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THE
KAPLANS: COLUMN TWO
For those
of you who missed column one reference Stan Kaplan’s
“photographic close” please read it in my archives (#20
above
www.kentburkhart.com). Stan had many sales tales, but
one of the best was while he was manager of WIL in St.
Louis. WIL and KMOX were tied in ratings, but the time buyer
for Budweiser Beer (a local product in St. Louis) refused to
buy WIL because it broadcast with 1,000 watts while KMOX had
50,000 watts. Stan tried time and time again to convince the
buyer to buy WIL…but the buyer kept saying….”not enough
watts, Stan”. The buyer finally said, “Stan, I like you a
lot, but there is no need for you to pitch me again. You
won’t get a buy without more watts”. Stan argued, “Well, we
have the ratings”. And the buyer said again, “I want watts”.
So, Stan went to the local hardware store and bought light
bulbs…49,000 WATTS of them, and one day while the buyer was
at lunch Stan had the bulbs delivered to the buyer’s office
with a note that read “You wanted WATTS, and here they are;
I filled my end of the bargain!!! Now, you hold up your end
by calling me with an order”. Stan GOT the order that
afternoon!!!! And that ladies and gentlemen is creative
selling!!!
One more Stan sales story. We were in Las Vegas at a
convention. I had lost my watch on the trip, and was looking
for a new one in the gift shop at our Vegas hotel. The one I
wanted cost 90 bucks (a healthy dollar number in those
days), and Stan overheard me say to the sales person, “I
like it, but it is costly, and I’ll have to think about it”.
Thirty minutes later I was paged and told that I had a
package at the front desk. I retrieved the package and there
was THE WATCH.with a note from Stan stating “It has been fun
WATCHING you over the last few years”. He sold me forever
with that watch!! And I have borrowed his approach for many
of my clients with a note “It’s been fun WATCHING you, and
doing business with you this year”.
Stan married Harriett “Sis” Atlas. They met at a radio
convention in Chicago when Stan was with the aforementioned
MARS. Sis was no stranger to broadcasting. In Chicago her
father owned WBBM (sold to CBS), WIND (sold to Westinghouse)
and WJJD. She learned radio over the breakfast table. Sis
worked for CBS in Chicago and for the legendary baseball
owner Bill Veeck doing radio and television for the Chicago
White Sox.
Stan and Sis formed “Sis Radio”, and bought stations in
Charlotte (WAYS and WROQ) and Jacksonville (WAPE). They
hired excellent talent (Jay Thomas, the Greaseman and
others). They were excellent operators. I know because I WAS
THERE as their consultant. Stan often picked me up at the
Charlotte airport DRIVING his limo (I believe it was a
Mercedes Benz). I sat in the front seat with him, and
thought that it was strange to drive one’s own limo…but
everyone in Charlotte talked about Stan and his limo
(typical Stan sales/marketing) We had many operational
meetings at their home in Charlotte which frequently
featured a touch football game in their back yard, but
ALWAYS had some fabulous grilled steaks (a Stan specialty).
Stan, Sis, Pat (my wife) and I were in DC together for a
radio convention. Stan took me to the Senate and paged Teddy
Kennedy. (Stan was old friends of the Kennedy family). Teddy
bounced out of the Senate chamber to shake Stan’s hand and
talk some politics. That night, we went to dinner at Ethel
Kennedy’s house. There were many political types there…my
jaw dropped, and my mouth was wide open the entire evening.
I sat next to Ethel, and didn’t know what to talk about…so I
just kept my big mouth shut.
In the early 80’s Sis was not happy with what she observed
at the NAB; specifically, TV was running the NAB, while
radio was playing second fiddle. She got busy and became the
leader of the National Association of Radio Broadcasters (NRBA…first
known as the NAFMB…National Association of FM Broadcasters).
She assembled a Who’s Who of radio broadcasters to sit on
the board of the NRBA. These were all key independent radio
operator/owners. This board was VERY POWERFUL!!! As you
might suspect the network O and O’s declined to join the
NRBA because of their TV sisters. I was delighted when Sis
appointed me to the board, and to be chairman of the
committee to identify subjects and recruit speakers and
panelists for the annual NRBA convention (direct convention
competition to the NAB). This was right up my alley!!! Over
the years we creamed the NAB with speakers and subjects!!!
The NRBA became such a success that it actually achieved its
goal (to have a merger with the NAB that guaranteed a number
of RADIO board seats, and a President of the NAB who came
from radio.) Sis worked hard for the NRBA and was indeed a
power person in broadcasting for many years.
I could write more about this amazing duo, but I will close
with a comment about them. When I began our consulting firm
(Burkhart/Abrams) in the early 70’s they quietly made phone
calls to their friends in business who needed some
advice…urging them to hire us. They did, thanks to Stan and
Sis!!!
e-mail Kent
kent@kentburkhart.com
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