MacDonald

Connect to Customers

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:06:00 +0000

As a sales manager, you and your co-workers should constantly be looking for new ways to better serve your customers. And one place to start is with understanding them.

In the businessknow.com article, “Connect to Your Customers On Their Terms,” smart companies are focusing on how to give a better customer experience. The article says concentrating your efforts in this area will increase customer loyalty, which can lead to higher revenue, more profits and a healthier company. But, the only way to do this is to understand your customers by finding ways to reach them. You also have to make it easy for them to reach out to you.

A simple way to do this, according to article, is to simply answer the phone. Have a person answer the phone instead of an automated answering machine. But remember, the customer calling doesn’t want to wait on hold forever or talk to multiple people who ask them for the same information.

And before you make any major changes to your company, take the time to determine what your customers really want. Then, design your company to do that well. Don’t assume your customers want something because you hear about other people doing it.

Make sure you are able to help your customers in a way that is effective and friendly. Thriving companies are putting people on the phone and using social media if that’s where their customers are. Figure out what works for you!

Editor's Note: Step Out of Bounds To Move Ahead

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:23:00 +0000

Enjoy a preview of the Creative Selling editor's note from the March issue of MacDonald.

Newspaper advertising today requires sales professionals to take on tasks that they may never had to deal with before, such as selling print and online ads or working both inside and outside sales. Most professionals are very proficient at one skill rather than both, which can cause problems when the newspaper industry is changing.
As an English major on the brink of graduating, I have focused my efforts on mastering multiple skills to make myself a more flexible job candidate. One of the challenges I took on was a minor in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. I have enjoyed the coursework because it involves subjects I enjoy; however, my professors ask me to solve problems that would never come up in writing classes.
To overcome the difficulty of subjects like Environmental Hydrology, I have to spend time going to help sessions to ask questions and work with classmates on assignments. Even though I might not become a hydrologist in the near future, I’m learning new ways to deal with any kind of situation.
Likewise, while you are working on ways to improve advertising rates and hone your selling skills, do not be afraid to ask for help. Collaborate with your coworkers and your sales manager to meet goals for the paper. Learn how to incorporate ideas into multiple situations.
And remember, the most difficult part of this challenge is dealing with trial and error. It took failing a few environmental questions before I fully understood how to apply the concepts in various problems. You will make advertising and marketing mistakes along the way as well, but if you keep an open mind and do not get overwhelmed it will all work out.

To problem solving,

Kaye Maloney
Editorial Intern

Editor's Note: Personnel Is The Best Investment

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:34:00 +0000

Meeting sales quotas and deadlines are crucial to be successful in newspaper advertising, but you will not get far without a strong sales team.
The best investment you can make in your company is to hire personnel that can get the job done and do it well. You want a staff that can help the publication meet its goals and produce a good product. Although hiring staff takes time and money, it’s worth it.
In fact, building sales teams is such an important aspect of many companies that they turn to recruiters who hire sales professionals for a living. For your publication, the hiring process will go smoother if you take it from the same approach as job recruiters. Focus on what skills you want your staff to have and how they can help the publication. Make your job description clear – be specific on what you want. You need something to measure candidates with to determine if they are right for the job.
In addition, you need to find where to go to target your candidates. In my Dad’s managerial experience, the job recruiters he worked with knew which companies to consider to find candidates. They also had applicants come to them for help in finding a job.
So, take a deep breath and take a hard look at your staff. Take into consideration what is missing and what is unnecessary. There might be someone out there who can help your publication grow and expand in the near future.

