PITTSBURGH, PA, September 23, 2002 - RADIO INK

Finances: Tracking $$$ Via the Matrix

September 23, 2002) – The fall budget season has arrived, which means that you've probably joined the thousands of other industry managers, trying to project 2003 revenues -- and then hit those numbers once the new year rolls around.

MatrixPlus, offered by Matrix Solutions, is an account list management tool designed to allow sales managers, account executives and other station personnel to prioritize and view accounts by client, agency, office, salesperson, category and demographic. For example: If Bill's Pot Pie Palace last year spent $25,000, and the AE anticipates that the account can be grown by 10 percent, the Matrix system provides front-end planning and tracking via a nine-cell grid that classifies the account on revenue, contribution, and growth potential. If Bill's is a "cell one," it is a high revenue account with strong growth potential, so the AE then can establish future expectations for the account. Additionally, the sales manager at any time -- end of a month, quarter, year -- can pull the report and track the billing to determine whether that account is on target for the year.

"This system is all about accountability and strategy," says D.J. Cavanaugh, vice president of sales and service for Matrix Solutions. "It's one thing to come up with the strategy; it's yet another to hold people accountable for it. From putting budgets in and forecasting and NTR projects, MatrixPlus takes what salespeople and sales management do on a daily basis and puts it under one umbrella, one tool, that's easy to use."