Monica uses a special technique when she meets with prospective advertisers for the first time. "After we've chatted for a minute or two about the weather or a general topic, I say, 'Although I could talk about my paper all day long, I know you're busy. So how can we make the best use of your time today?'



"It works like magic," she explained. "Most of the time, the prospect will identify the marketing problems that are of biggest concern. This allows me to structure questions and product information around what's most important to them. It's like a road map for our appointment.

"Recently, a prospect said, 'I'd like to see what your paper can do to drive customers to our web site.' Because he had such a specific objective, we talked about advertising frequency – and that led us to a budget that was designed to produce a large number of impressions. If I hadn't asked my magic question, we might not have arrived at that destination. Or maybe we wouldn't have gotten there so quickly."

Monica's technique can help you accomplish several things:

1. It shows respect. Saying that you want to make the best use of time sends a clear signal that you are committed to being efficient and productive. You are asking your prospects to set the agenda for your meeting, and the last thing you want is wasted time.

If your prospects wander off the path and start talking about peripheral issues, you have a stated – and respectful – reason to bring them back to the subject at hand.

2. It puts relevance at the top of the list. If your prospects have talked to other media representatives lately, there is a good chance that there have been numerous sales monologues of meaningless factoids. Because most sales people take a one-presentation-fits-all approach, their spiels are unlikely to cover information which is relevant to your prospects' specific marketing challenges.

By asking prospects what they would like to accomplish in meetings, you put their concerns at the center of the discussion.

3. It establishes a pattern of open-ended questioning. Open-ended questions – as opposed to closed-ended questions – are those which can't be answered in a few words. Obviously, you will get more information with open-ended questions.

You'll find it helpful to blend the two types. For example, "How long did your last campaign run?" (closed) can be followed by "How did it work?" (open). "What is your advertising budget for this year?" (closed) can be followed by "What are your thoughts on allocating those dollars?" (open). And "What zip codes would you like to target?" can be followed by "In your experience, what is so appealing about the people in those areas?"

Contrary to the way many sales people behave, Monica knows that it's better to listen than to talk. Simply establish priorities, ask relevant questions that uncover marketing problems, then show how your paper can solve those problems.

That's the best use of everyone's time.

(c) Copyright 2010 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

E-mail John Foust for information about his training videos for ad departments: jfoust@mindspring.com