Happy recruiting,

Kaye Maloney
Editorial Intern

Shake Firmly

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:33:00 +0000

Part of reaching your career goals is knowing how to present yourself and understand the messages that your body language can send.
If you want your employees, prospects and superiors to take you seriously, you need to pay attention. One of the first messages you send people when you meet them for a meeting or luncheon, is through your handshake.
A handshake is a social norm that is part of the business world, but how you do can say a lot about you. In Michael Dalton Johnson’s salesdog.com article, “The Fine Art of the Handshake,” he gives some pointers:
Avoid the power grip: A handshake should be firm, but not too forceful. Notice your tendency to pull the other person toward you as you shake – this can make you seem aggressive.
Nothing wimpy: Don’t offer up a weak handshake, this is a turn-off for many customers.
Eye contact: As you reach for the shake, establish eye contact and smile. A warm and sincere greeting won’t hurt.
Good grip: Don’t grasp their fingers, take their entire hand into yours.
Body language: What’s your posture like? Stand up tall, give the client full attention and keep your hands out of your pockets.

Make More Time In Your Day

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:27:00 +0000

You have a lot to do in one day and it’s easy to get over whelmed. Instead of getting frustrated that you didn’t get everything done, take a few moments to think about ways to make your day go better. How can you be more productive?
Here are some tips from the businessknowhow.com article, “Ten Tips to Help Create More Time in Your Day:”

1.Get Organized: Don’t waste time looking for papers, numbers or supplies. Keep your work area clean and functional.
2.Productive Time: What time of day are you the most alert? Do the most difficult tasks during this time.
3.“To Do” List: Make one the night before, so you can get started right away in the morning.
4.More Time: Need extra time? Try getting up an hour earlier to have your coffee and check emails.
5.Schedule It: Choose one task you will finish on each day of the week and stick with it.
6.Avoid “Day Wasters:” Limit the use of forums, television, surfing the web, talking on the phone, etc. These can be good tools, but they can waste a lot of time.
7.Household Chores: Keep your housework manageable by cleaning a little bit each day.
8.Double Duty: Try to multi-task whenever possible.
9.Say No: If you’re too busy with the work you’ve already taken on, don’t feel like you have to say “yes” to every additional task someone asks you to do.
10. Avoid Interruptions: Let the answering machine take calls when you’re busy and don’t spend all day checking email when you have other work to do.

Focus on the local market

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:50:00 +0000

As a sales manager, you should always be looking for ways to help your representatives sell more. You should keep on top of new strategies and ways to help the company bring in revenue, same as your employees are.
In the newspaper market, it’s important to not forget your local businesses – your paper can turn out to be a beneficial partner for them. The businessknowhow.com article “How to Target a Local Audience Online” provides strategies to help you:

1.Submit a business profile to the popular search engines: Searches on Google Maps or Yahoo Local provide lists of businesses in the area with links to profiles and Web sites, but only businesses that submit a profile are included in the results.

2.Optimize your Web site with words related to your location: You can attract more local customers to your site by using location-specific words. You’re more likely to rank highly in the results when location is relevant to the search.

3.Design promotions for local audience: If your business serves a local market, then focus your online promotions to them. For example, connect sales to local events or festivals.

4.Advertise on your local newspaper Web site: Local news sources still reign in terms of local news coverage – people are going to turn to them for weather reports and community news.

10 Leadership Questions for 2010

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:48:00 +0000

Even though the last year or two were difficult for many businesses, it’s time to start fresh with a new one. You need to think about what can be done differently and the “10 for ‘010 10 Smart Leadership Questions for 2010” from businessknowhow.com provides some questions to help you out:

1.What matters most?
Work with your co-workers and clarify your priorities for this year. Find ways to stay focused on the priorities.
2.What is one “problem” you can turn into an opportunity?
Look for opportunities in your issues and apply past success strategies to them.
3.What do employees need to hear from you?
Think from your employees’ point of view – if they don’t feel understood they won’t listen to you. Be careful about the messages you send people/
4.What is your customers’ greatest pain?
Be relentless about knowing and meeting that need. Skip surveys and pick up the phone to call your customers. Listen and understand them first, then worry about offering solutions.
5.What new business relationships will I pursue?
New opportunities come from new relationships. Inside and outside your industry, seek out opportunities where there is potential for mutual benefit, not just “what’s in it for me?”
6.How will I be more strategic?
Get serious about setting a direction and start with a big picture view of the possibilities. Resist the urge to discuss and deal with tactics until you know what you want to accomplish.
7.How can I make swift, yet smart decisions?
You can’t afford to overanalyze. Take your time during the planning process so you can make a faster and better choice later.
8.What leadership skill can and should I get better at?
Pick the leadership quality that needs the most attention – listening, coaching, or problem solving, and commit to improvement. Small changes can make a big difference.
9.How will you recognize success?
You won’t know if the business is on the right path if you haven’t determined indicators or a way to measure it.
10.What is your biggest fear and how will you face it?
Name it and deal with it. Don’t try to avoid it; that could end badly for you and your company.

It’s Okay To Be Different

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:52:00 +0000

Enjoy a preview of January's Creative Selling:

Some people don’t like to stand out in a crowd because the extra attention makes them nervous, but being different can be good.
Growing up, I had an Irish dancing teacher that is known to the Irish dance community as the lady with purple hair and “crazy” outfits involving shiny red boots and feathers. Because of her outfits, everyone knows who she is and where to find her. It pays to stand out, so look at the sales representatives around you and figure out what makes you different from them. Make yourself stand out so clients notice you.
In return, clients or possible prospects will start to seek you out, same as they do for my dance teacher. A dancer from another school told me that she looks for my teacher every year at regionals, which is a three-day competition, just to see what she was wearing.
Not only do people know my teacher because of her clothes, she is also known as the owner of a small dance school that puts out a high level of competition for the big schools. In addition, she teaches everyone from the four-year old beginners to the world championship dancers. Most dancers don’t meet the owner of their school until they reach championship level.
My teacher does everything differently than her competition and it works. She is always gaining new students and training dancers to qualify for the World Championships.
Follow her path. Be different from your peers and your competition –clients and prospects will notice for good reasons. As you take on this new year, start fresh with a new mentality.

Good luck,

Kaye Maloney
Editorial Intern

2010 is coming…

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Whether we are ready for it or not, another year is ending and we have to prepare for a new one.
As December winds down, it’s time to start thinking about your goals for the coming year. What do you want to do different? What are your goals? What didn’t you accomplish last year and why?
If your goal is monetary related, the mrinsidesales.com article “How To Make 2010 Your Best Year Yet” provides business owners and sales representatives with two ideas to earn a larger profit than 2009:

1.Change the way you relate to money. Think about how much money you earn and if it is what you deserve to earn. According to the article, people will never earn more or less of the amount of money they feel they deserve unless if they change their thinking. You’ll continue to strive to earn what you feel you are worth, unless if you decide you deserve more.

2.Change your relationship with your prospects and clients. Earning a larger salary and turning a higher profit for the company starts with your prospects and clients. Your sales and income are going to be in direct proportion to your ability to build and nurture relationships, according to the article. Most sales representatives and companies are not good at this, even though it sounds easy. Often, they view sales as a transaction and once a sale is made, they move on to find the next one.

In the end, you can earn more money this year than you did last year. You can help yourself and your company by owning up to the fact that you deserve more. Take time to build relationships with clients and prospects and work hard to earn your paycheck.

How to motivate your employees

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:03:00 +0000

Managers try a variety of strategies to motivate their employees to work hard and succeed. However some of the most common tactics, like threatening to fire or offering promotions, don’t work and create a negative workplace.
According to Alexander Kjerulf’s positivesharing.com article “Why ‘Motivation by Pizza’ Doesn’t Work” intrinsic positive motivation works. In other words, this works because the manager isn’t the source of motivation; instead they help employees find their own source.
There are many factors that push employees to work hard, including:

• Being able to challenge yourself and accomplish new tasks.
• Having control over what you do.
• Cooperation to be able to work with and help others.
• Getting meaningful, positive recognition for your work.
• Liking your job and workplace.
• Trust in the people you work with.

