I am not an agency. I do not work with ad agencies except on RARE occasions. I am employed by ClearChannel Radio and focus on two specific properties in Los Angeles: KFI AM 640 and KTLK AM 1150.

Some people need to work with an ad agency. Some people should work directly with an employee of a particular media outlet, such as myself. Here’s the difference: because I am an employee of these stations, I cannot--and will not--sell you print, Google, cable, and so forth. Additionally, my job is to bring in money for the station.

An agency, on the other hand, is beholden to no one except the client. So, why would anyone work directly with a Station Rep when they could go to the marketing professionals at their ad shop of choice?

Good question. If you are already a savvy marketer, then you may not need my help. It is at this point when you can find a local sales Rep who will serve as your order taker. No one will tell you what to do and you can negotiate the rates yourself. IF this is truly your position, then you won’t need an agency, and you certainly won’t need me.

Truthfully, I don’t work well as an Order-Taker. Nine times out of ten, business people who think they know what they are doing are wrong, but too proud to accept it. Typically, a business decision-maker is just too close to his or her operation to see it objectively. So be warned: if you are a do-it-yourself advertiser, you will probably likely fail. Then you will join the ranks of all those poor “tormented souls” who jump from medium to medium, claiming, “Radio doesn’t work,” without ever stopping to assess their strategies. In other words, don’t be too proud to get some help.

“Great job Dan. Now you’ve convinced me why I should work with an ad agency.” Maybe you should, but keep reading before you make a decision. As I’ve mentioned, there can also be an advantage to working with a local Rep who knows his or her respective station--and the audience it serves--better than any media buyer.

A direct relationship with a local seller can also give you a clearer picture of radio realities. For example, an agency typically looks at all radio stations as numbers on a spreadsheet and puts an excessive amount of weight on factors like Cost Per Point. A local seller has first hand experience of what has and has not worked on his or her particular property. All stations have distinct personalities and brand images, even though they may seem identical to an agency that only looks at the numbers. Therefore, having a friend on the ground floor can prove to be an invaluable resource. Your local Rep also knows where “the bodies are buried” at the station and the details or day-parts that an agency might overlook.

But even those reasons are trite. The reason to work with a local Sales Rep, like me, is if that Rep is better at what they do than a prospective agency. I’ll put myself up against any agency around. If you compare what I can bring to the table to any agency you can think of, chances are you’ll work with me directly. All I’m looking for is the opportunity to show you what I can do for you. And if you find a Rep from another station or an ad agency who is more capable of helping your business than I am, by all means, hire them.