Name: Tony Mellor
Company / Division: First Radio Sales Ltd
Job title: Managing Director
Responsible for: National ad sales for 116 radio stations around the UK.
First sales job: First ‘sales' job for a Parcel Delivery Services in the North West.
First media sales job was Piccadilly Radio in Manchester in 1990
Time in media sales: 21 years
Talk us through a typical day:
Normally start the day attending our sales meetings so I have a good steer on where we are for the radio businesses we represent.
A usual day consists of meeting with agencies/clients and also plenty of travel to and from our various radio stations. I get to see lots of the UK.
What has been your biggest achieve in media sales?
Getting the opportunity to run a successful radio sales business with great people.
What has been your hardest challenge in your career?
Managing a business through a tough recession means making tough decisions and adapting quickly to a changing environment.
Who do you hold in high regard in the industry and why?
Linda Smith - Executive Chair, RAB. A brilliant business person with masses of passion for radio. She gets stuff done. And she's a great leader.
What is advice to those thinking about starting a career in media sales?
In sales, you'll be expected to ask for the business, so don't be afraid to ask for the job.
What do you look for when hiring staff?
Someone once said to me that you should hire for attitude and train for skill - I think this is really relevant to media sales.
If there is one question you wanted answering in interviews (from candidates), what is it?
"What do you think you can bring to our business that other's can't?"
What are your three tips to a successful career in media sales?
1. Your pitch will only ever be as good as the last person you told - so make sure it's the right person.
2. Don't over- promise to get the sale, it's a hard journey back from there.
3. Always try and put yourself in the client's shoes and make every proposal meet the needs of their business.
Yes or no, do you believe anyone can sell? Why?
No, you need to be able to take rejection on the chin and get on with the job.
Most people could sell £50 notes for £20, but you have to be able to move beyond price.
Finally, tell us why you love media sales?
I still learn something new every day, and the people are great.
