Illiad’s Amanda White

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Iliad Media Group CEO Darrell Calton says his Sales Manager Amanda White exemplifies true leadership qualities found in great sales managers. “She is both a coach and a student, always seeking to learn and transfer knowledge. She leads from the front and the team rallies to her side. We are fortunate Amanda calls Iliad Media Group home.”

Amanda works for Calton in the Boise market (#86) where the company has eight radio stations in the group. She’s responsible to Supervise five direct sellers and she also works in tandem with Illiad’s agency specialists team.

Here’s our interview with our sales Manager of The Week Illiad Media Group’s Amanda White…

RADIO INK: GIVE US THE STORY OF HOW YOU GOT INTO RADIO, THEN RADIO SALES. 
Amanda: The way I got into radio was by total accident. I was studying communications in college and one of my professors happened to be part owner of two radio stations in town. He suggested I interview with his business partner for an open position and I happily obliged, thinking it would be an internship to earn credit and perhaps file paperwork while learning how the industry worked behind the scenes. However, I was very wrong. By the time my interview was over, I was hired to be an on-air talent at ZFun 106. I was terrible at first (I still have the airchecks to prove it) but after a while I got better and better. I was having a great time and actually earning a paycheck. Once I graduated from the University of Idaho, I moved to Boise, Idaho where I sought employment at various advertising agencies. One agency owner suggested I interview with Citadel Communications based on my previous radio experience. I thought it may be an opportunity to pick up my on-air talent where I’d left off. Wrong again. Their management team saw something in me and decided I should try sales instead. Thus began my journey into radio advertising sales.

RADIO INK: HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU’D BE GOOD AS AT SELLING RADIO? WHEN DID IT CLICK? 
Amanda: I didn’t! It was a whole new ballgame but my love for radio made it easier for me to be passionate about what I was selling, which I consider to be a fundamental part of any sales job. I knew that pairing local businesses with our station audiences would help them succeed, along with creative ideas, events, and promotions. I’d say it took a good two years of really hustling, making lots of mistakes, and finding my own personal sales style for it to all come together. Once it clicked, I chose to dedicate myself to being successful and haven’t looked back.

RADIO INK: WHY ARE YOU A SUCCESSFUL LEADER OF SALESPEOPLE? 
Amanda: I’ve been in the shoes of those I lead, and no matter if they’re just starting out or a veteran seller, I can understand the highs and lows they deal with on a daily basis. I’m vulnerable with them, I celebrate their wins, and truly want them to succeed. I empower them to make decisions on their own while making myself as available as

possible to help answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and problem solve. There’s a mutual respect between us and they know I have their best interests at heart, even if I have to say no sometimes. I don’t criticize them, and I give them a safe place to ask questions. I also keep an open mind to new ideas they have because they are often very good!

RADIO INK: TELL US HOW YOU SPOT A GOOD SALESPERSON? 
Amanda: I can spot a good salesperson by their outgoing personality and their hustle. Someone who is a little on the competitive side, is motivated, well spoken, and puts the customer’s needs above their own. A good salesperson knows how to make their customers feel heard and valued while providing great solutions.
RADIO INK: HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR TEAM MOTIVATED? 
Amanda: I’ve found that if you set a team goal versus an individual goal, the entire group is motivated to achieve it together. They want to make it happen. Our company culture is so outstanding that support can be found in any department. When the sales team wins, the programming team wins and vice versa. Our sellers are also very bonded and supportive of one another. If one has a bad day, the others are there to lift them up. I also think visuals are extremely important for motivation. In the new year, I plan to have our sales team build a collective vision board of sorts to place in our office to remind them of what we want to accomplish as a team in 2022.

RADIO INK: WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEW SELLERS? Amanda: You can spot a good salesperson almost everywhere if you’re looking. As consumers, we’re always engaging with employees of other businesses and the good ones really stand out. I keep an eye out for outstanding service, hustle, and customer interaction everywhere I go. I also ask members of our sales team to be on the lookout for anyone they would recommend to join our team. We are a group of smart, fun and caring people at Iliad Media Group which provides a great filter when seeking talent to join us. Reaching out to clients that I’ve got long standing relationships with can be helpful too when looking to hire. Often, they have someone in mind that might be a good fit for our team.

The KOOL eclipse party.

RADIO INK: HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF SHARP, UP ON ALL THE TRENDS AND AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION?
Amanda: Sincere there is so much great content out there, keeping up is both an individual and team effort. If anyone in our company comes across an article relative to our industry, we share it with the team. I also read industry newsletters and attend webinars. I hope to attend some bigger conferences in the near future once those start up again too.

RADIO INK: OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Amanda: There are so many things I’m proud of that have taken place over the past 18 months! I can’t just choose one! I’m proud of our small team for doing big things like breaking company records in the midst of a pandemic. I’m proud that Iliad Media Group was able to thrive during the tough times and adhere to our values of putting our customers and people first. I’m proud that we were able to find some really talented people to join our team. I’m proud that our incredible company culture stayed intact, even while working remotely for a long period of time. I’m proud of how we’ve been able to stay fluid and adapt to multiple changes. And I’m very proud of the way we do business with our customers and our community.

RADIO INK: WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR 2022? 
Amanda: I’m definitely optimistic about the upcoming year and my expectations are high. Families and companies alike are moving to our market in droves, giving us the chance to connect our listeners with even more great local businesses. We’ve been working on setting very clear goals as a sales team and determining the necessary steps to reach them in the new year. My expectation would be that our sales team will expand even more and that we continue to break sales records as we were on pace to do in 2019. We’re excited for 2022!

The KOOL gang from a community service event called Rake Up Nampa

RADIO INK: WHAT ADVICE IN THIS COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT, DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER SALES MANAGERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY? 
Amanda: Hire salespeople who do right by your customers. Doing business with integrity and honesty will always beat the competitors who don’t. Also, salespeople become successful when they feel supported and recognized for their achievements so take the time to celebrate the wins- it’s encouraging and motivating. I’ll also add that you’ll find true joy in the successes of your salespeople when you make it your top priority. Once you do that, everything else falls into place.

Congratulate Amanda for being named our final Sales Manager of The Wee for 2021 at [email protected]. Nominate your Sales Manager HERE.

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