Kjerulf says to avoid bribing employees to work hard with pizzas and promotions; instead they should help people find meaning in their work. He also added that by creating a positive work environment, people would be naturally motivated. They’ll motivate themselves and each other.

How to connect with your boss

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:29:00 +0000

Building a connection with your boss is important. Your boss should be there to help you and lead the company. Joe Takash’s book, Results Through Relationships: Building Trust, Performance, and Profit Through People, provides five ways for you to connect with your boss or manager:

1.Choose Good Timing: Find the best times to approach your boss by asking when you should come to them with questions. This can build credibility because of your consideration for their schedule.
2.Prepare and Plan: Think about your questions and possible solutions before you talk to your boss. They want to know that you have thought about the answers to the questions and see you’ve taken some initiative.
3.Align Understanding: If your boss doesn’t state his or her expectations or ask about yours, then ask them to be clear about what they need from you.
4.Follow-up/Follow-through: One of the most common barriers for positive change is lack of accountability. Hold yourself and your boss accountable by agreeing on times and dates to follow-up on every meeting you have.
5.Own Your Results: Ask for what you want and be prepared to state why and how you will benefit.

Connecting with your boss is only going to have positive benefits, whether it is now or in the future when you need a good reference or recommendation.

Gain More Customers With Marketing

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Steps to make that happen

Price and results are not always connected in marketing. Unfortunately, you can pay the same price for poor results as you would for great ones. But you can find customers and utilize your marketing efforts if you take the time to plan before you implement.
In Kevin Stirtz’s businessknowhow.com article “Four Easy Steps to Getting More Customers,” he provides suggestions to consider when planning your marketing campaigns:

1.Understand your strengths. Ask yourself why people buy from you, what do you really do for your customers, how you are better than your competition and what skills or advantages you have. The answers to these questions are your strengths.
2. Identify your customers. To promote your business, focus on people who value what you do. Your strengths will help you focus on who will value your service or product.
3.Create a meaningful message. Deliver the right message to the right audience as often as you can. The message should tell your audience why they should do business with you.
4.Deliver your message often. Find and purchase the appropriate vehicles or media to send out your information. When planning which to use, consider setting a budget for the project, getting the most exposure possible and focus on the target group.

Find Customers

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Steps to bringing new business through the door

For many new business owners, the hardest part to being successful is finding customers. Having a great product or service that many people will need is not enough to get a company started.
But, there are several steps business owners can take to gain customers. Janet Attard’s businessknowhow.com article, “Eleven Ways to Find Customers” provides these tips:
• Develop a plan. Know exactly who your ideal customer is and where they look for products. Find a way to put your information, or yourself, in their path.
• Realize there is no one path to success. Sales often happen because customers hear about your products or services in several different ways. The more often they hear about you, the more likely they are to consider doing business with you.
• Work your local newspapers. Daily and weekly newspapers are a source of contact information and leads to potential customers. Look for names of people who were promoted, won awards or opened a new business. Find ways to get in touch with them.
• Watch for events that may bring your potential market together. Contact event organizers and offer to give away your product or service as a prize during the event in exchange for having the group promote you in their promotions.
• Attend meetings and seminars that your prospects might attend. Look in the newspapers to see what other organizations hold events that your target market would attend.
• Follow up after meetings. Contact people you’ve met to see if they may be prospects. If they don’t need your services now, ask when a good time to call them back would be.
• Give a little bit to get a lot. Give away free samples of your product so recipients will tell their friends about you.
• Work your personal network. Ask your friends if they know of people who can use your services; offer friends and business associates a finder’s fee for referrals that turn into jobs.
• Study your competition. Advertise where they do. Promote yourself where your competition promotes themselves.
• Use multiple small ads instead of one big one. The repetition will build name recognition. Don’t expect to make a splash with one big ad.
• Ask for feedback when prospects don’t buy. Use what you learn to make changes and watch your sales start to grow.

