What’s your plan for 2021?

by | Oct 14, 2019 | Prime Time

I know the leaders who read this pretty well. Many of you are my friends and our clients. So, I can feel the reaction to my writing a headline about 2021 before many of us have been to our budget meetings for 2020. You’re thinking I’m crazy!!

I want you to spend time in the next 45 days thinking about 2021. Because the time to get ready for 2021 is sooner, rather than later. 2021 is going to be a tougher year. We all know that. Odd numbered years are frequently a challenge, and 2021 might be more challenging than ever. We’ll be post-election and quite possibly in a different economic environment. Chances are better than average that the world will be more challenging in 2021 than it is today. That means thinking about 2021 as you put together your 2020 plan makes a ton of sense.

That’s what great managers do. While many people won’t start thinking about 2021 until after the election NEXT year, great leaders are planning ahead. Realistically, this can be hard for sales managers. We’re so focused on making the quarter that taking a step back and thinking about our team two years from now is really hard. But if you start working on these things next year at this time, it will be way too late to impact a challenging 2021. So, now is the time for figuring out your 2021 plan.

How can you start today to get your team prepared for 2021? I’m a big believer in doing a SWOT exercise for your own sales staff. SWOT stands for STRENGTHS… WEAKNESSES… OPPORTUNITIES… THREATS. It’s the strategic planning technique we used in our company for over 20 years. It’s a powerful tool.

While looking at your Strengths (and trying to determine if you can build on them) is smart, I spend the most planning time looking at Weaknesses and Opportunities.

Be rigorously honest. Don’t sugarcoat your problems. And, get very specific. Your weakness list could have things on it as specific as this:

  • 2-3 members of our team are anemic at new business
  • Our new business churn is high
  • Our digital product mix isn’t giving us the margin we need
  • We have issues with production getting ads on our platforms in a timely way
  • Our new business process isn’t consistent
  • Rep A and Rep B have problems with closing
  • The average 90-day dollars closed (amount per month for first three months) is too low
  • We need _____ more AE’s to help us meet our new business goals

I encourage only having things on this list you have some ability to fix. As the DOS or GSM, you might not have the ability to fix news ratings, but what can you control?

When brainstorming a weakness area, keep asking more questions. Don’t just articulate the problem, That’s a useless exercise that isn’t leadership. Leaders aren’t victims—they work on finding the solution. Questions will help bring out solutions, so keep asking them. Why is new business churn high? Is there a relationship between churn and our smaller average order size? How can we start asking for bigger dollars? What training do our team members need in order to start asking for bigger dollar amounts that reduce churn? Do we have any team members who aren’t strong enough for the new TV business? Do we have enough sellers?

This planning exercise isn’t just about knowing the problems. It’s about digging and probing to determine what the solution might look like.

Once you and your leadership team start looking at solutions, there’s one more step. It’s better to do 2-3 things really well than to try to take on 10 things that won’t get implemented effectively. Less is more.

It’s the same thing with the work on OPPORTUNITIES. Focus on the biggies and do them well. Don’t chase crumbs. Look for opportunities to add big dollars and practice the principle of FOCUS with those as well.

I want to leave a strategic planning SWOT session with a specific plan. If you don’t have a plan, then the time you’ve spent won’t have impact. Some of the things in that plan might require a budget expenditure. That’s why doing some of this now makes sense. But frankly, most of the things on the list above can be fixed with more management focus or the courage to deal with your underperformers. Most improvement isn’t a money issue.

As leaders, most of us, quite naturally, have a short-term focus. “We need $_____ to make October.” That’s appropriate. I want you to make October. Your bosses want you to make October. Make October!!!

But October and the next couple of months are the time to take a longer view. What needs to change to give us the biggest opportunity to go into 2021 with our team in great shape? Work on that now and your job in 2021 will get a lot easier.

Read anything that makes you think? Send me a note a jim@jimdoyle.com. I love hearing from you with your comments.

Do you have Sales Managers who need to get better? I promise, we can help. We’ve designed our Sales Manager’s High Performance Boot Camp around how leaders can create a high-performance culture, recruit and retain superstars, and motivate their teams for extraordinary new business growth. A combination of real-world skills and world-class leadership and culture speakers. January 26-28, 2020 in Tampa (www.jimdoylebootcamp.com)

About Ken Marks

Ken Marks is a Senior Marketing Strategist for JDA.media

Ken has spent the last 30+ years working closely with hundreds of small and mid-sized business owners and ad agencies, helping them navigate and leverage the ever-changing media landscape of television, streaming TV, digital, and radio.

Marks began his career in radio advertising in Central Florida. He spent 15 years at Gross Communications where he became the VP/GM of the company’s radio, print, and digital divisions. He went on to manage several more stations at Cox Media Group where he hired, managed, and trained the first digital-only sales team.

