Tag: international media

“Also Nice to Know: What I do for a Living” – Rodric Leerling

rod-sailing — Rodric Leerling, Leerling,biz, Sales Power Provider, RefRod, CoolBrandsPeople, Sportief Westfriesland

People sometimes ask me what I do for a living. No, it’s not sailing and while refereeing is just my way of letting off steam, during weekdays I’m an all-round media sales guy and in essence a story teller.

I am passionate about media concepts in any shape or form. I am interested in people and their communication skills. Especially the tools they use to convey a message. From storytelling around the campfire to today’s social media, technology has come a long way, but people’s emotions and social interests have stayed the same. I know how to use all tools available today to tell other people’s story and get resonance.

I’ve experienced an exciting journey through the colorful media landscape since I left university in 1988. From a small media rep house to the world’s largest news magazine, working through dotcom bubbles, mediabuying and outdoor advertising on ski slopes, to my career dream of living and working in the USA. I spearheaded the concept of crowdsourcing whereby video content is collected for international brands. Developed native advertising concepts, working with social media video stars to promote brands, and currently helping a start-up in the HR sector.

Key to all this: I like to tell great sales stories. Find the right listeners and make them respond to the pitch. It could be your story. Need sales power? Call or email me. Over the years, I’ve built up a large business network in various industry sectors and use social media to sustain it with blogs, tweets and managing forums on LinkedIn.

Tell me your story and I will spread it for you.

“A Sudden Flash-back to My first Ref game” – Rodric Leerling

My first ref coaching game is on the roster for this weekend. It brings back memories of my first official game as FA ref back in the winter of 2004. I was assigned to a ref coach I never met before. We chatted in his car on our way to the U14 game. I told him had been reffing U12 games at the local club for two years so I felt quite relaxed. On top top that, I wasn’t that young anymore, I even could be these kids’ dad.

The game is still fixed in my memory after 12 years. I was in control but in second half, after the away team scored a goal, out of the blue, one home player flipped and started strangling his opponent, throwing him on the ground. I was completely taken by surprise, in kind of shock but instinctively tried to intervene. Other people jumped in too and could barely stop him from suffocating his opponent. I showed him my first red card, which made him even madder and had to be dragged off the pitch by three adults.

Because of the sudden incident I totally forgot what happened shortly before and what the re-start should be. I looked around to find my assessor and he nodded to the centre point. Of course, I totally forgot, a goal was just scored. I finished the game shortly after and walked back to my locker room. My coach predicted a knock on the door shortly after. It only took 2 minutes and, behold, there was the home coach. If we could talk about the red card. We refused to withdraw the red card despite the story of the opponent having challenged him.

I was happy I had a coach with me who helped me to look through the complex situation. Let’s hope things won’t get out of hands this bad on my first coach game. Not for me, but for the new rookie referee.

“How some Assessors kindly announce themselves” – Rodric Leerling

Rodric Leerling, Leerling.biz, RefRod, Sportief Westfriesland

It’s not quite their habit to introduce themselves. As ref you tend to recognize them though, walking around your pitch with a notebook. Making notes when you made a call, take a free-kick position or other things happening during the match.

This time, however, the assessor made himself known. While I was doing my warming-up he came to me for a chat. About the weather, my game expectations etc. and wishing me a good game. But he did gave me a stern look when I walked off the pitch, looking at my socks pulled down due the warm weather.

And then on top of that the game didn’t start as I wanted it, and normally agree with both teams: 5mins before the game I will collect you at the lockers. The away team told me they would stay on the pitch after the warming-up as it was too far to walk back. Ok, fine with me. But the home team had to change their jerseys and made the walk back just when I headed for the pitch. No brownie points for starting on time, that’s for sure.

The game was pretty fair and ended in a 1-1 draw. I only had to issue 3 yellow cards, all for shirt pulling after giving several verbal warnings. And then the assessor was there again. I made a complaint about the stupid late start and he said he would have to make a point about it in the report. But, overall, it was a very good game. He had to agree with all my decisions and thought I had full control and was clearly at ease. Which I was. No mentioning about the socks.

We will have to see the official assessor report first, but one thing I know for sure: I didn’t perform differently because of the assessor. I might keep my socks up during warming up, though. With Ref Report nr.1 in the pocket it’s a better start than last year, for sure.

“Write or die” – Rodric Leerling

Somebody explained to me recently that being found on search engines is vital for one’s business, especially when you are a sole-trader or freelancer. Make sure your name pops up easily when search is done on keywords and business terms in your sector. Or by contributing to discussions on platforms. And then also make sure the right impression is formed by writing various and regular blogs about your business, adding value to your personal brand.