How to be a better speaker

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:47:00 +0000

As a manager, or in any type of leadership position, one has to speak in public. Whether in front of a large crowd or a small business luncheon, for the situation to run smoothly you have to be prepared.
In Bill Lampton’s article, “7 Ways to Become a Grade-A Speaker,” Lampton offers some advice to help you:

•Adopt an upbeat attitude. Assume you have something worth saying and that you will present it well. Anticipate that the speech or presentation is going to go smoothly.

•Focus on the audience. If you focus on them, you won’t be concerned with yourself. If you think about them and what they need, you won’t be stressing about your outfit or if you’re holding their attention.

•Be animated. Don’t read or recite your message, tell it as energetically as you would describe a fun weekend. Move away from the podium and vary your voice.

•Be attentive. Remain on the lookout for audience feedback. If you detect confusion, restate your point. If participants start checking their watches, change your pace or find a way to recapture their attention.

•Use anecdotes. People remember and learn from stories, not statistics. Paint word pictures, giving a “you are there” feeling or use suspense.

•Sharpen your appearance. Although casual dress has gained some acceptance, you should dress a notch or two above the audience’s norm.

•Be atypical. Do something different from other speakers, audiences withdraw from the “same old same old.”

Review these guidelines before you give your next speech and use them to help you give an effective performance.

Change equals growth

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:33:00 +0000

People don’t like to change, even though it is necessary.
In the professional world, changes can help a business grow.

In Stacy Karacostas’ businessknowhow.com article “Why Change is Necessary: Is Temporary Insanity Keeping You From Growing Your Small Business?” Karacostas explains that successful people and businesses recognize the need for change early. They do not wait until it’s too late to solve the problem.

The main issue is to know when to make or a change or not. Karacostas said sometimes it is based on your instincts, but there are some guidelines you can keep in mind.

Consider these to know if something needs to change:

1. If you have a number of months of data showing that you are not on track to reach goals.

2. You find yourself complaining about the same problem three or more times.

3. When you are presented with a better idea or system for your business you always consider it.

If you are uncomfortable with change or have a hard time letting go of ideas, Karacostas suggests starting out small.

Take Some Extra Time, or You’ll Fall Down

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Enjoy a preview from the Creative Selling section of next month's issue:
Horses are like business prospects.
Well-trained horses are prepared for anything they might encounter during
their lifetime. They’ll learn to stand still while a rider mounts and pick up their right foot to produce a collected gait. They won’t complain when it’s hot outside or if they don’t get a blue ribbon at the fair.
Similar to a horse and rider partnership, clients can get into a routine too.
They also develop working relationships over time. But sometimes, clients are unpredictable.
At times, horses will ruin a pattern they’ve done multiple times before
because the rider poked too hard with the spurs or the saddle is pinching their shoulders. Or worse, they might decide to throw off the rider just like the prospect that abruptly stopped calling.
Spur-wearing riders know to be careful and use the metal spikes as a last
resort. They also take a few extra minutes to make sure the saddle fits. If these precautions are taken, the rider and horse can rest assured they’ll have a good performance.
The same principle applies to sales. You have to find the right incentives
to match the right prospects. If you don’t prepare for success, you won’t have it. You won’t be confident or relaxed, which could make your customer nervous or unwilling to work with you.
A horse is not going to perform well for a nervous or aggressive rider in
the same way a client will not work with a sales professional that isn’t flexible and compromising.
Take a moment and pay attention to who you are working with, no matter
who they are. It’s the best way to predict a pleasant outcome.

Happy trails,

Kaye Maloney
Editorial Intern

NameDropping 10/6

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew McGlothlen) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Hello all,
After a rather hectic schedule the last couple months, I thought I'd take a moment to offer some much belated congratulations to the following newspaper executives on their new positions:

Michelle Ackerman was named classified advertising director at The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Tim Brady was named director of advertising for the Eagle Tribune Company in North Andover, Mass.

