At the Montana Broadcaster Association Fall Sales Clinic on September 23rd in Helena, the association presented their 2020 Manning Society Awards.
The Jim Manning Society was established in 1982 by the Greater Montana Foundation and the Montana Broadcasters Association and honors exceptional performance in local direct radio and television sales by employees of Montana broadcast stations.
The program is named in honor of Jim Manning, a long-time salesman, sales manager, friend and employee of E.B. Craney, a pioneer of the Montana broadcasting industry. As the owner of a number of Montana stations, Mr. Craney knew that good salespeople are key to the success of any radio or television enterprise.
Membership in the Society is extended to those salespeople who achieved a high level in total billing to local advertisers in the past year while employed for the entire calendar year by Montana-based stations. Salespeople qualifying for membership on the basis of their 2020 production were recognized.
Eligibility levels are set at $120,000 in sales for a single radio station; more for combo radio stations.
I don’t believe has had a member of the Jim Manning Society for at least 10 years. But we do now.
(CERTIFICATE)
In addition the Montana Broadcasters Association recognizes Top Sellers and Super Sellers. A top seller in radio or television is someone who has at least two times the sales of the base eligibility rate and a Super Seller is someone with at least three times the sales of the base eligibility rate.
There are only 15 “Top Sellers” in the entire state. Their names are listed on the Montana Broadcasters website. And there are only 4 listed as “Super Sellers”.
One of those 15 names….is our own LisaLee Cook!
(PLAQUE)
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THE SALESPEOPLE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Salespeople inducted into the Jim Manning Society for two consecutive years are eligible for the Salespeople of the Year Awards. Two cash prizes are given–$3,000 to the Salesperson of the Year-Radio and a runner-up prize of $500.
These awards recognize those salespeople generating the greatest percentage of sales increase during the second year in substantially the same local sales area and accounts listing (and at the same station) over the first, or base year.
Award winners are not necessarily those who generate the highest total dollar volume of radio or TV sales, but those who improved upon their own records by the greatest percentage.
