Great Digital Sales Tips by iMedia Connection

I'd like to share with our readers a very interesting article written by Patricia Clark at iMedia Connection, with some interesting Sales Tips for the Digital Age.

Salespeople sometimes get a bad rap: They are intrusive, not really knowledgeable about their product, annoying... well, you get the picture. But here's the thing. While there are times that the labels are true, there are also times where salespeople may not have learned how to approach clients in a way that they will be comfortable with. Here are some tips on how to approach your clients if you want to be the person whose calls they want to take.

Be direct and concise
Don't make them guess what your intentions are from vague voicemails or emails with subject lines that make no reference to why you are approaching them. You should have a well-thought-out plan before you approach.

In your elevator pitch, you should be able to briefly state the benefits of your product and why you think it's a fit for this particular client (target, technology, ground-breaking idea, ability to solve a business challenge, good results with their competitors, etc.). You should show how you can give them value and request a meeting at their convenience.

Make good use of your time, and don't waste theirs
Timing really means learning and being sensitive to the client's time. It's rare that a marketer or media person is ready to listen to a detailed pitch the minute you decide to call, so help make it easy for them. After you've given your well-thought-out elevator pitch, ask if they will meet with you. If they are receptive to further discussion (and so that you can be prepared for the meeting), learn more. Ask where they are in their planning cycle. What is their fiscal year? Do they plan on a calendar basis, a quarterly basis, or an ongoing basis? Do they have objectives and strategies in place and are they looking for media selection? Are they formulating strategies that, further upstream, you might be able to help them achieve? If the plan is done, will they consider optimization? Be respectful of their time, gain knowledge that you can use to best help them, and then plan your strategies accordingly.

Understand your audience
It's key to not only understand who's on the team, but also what their roles and responsibilities are. Some salespeople call only low-level contacts and thus miss the chance to be part of the bigger picture. Some call only high-level contacts and thus miss the on-the-ground work to get on an actual plan. If you are new to the game, learn the roles of marketer and agency players, and be sure and call comprehensively to understand and speak to each on his or her level. Each may have different needs at different levels. Some of the media team will need a lot of detailed tactical information, whether it be ad serving details, specs, screenshots, or requests for proposals in a specific format. Some of the executives will have more-strategic questions about how you can help them solve business challenges. Understand your audience's needs and tailor your approach accordingly.

Find out how they prefer to communicate
There are dozens of communication avenues open now. Learn what your clients like and expect. It's hard to go wrong with the simple approach -- a phone call followed by an email requesting a meeting or a call. Once that goes through, take their lead and see if other channels are open. There are people that are open to being approached on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, etc. There are also people who may feel that some of these channels are intrusive, or may simply want to manage their communications in one area.

Depending on what category they are in, your approach may look much different than you had planned. Marketers or agencies might ask for pitches on Twitter, or expect you to communicate specifically, depending on both your respective products. So when in doubt, ask what they like. Salespeople will usually respond to a client request via any channel it comes in on. Marketers are not always comfortable being approached that way.

Research
You should know about them before you call. Take the time to research the potential client ahead of time and show them why they should meet with you and what exactly you can bring to the table. Study your subject. It has never been easier to get information on companies. You should know what they are doing, key players, key business needs, recent press, etc. Ask smart questions on the pre-meeting call. They may not want or be able to answer all questions on a pre-call, but try and learn what will help you help them.

It's not all about the money
What else do you bring besides asking for money? Too many reps believe that the only thing that matters is getting the order. It's not all or nothing. If you get turned down on a buy, you want to leave a good impression for the next buy -- or for when the client moves to another agency or brand. You can handle objections, you can be passionate about why your property should be bought -- but do it respectfully.

Think about what else of value you can provide. Perhaps you can help them by providing research or case studies. Find out another good time to meet and prepare your next approach. Learn why you didn't get the business so you can improve and also provide good feedback to the product and executive teams. Learn how to handle objections and rejections professionally so they want to engage with you again.

Don't pester
Don't call three times a day. Don't call and hang up three times a day. Don't email twice a day. Don't stalk people on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Don't inappropriately escalate because you don't hear from someone in a day. Give your prospects confidence that you are a good person to work with. Don't oversell or under deliver. Don't disappear once the deal is done and let account management handle it all from there. Your responsibility doesn't end at the insertion order. Don't be the cliché.

How do you know your efforts are paying off?
You'll know. The recruiter calls will start coming. The referral calls will start coming from agency members, agencies, people on the marketing team, and other marketers. Other salespeople will ask your advice on how you are always able to break through. And you'll be the one whose call they want to take.

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