Death of the digital media salesman?

If you've read any past postings to this blog, you know I believe in relationships, customization, and listening when it comes to media sales. What does Arther Miller's classic "Death of a Salesman", Google, and Microsoft Digital Advertising have in common?

I recently came across an interesting interview with Microsoft's Chief Revenue Officer Joanne Bradford, in which she discusses MSN's sales strategy and her passion for advertising that stemmed from an early age- interesting stuff. This started me thinking: Will technology continue to erode the value of quality media sales executives?

Whether you're working in b2b media and have read about advances in digital media technology, or you're in consumer online media and actively working with behavioral targeting, re-targeting, dayparting, and ever-expanding online video, etc.- you are aware that these developments are revolutionizing how marketers reach audiences and sell product. Certainly, these technologies are what has helped fuel the tremendous growth of digital media investment at the expense of broadcast, print and other traditional media outlets.

Ms. Bradford of MSN believes the strength of the recently re-organized MSN digital sales team is in it's client-service focus, high-level personal relationships and customization. This is in direct conflict with the Google model, in which CEO Eric Schmidt believes an automated, targeted ad approach will actually displace the ad sales person. Read the details here:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/micro-markets/wp-trackback.php?p=484

It's interesting that these two giants of media have such conflicting sales strategies. I'm guessing that Mr. Schmidt probably didn't get inspired by advertising as a youngster like Ms. Bradford recalls in her story.

Google does so many innovative things and hasn't made many strategic mistakes. So, it's hard to think the fastest growing technology and media company in the world will make one here. (Yes, Google is a media company, but this is a topic for another time!) Their contexually targeted cross-media offerings in digital, radio and print are unmatched. Plus, the YouTube acquisition can only signal an eventual expansion into broadcast television soon.

However, I have to agree that Ms. Bradford's approach will help differentiate MSN in the short-term as many high-quality brands continue to move more dollars into digital media.

Excellent digital media sales pros can use the vast technology that is now available to position their sites and audiences in new ways; whether the client needs metro geo-targeting or optimization on conversions metrics, we in digital sales have tools at our disposal today that media reps could only dream of years ago.

However, when it comes to long-term success, the best media sales pros still need to execute the same tried and true characteristics that they did before the digital revolution: build trust and relationships with clients, understand goals, and deliver customized programs to meet objectives.

It's really all about selling value- some things never change. Or do they?

Talk Less + Listen More= Sell More

What does the early 80s EF Hutton ad campaign have to do with selling media today? Quite a bit, as you'll see when reading on.

I've been in meetings with media sales reps who've taken the dreaded "show up and throw up" approach to sales. The reps who employ this style show up for client meetings and start a very one-sided monologue about their magazine and/or site, it's benefits and advantages over the competition, and why that particular client should be advertising with them.

Whatever happened to asking the client questions? Perhaps even having a two-sided, intelligent business discussion? Hopefully you remember the E.F. Hutton television ad campaign from the early 80s (http://www.80stvthemes.com/ra/121999/EFHUTTON.ra) in which they use the tagline, "When EF Hutton speaks, people listen." It's a classic campaign and fits in well with what I believe should be the media sales pros' approach: "When clients speak, you should listen."- and if you do, you'll sell a heck of a lot more media to them.

On a recent sales trip to the New England area, I had prepared a presentation and proposal for a meeting with three marketing executives from a prospective advertiser. This company was a manufacturer who was targeting markets served by a number of the media properties that I represented, and I'd already had a phone conversation with the Marketing Director about some advertising ideas. Thus, I'd created a proposal for them based on the phone call that I wanted to present.

Upon arriving at the company's offices, it turned out that a new executive would be attending our meeting and- after a few introductory questions from me to the group- it was quickly evident that this person was the actual decision-maker. This changed the entire dynamics of my approach to the remainder of the meeting, let's quickly examine my options:

• Show Up & Throw Up Approach: If I were to use the show-up style, I would have stopped asking questions and jumped into throw-up mode: presented the proposal I had nicely prepared, but that was based upon my conversation with someone I now know is not the decision-maker. Basically, shove my ideas down the prospective clients' throats and see what happens.
• EF Hutton Approach: The other option is to continue an intelligent, two-way business discussion and ask the decision-maker qualifying questions to determine how to best position my media solutions to help reach their 2007 goals. This may lead to completely ignoring the prepared proposal, and actually presenting nothing at the meeting.

So, does listening to clients in meetings actually work? Shockingly, it does. In this example, I chose the EF Hutton approach and never did present my proposal ideas I had with me. Why? After 45 minutes of discussion, it was clear that the marketing decision-maker was embarking on a strategy to move virtually all communications dollars online, and was targeting different audiences in regions around the world. This was all new information for me.

My proposal included nothing of value to the "new" client strategy, and by using the show-up/throw-up approach, I would have accomplished very little. However, by actually listening to the clients, I eventually came back to them with a customized proposal based on our meeting. The results: A fairly significant online campaign using three media properties, two of which were new for the client. It included geo-targeted online advertising focused on Asia, a custom branded email newsletter campaign, and exclusive digital magazine sponsorships. None of these ideas were included in the "first" proposal.

I've written before about how important customized media solutions are in today's b2b media world for sales pros. Its quite hard to create and sell custom media ideas to clients without first truly understanding what their goals are. There is a distinct difference between listening to a client, and just hearing what they're saying- link here for an interesting article about those differences and how to make it work for sales (http://gmj.gallup.com/content/12511/A-Knack-for-Listening.aspx).

As a media sales pro in today's ever integrated market, listening to customers is a talent you'll need to develop. If you already have, use it to differentiate you and your media properties to more closely partner with clients. When you successfully listen in meetings, create ideas that fit client goals, and clearly communicate the benefits, you leave little room for the competition.