Bill Buschmann was named advertising director at The Post-Star in Glens Falls, N.Y.

Tom Caywood was named vice president of classified advertising for the Media General digital media group.

Gina Felix was named publisher of The Carthage (Mo.) Press after two years at the newspaper as advertising manager.

Bill Gilmore was named director of advertising at The Meridian (Miss.) Star.

Tim Hobbs was named vice president of sales at the Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald.

Charles Horton was promoted to publisher from director of advertising at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, Wash.

Matt Kearny was named Advertising Director at The Wenatchee (Wash.) World.

Kimberly Kuntz was named advertising director at the Tahoe Daily Tribune in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Michelle Lester was named VP of advertising for the Portland (Maine) Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.

Jim Murphy was promoted to publisher of The Record, Greenbush Life, Latham Life and River Life in and around Troy, Mich., as part of the Journal Register Company.

Moya Neville was named senior VP for advertising sales at The Atlanta (Ga.) Journal-Constitution.

Ann O'Neill was named classified advertising director at The Independent in London, England.

Paul Provost was promoted to publisher from advertising director at the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin.

Gayle Smith was named advertising director at The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C.

Deb Tomilson was named VP of business and interactive development at the Providence (R.I.) Journal.

Suzanne Williams was named advertising director at the Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles, Wash.

Using postcards for marketing?

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:03:00 +0000

Here are 5 mistakes to avoid

In Bob Leduc’s article, “5 Postcard Marketing Mistakes You can Easily Avoid,” he presents solutions for common mistakes people make with them.

1) Not defining a specific goal: Always define a specific goal before you do anything. You’ll save time, avoid mistakes and maximize results.

2)Using a cheap mailing list instead of the best list: Don’t settle for a list because it’s cheap or easily available. Research the list to find prospects who will be interested in what you are offering.
3) Attempting to close sales instead of generating leads: Don’t use the cards to close sales, use them to generate web site traffic or sales leads.
4) Trying to say too much on the postcard: Don’t clutter the card; readers want to glance at it and quickly understand what it means.
5) Not including a motivating offer: Make your prospects act now instead of later, give them a reason to do business with you right away.

Why choose you?

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:14:00 +0000

Separate yourself from the competition

Your business has competitors and your customers know that. Your customers also have to find a way to decide which company to buy from. According to Joe Calloway’s article “What’s your Tiebreaker? Creating a Clear Reason to Choose You Instead of Your Competition” most customers end up depending on price to be the factor that makes their decision. You and your competitors all have good quality products and services, making it harder for customers to choose.

Calloway says this is the commodity trap, where the lowest prices almost always wins because the customer does not see any other difference. Most companies don’t want to deal with this. Here are some of Calloway’s tips on other determining factors your company should have besides price:

Be the fastest: quick response and always be on time. Become known for returning customer calls in an hour or guaranteeing two-day delivery but always doing it in one.

Be the easiest to do business with: become the no hassle choice. Look at every aspect of how you interact with customers. Correct anything that might make you the least bit difficult to do business with.

Let the customer choose: offer more selection and customization. Customers know exactly what they want, so let them decide. Give them what they want, not what you want to give them.

Demonstrate value: competitive price and clear value. You don’t have to have the lowest price, but you do have to demonstrate that you’re a great deal. Never take for granted that your customers understand that you’re worth what you charge.

Be relevant: take a “big picture” approach to serving your customer. Look beyond your customer’s immediate needs and think about how you can help them succeed, make their lives easier or create new opportunities for them.

Solve problems on the spot: empower employees to make it happen. Train employees to resolve customer problems without having to state “I’ll have to ask my manager” or “I’m sorry, but our policy is…”

The ultimate tiebreaker: consistency of performance. If customers know that they will receive the same level of service every time, no matter who they deal with at your company, that is the most powerful differentiator there is.

