Burkhard Works:DIY Radio Test

Write A Rough Commercial.

A good Communications Strategy is more important than glitzy production.

So answer the seven questions on the Logical Analysis page. Write a one-sentence Brand Promise.

Then write a rough one-minute script about 150 words long. Imagine that you're sitting in the passenger seat of a prospect's car and have about a minute to persuade the driver to call your phone number or visit your store. Don't scream at the cars going by.

Be sure to mention your phone number and web URL several times. Tell retail prospects where your store, restaurant or place of business is located.

Select a Good Local Station.

Spend a few hours listening to several radio stations in your hometown. Note any that run advertising for your competitors or that might appeal to your prospects. News/Talk AM, Classic Rock and Classic Country appeal to older more affluent adults. Top 40, Adult Contemporary and Urban formats skew younger. Make a list of potential candidates.

Negotiate the Media Buy.

Call each station. Ask to speak to a local sales rep. Don't ask, "How much does radio cost?" Do state your exact budget and ask for the following:

Station Polishing & Production of your rough commercial. (You can voice the spot at their studios, or one of their announcers can do it.)
How many spots can the station run for your budget between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Those are the best times for Direct Response.

If you're a retailer or restaurant owner, you might want to promote a Weekend Sale from Thursday to Saturday or build dinner business from 3p to 8p weekdays.
What is the total number of Gross Impressions those spots will deliver? You should specify your Target Audience demographics: Males 25-54; Females 35-39, etc.
Your overall Target Audience CPM (Cost per Thousand). Or divide your budget by GIMPS/1000.

Compare the deals offered by different reps. Your budget might deliver only a few spots on a large station, or a lot of spots on a smaller station. It's a judgment call. All other things being equal, choose the station that offers the lowest CPM.

Record & Run.

It should take only a day or two for the station to turn your rough copy into a good commercial. The station engineers will make sure that your voice sounds good, or that their announcers deliver good crisp copy.

Pay the rep. All first time buys are Cash In Advance.

Man the Phones!

You'll get a Broadcast Log a day or two in advance showing exactly when your spot will air. If you ask people to call, most interested prospects will do so within ten or fifteen minutes. If you're a retailer, ask customers you don't recognize where they heard of you. Try to keep track of calls or "ups" each day.

If you want to close sales on the phone, you'll need a two-minute script that explains what you do and how much it costs. Try to include the gist of your Brand Promise.

Note the tone of voice of your callers. Are they impatient and Ready to Buy? Are they wary, even skeptical, and Need More Information? Keep track of all objections and "Yeah, buts..." If people who call but do NOT buy voice the same objections, you'll need to defuse those problems in future copy.

Run the Numbers.

At the end of the week, do a little simple arithmetic:

(Gross Impressions/1000) divided by total calls or retail ups = G, your Response rate.
Total tracked sales divided by calls or ups = C, your Conversion Rate.
CICO. Cash In divided into Cash Out = X, or your Media Cost per Sale.
(G x CPM) / C = X

Click the links in the right column for pointers on Radio Arithmetic.

Did Radio Work for You?

Did Radio pay out? Was X an acceptable cost of business? If so, radio can work for you. If not, why?

If you got a lot of calls, made a fair number of sales, and achieved an affordable Media Cost per Sale, call the rep. Run again.

If you got only a few calls, and fairly good conversion, you might need to improve your copy to attract MORE calls.

If you got a lot of calls, but not many sales, you may need to improve your phone technique. Conversion is King!

If call volume dropped steeply after the first day or two, your offer probably appealed to people who only needed to hear it once or twice, but your Cume Quota is probably fairly small. In the future, you might need to run on several stations.

If you got only one or two calls and no sales, then your copy, or your offer, or both just bombed. But it only cost you $500 or so.


