Let’s face it. Even ad sales rock stars can still leave money on the table. After all, we’re human beings, not machines. We need technology to see what the human eye can’t. Perhaps that’s why CRMs have become so popular.
Studies show that CRMs work!
While most CRMs do a great job of organizing records, notes, and next steps, there are other CRM benefits that operate more like a “sales fountain”. Have you ever missed out on a sales opportunity falling through the cracks? You’ll want to try these strategies to ensure the revenue keeps flowing.
- Improve your call quality by accessing notes. Most CRMs tell you who to call and when. But using a call-back template with side-by-side notes tells you what you need to know during key moments.
- Renew contracts before they expire. Most people don’t memorize contract expiration dates. However, if your system automatically pings you before an end date approaches, you’ll avoid having to reinitiate a contract after your advertiser goes dark.
- Uncover clients who go “Radio Silent”. Clients rarely fall off the planet, but they do stop advertising – even if it’s not on purpose. If your CRM offers a Client Inactivity Report, you’ll have a great chance of staying top-of-mind and top-of-budget.
- Identify who’s viewing your media kit. If your CRM offers lead generation capabilities, you can cherry-pick prime advertising prospects from your digital audience. While most CRMs typically don’t offer this feature, sophisticated systems including The Magazine Manager provide this built-in functionality.
- Pinpoint who Is missing from specific issues. If your holiday issue looks a little slim, your CRM will know who advertised last year, and who is missing! After all, it’s easier to lure back previous clients than to find entirely new ones.
- Identify increasing or decreasing budgets. Clients who increase their advertising investment should be promptly rewarded with incentives. On the other hand, if your client’s budget shows a downturn in spending, you’ll want to proactively address reasons behind it.
- Target prospects who open and click your advertising emails. Chances are, the client who opens and clicks on your special issue email announcement is actively considering running in it. Therefore, if your CRM integrates with a third-party email marketing system, you’ll want to analyze your email metrics.
Keep the pipeline open.
Finally, there other great features that can help salespeople prevent lost opportunities. But these 7 strategies are a good start. You may be the greatest ad sales champion on the planet, but great technology is essentially the plumbing that keeps revenue flowing.
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More about Christie: Christie Calahan is the Marketing Director of Mirabel Technologies, an international software company specializing in publishing and marketing solutions. Its flagship product, The Magazine Manager, is a publishing CRM that services more than 15,000 publications and media properties worldwide.
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