Give Your Clients a K.I.S.S.

“If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it.” — Albert Einstein

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with my friend Jon Latzer, SVP of Salem Surround. We were preparing for our upcoming RAB live presentation on Prospecting (March 18th. Register here). Jon was sitting in on a multi-platform proposal review not long ago — streaming, social, OTT, digital audio, events, radio, retargeting — the whole multimedia buffet.

The seller was sharp. The strategy was solid.

But fifteen minutes in, the client’s eyes told the real story: confusion.

Not resistance.
Not a lack of budget.
Just overwhelmed.

Every tactic was explained. Every metric was mentioned. Every buzzword made an appearance. But the big picture? The simple why this works for your business? It never landed.

And that’s when Einstein’s quote hit me like a brick.

In today’s complex multimedia world, the best sellers aren’t the ones who know the most platforms. They’re the ones who can make complexity feel simple. Because when things feel complicated, buyers hesitate. When things feel clear, buyers move.

Complexity doesn’t impress — clarity converts

Your clients don’t wake up thinking:
“Please explain cross-platform attribution models today.”

They wake up thinking:
“How do I get more customers this month without wasting money?”

Our job as broadcast sellers isn’t to showcase how many tools we have.
It’s to translate all that power into simple business outcomes:

• More traffic
• More leads
• More sales
• More awareness

The moment you drift into media jargon instead of business language, you create friction. And friction kills decisions.

The best sellers become translators, not technicians

Yes — the media world is more complex than ever. But that’s precisely why your value is higher than ever. Your role isn’t to dump options on the table.

Your role is to:

• Filter the noise
• Design the strategy
• Explain it so simply that a business owner can repeat it to their spouse that night

That’s mastery.

When you can boil a multi-channel plan down to:
“We’re going to reach new customers where they already spend time, reinforce your message across trusted platforms and stay in front of them until they’re ready to buy.”

Now you’re selling outcomes — not inventory.

Three clarity questions every seller should ask themselves

Before every proposal, try this:

• Can I explain this in 30 seconds without using media jargon?
  If not — it’s too complicated.
• Does every tactic clearly tie to a business goal?
  If you can’t connect it to revenue, awareness or growth — it’s noise.
• Would a nonmarketer understand why this works?
  If not — simplify again.

The irony of modern selling

The more complex the media becomes, the simpler great selling must be. Clients aren’t paying you for access to platforms. They’re paying you for clarity in chaos.

They’re paying you to say: “Let me make this easy.”

And when you do — trust rises. Decisions speed up. Budgets grow.

In a complex multimedia world, simplicity isn’t dumbing things down. It’s demonstrating actual expertise. Because anyone can make things sound complicated, but only a great seller can make powerful strategies feel clear, confident and actionable.

As Einstein reminded us — when you can explain it simply, you truly understand it. And when clients feel that understanding - they buy!

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.