Web Stats Can Kill A Sale

Web stats can kill an Internet sale if you do not control the message. One of the biggest problems with the Internet is one of its greatest strengths; statistics. We can give an advertiser numbers down to the smallest degree if they desire. But, is this the best way to secure and keep a long term client?

When teaching sales people I sometimes refer to the legendary book, The Art Of War. To paraphrase and to make appoint I often teach that you do not want to show your enemy your full arsenal up front. It leaves you nothing to pull out to finish the job. The same is true of statistics. Long lists of numbers are meaningless to a person that is searching for a single answer. But, the only way to know what to give the prospect is to ask. He who asks the questions is in control of the sales call. Period. I always begin by asking who the prospect is trying to reach? Then I ask them if they have any recent data to support their thoughts. The reason for this is two fold, (1) I might be able to sell them an online survey and (2) I will only present them stats that meet their given criteria. How many times has a prospect said, “Just send me your media kit.” End of call. I often say back, “I would love too, what do you want me to include in the kit? We customize each media kit to each client. If I know what your goals and budget are, I can send you a much better media kit with a proposal that will not waste your time. We have thousands of pieces of information.” Many sales people overwhelm prospects with data that either (a) the sales person feels is important or (b) makes their job easier. It has been proven time and time again that customized sales proposal and customized media kits win the sale hands down. Using statistics in a meaningful way can help you win the sale.

So, you have won the sale. Good job. Watch out, here come the performance stats from your online ad delivery system. Oh my, more stats. What do you do with all the client stats? The blind answer is forward them to the client. To use another military term, SHOCK AND AWE them into submission. Overwhelm them with data and maybe they will say, “Oh my, this must be working if I am getting back this much data!” You could not be more wrong! I have been selling the Internet since 1996 and I have not ever found one instance where that was the case. I encourage sales people to not send out the full stats report. Now, many agencies will require that, but we all know that agencies are much smarter than the rest of us, so give them what they want. (wink) Instead, I encourage sales people to read and digest the stats. Then, prepare a short, brief custom report for your client. You need to explain the data to the client. If the data is bad you might have a lot of explaining to do. Never assume that even the most astute client will understand the reports that are kicked out by your online ad delivery system. In addition, watch the reports for poor performance. I often encourage a client to run multiple campaigns so that we can gauge which one is working best. Pull down the bad performers.

So, it’s time to renew, use those same stats to renew the sale. You know have POP, Proof of Performance. There is nothing sweeter than being able to prove your right. Ask my wife. Kidding.

Detailed performance statistics are one thing that print media can not offer. If you want to focus on one big difference between print and Web, that is it in a nut shell. But, if you are not careful, statistics can kill a sale in many ways. Never forget, Statistics are only as good as their accuracy and their interpretation. Be proactive so your sale does not get lost in translation.

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The views of Ryan Dohrn are 100% personal in nature and do not represent the views of his employer, any other person, company or entity in any way. Any similarly is coincidental in nature.