The power of positive selling - successful selling techniques - Ad Sales

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, March 1, 1993 by Kathi Simonsen

When it comes to breaking through sales barriers, top achievers are using a one-two-three punch.

These are tremendously challenging times for those of us in the magazine publishing business, times that demand a rethinking of almost every aspect of what we do. The effects of the recession have been bad enough, but for those of us in act sales, the problems go far deeper than the economy.

Tom Kemp, a senior vice president at Miller Freeman, points to "major structural changes in marketing trends. More focused alternate marketing forms are available that bring faster, more measurable returns on investment |than advertising in magazine~."

Instead of lamenting the loss of pages, you can use this dramatic shift to your advantage--if you know how. "Revenue growth in the nineties is dependent on the salesperson's ability to evolve into an account management specialist able to provide customers with a comprehensive marketing/communications program designed to meet specific needs," says Chuck Moodhe, senior vice president/general manager of Cahners's Chicago division. "This new role will make salespeople's jobs more demanding, but also more rewarding."

History shows that there are always people who find ways to turn difficult times to good. How can you be one them? The top achievers in magazine publishing are stressing three essential approaches: the disciplined application of fundamentals like relationship selling; more creativity in marketing and win/win negotiations; and strong inner resources to deal with today's stress.

Building on the basics: "It is more important than ever to be excellent in basic skills like time management, writing concise presentations, turning features into benefits and relationship selling," says Peter Clancey, senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing at Petersen Publishing.

So how do you go about this? Active listening, an essential part of building quality, long-term relationships with clients, will earn you the right to be heard. As a rule, you should listen 70 percent of the time and talk 30 percent of the time. In addition, analyze your customer's personality style so you will know how to respond. Is the person task oriented or people oriented? fast paced or slow paced? formal or informal? People buy on both logical and emotional levels. Understanding personality types will give you an advantage in meeting the needs of your advertisers.

Consistent planning is also key. Write a detailed yearly sales and marketing plan for your top-20 accounts/prospects. What are your goals for each account? How do you plan to achieve them? What are the foreseen obstacles? Your big picture plan will become a road map.

Remember that your clients and prospects are just as pressed for time as you are--so don't waste it! Be sure your correspondence is clear and concise and your presentations top quality. Ask someone whose writing you respect to critique your correspondence. A good way to practice your presentation skills, get some feedback and have fun at the same time is to join a group like Toastmasters.

Becoming a creative partner: Ad salespeople must focus their creativity both in marketing savvy and in developing win/win negotiations.

Creative marketing: "Salespeople must be trained to be sources of ideas for their clients, true marketing partners," says Lisa Valk, publisher of Time. The salespeople who make the effort to learn how to make their clients more profitable will be the ones who get the business in the nineties. If you don't already have a background in marketing, take marketing classes to learn how to help your clients meet their goals and objectives.

Because industries are changing at a rapid rate, it can he difficult to keep up and remain flexible enough to move with the market. To meet this challenge, you must read about the particular industry or market your magazine serves. Remember, the degree to which a salesperson understands his or her clients can make or break a sale.

Creative win/win: There is tremendous pressure on rates. But many people still recognize that those who live by the sword eventually die by the sword. Those who have worked hard to become an integral part of their industry and have created programs that increase their advertisers sales long term are in a much better position to fend off requests for rate cuts.

"Thinking short term created this recession," says Tim Novoselski, CEO/president of Miramar Publishing. "We must all think long term to pull out. We hold to our rate card, but we do sell more creatively."

Creative negotiating requires an in-depth knowledge of the needs of both parties. Focusing on price creates a lose/win, whereas looking at alternatives is the first step to a win/win. The more you know about your industry, your client's needs and your magazine's abilities to meet those needs, the more you will earn the right to be heard. This knowledge will also make it easier for you to think of creative programs that will be of high value to your clients, and of low cost to your magazine.