Should we pay for our news?

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:04:00 +0000

Google is pitching an idea to newspapers

As the newspaper industry struggles to keep afloat, there is a continuing debate over whether or not we should pay for online content. We are accustomed to finding news on the Internet for free, so this idea doesn’t seem fair even though we’ve paid for newspaper subscriptions for many years.

In the article, “Google developing a micropayment platform and pitching newspapers: ‘Open’ need not mean free’” by Zachary M. Seward, Seward explains that the Google proposal is in response to the Newspaper Association of America’s request for ideas. The Google platform is that people can access news by purchasing a subscription. The method for paying would be an extension of “Google checkout.”

Seward says that transaction costs are a problem with micropayment plans that are currently being considered by the newspaper industry. “Google checkout” would take care of this problem, but Google would gain a percentage of the revenue from the subscription sales. As Seward says, the newspaper industry might not be thrilled with the idea since its debatable if Google takes in revenue from news already.

How is this going to affect selling classified ads for the paper? Well, if the industry can find a way to make a profit off of Internet advertising, charging for subscriptions might be the answer. This will work if the subscriptions bring in more readers to help sell more expensive advertisements. But, in the mean time, a reader of the printed newspaper is going to bring in more money than the Internet browser.

Get a mobile app for your classified ads

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Smartphones might be able to save your classifieds

Classified ads bring in revenue for newspapers.
And it is convenient to look online for these ads instead of in the newspaper. However, with the invention of smartphones people can be anywhere they want while they search through ads and contact the sellers or buyers at that moment.
In Steve Outing’s www.reinventingclassifieds.com article, “How’s your classifieds mobile app coming along?” he gives reasons why smartphones are great news for classified ads:

1. Mobile phone is an ideal instrument for placing an ad – take photos, fill out a form on mobile classifieds application with text information, post the ad and pay for the ad using a credit card or Paypal.

2. Options for searching ads on phone – Search on the go, see photos or videos from the advertisers, search across multiple classified sites with an application that covers multiple web sites and be provided with directions from your current location.

Outing says even though we are in the early stages of the mobile applications revolution, more are becoming available and they have affordable prices. For the iPhone, the Apple iTunes Store has nearly 30 applications, some free or ranging from 99 cents to $4.99.

If you publish classifieds, Outing says you’ll want them to be included in some of the applications. He says it’s extra exposure for your advertisers, so look out for the popular ones to add to your classifieds.

Learn to listen

kmaloney0@gmail.com (Kaye Maloney) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:02:00 +0000

When you’re out to do business, you can’t think of it as an exchange of money for services or products.
According to the article “Use the Consultative Approach” in the May 2009 issue of Selling Power, it’s about solving a problem. You have to listen to the customer and figure out their problem. Then, think about how to fix it and ask yourself: what’s going to be the best solution?
Jeffrey Gitomer, who has been writing about selling skills since 1992, says salespeople who use the traditional style contrast with the ones who use the consultative approach.
Both kinds of salespeople get the job done, but the consultative people are willing to give up short-term gains to have long-term benefits. Gitomer says they build relationships on a foundation of trust, credibility, respect and performance.
According to Gitomer, salespeople need to raise the level of selling skills to a level where clients want to know more. He says clients will return calls and make referrals for salespeople they trust.

Here are Gitomer’s five components of consultative selling:
1. Find and understand the customers’ needs
2. Partner with the customers and become a resource
3. Show customers how they can achieve their objectives with your product
4. Believe that your business, product and service are the best
5. Believe in yourself. A positive attitude makes it all work.

