Words With Friends

CableFAX honored the ’12 winners of the CableFAXIES, Sales Executives of the Year, Sales Hall of Fame and Sweet 16 at the Grand Hyatt NY Tues morning. In the interest of time, CableFAX exec editor Michael Grebb challenged honorees to come up with 1-word acceptance speeches—an assignment that yielded interesting results.

 

Fittingly, one of the first 1-word speeches was “winning,” á la Charlie Sheen. AMC Nets’ Allison Clarke, our Regional Sales Person of the Year, offered “listen,” an underrated concept in her opinion, adding that listening to the marketplace and your clients is imperative. NBCU’s Alyssa Corcoran, named our PR Exec of the Year, thanked her colleagues and the industry, who are, in a word, “fun.” “Instagram, “Tumblr,” “collaborate” and “trust” also earned mentions at the podium.

 

Sales Hall of Famers were profusely thankful to their colleagues and the industry. Comcast Spotlight’s Kevin Smith said he really wished he had brought his wife with him—but unfortunately he took the advice of his son, who insisted that would be a very “uncool” thing to do. “I’m really pissed I didn’t bring my wife! I am me because of her,” he said. He also attributed his success to building relationships and advised others to cultivate theirs’. His speech ran over the 1-word limit, but Smith’s choice was “transmedia.”

Guest presenter Time Warner Cable Media’s Joan Gillman introduced AMC Nets’ Scott Collins, another Sales Hall of Famer, reminding the crowd that the honoree had managed to convince Dodge to blow up its own product in an episode of “Breaking Bad.” “Now that’s persuasion,” she said. Collins advised sales execs to “find some really good mentors… I’ve had that in [AMC Nets’] Arlene Manos.” Working in this industry is “a gift,” he added.

 

Gillman also introduced TWC Media’s own Chris Faw, who told the crowd, “you better bring your A game if you play for Joan Gillman.” ESPN’s Ed Erhardt accepted his Sales Hall of Fame honor, noting that his higher ups, like Sean Bratches, and those who work below him help him to succeed. Rounding out the morning was Bratches himself, whose best advice was taken from his high school chemistry teacher: “Be yourself—everyone else is taken.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Get the full list of winners and honorees here. Check out photos from the event here.