Don't just sell your clients any e-media in 2007

Over the last four years, my firm has been involved in selling an e-media/online trade network of sites in a b2b market. During that time, I've had the unique opportunity to be quite involved in watching the evolution of online media acceptance in a b2b segment. In four years, our specific territory has doubled in online ad sales revenue due to two understandable factors:

• an influx of first-time online spenders adding an e-media element to their marketing plan
• current clients increasing their e-media investments after some positive results.
  

It appears that e-media in b2b is poised to take a significant step forward again in 2007. We're currently working with marketers in segments that have been slow to adopt online- like manufacturing and medical- who have online specific budgets for the first time.

As this trend continues and is well-publicized in the media industry press, trade Publishers, sales managers, and executives are all scrambling to get their piece of the e-media pie. It's no secret that online advertising growth is key for publishers , and those who gain a competitive advantage in e-media will be better positioned for the future. In light of recent industry M&A activity as well, the market is putting a high value on trade media companies that have healthy e-media revenues/growth.

Just a note of caution for the media sales pro for 2007: Don't sell your clients any online program that is pushed to you just for the sake of driving some online revenue and satisfying management.

• Be careful to truly understand the e-media programs, how they'll be executed, and the clients' level of expectations.
• Also, garner an understanding of your media company's technology abilities (or lack of abilities) and clearly communicate what can be measured and what cannot for the client.
• Trust me: there is no benefit to pushing online programs to a client, having them put their trust and investment in you, and then having the program not deliver because of unclear details and failed execution from production.

A few tips for selling e-media for next year:

Know the Numbers: One of the more attractive attributes of online in b2b is its measurability. As a sales pro, make sure you're well versed in both industry averages and your own online media property averages. Click thru rates for ad units, e-newsletter delivery,"open"and click rates, etc. The more prepared you are in understanding this, the better you can communicate expected results for clients and manage expectations from the beginning.

Understand the clients goals: Sounds simple, I know- but adding online media for the first-time b2b client changes the expected "return on objective" conversation.

• Does your client want to create awareness for a product launch and want huge impressions in the market? Perhaps using rich media or expandable ad units would be of interest (see www.eyeblaster.com or www.pointroll.com for examples)
• Or, do they want to deliver extremely targeted online registrations from their campaign? Try creating a sponsorship for targeted sections of your site, product search function, or custom branded email newsletter.
• Do they want to be considered a "thought leader" in a specific topic? Why not create a custom branded micro-site for them, with content around that topic, white papers, and a discussion forum.

Different online goals are better suited for different online programs, so make sure you're on the same page with the clients and offer an e-media solution that fits.

Sell Integration: I am a true bliever in the power of integrated marketing campaigns- especially in b2b segments- and there is a ton of research supporting the effectiveness of campaigns that use multiple media platforms. Do yourself a favor and get the American Business Media's "Case For" series: www.americanbusinessmedia.com and download some research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau "Cross-Media Optimization" project: www.iab.net Bring specific research to meetings this year, and use it to back up your integrated proposals and provide clients with the power to fund your ideas.

Be Creative: Never has a creative media salesperson been more powerful. Those sales pros who embrace and understand online programs, can effectively communicate the benefits of integrated campaigns, and propose creative uses of multiple media will win now and in the future. Position yourself and your media property as a true "partner" to your clients, and develop a media strategy for each client that leverages your print, e-newsletter, online, event, market research products all as one solution. Remember, it's about listening to goals and delivering ideas to help achieve them. If you're not doing that this year, your competition may be!

B or not 2B--A Business Media Blog

B or not 2B--A Business Media Blog

Mediasalesannoyancitus: Thoughts from a trade show floor

Every ad sales pro finds themselves on the floor of an industry trade show multiple times each year. After many years of attending them myself for numerous magazines, witnessing thousands of conversations in or at booths, and "walking the show" with many publishing executives, I still find it amusing that the vast majority of media sales people actually try to cram sales pitches in wherever possible. Doesn't anyone else feel the current client or prospective advertiser's uncomfortable body language, bored expressions, and occasional totally dismissive actions?

What wears a suit, carries huge stacks of magazines, doesn't listen, and never misses a chance to try to tell you about their latest ad program? You guessed it- 99% of ad sales reps who attend industry trade shows. This is not-so-affectionately called: media-sales-annoyance-itus; an affliction rampant in our trade media market.

When will they learn to pick your spot? I've shared many laughs with marketing executives at trade shows by discussing the actions of over-zealous ad sales folks, who only manage to erode respect and trust with clients with their actions at trade shows. There is an easy way to cure this affliction:

Don't take yourself so seriously. Make a client feel comfortable with a quick joke, funny comment, or by your calm, respectful manner. Once the client is relaxed, you may actually learn something from them that will help you sell something in the future.

Ask clients about their products. By having a genuine interest in a company's products, you can learn how they position them in the market and perhaps start a conversation about a new way your media can help them. Even if you spend a few minutes with a sales rep- not your typical marketing contact- this information can be invaluable.

Limit your comments to a few minutes. Exhibitors are at trade shows to sell their product/service, not to listen to rambling media sales pitches. If you respect that, keep your comments short, and use the time to earn trust and schedule a follow conversation or meeting- you've done your job- move on!

Don't carry stacks of issues, media kits, and research! Not only will this cause sore shoulders and backs for you, it is totally unnecessary. I've never met a client who is interested in taking issues, kits, or anything extra home with them from a trade event. One or two issues and something to write notes on is plenty.

Remember, media sales is about relationships and trust- use the industry trade shows to build more of both with your clients and actually sell them at another time.