Magazine Advertising Sales Training: How to Talk About the Competition

We know we shouldn't say derogatory things about anyone, including our competition. The temptation is so great when we know we’re so much better! Our stomachs churn when we hear customers say things we know are the opposite. So… how do we handle this dilemma? What's a tactful, appropriate and successful way to handle this?

Before I answer this, let’s look at the alternative
If you approach this by talking about what your competitors are not or what they don’t have, you are spending time talking about your competitors! Now you've got your customers and prospects thinking about them and not you. Ouch. You want air time focused on you and them not them.

The easy solution
The good news is, it's easy. Simply say, "What companies like about me is. . ." This six word preface is 100% positive, focused exclusively on you and your good points, and directs the conversation where you want it to go. Now you can say anything you want, and you’re taking them where you want them to go. Now, you are in charge of the conversation, and you have them focused on you and your good points.

This gem will help you avoid pitfalls and speed the sales process.

Here's to stress-free sales,

Jenae Rubin
Jenae@MagazineAdvertisingSales.com
www.MagazineAdvertisingSales.com

Magazine Advertising Sales Training: Hearts Trump Wallet

"While money is the oxygen of a business, it's not it's purpose.*" People will not do business with you to give you money. They will give you money because of what you can do for them. Many forget this simple fact.

Not only does doing things we know is wrong cause us stress and illness, it causes us sales!

• If we don't believe in every cell of our being that what we are selling is completely right for our customers and prospects, they will pick up on this... and not buy from us.
  
• If we take money from a customer and do not deliver, we reduce (or kill) the chances of their doing business with us again.

It's hard enough to get business in the first place, why lose it because we're scared.

Trust yourself and your product well enough that you prefer to walk away from sales that are wrong for your business before forcing or begging for business.

The easiest way to get there is to develop your sales skills and product. When both are strong, you will sell success and be successful.

Here's to stress-free sales,

Jenae Rubin

Jenae@MagazineAdvertisingSales.com
www.MagazineAdvertisingSales.com

Magazine Advertising Sales Training: Why is Sales Stressful?

Sales is stressful when we approach prospects with the intention of making a sale and the fear of not making a sale. Prospects accept appointments reluctantly (that’s why we have so much difficulty getting them on the phone in the first place) and are armed with a litany of excuses (you call them objections) to get rid of you.

It is this dichotomy of goals (you want to make a sale and they want to protect themselves) that creates stress. Imagine if you both wanted to meet. Imagine if neither felt the other was going to try to force anything on him. Imagine you both feel the only acceptable outcome is the satisfaction of client’s goals. You just began the journey to stress-free sales.


This is an excerpt from Jenae's upcoming book, Stress-Free Selling^TM: Make Objections Disappear


Here's to stress-free sales,
Jenae
Jenae@MagazineAdvertisingSales.com
www.MagazineAdvertisingSales.com

Magazine Advertising Sales Training: Use Research to Your Advantage

Do you have an MRI study? Do you use industry research from MPA, CRMA, or another source? A common mistake publishers make is not knowing which information to share and which to keep to themselves. Just because you have data does not mean you have to share it. Just because the data is presented to you in a certain form does not mean you want to share it that way. Here's what I mean...

Example 1 - Too much data

Let's say you have results for the market value of your home in these ten categories:

Under $50,000; $50,000 - $74,999; $75,000 - $99,999; $100,000 - $149,999;
$150,000 - $199,999; $200,000 - $249,999; $250,000 - $299,999; $300,000 - $349,999; $350,000 - $399,999; $400,000 - $449,999; $450,000 - $499,999; $500,000 or more

Many publishers would be tempted to list the amounts in all the categories. You'd be better off grouping them in ways that make sense to you. So, if your audience represents the average US population, you can reduce the number of categories to something like this:

Less than $150,000; $150,000 - $249,999; More than $250,000.

Change the categories to represent your needs. You will make it easier for your reps to explain how your magazine fulfills your prospects' needs.

Example 2 - Data doesn't present you well

You have two choices here.

1) Don't show the information that doesn't help you... not even to your reps! Reps get excited when they know they real data is coming, and then their balloon is deflated and they get discouraged if the information doesn't help them. Don't help deflate their enthusiasm. That's just not smart.

2) Similarly to Example 1, present the information to your advantage. So if your primary prospect is seeking 30-44 year olds, and there are too more people reading your publication who are older or younger than you want, don't show those numbers. Only show the percentage of people in the category you wish to present.

These are two simple examples. What you need to know is that because information is presented to you in a certain way, that does not mean you have to present the information in the same way to your customers.

Take the best of what you have to make your story. If I can help you figure out how to position yourself and use the information you have, please contact me.

Here's to stress-free ad sales,
Jenae Rubin

Jenae@MagazineAdvertisingSales.com
www.MagazineAdvertisingSales.com