You know how in radio, you often run across people who are fun-loving, interesting, and personable?  And then there are a lot of folks who are just plain good at the business with a keen sense for how to succeed and make things work.  Trip Savery is one of those rare guys who combines both personality types.  He’s the VP/Station Manager of Greater Media’s Charlotte cluster.

Last week after we ran our post about looking out the windshield and not the rearview mirror, Trip was motivated to philosophize a bit about success and how you achieve it in the radio business.  I numbered these for reference purposes, and I’ll tell you that my favorites are 8, 13, and 21.  What about yours?

And by the way, it turned out to be 23 interesting observations – yup, Michael Jordan’s number, and one of North Carolina’s most amazing products.  Coincidence? Maybe not.

Trip, thanks for giving me a day off, and please enjoy a different POV. – FJ

Things I Have Learned

1. Dean Smith recruited men with character first, talent second and out-strategized his opponents.  Roy Williams recruits men with character first, talent second and out-works his opponents.  They are both effective strategies.
2. You cannot control what your competitors do or say, but you can provide contrast through your actions and attitude.
3. When you get a format competitor, your friends will remain your friends, and your enemies will remain your enemies.
4. People buy emotionally, but rationalize their purchases analytically.  Some are more analytical than others.  That is why there is Consumer Reports.
5. Before you can become a leader, you have to decide where you are going.
6. A twenty spot schedule that gets results for a hardware store in Rock Hill will work in PPM as well as it does in diary.
7. The smartest thing a manager can do is hire really good people, point them in the right direction and get out of their way.
8. There are a few things you can’t coach that are necessary in our business: natural curiosity, competitiveness, courage, work ethic and desire.  Hire salespeople with those attributes and you have a great chance at winning.
9. You cannot escape the limitations of your signal, your market or your people.
10. Best quote from the 2010 ACC Basketball season was by Seth Greenberg, head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies, “Carolina has McDonald’s All-Americans; our players eat at McDonald’s.”
11. Focus on meeting the client’s needs and yours will be met as a bi-product.
12. There is no better medium than radio to drive consumer behavior.  Stay focused on the customer’s desired outcome, and they will pay you for that privilege.
13. The radio business is just a bunch of used electronic equipment and people.  The asset value in radio is the people – on both sides of the microphone.
14. Call reports and structured one on ones are not necessary.  You know when people are not working, and so do they.
15. Sales will cure all your problems, and allow you to explore new opportunities.  That is an axiom to live by in all business.
16. You have to have passions and interests outside of work.
17. The goal is to train, inspire, grow and retain great people.  I think we have done a good job of that over the years.
18. The best gas prices in town are at Costco, and the food court is really quite good.
19. Most local advertising agencies justify their value through rates, but the smart ones focus on strategy and creative.
20. Treat people well on the way up, because you are going to see them on the way down.
21. I don’t care if you do your proposal on the back of a napkin, on a thirty page PowerPoint, or verbally, if you believe it will work, you will sell it.
22. It’s OK to make mistakes, just not the same one twice.
23. You never really grow up until you leave your hometown.  I left mine three years ago and have not looked back.

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Fred Jacobs

President & Founder at Jacobs Media

Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format.

Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.

In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.

Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.

Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.

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