| Advertising, as you probably already know, is | | | | sign of a forward thinking, customer focused |
| simply one element of your overall marketing plan. | | | | sales rep. It provides valuable information that you |
| But what an important element it is. It's how | | | | as a business owner can access according to your |
| most business owners expose their business | | | | timetable. Much of the information your rep has |
| opportunity to the masses, even if those | | | | collected can be made available on this site so the |
| "masses" are in their own backyards. Traditional | | | | next time it's 3:00 am and you can't sleep, you |
| media companies such as newspapers, radio and | | | | can go to the site, download an article or two and |
| TV stations, magazines and outdoor billboard | | | | educate yourself at your own pace. |
| signage firms hire sales people to sell their | | | | 7. What guarantees are you willing to make? |
| products to the business owners in their territory. | | | | Ouch, this one hurts. If there's one question a |
| They are hired and trained to sell their product. | | | | sales rep NEVER wants to hear it's, "What |
| Let me repeat that for emphasis. They are hired | | | | guarantees will you make?" Here's one guarantee |
| and trained to sell their product. That means | | | | you need to hear. "Your ad will run as promised |
| therefore, that they are NOT hired and trained to | | | | and if for any reason we screw it up, you won't |
| sell your product or service. They are NOT | | | | have to call us...we'll make it right!" Understand this. |
| trained as marketers. They are NOT skilled copy | | | | The sales rep cannot guarantee results. The best |
| writers. They make their money selling:30 and:60 | | | | copy writer, the best photographer, layout |
| second increments of time; space in column | | | | designers, producers...they can't guarantee results |
| inches and outdoor exposure in blocks of weeks. | | | | either. But you can certainly stack the odds in |
| That is what they get paid for. Sell the time and | | | | your favour. There are countless examples of |
| space, and get paid. End of story. Poor media | | | | advertisers who have successfully gone before |
| salespeople have very skinny kids. | | | | you. I've found that many business owners don't |
| Despite these facts, I regularly see business | | | | know the purpose of the ad they're purchasing. |
| owners turning their marketing and advertising | | | | They don't articulate what the ad is supposed to |
| responsibilities over to these uneducated, | | | | do. And so they spend the money, fail to get a |
| uninterested and altogether unsympathetic | | | | response - because they don't know what to look |
| commission focused sellers. I can say these things | | | | for - and come back saying, "That ad you sold |
| because I've spent decades as one of those reps. | | | | me didn't work." |
| I started out, as do most reps, with the Yellow | | | | Read my lips. Advertising ALWAYS works. It |
| Pages being told to "go out there kid and make | | | | always does what it's supposed to. And that is...It |
| your fortune". I know what it's like for my family | | | | delivers your message. End of story. It is NOT |
| to be totally dependant on my ability to convince | | | | the media that doesn't work...it's your ad! (Don't |
| someone to buy my stuff. And I'm really, really | | | | believe me? Try this. Call your newspaper sales |
| good at it. | | | | rep and ask them to insert a one line |
| Over the decades, I've learned that media sales | | | | advertisement ANYWHERE in next weeks' paper |
| reps can only be truly successful long-term if they | | | | offering to pay $100,000.00 cold, hard cash to |
| personally take control of their education and | | | | anyone who sees the ad and brings it into the |
| development. The goal is to become a sustaining | | | | store. Go ahead, try it...I dare you. You'll find that |
| resource for their customers and/or clients. Again, | | | | newspaper you say "never works", will work |
| the training programs most media outlets offer | | | | indeed!) Carve out the time to educate yourself |
| their sales people (if they offer one at all) are | | | | how to write headlines that instantly grab the |
| unbelievably bad. According to a recently published | | | | interest of your prospect and compel them to |
| Harvard Business Review article, only 10% of the | | | | take action. Your body copy should flow in such a |
| population can be considered "learning centred". | | | | manner that it leads your engaged listener, |
| We're the ones that seek out education by | | | | viewer, or reader to a predetermined action. |
| means of classes, lectures, CDs, DVDs, books, | | | | What exactly is it that you want your prospect |
| magazines and so forth. Logically, the remaining | | | | to do? Find you online? Fill out a form or ballot? |
| 90% of the population needs to be prodded, | | | | Drop by the store? Dial a phone number? |
| cajoled and externally motivated to learn | | | | Request a free report? Visit your website? Those |
| something new on a consistent basis. That's what | | | | are the types of specific, planned outcomes you |
| sales managers are for. | | | | can aim for. |
| I'll say it again, business owners must stop handing | | | | 8. Historically, how successful have other |
| their marketing and advertising responsibilities over | | | | businesses in my category been when advertising |
| to their media sales reps and start becoming | | | | with your media? |
| accountable for the results themselves. I know | | | | If absolutely no one in your business category has |
| that as a small business owner, time is tight. | | | | ever had any success generating a specific result |
| You're overworked and often lack resources. You | | | | or outcome using the salespersons' recommended |
| wake up early in the morning and go to bed late | | | | media, what makes you think you'll fare |
| each night exhausted. But it doesn't matter. | | | | differently? I'm not saying you can't, I'm just |
| Business owners must educate themselves with | | | | saying "give me some data to support your |
| respects to marketing effectiveness and | | | | proposal!" At the very least, the question will |
| advertising strategies if they expect to generate | | | | encourage your sales rep to do some research |
| the kind of profits required to "live the good life". | | | | on your behalf. Ask your rep to find similar |
| Here are 10 questions you can ask your media | | | | advertisers in other towns, maybe even in other |
| sales rep to determine if they have made the | | | | countries that have had success. Radio stations |
| transition from a sales amateur order taker, to a | | | | and newspapers often have access to sales reps |
| "sustaining resource" - someone you can count on | | | | in different markets. Request their customers' |
