Hey, Media Consultant. For Whom Do You Sell?

Recently, Borrell and Associates, a leading media research firm, conducted their annual survey among those people who buy advertising for their businesses and asked them what traits they seek from media salespeople. 

Here are the top four results.

Top Results From Borrell and Associates Annual Survey

• High level of marketing expertise
• Partnership attitude, not just vendor attitude
• Presents a well-supported marketing program
• Thinks holistically about my business, not just theirs

There were other results too, but these four showed up as vital to business owners when selecting a media company. 

Do you see a theme here?

The results here should not be surprising. These days business owners are presented with myriad marketing products and services, which is, undoubtedly, mind-boggling. 

What business owners really want is someone to help them sort all that out, and importantly, someone whose marketing expertise qualifies them to do that. 

Are you that person? 

Over the years, we've seen media sellers, who on one end of the continuum think marketing is something that happens when you go the supermarket.  At the opposite end of the spectrum are marketing junkies, obsessed with who buys what, why they buy it, and who the competitors are in the segment.  Most “media consultants” are somewhere in between. 

So, if you're in that in-between group, what can you do to become a better marketer? 

How to Become a Better Marketer

Pay More Attention to Advertising

Pay more attention to advertising — and not just who bought advertising on your competitors, but the message.

• To whom does it appeal? 
• What are the key benefits the ad conveys? 
• Is there a clear strategic positioning for product or service, and are there tactics to move the consumer to action?

Get more familiar with the journey the consumer takes when purchasing a particular product. 

• How long is the sales cycle? 
• When do they start noticing advertising in a category, and what actions do they take early on? 
• What does engagement look like? 
• On which media and marketing channels do they interact with before becoming a customer? 
• How does your client leverage happy customers to create more?

Program your work with a marketing strategy model that gives you a repeatable process you can provide the marketing help your clients really need.

Market Yourself Wisely

If you can really be a trusted source of marketing expertise to your clients, the prospects you're attempting to meet with won’t know that unless you market yourself properly. 

Does your LinkedIn profile look like you are applying for a job with your next employer or applying for a job as a marketing consultant for your next client? 

It’s a big difference. Also, build a book of client quotes and case studies that show strangers you are qualified to help.

Can you imagine a kitchen remodeling company coming to your home, and when asked about examples of their work, they say, “Ah, we don’t we really have any, but trust me, we do quality work (and, we’re number one)!”

In the end, while we do sell to people, we should think of our jobs as selling for people. When dealing with business owners and managers, our job is to sell their products, not our own — why to buy our product will be obvious. 

You can get anything in life you want if you just help enough people get what they want. — Zig Ziglar

To whom do you sell?