We had some fun chatting with Bill Lamb, WDRB Louisville GM and VP of broadcasting at parent Block Communications. Lamb recently published his first book, called Money Follows Excellence. Its premise is, do the right thing by customers (and viewers), and the money (and ratings) will follow.
His publisher describes it thusly:
Bill Lamb’s Money Follows Excellence is sprinkled with stories and interesting examples of how the organizations he has managed and the teams he has quarterbacked have seen their quest for excellence translate, time and time again, into success, industry awards and, most importantly, personal pride and self-satisfaction in the workplace.
Lamb believes the book represents a bit of an advantage for the WDRB sales crew out in the field, as potential clients can get a feel for the station’s operating philosophy by glimpsing the book.
WDRB VP/director of sales Marti Hazel hadn’t yet read the book when we spoke late last week, but quips that she’s heard the audio book–after years of working alongside Lamb.
Hazel knows a bit about Lamb’s writing through a broadcast sales training manual he wrote years ago; she too had authored one, then was tasked with combining the best practices of both.
“I can’t figure out how he found time to write a book,” says Hazel, though the fact that Lamb is “extremely organized and extremely disciplined” certainly helped.
Hazel says she’s gotten a number of requests from advertisers for Money Follows Excellence. That Lamb is a prominent figure in Louisville, thanks in large part to his on air “Point of View” editorials, gives the book a good promotional platform.
“Everywhere we go, people stop him,” she says. “People feel like Bill speaks for them.”
Lamb says he may have a follow-up to his rookie book. “I never run out of things to say,” he says. “I enjoy the process so much.”