It's Complicated

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew McGlothlen) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Hello all,
I am gearing up for the WCAA conference at the Red Rock in Las Vegas next week, I thought I'd check in on the blog. Our intern Kim Milfort recently graduated, so we hired a new intern on August 31 whose name is Kaye. Look for her take on sales in the next issue of Creative Selling. We're also in the process of hiring a new associate editor, who will make his or her debut in the November issue. On top of that, we moved offices from Suite 300 to Suites 200-208 at our Ferry Street location in Lafayette. Needless to say, the blog has been lost in the shuffle. I hope you'll forgive me and tune in next week for updates from WCAA.
All that being said, on to today's post - It's Complicated.
As I was talking to a friend of mine, I started explaining why I was excited about today's World Cup qualifying matches. This past weekend, dozens of games were played around the world for an opportunity to land a spot at the World Cup. Each continent's governing confederation has its own system of qualification for its member teams, making it sometimes difficult to explain. If you're in South America, everyone gets to play everyone else once at home and once away, and the top four teams win a spot at the World Cup. However, if you're the fifth place team in South America, you have to play the fourth place team in North America to see which of you gets to go play in South Africa in 2010 at the World Cup. Confused yet? It gets worse, but I won't continue as that's about as far as I need to go to make my point.
How many of you have infrastructures and rate cards that leave your customers with similar headaches as they try to wrap their heads around classified rates versus ROP versus retail versus packages with online components and why the cost for page four is different than the cost for the back cover by such a large margin? While I could explain to you the justification for all the nuances of qualifying for the World Cup, it doesn't make it any less of a headache for you to try to understand the first time, and it doesn't mean there might not be a simpler way. Similarly, while you could explain why the rate card and infrastructure stands the way it does, that doesn't mean there might not be an easier way for your customers.
How much time do your sales reps waste explaining the rate card? How many customers have gone away in confusion rather than sort through the binder of options available to them? As you start planning for 2010, remember the acronym KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid - and try to think of ways to create packages geared toward advertisers of the "good," "better" and "best" variety that allow your advertisers to meet their needs without removing focus from their business. Make it easy for them to drive traffic to their location using the power of the local newspaper's voice, and they will reward your efforts.

Training Tips

kmilfort@purdue.edu (Kim Milfort) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Lessons from the NFL
Up your game with these tips

Sales wisdom can come from almost anywhere. In his mrinsidesales.com article “A Simple Lesson From the NFL to Close More Business,” Mike Brooks discusses tips he gathered from a SI.com interview with former New England Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Brooks says sales professionals should make simple, basic improvements by:
1. Recording the reasons prospects don’t close. Use this information to qualify future prospects. Focus on the most common reasons for not closing, and script qualifying questions to weed out prospects that are not promising. This saves time and lets reps focus on the customers who will buy regularly.
2. Upselling. “So many sales reps are afraid to ask for too much and are just happy to get a minimum order. I know because I used to be that way,” Brooks writes. He suggests asking for larger orders regularly. Even if only one tenth of prospects agree to increase their orders, it will significantly increase sales volume.
“Just remember, as you’re reading this the NFL players and coaches are working on the simple things to improve. You should be doing so, too!” concludes Brooks.

Lead Lines

kmilfort@purdue.edu (Kim Milfort) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Goal Setting
Keep it SMART

Sales managers must continually set goals for their employees to achieve. They must also coach reps in setting their own goals. The acronym SMART can help managers remember the five criteria of good goals. In his mrinsidesales.com article “How to Set SMART Goals,” Mike Brooks says they should be:
Specific. “Knowing the specifics about your goal (in any area) helps you envision it more clearly, and anything you hold clearly in your mind you move towards that much faster,” writes Brooks.
Measurable. Being able to track progress improves motivation.
Attainable. Goals that take a bit of effort without being impossible are key. Managers must learn to set goals which they truly believe will be accomplished.
Relevant. “To be effective, especially in the long term, your goals should be relevant to your values and to what you consider to be meaningful,” says Brooks.
Timed. Setting goals that have a timeline helps people stay focused on what they want to achieve. It is also a great motivator.
“The bottom line is that SMART goals have a much higher chance for success than goals that don't contain these time proven principles,” concludes Brooks.