Did it really take research at Stanford to prove Calvin Coolidge right? “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full […]
Too often media companies feel pressed to ad in free pages or free digital impressions when that is really not different from lowering the price. Media companies would be far more successful with breaking those ties, assuming they have their media priced appropriately, by offering research.
It is easy to let your eye stray from the ball that is the customer-relationship. So it was amusing to read about new research conducted by McKinsey, the famous consulting firm, demonstrating the value of emails as a marketing tool. The conclusion is that email is 40 times more valuable than social media!
How many times have you talked with a prospect when they voiced an objection and wouldn’t agree with your answer even though you answered with evidence that was logically irrefutable? Now, maybe, we know why.
Too many sales trainers take the “be like me” approach to teaching advertising sales. But there are successful advertising sales people of every size and shape, and of every personality. Successful advertising sales people, the ones who sell more then their competitors or more then their colleagues, make the extra sales because they do one or more of the 5 Secrets of Advertising Sales Masters
Recent increases in print sales for Men’s magazines show why selling print and digital through the same “hybrid” sales force can be an advantage for print publishers. We have observed that when a print campaign is won, the timing on that will be well before the digital campaign is decided. Long-ago we wrote this ad-sales tip on how to leverage that print win into digital revenue.
Sales people must seek out the objections, starting with the price objection, to make sure the prospective understands your value proposition. If your customer has a hidden price objection, thinking there are less expensive ways to accomplish what your medium offers, it is often because they don’t properly value the media you are selling. So it is critical that your sales people are trained to probe for objections and to handle objections with all the skill you can help them develop.
It might need to be said that media companies too need to be built on teamwork because when it comes to advertising sales, advertisers tend to be like sheep. The more one sales person is successful, another will find it easier to win business because other advertisers will follow.
The objective for the 10-minute sales call should be clear; to get the client to agree that there is enough interest to schedule more time. You’ll either get the extra time on the spot or get another meeting scheduled with proper time.
Consider the a famous scene from Jerry Magurie when Renee Zellweger said: “You had me at hello.” Tom Cruise had the opening right when he said “Hello, I’m looking for my wife.”
I can say with confidence that in today’s sales environment, opening your sales conversation with a show of care; preparation and knowledge of the prospects situation is what wins attention. Without attention you can’t close the sale.
