Sales Training
Classified Development's ad-visor sales training is the most popular part of the service. While more referrals come our way based on the sales training than any other source, it is really the analysis, rate structuring and product innovations that generate most of the revenue. Still, without buy-in from the ad-visors, all the programs in the world won't do you any good. Culture eats strategy for lunch.
Your reps will definitely have the necessary buy-in at the end of this training. The sales training starts out as "opportunistic training" during the days of analysis. Clark prefers to work right out among the ad-visors, rather than in an office someplace. If it could be done from an office, it could be done from home.
Within an hour or two Clark is "one of the team." The natural apprehension about having an outside consultant evaluate the operation dissolves quickly as Clark uses his sense of humor and easy-going Southern Style to put the ad-visors at ease. They quickly realize that Clark has not only spent considerable time taking ads himself, but that he is only there to make things better.
This is one of Clarks secrets to getting so much of the "soft data" about the specific classified situation put together so quickly. Ad-visors just feel comfortable sharing with him and taking advice from him for better ways of doing things. Clark attributes this phenomenon to his genuinely liking most of the people he meets, and to knowing how to suggest improvements without putting people on the spot. Consider it sort of an informal version of the famous "feel-felt-found" approach.
By the time the all-day Saturday training session rolls around, the all-day "dread-factor" is pretty much gone, and the ad-visors are excited about learning the new techniques.
The Saturday Training is from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM with the newspaper providing lunch onsite for the group. The day goes by faster than you can imagine, unless you have been in one of Clark's sessions. The material is well organized, and each subject covered builds on the previous subject. This is not general sales training with the name classified tagged on. It is classified line-ad specific sales training.
The basic agenda is:
> The power of the newspaper's products and the value of the brand's trust-relationship with readers;
> The importance of classifieds to both the overall readership and revenue stream of the newspaper;
> What readers and advertisers expect from the classifieds;
> How to get advertisers to include the elements in their ad that will pay off with the desired results;
> New classified products that boost ad effectiveness.
> How to get more advertisers to use the classifieds.
Once those inbound basics are covered the focus moves to outbound sales:
> Effective Renewal Callbacks;
> Collecting and publishing Success Stories;
> Outbound prospecting for the the regular classified columns and directories;
> Outbound prospecting for special pages and special directories;
> Outbound prospecting for classfiied department products that have never been sold before.
1.) In one day we will turn your ad-takers into ad-visors, and your ad-visors into ad-experts.
2.) Your readers will benefit from information that is broader and clearer.
3.) Your advertisers will benefit from getting first shot at more qualified buyers.
4.) Your newspaper will benefit from the enhanced revenue stream.
5.) Your Ad-visors will benefit from better compensation and the feeling of a job well done.
Your reps will definitely have the necessary buy-in at the end of this training. The sales training starts out as "opportunistic training" during the days of analysis. Clark prefers to work right out among the ad-visors, rather than in an office someplace. If it could be done from an office, it could be done from home.
Within an hour or two Clark is "one of the team." The natural apprehension about having an outside consultant evaluate the operation dissolves quickly as Clark uses his sense of humor and easy-going Southern Style to put the ad-visors at ease. They quickly realize that Clark has not only spent considerable time taking ads himself, but that he is only there to make things better.
This is one of Clarks secrets to getting so much of the "soft data" about the specific classified situation put together so quickly. Ad-visors just feel comfortable sharing with him and taking advice from him for better ways of doing things. Clark attributes this phenomenon to his genuinely liking most of the people he meets, and to knowing how to suggest improvements without putting people on the spot. Consider it sort of an informal version of the famous "feel-felt-found" approach.
By the time the all-day Saturday training session rolls around, the all-day "dread-factor" is pretty much gone, and the ad-visors are excited about learning the new techniques.
The Saturday Training is from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM with the newspaper providing lunch onsite for the group. The day goes by faster than you can imagine, unless you have been in one of Clark's sessions. The material is well organized, and each subject covered builds on the previous subject. This is not general sales training with the name classified tagged on. It is classified line-ad specific sales training.
The basic agenda is:
> The power of the newspaper's products and the value of the brand's trust-relationship with readers;
> The importance of classifieds to both the overall readership and revenue stream of the newspaper;
> What readers and advertisers expect from the classifieds;
> How to get advertisers to include the elements in their ad that will pay off with the desired results;
> New classified products that boost ad effectiveness.
> How to get more advertisers to use the classifieds.
Once those inbound basics are covered the focus moves to outbound sales:
> Effective Renewal Callbacks;
> Collecting and publishing Success Stories;
> Outbound prospecting for the the regular classified columns and directories;
> Outbound prospecting for special pages and special directories;
> Outbound prospecting for classfiied department products that have never been sold before.
1.) In one day we will turn your ad-takers into ad-visors, and your ad-visors into ad-experts.
2.) Your readers will benefit from information that is broader and clearer.
3.) Your advertisers will benefit from getting first shot at more qualified buyers.
4.) Your newspaper will benefit from the enhanced revenue stream.
5.) Your Ad-visors will benefit from better compensation and the feeling of a job well done.
Richard Clark -- Sales Trainer
Do we have the right people on board?
This is the most common question that publishers ask me. Here's how I come up with the answer.
Classifed Development does the analysis onsite, right out in the classified department. This allows the opportunity to get to know the staff and to give a snapshot evaluation of which parts of the new selling process each team member is best suited to fill.
It rarely makes sense to clean house and start over. Yet, there are sometimes people on the team that just cannot accept the fact that the worl is changing and that new techniques are required for the department to be successful. For many this is understandable, since many classified departments haven't seen much in the way of new sales techniques in years.
Classified Development's program also includes a great (and really simple) set of tools for measuring performance of each individual classified inside sales rep.