Ken then spent nearly 10 years as a marketing consultant with the Hearst Corporation at WESH 2 NBC and Hearst Digital in Central Florida. He earned the company’s prestigious Eagle award three times, given to the most valuable marketing consultant in each market that achieves all goals and consistently demonstrates an expertise in digital and television marketing.

In 2013, Ken launched Marks Media Group, Inc., a marketing agency specializing in web design, SEO, SEM, traditional and digital advertising. His expertise in digital is quickly extending to the world of AI. With a working knowledge of tools like n8n, Bubble, and Zapier, his goal is to build automated workflows that make businesses and marketers more productive.

For several years, Ken and his wife Jennifer owned a successful retail franchise called “Once Upon a Child.” They also own and manage several short and long-term rental properties. Ken has a unique ability to relate to business owners and knows exactly what it is like to invest money in advertising.

Marks grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from Missouri State University. He and Jennifer reside in Orlando, Florida and have two boys and a girl (a Marine pilot in-training, a Sophomore at the University of Florida, and a beautiful 13-year-old daughter and MVP volleyball player).

When not working Ken loves to spend time with his family, boat, and fish on Lake Conway, play guitar, piano, and attempt to build just about anything.

About Brittany Tomjanovich

Brittany Tomjanovich is the Director of Client Services & Operations at JDA.media.

 Since entering the media industry in 2011, Brittany has built her career around operational excellence, strategic thinking, and a relentless focus on making systems work smarter. She thrives behind the scenes—connecting dots, refining processes, and strengthening the systems that power broadcast success.

 Her career began at WKOW, Madison’s ABC affiliate, where she quickly advanced from sales assistant to a key member of the station’s sales and programming operations. She later served as Broadcast Group Sales Coordinator at Quincy Media Inc., training support staff across 16 markets and acting as a vital liaison to executive leadership.

 Today, Brittany plays a critical role in shaping both the client experience and operational infrastructure at JDA.media. Whether optimizing internal systems or contributing to client-facing strategy, she’s valued for her creative problem-solving, sharp attention to detail, and ability to turn complex challenges into smooth, scalable solutions.

 A proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison (On Wisconsin!), Brittany lives in Blue Mounds, WI, with her husband, Tyler, and their two children, Hailey and Mason.

 A quirky, outdoorsy introvert with a creative streak and a soft spot for sasquatch, she brings a calm, curious energy to everything she takes on. Whether she’s balancing a busy family schedule, exploring the outdoors, or diving into her latest craft or home project, she’s forever in motion—finding joy in the little things along the way.

 

About Margie Chilson

Margie Chilson is a Senior Marketing Strategist for JDA.media.

Her vast experience includes over three decades in broadcast television and digital sales marketing, working in and with multiple markets and affiliations including Dallas-Fort Worth at WFAA, Denver at KUSA-KTVD, KMGH, KWGN, and as a team manager at Millennium Television Sales in Dallas.

Margie’s years as a local seller were award-winning and inspiration for her jump to JDA.media. She exceeded new business and digital goals on a consistent basis at Belo Corp, Scripps, Tribune, and TEGNA Inc. stations.

A true innovator, Margie pioneered job-sharing positions in Dallas and Denver, balancing hectic work schedules and family, paving the way for working parents with careers in media sales.

Margie is well known and respected for her diligence, drive, and new business results utilizing both linear and digital video. She embraces the changing media environment and implements ChatGPT into the creative process.

Due to her years in the business as an account executive and sales leader, she knows the station environment well and can easily relate to local sellers as well as the most senior managers.

An alum of Oklahoma State University who graduated with Honors in Journalism Advertising, Margie boasts an outstanding track record of helping business owners strategically grow their revenue through broadcast, streaming and digital solutions.

Margie and her husband Tim have been married since 1998. The couple live in Morrison, CO, a suburb of Denver. Their son, Ryan, recently graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, and their daughter, Mary, is attending Boise State University. 

In her spare time, Margie enjoys travel, hiking the picturesque Rocky Mountains, cooking, watching movies, and seeing concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

 

 

 

 

 

About Jim Stoos

Jim Stoos is SVP, Revenue Drives at JDA.media.

For over 25 years, Jim has crafted successful marketing programs for thousands of local businesses.

Jim’s expansive media experience has been filled with delivering significant advertising results utilizing broadcast, digital, cable, and radio.

His specialty is helping small-to-medium-sized businesses address sales and marketing challenges while developing game-changing strategies with real-world creative solutions.

Prior to joining JDA.media, Jim held strategic media leaderships positions such as Local Sales manager, General Manager, and Regional Vice President at broadcast television and cable companies in the Midwest.