| for accurate and valuable advice to help grow | | | | phone number or email address and begin a |
| your business in the years to come. | | | | conversation with them. Agree to share your |
| 1. What marketing books have you read in the | | | | findings, your personal experiences - successes |
| past 90 days? | | | | and failures - and in the process grow your own |
| Doesn't it make sense that a well read media | | | | business network. |
| sales rep could be a real advantage for you? The | | | | 9. Please take a look at my last 3 ads (or scripts) |
| local Chapters or Amazon book store is | | | | and tell me how they rank on headline, body copy |
| overflowing with excellent books on the subjects | | | | and call to action. What would you change? |
| of advertising, media and marketing. Your sales | | | | This is a test. It's another way of finding out if |
| rep needs to stay on top of the best-seller | | | | your media sales representative has ever taken |
| business charts. They need to know what is hot, | | | | the time to educate themselves on the finer |
| what is working and what strategies have fallen | | | | points of marketing and advertising. Plenty of |
| by the wayside. | | | | resources are available that will teach you how to |
| 2. How do you keep yourself up to date with the | | | | evaluate the strength of your offerings' headline, |
| changes taking place in the world of marketing? | | | | copy and call to action. I know of some copy |
| This question will help you to understand how | | | | writers who will write 20, 50 or 100 headlines |
| proactive your media sales rep really is. Encourage | | | | before they even begin to write the body copy |
| them to share magazine articles with you. What | | | | of the offer. How many headlines have you |
| seminars or conferences have they attended? | | | | written, evaluated, discarded and adopted? You |
| What do they know about the changes taking | | | | want your sales representative to help you, but |
| place in your industry? How are other businesses | | | | you don't want them making the final decision for |
| in other locations solving the challenges and | | | | you! This is your company, your product or |
| problems you face with your business in your | | | | service and no one knows more about it than |
| small town? | | | | you. I'm stunned when a client says, "I'm too |
| 3. What are the top 10 marketing books I should | | | | busy to write an ad today. You do it and I'll read |
| have in my library? | | | | it over before it goes to print (or air)." What do I |
| I know, more reading. But it's important. Ask your | | | | know about styling hair, repairing a transmission, |
| rep to provide a list of some of the best books | | | | making cheesecake or neutering your pet? Squat |
| on marketing and advertising for your personal | | | | is what. |
| library. Ask them to submit a brief book report | | | | Imagine you and I are in your jewellery store |
| and take the time to review it with them. You | | | | talking about an upcoming marketing campaign |
| should have books on copy writing, direct | | | | and a well dressed lady steps in and approaches |
| response marketing, internet marketing, basic | | | | you, obviously wanting some information. What |
| sales strategy, ad layout, marketing theory and | | | | business owner in their right mind would ask their |
| alternative marketing strategies you can | | | | media sales rep to handle the customer? "You |
| implement in your market. | | | | talk to her, I'm too busy to sell a diamond today". |
| 4. What type of ongoing marketing educational | | | | And yet that same business owner regularly asks |
| material will you provide so I can continuously | | | | their media sales rep to speak on their behalf to |
| improve my skills? | | | | hundreds if notthousands of existing and potential |
| Put the onus on your rep to provide you with | | | | customers. |
| educational material to expand your horizons. | | | | 10. How often will you be in contact with me |
| What is being done in other, totally unrelated | | | | during the next 12 months? |
| industries that you can adapt to your own? What | | | | You have a right to establish your contact |
| ideas can you beg, borrow or steal to make your | | | | schedule with your media rep. It doesn't always |
| marketing and advertising more effective? Asking | | | | have to be a face to face visit. It could be an |
| the question also forces your sales rep to begin | | | | occasional lunch meeting, a weekly email update, a |
| procuring information they can share with you. It | | | | monthly ezine or sales call, but it should be planned |
| forces them to become more aware of the | | | | with a definite outcome in mind. If a rep ever |
| world outside their office walls and encourages | | | | says, "What have you got for me today?" you |
| them to expand their own horizons. | | | | should send them packing; call their sales manager |
| 5. What information will you provide for my staff | | | | and demand a new customer focused sales |
| to improve their sales skills? | | | | representative to care for your precious account. |
| Every small business owner needs help teaching | | | | There you have it. |
| and training their staff to become more effective | | | | 10 Questions You Must Ask Your Advertising |
| sales people and better communicators. Media | | | | Sales Rep To Boost Response and Save Big |
| organizations have an inexhaustible supply of | | | | Money. |
| information available to them from supporting | | | | By now, you've probably come to realize that this |
| associations that you need to tap into. Ask your | | | | isn't easy. This is going to take time. You can't |
| rep to collect articles, course material and | | | | implement everything at once, but you should be |
| industry-specific resources to help you with your | | | | able to ask your sales rep a couple of questions |
| staff training issues. Bring your media rep in-house | | | | during future meetings together and expect them |
| and ask them to prepare a lunch time training | | | | to act upon their answers. The success of any |
| session for your staff on selling best practices. If | | | | marketing or advertising campaign you choose to |
| they won't or can't do it themselves, ask them to | | | | put in place is 100% your responsibility. As with |
| help source someone from the business | | | | every professional service provider you engage, |
| community who would be willing to do it. | | | | you should expect your media sales rep to take |
| 6. What is the name of your personal website? | | | | you seriously and provide you with the best |
| Not the media outlet site. I'm talking about your | | | | advice and assistance possible to boost response |
| sales reps personal website. Having a content rich | | | | and save big money! |
| website for their own customers and clients is the | | | | |