How to get advertiser agreements signed clearly
Carl here. If your station is still getting advertiser agreements signed in three different ways, you are not alone. One client prints a form. Another replies to an email. A third asks for a fresh copy because the first one went to the wrong person. None of that feels dramatic on the day. It becomes a problem when a campaign is due to start and no one is quite sure what was agreed.
The best radio advertising agreement signing options are usually paper, email approval or digital signing. Each one can work. The right choice depends on the type of deal, how fast you need the answer, how clear the approval is, and how easy it will be to find the record later.
What your agreement has to do
Before choosing the signing method, be clear on the job the agreement must do. It is not just a formality. It is the bridge between a good sales conversation and a booked campaign.
A signed agreement should confirm what the advertiser is buying, when it will run, what it costs, who approved it and what happens next. If those points are not clear, the signing method will not save you. A neat digital signature on a poor agreement is still a poor agreement.
Before you ask an advertiser to sign, make sure the agreement includes the campaign name, advertiser name, contact details, station or service details, dates, spot numbers or package details, production needs, copy deadline, rate or package price, payment terms, cancellation terms if used, and any special notes agreed by sales and traffic.
Keep the wording plain. An advertiser should be able to read it quickly and know what they are accepting. If they need to ask what a line means, that is a warning sign. It slows the sale and increases the chance of a later dispute.
Also check your own signing and record keeping requirements. These can vary by station, owner, sector and adviser. If your station has rules for who can approve a deal, how long records are kept, or what counts as acceptance, follow those rules.
When paper is still good enough
Paper still has a place. It can work well for very simple deals where the advertiser is in front of you, the campaign is small, and there is little chance of the details changing.