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The Con-Artist
versus the True Believer
Fresh out of graduate
school, I hit the job market with two major assets: A love of
words (my degree was in English) and an ability to talk my way
in and out of a paper bag. Naturally, magazine sales seemed a
perfect fit. With my first job at a manufacturing publication,
I thrived at a title that had been a weak number two buy. Driven
to succeed and blessed with a brilliant mentor, I racked up schedule
after schedule.
Soon, however, I learned
that the magazine I touted with such conviction was number two
for a reason. By now I knew. The magazine had high numbers but
low-quality circulation. Its editorial quality was poor. It lacked
positive brand recognition and generated few solid leads for advertisers.
On top of that, its ad rates were too high.
So what did that make
me? Instead of feeling like a rah-rah salesperson, I started feeling
like a fraud. A con artist. Even though I kept making the calls
(the thrill of the hunt was still irresistible), every six weeks
I would get sick and miss days of work. I would cry in the car
on my way home. The magazine was built on stilts, ready to be
knocked down by the first storm, which soon came by way of a recession.
By then, the magazine and I were both in crisis.
The purpose of this
cautionary tale is this: Having trained thousands of salespeople,
I know that my crisis of faith is not uncommon. After all, no
magazine is perfect. Some magazines are turkeys. Others are young
and struggling, or face harsh competition or shrinking margins
due to rising costs. Problems alone, however, do not cause a crisis
of faith, since most magazines still deliver value to the advertiser.
Rather, the crisis occurs when salespeople are left in the dark
about those problems.
I believe that publishers
must disclose magazine problems--and define the actions they will
take to correct them--to the people whose job it is to sell the
magazine. Magazine publishing, after all, is a fairly transparent
business. If a publisher cannot explain to salespeople why the
magazine relies on subscription agents, or why the editorial has
lapses in fact-checking, then salespeople are left to defend the
indefensible. Eventually, the only salespeople who stay on such
a magazine are ignorant, inexperienced or con artists.
As publishers, we
train salespeople to sell the advertiser. The first people they
must sell, and continue to resell, are their salespeople. Consider
the following:
Share
your decision-making process. In publishing, tough decisions
are par for the course. A magazine that is cutting 10,000 in circulation,
for instance, might be improving targeting rather merely than
cutting costs. The magazine may deliver more qualified buyers
without raising advertising rates. Publishers must explain to
salespeople why a move that appears negative at first glance might
actually be a positive.
Demonstrate
publishing best practices. That means providing salespeople
with clean and healthy audit reports, up-to-date readership research
and valid ways of demonstrating return on investment. While the
media may not be perfect, publishers must be able to show that
it is effective; that it reaches the customers that advertisers
need to reach, and in powerful, persuasive ways.
Walk
your talk. Like parents, publishers (like it or not)
must model the behavior they want to see. If they do not want
angry, explosive salespeople, they must keep their cool. If they
want salespeople who are honest and fair, they must openly make
honest, fair choices, particularly in situations where it would
be just as easy to be dishonest. And if they are having trouble
with salespeople who procrastinate, fib by omission or blame others
for poor results, publishers should turn around and look in the
mirror. The clarity of leadership is reflected in the sales team.
Value
your reputation more than sales. One short-term sales
gain--say, a quack product ad in a health/fitness magazine--can
undo months or years of building its reputation. When a top-level
decision appears to hurt or frustrate sales efforts, it is important
that salespeople understand how that decision ensures readership
trust and longevity. Salespeople need to know that decisions are
not arbitrary, but based on good publishing practices and consistent
ethical behavior.
By the way, my story
had a happy ending. I brokered the magazine to new owners with
a successful track record. Promoted to publisher, I worked with
the owners to improve the magazine and turn it into a profitable
property. Today, my own training and consulting company is designed
to help others avoid the drastic mistakes that I have seen.
To ensure your salespeople
stay on top, explore our customized sales training and mentoring
program. Our programs are powerful, results-oriented and interactive
training experiences. It is your best opportunity to solve your
unique challenges, work toward your goals, and close your most
elusive contracts. Within hours, your salespeople will have the
tools to perform as proactive, strategically minded, tactically
brilliant, and creative marketing consultants. Read more...
And for further reinforcement,
check out Ad Sales: Winning Secrets of the Magazine Pros, now
available as both two-volume hardcover book and as a series of
e-books on helenberman.com. On sale now!
Welcome, and best
of selling in 2006.
Helen Berman
For Print, Internet and Exhibition Sales
The Helen Berman Corporation
15332 Antioch St. #164
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Phone: 310-230-3899
Fax: 310-861-0661
Website: www.helenberman.com
Email: hberman@helenberman.com
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