Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Weekly Ad Sales Training

I was asked last week about weekly ad sales training. One of my clients has a veteran sales team and felt that training was no longer needed. Like everything else, sales requires practice. As professional sales people we get so busy with everything else that we forget about the basics. Chet Homes, in his bestselling book the Ultimate Sales Machines, considers weekly sales training fundamental to your success as a business. So, what can you do each week that will keep the sales team strong and not offend the sensitive nature of the veteran sales rep?

Friday, February 01, 2013

Statistics Or Bust

Let's talk a little bit about statistics. From an ad sales training perspective, I am always asked for great stat that my students can share with their clients.  I normally ask…why?

The thing about statistics is that ad sales reps love stats and very often when they hear or receive statistics they quite honestly go crazy and start emailing customers left and right. The problem with this is that very often advertisers don't want statistics, don't need statistics, and quite honestly statistics will just boggle their mind.  I think it's important for all ad sales reps to ask this question, “Will this statistic help me better explain why advertising is beneficial to their business.”  If you find that you are sharing a statistic because it helps you feel better about the case that you're making to an advertiser STOP!  Some of you might think that this is the same thing.  It is not.  If an advertiser has a question, a stat might help better explain.  But, if you are using a stat to better justify your position, you may just be adding confusion to the conversation.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Ad Sales Reps, New Years Resolutions for 2013

Each year we set new resolutions for personal and professional growth.  Here are four ideas ad sales reps may want to consider in 2013.

1.   Embrace Your Ratios:  Knowing your call to close ratios is a comforting number.   It is a number you can work from to stay on track towards your budget.  Determine for yourself how many calls you need to make to get a meeting.  Then, determine how many meeting you need to have to get to a closed deal. From there you can figure out your call to close ratios.

2.   Change Your Patterns: If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.   For changes to be of any true value, they’ve got to be lasting and consistent.  What are you doing that is not yielding you the results your desire. Perhaps you are not getting calls back from voice mails left… change the way you leave your voice mails.

Monday, December 10, 2012

e-Newsletter Revenue Ideas

Forget about making New Year’s resolutions to be richer, thinner and healthier. Start 2013 with a resolution to grow your customer base and your organization’s success. An e-Newsletter can be a great way to build a strong connection with your customers—one that makes them think of your business first when they are in need of the types of products and services you provide. The trick is delivering meaningful, easy to read content that customers want to read. Here are 20 ideas you can incorporate today to turn your e-Newsletter into a rainmaker.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Secrets To Selling Social Media, Ad Sales Training for Veteran Sales Reps

The secret to social media sales is the training of two people: the advertiser and the actual sales ad sales rep.  It is all to easy for an advertiser to say that they understand social media marketing because they post daily on Facebook.  It is equally easy for an ad sales rep to say the exact same thing.  It is through quality ad sales training that you can grow your ad sales team to social media superstar status.