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How do the very best advertising sales people out perform the others? Here are the 5 Secrets of the Masters of Media Selling.
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5 SecretsHow the Masters of Media Sales Win More
Businessby Daniel Ambrose, August 15, 2012
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Agenda
Introduction
Why 5 Secrets?
What are the 5 Secrets?
How to improve your ability to use the 5 Secrets?
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
My background
Advertising Sales; American Film & House Beautiful
Sales Management Hearst Magazines, Cahners, Ziff Davis
Publisher New York Times Co. -- Child
Consulting & Training Internet, Consumer magazine, B2B magazine,
Cable, Video, National, Local 140+ clients in 18 years including About.com, BZ Media,
Gulf Publishing, Hearst, iVillage, Kaboose.com, MGM, New York Magazine, Palm Springs Life, Parade, PC World, Primedia Consumer Mags., Sporting News
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
My background
Some personal experiences with Internet media: Beliefnet iVillage Kaboose Mediabistro Multimedia Digital,
Print, Samplin
g,TV,
Video
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Reprinted with permission; Harvard Business Review.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
Why 5 Secrets?
“All in favor of putting the sales staff on performance-enhancing drugs?”
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Reprinted with permission; Harvard Business Review.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
What 5 Secrets?
Sales people too often call exclusively on ‘buyers;’ not enough on the influencers who hire or direct those buyers, people who’s opinion makes a big difference in resultsProspects won’t allow you the time to ask a lot of questions until you have earned their respectSales presentations are like a bad blind date; sales people start out talking bout their medium, then finally ask what the buyers thinks of their property; ugh!Objections are not a problem, they are a requirement of successful sales interactionsIf you can’t ask for the business on the spot – because the buyer can’t give it to you – what can you ask for?
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
The Three Skill-Sets of the MastersTime and Territory Management
Get yourself to the right place at the right time with the right information to make a sale
Your Presentation; client-centric and logical Whether delivered verbally, or through a presentation, it
starts with easy agreement and proceeds through logical steps to an inescapable conclusion
Interactions Opening Probing Handling objections Closing Negotiating
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
The Five Secrets
Selling at the top
Be an expert
Use logic that is persuasive – starting with agreement
Love the objections
Ask for action you can get
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Masters of Media Selling
Draws from the most successful media sales organizations; including Ziff Davis, 13-30, Time Inc.
From the latest thinking in selling to businesses in the business environment of the 21st century.
From the most up-to-date approaches of the sales best sellers.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Masters of sales know how to get to the top executives
Too many media sales people accept the “delegation”Influence flows down, not up. Get to the top and you’ll win more business.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Even a delegating boss has an opinion
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
Start at the top and stay in touch
Your first call is always at the topWhere is your “top?”
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Reprinted with permission; Harvard Business Review.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
Do you know the top executive’s language?
“I told you to screen my calls.”
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Be an expert
You don’t have to know everything, but you must know something very well.
Case studies of success
Comparison metrics
Prepare yourself to show you understand your client’s business
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
“Marketing is in ferment as traditional advertising declines in efficacy. With buyers increasingly savvy, how can companies resist relentless commodification and distinguish themselves from rivals? An increasingly popular approach is to emphasize one’s expertise in the business, as distinct from the quality of ones product. Such competence-based marketing is especially persuasive in business-to-business relationships that involve hard-to-assess goods and services.”
Source: Harvard Business Review, 2005
You can grow your business by displaying your understanding of your customers’ business and what it takes to move the needle for them.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
In order to sell at the top, you must deliver expertise
One principle of sales is to show your prospect you have earned the ‘right’ to be in his or her office; You’ve done your homework, you
understand his or her needs, you have earned the right to be in their office.
You won’t waste their time, so they’ll take another meeting.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
What can you be an expert upon?
How things are changing in the client’s marketHow purchase decisions are made in the client’s marketHow the clients customers (your readers) are changingHow to make their advertising more effectiveHow different advertising strategies perform based on data from your media
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
How do we influence contacts to agree with our sales pitch?
I’ve tried threats, they don’t work.Successful persuasion starts with shared agreement
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
There are seven forms of influence; we use them all.
ReciprocationCommitment and consistencySocial proofLikingAuthorityScarcityInstant influence
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Client Centric Logic
Logic of the sale starts from a client need you have defined; that will lead to the media forms you propose, your properties, and to the specific package you are selling.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
The irresistible logic of advertising sales
Reach agreement on the client’s market
definition
Define how the market
makes decisions- where they
go for buying info.
Show how your property
meets interests
best
Pitch your
proposed package
as optimum impact
What is the key part of the client’s
market?
How is the
market changing?
