown off time after time.  After six or seven times trying to reach out for appointments in person (I was never a proponent of setting appointments on the phone), I had become very friendly with the receptionist.  On one call back to Coca Cola, while waiting for the advertising manager to come in, she introduced me to the local manager.  We immediately connected and he purchased a bulletin in Pittston.  A few months later it grew to a #25 showing and I became involved with a New York City Advertising Agency Rep from McCann Erickson for which the account eventually evolved into a yearly #50 showing, along with a few bulletins in the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Market.  As I said, there were many satisfying sales, but this one sticks out because of the time I put into the first sale.
What advice would you give to a new out of home sales rep?
Advice to a new out of home rep just starting out?   Now with text and emails, I’ve seen many reps become lazy waiting for the phone to ring and become unsuccessful.  There is nothing like selling yourself before you sell your product.  Be a people person.  Every account, especially local accounts, are different. You need to place yourself on the other side of the desk to realize what the customer’s needs are.  You need to know in advance what the customer is selling and ask many questions.  A local owner of a business loves nothing more than to talk about his business that that he heads and how he or she wants it to grow.  Persistence plays a large part in selling.  The “No Answer” is not an option for a sales person.  Continue to call back until you gain the owner’s trust. Become a partner with him or her to make their business grow.  Again, show yourself in person, not just be a name on an email or text.
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2 Comments

  1. Cory Brown
    October 7, 2019 at 10:18 am

    Dave,
    I am in need of a certified appraiser for a AlDot condemnation case. In Alabama the appraiser has to be state certified in commercial appraisal for the opinion to be accepted into the case by the judge in the case. Does your advertiser listing allow for screening at this level or can you offer a couple of possible names of appraisers who are familiar with work in Alabama and are certified in Alabama? Many thanks in advance, Cory Brown w/ Cat Bird Media

  2. billboardinsider
    October 7, 2019 at 11:02 am

    Thanks for the email Cory. I’ve sent you an email.