When attempting to sell low cost print advertising the salesperson
should keep in mind a few guidelines to be followed. Always remember
that persistence is the critical component when selling advertising
space. Develop a canned formula for the aspects of your pitch that allow
for it. Learn what to say in response to any question or challenge.
Only training, experience and practice will succeed .
1- Make sure you are speaking to a person who has the authority to spend the advertising money.That is, if you are calling an auto dealership on the phone find out immediately whom the person is that makes the advertising decisions. That question should be asked to the person who picks up the phone. You need names .
An operator or receptionist usually knows exactly who does what in the various departments of any business. It 's simple. Just ask "Who is the person who buys the advertising ?" Also, get the extension of the buyer. You will need it later.
If you cannot get through to the buyer then the next time you call you will be able to directly dial that person. Ask for the name quickly if the buyer is not available. You need to be fast before you get sent to voice mail.That saves steps later. Selling advertising is a numbers game. The more calls you make the more sales you will make.
2- If the operator transfers you to the person who buys introduce yourself quickly by first name only and whom you represent. Don't ask if they have a minute to talk. Just start talking. You can overwhelm some prospects who are too polite to hang up on you and get a pitch going. Or, they may cut you off. It's all part of the sales game. Just be polite
If you open the conversation in an interesting way you can get lucky even with a reluctant person. You can get them engaged . Plan your opening words with catchy sentences . "I've got something great to tell you " is a good opener. Who does not want to hear more after that ? I have hooked many buyers with those words just as they were about to cut me off.
You, as a salesman must also be a buyer at times. Jump at any opening the buyer gives you. You must buy enough time with your words to deliver your pitch completely. Getting an unexpected opportunity to deliver your pitch can be a major stroke of good fortune. Be prepared to pitch at all times. Intelligent give and take will enable you to move the buyer along in the process of getting them to say "YES".
Give any buyer you talk to a few fast facts about your circulation, audience, or anything you determine that is critical to the sale. Then, pause and ask for any questions the buyer may have. Do not get wordy. You only have a short window of opportunity to make your case.Then, be quiet and wait for a response. Try to be prepared with an answer to any objection or question.. You will hear them all after about 500 calls. Take notes and review them constantly. Each call made should be a learning experience .Notes are invaluable.
3- When you talk to the buyer do not talk price until the time is right. Buyers like to ask for prices quickly. Once you quote a price the game is over. The buyer can conveniently tell you they will get back to you in the future. That is usually the kiss of death when selling low priced items such as local print advertising. Talking price before you even have had a chance to present facts and information will usually spell doom to your sales efforts. You want to make your case. You are not initially selling based on cost. You are first trying to establish value.
When the buyer starts asking questions you are on the path to a sale. Answer questions in short sentences and start to try to close the sale at the same time. You will not lose the buyer once he or she is interested .The buyer is hot when the questions start coming at you.
When asked for a price respond with another question that will give you more insight into the buyers mind . A good answer is "This cannot be about the money." "We are talking about whether the advertising will work" Immediately ask "What size ad would you be interested in or what amount of circulation are you looking for?" Get that buyer engaged in what they will get for their purchase besides a bill.
Figure out what the buyers real interest is. Where has the buyer been disappointed in the past ? What is the buyers primary interest in your product ? Get into that buyers head.
You want to hit the buyers hot button or create a hot button that will give you a chance to make a sale Then, you need ready answers to anything the buyer should be told..
You, as a salesman must also be a buyer at times.You must buy enough time with your words to deliver your pitch completely. That can be hard considering it is a world of sound bites. You must be ready, Intelligent give and take will enable you to move the buyer along in the process of getting them to say "YES".
When you are in sync with the buyer and know you have what that person wants put your head down and go for the goal line. Get into your closing mode,
Then, it's time to talk about prices. Get the costs in play. Put them out there. Don't be afraid. Ask for the sale. Start closing with passion as if the buyer were getting a great opportunity. Pound at the advantages of your product in short sentences. Again, do not get wordy but keep making strong, clear selling points. Remember to keep asking for the sale whenever you can create an opening. Prepare to defend and support every price you quote. Expand the value of your product as much as possible.
The buyer may then get very serious about getting a discount. He or she is thinking about how little you will take for your product. That is the nature of selling small newspaper advertising and also selling many other inexpensive, subjective, discretionary products . Remember, advertising is a gamble and every buyer knows it. Buyers always want to gamble for low stakes at first. They may talk about the price again.
OK. Maybe you can offer a discount but only if the buyer agrees to close the deal right now in exchange for it. Shoot out a slightly lower price. Stand fast on your price and defend it until you feel the time is right to lower it again. That 's a judgement call assuming you have the discretion to negotiate .
4- If you cannot make a winning case to the buyer and are rejected then use the temporary rejection correctly. Ask the buyer when the best time to get back to them will be. Tell them you will send them an email summarizing the conversation containing your contact information.Thank the buyer for their time .
Do not start thinking that turning the buyer into a captive audience before you end the conversation will work. Stop talking about your product. It will only get you rejected the next time quickly. Accept your temporary setback graciously and make friendly small talk. Learn what you can from the attempted sale .
5- Back at the office sit down and review the conversation you had with the buyer. Look at your notes and add more thoughts. Consider any points you did not make. Practice what you would do differently if given another chance. Keep learning because the same situations come up over and over again.
It eventually gets easy to instill the things I have mentioned in your sales repertoire without even thinking. You will become smooth as butter when you have been involved in enough sales opportunities. What seems difficult now will turn into a slam dunk later..
Just keep calling, learning and selling , You will close deals and make money.
