My job is quite unusual. I’m a radio advertising expert who teaches copywriters how to write radio commercials — the kind of effective radio advertising that produces profitable results for the radio advertiser.

The worst thing that ever happened to the radio advertising industry occurred sometime in the last century when some well-meaning person foolishly labelled the department in charge of crafting radio commercials as “Creative.”

As a result, being “creative” is the goal of most people who produce radio advertising. They have big award ceremonies to honor the most “creative” radio commercials.

And this is the first thing you must understand:

RADIO ADVERTISING IS NOT A CREATIVE EXCERCISE; IT’S MASS SALESMANSHIP.

A commercial doesn’t exist to be creative; it exists to sell.

“Creativity” shouldn’t ever be your goal. Creativity is a tool to help you accomplish your task.

People who make their livings by harnessing their creativity never wake up in the morning thinking, “I really want to be creative today!” Instead, they wake up with a problem they need to solve:

The novelist wants to make the middle chapters move more quickly.

The playwright is struggling with the third act.

The architect is puzzling over how to achieve the client’s goals with the limited amount of available space.

So…What is a commercial that sells? How do you know when you have a commercial that sells?

Is it one that gives the sponsor’s name multiple times? That tells you the price? That lists the benefits of the product or service? That gives the advertiser’s phone number over and over again?

No. A commercial that sells is a commercial that motivates the listener to act.

To go to the car dealer and test-drive a vehicle.

To grab the phone, call, and ask for the free information.

To go to the store a take a whiff of the perfume.

A selling radio commercial is on that motivates the the listener to act.