For that reason, I decided to let my personal branding site Leerling.biz be overtaken by my mini-blog site on WordPress (rodricleerling.wordpress.com). It contains small blogs, mostly about my sports hobby as football referee. Intertwined with business experiences, like this one today. By always adding my slogan ‘Sales Power Provider’ in the tags (and my name, key words for the story etc.), I am now listed on page 1 of Google, along with energy power providers!

Today, another dimension in this ‘being found process’ was brought to my attention. Apparently, it’s even better to publish your blogs on LinkedIn and it’s channel dedicated for this: Pulse. Google’s ranking is simply less easy to influence than this platform, where your direct network is more present. I’m keeping an eye on this and in the meantime keep writing.

“Go forth and publish” – Rodric Leerling

My blog publishing frequency is increasing by the week. I picked up this good habit last month. Not all pieces are published and may stay in draft for a while. Maybe they can be used later after another edit round. Others are published without much further ado.

This morning I received a list of tools to stay productive throughout a business day. Very useful and most of them free to download on your phone or laptop. And not only the tools itself, but also the order in which they are presented struck me. One of the striking tips was listed as nr.2 in the morning, after meditation: writing. Just write something and clear your mind!

Followed by the usual to-do-list and collab tools for meetings, in the office or remote. A creative brainstorm when distracted in the afternoon and workout when your lungs are at their max at 5PM. Then another of my fav habits is listed: podcasts to train to listen and relax your mind. Finish the day with journaling or keeping a diary, something I have to start doing again as well. Finish the day off with a good drink (no booz tools available) and doze off for a good 9hrs sleep.

“Joke of the day” – Rodric Leerling

Always have a story to tell. Not just your elevator pitch and consequent sales story, but an anecdote or cracking joke. To elevate the atmosphere or simply get people’s attention in a different way.

I seem to have a good memory for jokes and know when to tell the right one. The one I most often tell came back in the caroussel when I saw the pope shaking hands during his visit to Mexico. My hero for this particular joke – Mr. Johnson – is eventually recognized by a total stranger on St. Peter’s Square while the pope is addressed as ‘the guy in the white dress’.

After telling jokes like this, people normally burst into laughter. They experienced an unexpected turn in a story, realized it is indeed funny, and let go of their emotions. You got their attention now, with their brains focussed on what else you have to tell. I bet they will ask you to tell another one – of these great jokes.

“A sales guy who never stops” – Rodric Leerling

It doesn’t happens very often, so it really took me by surprise. The lady I had found in my social network looked like the right person to talk to for my social media proposition. She also shared the same nationality and I tried the friendly native language approach, despite her probably English business environment.

Wrong choice, or just the wrong moment? I probably will never know, but she didn’t give me a chance and yelled at me why I called her! Well, that’s a question that can be answered in 30 seconds – the elevator pitch. Before I even could try to explain my reason and asking if she could help me find a better person, she just threw down the phone. So much for an international brand manager!

Ouch, that hurts. Of course, we sales people just start when we hear ‘no’, but I decided this time to leave it and dial another number. Just to get over it quickly and not to take it personal. The next person at the same company listened to me and suggested another colleague to talk to, who proved to be the right person. The door opened and he wanted to hear more.

I might bump into the bad-tempered brand person at my next visit. I will behave like a pro and will just tell her we have been on the phone, briefly, but maybe I should introduce myself properly this time?

Rodric Leerling

“Washington Times and Nikkei BP” – Rodric Leerling

My career in advertising sales started at a media rep house called Insight Media, with their cosy home offices in Blaricum, the Netherlands. From the start, senior owner Pieter Lindeman taught me the job of acting like the foreign publisher’s ambassador in your country. Always being available to connect the media-owner abroad with advertisers of all sizes, and their agencies, and fulfill all their questions, demands, rate requests etc. I realized this was the sector I would like to grow further and gain more experience.

From Insight Media to TIME Magazine (Benelux office Amsterdam), felt like a natural step in my career, followed a few years later by Nikkei Business Publications America (New York office). In between I gained experience during the internet bubble selling online content, worked briefly at a media agency and helped build the European sales network for an outdoor company.

After finishing the US project, I launched my own media rep house Leerling.biz and worked for several media sales projects and contracted new foreign publications like the Washington Times, Huson Media, Chatila Publishing House, Nikkei BP. Parallel to foreign media, I offered Sales Power to national media projects.

“Washington Times and Nikkei BP” – Rodric Leerling

Rodric Leerling - Sales Power Provider, CoolBrands, CBNWS, — Rodric Leerling – relaxing with Nikkei BP colleagues in Hong Kong

Ginza Scheveningen — Ginza, Tokyo – nice restaurant!

Cherry Blossom Tokyo — Tokyo celebrating Cherry Blossom