The 10 Minute Ad Sales Call

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Ad Sales Trainer Ryan Dohrn shares his “10 Minute Ad Sales Call” process.

In my world, process is everything. The fact is most sales people thrive better within a solid structure, knowing the expectations and organizational framework. Personally,  I recognized long ago that I am a “roll with the flow” kind of sales guy and that sometimes a lack of structure kills my ability to be a raging success.

So I created an ad sales call process. As I looked to improve and refine how I hosted my sales calls, I looked for a simple, repeatable pattern of success.  I found that pattern when I changed my typical sales call into small, defined segments.

I soon realized I could host a really solid sales call in 10 minutes or less.   Because most sales people lack a process when they make sales calls, this simple approach really boosts confidence and creates a systematic plan.  Plus it also stops those endless, meandering, boring sales calls that result in little more than a request for a blind proposal – that often goes nowhere.

In my ad sales training workshops, I teach “The 10 Minute Ad Sales Call.

We start by breaking up the 10 minute call into five segments.  Each segment is 2 minutes long.  (Now, just in case you feel that 2 minutes is too short, please hold your breath for the next 2 minutes.  Ready..set…go.)  Each 2-minute segment serves a unique purpose.  

#1:  Personal connection: There are lots of ways to make a personal connection with your prospect. If you are stumped, check out LinkedIn or even their website or Facebook page for common ground.

#2:  Sharing success stories: Collecting and sharing your 3 or 4 best success stories of other advertisers that have worked with your media is very important. You can demonstrate what worked and what would work well specifically for the prospect.

#3: Ask critical questions: Sales people are usually masters of controlling the conversation – only when the advertiser appears sleepy do they stop talking!  To be effective, you need to stop talking and start listening. Be sure to identify 3 critical questions that will help you get the information you need to present the prospect with the best strategy.

#4: Presenting your perfect pitch: Yes, you haven’t pitched products until this point in the conversation.  Really.  And you only have 4 minutes left.  Be specific and weave into your pitch all the things you have learned so far on the sales call.  Your pitch should be tight, simple and ROI focused.

#5: Closing the Deal:  90% of sales people are afraid to ask for the order.  Don’t over promise.  Instead, paint a picture of potential and ask for the business.  (This is a critical 2 minutes of the 10 Minute Sales Call!)

So how do you become a master of the 10 Minute Ad Sales Call?  Practice. Grab a stopwatch and start the process toward success.  Think about it–you will be able to confidently promise your clients that with only a 10 minute call, you will not be wasting their time.  Everyone has 10 minutes for a good idea or conversation, don’t you agree?

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Ryan_New_HeadshotMore about Ryan Dohrn: Ryan is President of 360 Ad Sales Training, an internet & sales consulting firm focused on developing print and online revenue strategies for magazine publishers.

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