Last week Billboard Insider asked Adams Outdoor CEO Kevin Gleason what’s on his mind and he said this:
It’s been an interesting journey over the past few years navigating through the impact of the Covid crisis. But the OOH industry is amazingly resilient and has emerged from this challenging environment in 2022 with one of the best years ever. One consistent hangover from the significant behavioral changes that occurred during Covid is the decrease in the number of face-to-face client meetings. Too much zoom and not enough personal client interaction. There are so many positive data points supporting OOH currently that are much better shared in person vs zoom, text or email. I’m concerned the post-Covid selling culture doesn’t understand the value of human contact and is too reliant on technology. Nothing will ever replace the energy and excitement of an OOH rep and an advertiser sitting in a room together talking about the big, bold, beautiful opportunity that awaits them in OOH.
At Adams, we are re-teaching our reps the value of personal contact. We tell them “Everything you need to know lies in the mind of the advertiser” (not their website or latest Google article) so get out of the office and go engage, have a meaningful conversation, and find out what they are thinking about when it comes to having a voice in the market. Ironically, it’s a much more enjoyable experience, more fulfilling at a human level and therefore more addictive. Don’t get me wrong, I’m on an airplane a lot less these days because of zoom, but when it really matters, I’m there in person.
The continued instability in the economy has caused a decrease in ad spending over the past few months, which makes it even more critical to foster these personal relationships. The ability to know and understand what a client is thinking as opposed to staying up at night wondering what their next media move might be is a leveraged way to do business. At Adams, that’s our secret sauce.
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So true. I often tell my AE’s that I have seen many technological advances since I began in OOH in 1982. However one thing that was true then and is still true today is that people still do business with those they trust and like! Trust, Bonding and Rapport is tough to establish via an email or text.
Our inventory is out on the street and that’s where we need to be.