The client highly values information on his or her market
Change creates opportunity, AND creates the ‘reason’ or ‘excuse’ to change one’s own point-of-view
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Strategic Sales Logic
Reach agreement on the client’s market
definition
Define how the market
makes decisions- where they
go for buying info.
Show how your property
meets interests
best
Pitch your
proposed package
as optimum impact
Encourage discussion & seek agreement on the details of the marketing needs definition
In a long-sales-cycle you might only cover the first two parts in early meetings
Must include key details that favor
your property
Half the conversation occurs BEFORE you mention your own property.
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
The irresistible logic of advertising sales
Reach agreement on the client’s market
definition
Define how the market
makes decisions- where they
go for buying information.
Show how your property
meets interests
best
Pitch your
proposed package
as optimum impact
Be sure to include what buyers look for in the way of editorial AND advertising
Must include key details that favor
your property
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Another way of looking at their purchase decision process is the ‘purchase funnel’
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
Aim for agreement with your assessment of how
to increase sales…
…and the client will buy your solution
that addresses that need
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Three things about presentations
We know people “don’t like” presentationsWe know that audio + visuals communicates far more powerfully than verbal onlyWe know we are supposed to ask more questions
A properly developed and delivered presentation solves these problems
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
What NOT to do with a presentation
Don’t make it self-centered Make it about their ‘problem’ & the solution you
offer
Don’t make it long Your job as a sales person is not to tell them
everything you know, but to make understanding and buying easy. That means summarizing key concepts.
Don’t read the presentation The presentation is a ‘visual aid’ not a text.
Don’t regurgitate the media kitSelling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
When you are delivering your presentation
Make it conversationalBreeze quickly through the early parts to achieve consensus but not belabor any part without invitationStop at the end of each section to probe for discussion, input, objections or agreementTry to “close” on agreement at each stage; you get an easy “yes,” followed by more important “yesses” as you approach the actual saleSelling at
the TopLogical
PersuasionLoving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Objections are your friends
There is a epidemic of “good sales calls,” that have no result, in the media sales businessIf there are no objections or difficult questions in the meeting you have not engaged the prospect
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
Too often, there are no objections, just an agreement to stay in touch. This means you have no traction in the sales process.
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
Objection handling skills start with rewarding the prospect
Whether your prospect is telling you they are too busy to see you, they are not buying your category, or your property is too expensive; this is the crucial point of engagement to make progressAcknowledge the importance of even the most trivial or obviously evasive objection to draw out more key onesKnow key probing questions to draw out the objections that will be hidden – and preventing the prospect from taking you seriously
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
Objection handling skills start with rewarding the prospect
Whether your prospect is telling you they are too busy to see you, they are not buying your category, or your property is too expensive; this is the crucial point of engagement to make progressAcknowledge the importance of even the most trivial or obviously evasive objection to draw out more key onesKnow key probing questions to draw out the objections that will be hidden – and preventing the prospect from taking you seriously
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
If you haven’t had any objections, you are not getting where you need to go
You are not calling on a decision maker…only an information gathererThey are hiding their objections because they don’t want to get in a debate, and they think the already know what they want – and it isn’t your propertyThe prospect isn’t thinking critically – or seriously – about your opportunity…just wants to get the meeting over and on to the next one with out offending youWhen they nod and smile and even say “yes,” they are saying “I know what you mean” not “I agree with you”
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
What can you “close on?”
Advancing the sale requires a commitment of time or effort or “political capital” from your prospect
They help you get an appointment with their boss or subordinate or client; or set up a group presentation
They tell you what it will take to win the business (in a detailed way beyond “give me your best price.”
They tell you about the hot-buttons that will make your proposal stand out
They agree to review a draft proposal and give you feedback in advance
Agreement to send you an RFP is not enough Requires no time or political capital from your prospect
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
National ad decisions are mostly group decisions
“Close” on getting to make a group presentation because They can see their boss
agreeing your property is good (you can’t call on their boss and tell them afterward “she liked it.”)
The boss has to show comfort; but you can catalyze that in a group meeting
You can present your special ideas to the group giving credit for them to your internal champion
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Sign up for Masters of Media Selling; October 1st and 2nd
https://www.mediapost.com/mastersofmediaselling/register/
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert
For a 10% discount for 5 Secrets Attendees use one of these codes:
MMPF67 - Day 1MKAB22 - Day 2MPMG83 - Both Days
(There's a "CODE" box at the bottom of the registration form - that's where these codes should be entered.)
© ambro.com, corp. 2012
Thank you
Visit ambro.com Web site and sign up for email newsletter
Daniel Ambroseambro.com, corp.
Media Management Consulting & Strategic Sales Training3810 Vine Maple
Eugene, OR 97405541-431-4500
Selling at the Top
Logical Persuasion
Loving the Objections
Asking for Action
Being an Expert