The Top 5 Things Advertisers Hate About Media Sales Reps

It's not difficult to get local small business owners to open up on the topic of what they hate about the parade of local media reps that visit/call/e-mail. All you have to do is ask. So I did. There's some pent-up frustration out there. The question you need to ask yourself is, "Am I being painted with the same brush?"

Last year, Sales Development Services (my firm) surveyed 665 small-business owners that spent at least $1,000 on advertising during the past 12 months. A portion of the survey was devoted to learning about their attitudes toward media salespeople. Specifically, we asked "if you could give one piece of advice to the local media salespeople that want to sell you advertising, what would it be?"

Here are top five pieces of constructive criticism from local-direct advertisers:

1. "Stop being so damn pushy!"

Advertisers sense your desperation to make goal, but they don't care about YOUR sales. They care about THEIR sales. Of course, the worst thing you can do is not ask for the order. The second worst thing is repeatedly asking for the order without convincing the advertiser of the benefits.

More advice in their own words:

• "Don't pester us,; you can pitch but don't push."
• "YOUR best time to call may not be MY BEST TIME to review your info."
• "Don't push a sale when I don't have the time to consider your product first."
• "Treat the first person who answers the phone with respect -- because if you won't address our receptionist properly, we will not do business with you."
• "Stop cold calling me."

2. "Shut up and listen!"

This is an issue for all salespeople, not just those selling advertising and marketing services. 86.3% of small business owners think "Salespeople talk too much about how great their products are instead of what they can do for me." Nearly a third feel very strongly about this.
More advice in their own words:

• "You have one mouth and two ears."
• "Listen more than you talk."
• "I know what my business needs. Listen to me."
• "Ask me about my budget and work within it without trying to sell me more than I can afford."
• "Understand that when I say, "No, Thank You" it isn't personal and your attitude will determine if I ever consider what you are selling."

3. "Reduce my risk."

Advertisers generally believe you have no skin in the game and they're taking all the risk. What can you do to make them feel safer about a decision in your direction? Let them know you're more concerned about the next sale than this one and you know you'll only get the next sale if they get results. Spend their money like you'd spend your own.

More advice in their own words:

• "Be respectful of my budget. It may be small, but it's not a joke."
• "I have to have a ROI that justifies the expense."
• "Present bottom line results from your existing customer base without stating their names."
• "Show me with verifiable evidence that their approach produces the results I am looking to achieve."
• "Stress the dollars generated by those spent." (Note: Value of a New Customer data works great here!)

4. "Don't waste my time, be prepared."

You've probably heard that it takes more time to prepare a short presentation than a long one -- and it's true. Advertisers want a short presentation. Before your next sales call, try this: Could you tweet your key selling point? If you can't even come close, you've got some fine-tuning to do. Next, has your key selling point been tailored to their line of business or the advertiser's company specifically? Short doesn't mean non-impactful. Usually it's just the opposite.

More advice in their own words:

• "Get to the point and don't waste my time!"
• "Keep it really brief; I can't be selling (my product) if I am talking to you."
• "LEARN MY BUSINESS!!! It's not trying to fit my business to you … it's you fitting to me!" (That's a lot of exclamation points.)
• "Do your homework before contacting me."
• "Don't use canned approaches."

5. "Be interested in more than just taking my money."

Salespeople who care more about serving others, than serving themselves, build stronger relationships and generate more revenue in the long term. The prospect is not your next conquest. It's your next opportunity to help someone improve their life and the well-being of their family and their employees.

More advice in their own words:

• "Sell me what I need, not what you profit most by."
• "Care about your customers' bottom line and not your own!"
• "Don't be just an order taker, be a seller. Bring me ideas and suggestions on how to reach market using your medium."
• "Follow through with me from beginning to end of transaction; even after, if need be."
• "Learn more about sales."

And here's one more -- and it's a big one!

5½. "Don't B.S. me."

You can't be a trusted advisor unless you've earned their trust. Never, ever lie (about anything) to the account and resist the urge to exaggerate. Even if they merely THINK you're not being 100% honest and genuine with them, the damage is done. Anything that erodes your credibility just makes it harder for you to sell.

More advice in their own words:

• "Don't overhype your product as the best thing ever."
• "Don't weasel your way into an appointment by saying 'I was in the neighborhood…."
• "Stop pretending you know me, when you don't!"
• "Back up your claims with cold hard facts."
• "Don't be a flake and contribute to the high turnover rate in your field." (Ouch!)

The truth can hurt, but it's also an effective blueprint for how you can stand apart from every other media rep in town.

If you truly want to be better at sales, start by thinking about everything you don't like about salespeople when YOU are the customer, and then "don't be that guy." Next, care enough to get inside your customer's head. If you've made it to the end of this column, you're already on your way.

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