You may become a millionaire after turning yourself into a sales machine as many others have who are just like you.
Go get em..
Be persistent. Persistence trumps everything else in selling..
.
1- Make sure you are speaking to a person who has the authority to spend the advertising money.That is, if you are calling an auto dealership on the phone find out immediately whom the person is that makes the advertising decisions. That question should be asked to the person who picks up the phone. You need names .
An operator or receptionist usually knows exactly who does what in the various departments of any business. It 's simple. Just ask "Who is the person who buys the advertising ?" Also, get the extension of the buyer. You will need it later.
If you cannot get through to the buyer then the next time you call you will be able to directly dial that person. Ask for the name quickly if the buyer is not available. You need to be fast before you get sent to voice mail.That saves steps later. Selling advertising is a numbers game. The more calls you make the more sales you will make.
2- If the operator transfers you to the person who buys introduce yourself quickly by first name only and whom you represent. Don't ask if they have a minute to talk. Just start talking. You can overwhelm some prospects who are too polite to hang up on you and get a pitch going. Or, they may cut you off. It's all part of the sales game. Just be polite
If you open the conversation in an interesting way you can get lucky even with a reluctant person. You can get them engaged . Plan your opening words with catchy sentences . "I've got something great to tell you " is a good opener. Who does not want to hear more after that ? I have hooked many buyers with those words just as they were about to cut me off.
You, as a salesman must also be a buyer at times. Jump at any opening the buyer gives you. You must buy enough time with your words to deliver your pitch completely. Getting an unexpected opportunity to deliver your pitch can be a major stroke of good fortune. Be prepared to pitch at all times. Intelligent give and take will enable you to move the buyer along in the process of getting them to say "YES".
Give any buyer you talk to a few fast facts about your circulation, audience, or anything you determine that is critical to the sale. Then, pause and ask for any questions the buyer may have. Do not get wordy. You only have a short window of opportunity to make your case.Then, be quiet and wait for a response. Try to be prepared with an answer to any objection or question.. You will hear them all after about 500 calls. Take notes and review them constantly. Each call made should be a learning experience .Notes are invaluable.
3- When you talk to the buyer do not talk price until the time is right. Buyers like to ask for prices quickly. Once you quote a price the game is over. The buyer can conveniently tell you they will get back to you in the future. That is usually the kiss of death when selling low priced items such as local print advertising. Talking price before you even have had a chance to present facts and information will usually spell doom to your sales efforts. You want to make your case. You are not initially selling based on cost. You are first trying to establish value.
When the buyer starts asking questions you are on the path to a sale. Answer questions in short sentences and start to try to close the sale at the same time. You will not lose the buyer once he or she is interested .The buyer is hot when the questions start coming at you.
When asked for a price respond with another question that will give you more insight into the buyers mind . A good answer is "This cannot be about the money." "We are talking about whether the advertising will work" Immediately ask "What size ad would you be interested in or what amount of circulation are you looking for?" Get that buyer engaged in what they will get for their purchase besides a bill.
Figure out what the buyers real interest is. Where has the buyer been disappointed in the past ? What is the buyers primary interest in your product ? Get into that buyers head.
You want to hit the buyers hot button or create a hot button that will give you a chance to make a sale Then, you need ready answers to anything the buyer should be told..
You, as a salesman must also be a buyer at times.You must buy enough time with your words to deliver your pitch completely. That can be hard considering it is a world of sound bites. You must be ready, Intelligent give and take will enable you to move the buyer along in the process of getting them to say "YES".
When you are in sync with the buyer and know you have what that person wants put your head down and go for the goal line. Get into your closing mode,
Then, it's time to talk about prices. Get the costs in play. Put them out there. Don't be afraid. Ask for the sale. Start closing with passion as if the buyer were getting a great opportunity. Pound at the advantages of your product in short sentences. Again, do not get wordy but keep making strong, clear selling points. Remember to keep asking for the sale whenever you can create an opening. Prepare to defend and support every price you quote. Expand the value of your product as much as possible.
The buyer may then get very serious about getting a discount. He or she is thinking about how little you will take for your product. That is the nature of selling small newspaper advertising and also selling many other inexpensive, subjective, discretionary products . Remember, advertising is a gamble and every buyer knows it. Buyers always want to gamble for low stakes at first. They may talk about the price again.
OK. Maybe you can offer a discount but only if the buyer agrees to close the deal right now in exchange for it. Shoot out a slightly lower price. Stand fast on your price and defend it until you feel the time is right to lower it again. That 's a judgement call assuming you have the discretion to negotiate .
4- If you cannot make a winning case to the buyer and are rejected then use the temporary rejection correctly. Ask the buyer when the best time to get back to them will be. Tell them you will send them an email summarizing the conversation containing your contact information.Thank the buyer for their time .
Do not start thinking that turning the buyer into a captive audience before you end the conversation will work. Stop talking about your product. It will only get you rejected the next time quickly. Accept your temporary setback graciously and make friendly small talk. Learn what you can from the attempted sale .
5- Back at the office sit down and review the conversation you had with the buyer. Look at your notes and add more thoughts. Consider any points you did not make. Practice what you would do differently if given another chance. Keep learning because the same situations come up over and over again.
It eventually gets easy to instill the things I have mentioned in your sales repertoire without even thinking. You will become smooth as butter when you have been involved in enough sales opportunities. What seems difficult now will turn into a slam dunk later..
Just keep calling, learning and selling , You will close deals and make money.
You may become a millionaire after turning yourself into a sales machine as many others have who are just like you.
Go get em..
Be persistent. Persistence trumps everything else in selling..
.
