Media Sales Media Services Clients FAQ Press Blog Careers Contact Us Ads & Ideas Consulting FAQ Ready to Outsource Your Advertising Sales? 28 Questions You Need to Ask Before Selecting a Partner Are they financially sound? How long have they been in business? Do they have established banking relationships? Are they financially sound and can they weather a downturn? What is the plan if the owner meets an unexpected emergency—or gets a job offer? What is their turnover like? Have former employees ever sued them? Do you have an understanding of how the rep company is set up? Have you examined the systems that the firm has in place? Are they right for your current needs? Do you like and trust them? Are they competent and highly recommended? Do they have contemporary skill sets? Do they have experience with sales similar to yours in scope, size and volume? Do they have sales management? Can the firm’s senior management provide insight and help with strategies? Do they make personal sales calls? Is their sales style representative of the style you want to project? How do they recruit salespeople (what kinds of tests do they use?) Do they offer sellers competitive compensation packages? Can the sales firm’s capabilities deliver on your actual sales expectations? Do they have an intelligence network to alert sellers to opportunities and RFPs that could benefit your sales effort? Do they have ability to sell integrated programs with print, digital, etc.? Do their office locations reflect the prestige you would want to project? Do you understand what resources the firm has from a marketing standpoint, such as SRDS, MediaRadar, GfK MRI, custom research capabilities and other assets? Do they have a current CRM system you can use, or are they able to adapt to yours? Do they have publisher support services if needed, like media kit and collateral design, IT consulting and CRM implementation, and billing? Are they right for your future needs? Do they have a track record of client longevity? Does senior management keep up-to-date so they can help you plan? Do other publishers seek out and act on their advice? Do they have the ability to expand to meet your needs nationally? Frequently Asked Questions - Jim Elliott Answers <br/> JIM IS OFTEN ASKED HOW HE EVALUATES SELLERS. <br/> WHEN A PUBLISHER CALLS JIM TO INVESTIGATE THE IDEA OF OUTSOURCING SALES, HE OR SHE OFTEN ASKS FOR CONSULTING. ENTER ADS & IDEAS. <br/> JIM IS SELECTIVE WHEN TAKING ON AD SALES FOR A NEW CLIENT. WHY HAS HE REPRESENTED SO MANY PUBLICATIONS OVER THE YEARS? <br/> JIM DESCRIBES HOW THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SELLING, AND THE TYPE OF PUSHBACK HE ENCOUNTERS WHEN MANAGING SALES OPERATIONS OF NEW CLIENTS. <br/> OFTEN WHEN A PUBLISHER CONSIDERS THE ELLIOTT COMPANY, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ABSORBING STAFF OR INDIVIDUAL SALES REPS SURFACES. <br/> JIM UNMASKS HIS GREATEST COMPETITOR. <br/> WHAT MAKES A REP FIRM SUCCESSFUL, AND WHY A SUCCESSFUL REP FIRM CAN BE EFFECTIVE FOR LARGE PUBLISHERS. <br/> WHAT HAPPENS IF A PUBLISHER WANTS TO TAKE THEIR SALES BACK? <br/> JIM DIVULGES THE BUSINESS CHARACTERISTICS UNIQUE TO THE ELLIOTT COMPANY. <br/> WHAT PUBLISHERS SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN THEY THEY CREATE A SALES FORCE OR HIRE A NATIONAL REP FIRM. <br/> USING CRM SYSTEMS. <br/> CFO’S WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHY THEY ARE HEARING ONE THING IN THE NEWS, AND ENCOUNTERING ANOTHER IN THE FIELD. <br/> SOMETIMES A PUBLISHER WILL THINK LONG AND HARD WHEN OUTSOURCING A DEPARTMENT THEY ONCE MANAGED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO REVENUE. <br/> BEFORE ENTERING A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH ANYONE, THERE ARE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW, AND QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK. <br/> A BIG MISTAKE A PUBLISHER CAN MAKE. <br/> YOU DON’T STAY IN BUSINESS FOR 34 YEARS WITHOUT LEARNING SOME THINGS ALONG THE WAY. <br/> WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR A PUBLISHER TO BOTCH THEIR AD SALES EFFORT? <br/> THE ADVANTAGES A PUBLISHER GAINS BY USING A NATIONAL REP FIRM. <br/> WHAT MAKES A REP FIRM SUCCESSFUL, AND WHY A SUCCESSFUL REP FIRM CAN BE EFFECTIVE FOR LARGE PUBLISHERS. <br/> WHEN A PUBLISHER SEES DECLINING PRINT REVENUE, CIRCULATION, AND SUBSCRIPTIONS, A COMMON REACTION IS TO ABANDON PRINT AND TO FOCUS ONLY ON DIGITAL EDITIONS. <br/> FAILURE TO TAKE A RISK IS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU CAN TAKE. <br/> A PUBLISHER NEEDS TO BE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING SALES GOALS, AND YOUR EXPECTATIONS NEED TO BE IN TOUCH WITH REALITY. <br/> THERE ARE MANY TANGIBLE BENEFITS FOR A PUBLISHER TO CONSIDER WHEN OUTSOURCING SALES EFFORTS. <br/> WHEN ADS & IDEAS TAKES ON A CONSULTING PROJECT FOR A PUBLICATION OR MEDIA COMPANY, SOME UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES MAY ARISE. <br/> A PUBLISHER MIGHT ASK, COULD YOU JUST SELL THE PRINT WHILE WE HANDLE DIGITAL, OR VICE VERSA? <br/> WHETHER TRADITIONAL AND DIGITAL SELLERS CAN SELL MULTI-CHANNEL PROGRAMS EFFECTIVELY? ADS&IDEAS™ NEWSLETTER PDF ARCHIVES