First time Direct Response or Retail advertisers can test radio themselves for $500 to $1,000. This page shows you how to write a rough commercial, get it produced & run on a local station, track response, and estimate future profits. Follow the steps below. Click the links in the right column for details & pointers. In a couple of weeks you can answer the question, "Does radio really work?" And you'll have gained some invaluable first hand experience.
Write A Rough Commercial. A good Communications Strategy is more important than glitzy production. So answer the seven questions on the Logical Analysis page. Write a one-sentence Brand Promise. Then write a rough one-minute script about 150 words long. Imagine that you're sitting in the passenger seat of a prospect's car and have about a minute to persuade the driver to call your phone number or visit your store. Don't scream at the cars going by. Be sure to mention your phone number and web URL several times. Tell retail prospects where your store, restaurant or place of business is located. Select a Good Local Station. Spend a few hours listening to several radio stations in your hometown. Note any that run advertising for your competitors or that might appeal to your prospects. News/Talk AM, Classic Rock and Classic Country appeal to older more affluent adults. Top 40, Adult Contemporary and Urban formats skew younger. Make a list of potential candidates. Negotiate the Media Buy. Call each station. Ask to speak to a local sales rep. Don't ask, "How much does radio cost?" Do state your exact budget and ask for the following: Station Polishing & Production of your rough commercial. (You can voice the spot at their studios, or one of their announcers can do it.) How many spots can the station run for your budget between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Those are the best times for Direct Response. If you're a retailer or restaurant owner, you might want to promote a Weekend Sale from Thursday to Saturday or build dinner business from 3p to 8p weekdays. What is the total number of Gross Impressions those spots will deliver? You should specify your Target Audience demographics: Males 25-54; Females 35-39, etc. Your overall Target Audience CPM (Cost per Thousand). Or divide your budget by GIMPS/1000. Compare the deals offered by different reps. Your budget might deliver only a few spots on a large station, or a lot of spots on a smaller station. It's a judgment call. All other things being equal, choose the station that offers the lowest CPM. Record & Run. It should take only a day or two for the station to turn your rough copy into a good commercial. The station engineers will make sure that your voice sounds good, or that their announcers deliver good crisp copy. Pay the rep. All first time buys are Cash In Advance. Man the Phones! You'll get a Broadcast Log a day or two in advance showing exactly when your spot will air. If you ask people to call, most interested prospects will do so within ten or fifteen minutes. If you're a retailer, ask customers you don't recognize where they heard of you. Try to keep track of calls or "ups" each day. If you want to close sales on the phone, you'll need a two-minute script that explains what you do and how much it costs. Try to include the gist of your Brand Promise. Note the tone of voice of your callers. Are they impatient and Ready to Buy? Are they wary, even skeptical, and Need More Information? Keep track of all objections and "Yeah, buts..." If people who call but do NOT buy voice the same objections, you'll need to defuse those problems in future copy. Run the Numbers. At the end of the week, do a little simple arithmetic: (Gross Impressions/1000) divided by total calls or retail ups = G, your Response rate. Total tracked sales divided by calls or ups = C, your Conversion Rate. CICO. Cash In divided into Cash Out = X, or your Media Cost per Sale. (G x CPM) / C = X Click the links in the right column for pointers on Radio Arithmetic. Did Radio Work for You? Did Radio pay out? Was X an acceptable cost of business? If so, radio can work for you. If not, why? If you got a lot of calls, made a fair number of sales, and achieved an affordable Media Cost per Sale, call the rep. Run again. If you got only a few calls, and fairly good conversion, you might need to improve your copy to attract MORE calls. If you got a lot of calls, but not many sales, you may need to improve your phone technique. Conversion is King! If call volume dropped steeply after the first day or two, your offer probably appealed to people who only needed to hear it once or twice, but your Cume Quota is probably fairly small. In the future, you might need to run on several stations. If you got only one or two calls and no sales, then your copy, or your offer, or both just bombed. But it only cost you $500 or so.		Additional References Radio Glossary Logical Analysis... Radio Advertising Costs The Basics of D.R. Radio Station Selection Conversion is King 20 Good Commercials Brand Resistance Survey Cume Quotas GM/C=X
The techniques outlined on this page work if your budget is $500, $5,000, $50,000 or $5 Million. The more money you spend, the more attention you'll pay to nuances of strategy, execution, media negotiation, tracking, conversion and rollout costs. But, in a nutshell, everything you've just read describes How Radio Really Works!


DIY Radio Testing