ambro com 5 secrets of the masters webinar

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


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


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


Reprinted with permission; Harvard Business Review.

Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


Asking for Action

Being an Expert

Why 5 Secrets?

“All in favor of putting the sales staff on performance-enhancing drugs?”



Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


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?


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


Even a delegating boss has an opinion

Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


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?”



Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


Asking for Action

Being an Expert

Do you know the top executive’s language?

“I told you to screen my calls.”


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


“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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert

http://www.fakeposters.com/posters/persuasion-please/


There are seven forms of influence; we use them all.

ReciprocationCommitment and consistencySocial proofLikingAuthorityScarcityInstant influence

Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


Strategic Sales Logic


definition



go for buying info.


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


The irresistible logic of advertising sales


definition



go for buying information.


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


Another way of looking at their purchase decision process is the ‘purchase funnel’

Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


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


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


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


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.


Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


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


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


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


Asking for Action

Being an Expert


Sign up for Masters of Media Selling; October 1st and 2nd

https://www.mediapost.com/mastersofmediaselling/register/

Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


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.)


Thank you

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Daniel Ambroseambro.com, corp.

Media Management Consulting & Strategic Sales Training3810 Vine Maple

Eugene, OR 97405541-431-4500

[email protected]

Selling at the Top

Logical Persuasion


Asking for Action

Being an Expert

ambro com 5 secrets of the masters webinar

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masters of sales

media sales people

masters of media sales

sales staff

business environment

customers business

probing handling objections

respect sales presentations