12 Steps of a Media Sale! 1. Always tell the truth even if I loose the sale.
2. Always do what is best for the client even if I loose the sale.
3. Always be myself because people can spot a phony a mile away.
4. Never be afraid to fire a client if necessary.
I also learned there are steps you must take to make a media sale. It is like climbing stairs to get to the top floor. You take one step at a time. Selling an intangible product like television is unlike any other sales process you will ever learn. It is long and difficult process. You go into the sales process knowing you must be very patient and take all the steps in order or you may very well fall flat on your face. Remember, you are selling AIR! Did you get that? Air/time is your inventory, your product. In this type of sales process building a trusting partnership with your client is paramount! I have found of late how most sales people have no clear understanding of the difference in sales and media sales, this is the reason I am writhing this article, 12 Steps of a Media Sale. This sales process can take often take months to complete.
Step #1: Research… Before I make a cold call I turn the prospect into a Hot Lead by doing research…I learn everything I possibly can about that business. I learn who they advertise with who their competition is; I learn as much as I can about their industry and, I get the name of the decision maker. I turn my cold call into a Hot Lead.
Step #2 Cold Call/Hot Lead…This call is for one purpose and one purpose only; an appointment. The last thing I want to look like at this point is a salesperson so if I walk in with a brief case I have sales stamped on my forehead. All I have in my hand is a business card. I ask for the decision maker by name and when I am called into his office this is what I say and do: I shake his hand look him eye to eye and say; Mr. Prospect, my name is Martha Prince with WXYZ Television. I have had some success working with businesses like yours and I have some ideas that may help to increase “your” business. This may or may not work for you but it will only take about fifteen minutes to find out. When would be a good time that I can come back? I close about 3 out of 5 Face to Face Cold Calls that I make when I am trying to get an appointment.
Step #3 Second Call…This appointment a “Needs Analysis” this is the time that I am going to ask all kinds of questions about that business. I ask a question and then I listen. I ask very probing questions. You will find that most business owners are very proud of their accomplishments and they love to talk about it. Most of all they love having someone who wants to listen to them. By the time I leave I know, how long they have been in business, how many employees they have, what their annual sales are, what their plans, hopes and dreams are, who their customer is such as; age, sex, white or blue collar, and whether they are trying to reach a new audience, what sets them apart from their competition, are they planning an expansion in the near future, are they planning on introducing a new product to the market, etc.? What makes them special and how much money they are willing to invest in bringing in new customers? In other words who are they trying to reach and what is their business story? This information is vital for me to know to put a successful advertising campaign together for their business. At the end of the call I make an appointment to come back with an Advertising Campaign Proposal.
Step #4 Schedule ideas for the Advertising Campaign… I put together a set of avails using Nielsen ratings. This is TV jargon for Nielsen ratings on shows and times periods.(Nielsen Rating is an audience measurement system for television.) From that information I am able to determine what areas are best suited for the customer the prospect is trying to reach. I put three different advertising plans together for the client. Please don’t take this step lightly. This is the single most important step of all.
Step#5 Third Call… This call I go through each schedule idea line by line. I explain what my reasons were for putting him in each show letting him know what his reach, frequency, CPM, cost per spot, how many people he will reach and guess what? He likes a little bit of each one of all three of each schedule. The good news is he has not said no. I make another appointment for my return with my proposal re-write. But I do a trial close before I go just to see where I stand. I say, Mr. Prospect let’s go ahead and make an appointment for the television station’s Creative people to come out with me to talk about TV commercial ideas. This way we will be ready to roll when we get your schedule ironed out. If he is willing to make this appointment he is no longer a prospect he is a client and all we need to do is hammer out the schedule.
Step#6 Schedule re-write… I re-write the schedule (proposal) ideas to what the client and I had decided would be best for him which will take again several hours. Keep in mind this schedule (proposal) is the dollar amount the client has said he is willing to invest to reach the people he will need to reach to increase his business. Advertising is an investment and when done properly you will see a return on your investment!
I call for another appointment.
Step #7 Go Over New Schedule…This time he is happy with the schedule and I have a signed agreement. My work has just started.
Step #8 The Creative meeting is brainstorming to come up with commercial ideas on how the client, the creative department and I want the commercial to look. We make an appointment for the commercial shoot.
Step #9 The commercial shoot…The shoot will take 3-5 hours but because of our work load my clients commercial will not be ready for 7 to 10 days.
Step #10 Commercial Approval…Hopefully it will be exactly what the client wants but chances are there will have to be changes to the commercial.
Step #11 Commercial goes on the air.
Step #12 Service, Service, and Service
Martha Prince
Advertising Executive
WDSI Fox
http://www.salespractice.com/
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