As a RVP Jim helped launch a successful suite of digital marketing solutions for his sales division. It was here he developed a deep knowledge of how to best leverage various digital platforms and solutions.

Since joining JDA, he has used his experience, marketing knowledge, and JDA.media’s foundational marketing principles, to help sellers and media marketers develop growth campaigns. Each one having positively impacted local business owners’ success. 

Jim lives in Bettendorf, Iowa, with his sweetheart Stacy, and his two sons.

For years he has worked as a dedicated member of Iowa’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Jim was a multi-sport college athlete and today enjoys running in competitive track meets for “old guys”.

In his spare time Jim enjoys working out with his boys (both scholarship track athletes at St. Ambrose University in Davenport), fishing, camping, and riding horses with Stacy.

 

 

 

 

holly allenAbout Holly Allen

Holly Allen is a JDA.media Senior Marketing Strategist.

With over 30-years in the media industry, including five plus years as President & General Manager of FOX23 and MY41 in Tulsa, OK, Holly has developed a deep expertise in many facets of media. However, her true passion is working directly with local businesses.

Her “no box” thinking and creative mind allow her to design effective marketing strategies that drive significant results.

Holly believes the first step to helping a local business grow is to “peel back the layers”, uncovering their unique needs, goals, and opportunities. Next, she formulates and executes a thorough, well-rounded marketing plan that exceeds their expectations.

She enjoys the brainstorming process and seeing clients get enthusiastic when her strategies bring their business to unprecedented levels of success.

In addition, Holly embraces all technology, including AI, and leverages well various digital marketing extensions for her clients.

Experts say the greatest predictor of success is past success, which rings especially true with Holly’s career. She started in media at an advertising agency, moved into local broadcast sales and marketing and quickly rose through the ranks into leadership roles.

Most recently Holly founded All-en Media, LLC, where she works with local business clients in various categories, including auto, banking, and retail.

A proud graduate of Oklahoma State University, she lives in Tulsa, OK. Her daughter, Lila, attends the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and her son, Henry, a Michigan grad lives in NYC, New York.

Holly enjoys long outdoor walks and hikes, visiting with family and friends, and volunteering her time to local causes.

 

About John Hillary

John Hillary is Senior Vice President at JDA.media, where he leads national sales and strategy initiatives focused on helping media partners grow revenue through fully integrated, results-driven marketing solutions — including broadcast television, CTV/OTT, and targeted digital campaigns.

Since 2006, John has worked directly with thousands of small-to-medium-sized businesses, developing high-performing advertising strategies that consistently deliver measurable results.

His expertise spans a wide range of platforms, with a strong focus in recent years on streaming television, paid digital media, and data-driven audience targeting.

John began his media career with New Revenue Solutions (NRS) in Atlanta, GA, consulting for 25 different media outlets across the U.S. and Canada. As one of NRS Media’s lead consultants, he guided television, radio, cable, print, and digital partners in building innovative marketing programs that helped hundreds of local advertisers grow their businesses.

His success in revenue development led him to WCIU-TV in Chicago, where he served as an Account Executive, collaborating with local, regional, and national advertisers to create competitive, effective campaigns in one of the country’s largest media markets.

John joined JDA.media in 2017 as a Senior Marketing Strategist and was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2023. In his current role, he works closely with media companies, sales teams, and local business owners nationwide to generate new business opportunities through smart, modern marketing strategies that blend traditional and emerging platforms.

A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, John is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a lifelong Wolverines fan.

He lives in Roswell, Georgia, with his wife Katie and their three children, Nora, Henry and Jules.

 

 

About Billie Adkins

Billie Adkins is a Senior Marketing Strategist for JDA.media.

She is known for her sharp strategic insight and creative horsepower, creating strategies that get dramatic results for advertisers.

Decision-makers and owners value Billie’s candor, curiosity, and ability to ask the kind of provocative questions that lead to the development of distinct and effective media campaigns. Campaigns that demand attention and drive consumer action.

With over 30 years in the media industry, Billie Sue Adkins has cultivated a comprehensive professional background, holding a range of leadership and management positions in sales. Her career began in news and sports broadcasting, later expanding into key roles in station promotion and market research.

This broad foundation equipped Billie with a deep understanding of both content creation and audience engagement, as well as the operational and strategic aspects of media management.

Billie’s leadership style reflects the JDA.media philosophy: every business is unique – and so are the pathways to success.

She leverages all media platforms to drive results for local businesses. Billie ensures each campaign is optimized for format, placement, and performance. Her expertise in digital strategy allows her to fine-tune messaging, targeting, and delivery for precision results, helping businesses maximize reach, relevance, and revenue.

Billie resides in Ohio with her husband Mark and two children, Kara and Seth.  She spends her free time watching her kids play sports or traveling with her family.