Understanding (or fending off) Sales Reps

magazines, radio and television

stations, coupon mailer companies,

telephone books, trolleys, bus

companies, tourist map makers and

more. They are often thought to

swarm businesses like bees on

nectar.

They are the ubiquitous sales rep

who always has the media deal to

make your business into honey, or

is it money?

While sometimes the

plethora of sales reps knocking at

your door begging for your

attention, time and advertising

dollars can be overwhelming--and to

some irritating--good reps may

reward you with an insightful

understanding of the Southwest

Florida market and ultimately a

stronger marketing plan for your

business.

If a rep comes in like a bear in a

glass shop, don't hesitate to show

that person the exit. "In many

ways reps have been an intrusion

and haven't offered more than they

were asked to," says Don

Montgomery who was general manager

of the Philadelphia Inquirer and

is now a local rep with the Naples

Daily News. But he is quick to

acknowledge that "times are

changing" especially at newspapers

in both Fort Myers and Naples.

"Newspapers don't want to lose

their market share," says

Montgomery and as a direct result,

management is doing more to train

reps to go the extra mile and

provide clients with marketing

information and know how for

making dollars stretch further.

"The rep who stands out provides

clients with invaluable

information beginning with rate

cards to media facts to marketing

surveys," says Montgomery.

Ann Marie Fox, who sells

advertising for WBBH (the local

NBC affiliate) and WZVN (the local

ABC affiliate), believes that a

rep's first meeting with a client

should be purely

information-getting.

"The rep

should ask about your business,"

says Fox. "What are your goals?

Who are your competitors? What are

you trying to accomplish in the

short term? Long term?"

Good reps know what makes

businesses grow. "We have lots of

experience to know what works,"

she says. In addition to factual

station information, sales people

have extraordinary resources to

share with clients.

"Just as

important as the Nielsen numbers

(television's rating yardstick) is

the additional research material

available on psychographics and

demographics" says Fox, which her

stations obtain through Marshall

Marketing. WINK television (the

CBS affiliate) relies on Leigh

Stowell data. These survey

materials can help a business

target and advertise more cost

effectively.

Jeff Edwards, sales development

director for WXKB-FM (known as

B103.9) radio, agrees that a rep

must invest time to explore a

business's needs. Edwards

recommends that if he were a

business person and didn't know

the market at all, "I'd take one

or two days and do a cattle call"

asking reps to come in and present

information, which can be an

eye-opening education.

Alternatively, "if you have an

initial plan, invite select media

to come in so that you can gather

information to make a more

educated decision," he says.

"A buyer has to be both trusting

and a little bit wary," says

Michael Murphy of WFTX (Fox TV).

He notes that unfortunately most

new young reps are more concerned

with meeting their quota than with

helping a business.

To keep up with the ever-changing

market and media movement, Edwards

suggests setting aside a day a

week or every few weeks to meet

with media reps. But a number of

businesses find the media research

requirements just too

time-consuming and decide to pass

the task--and the barrage of

reps--on to an advertising agency.

Cindi Dickinson with WAVV radio

finds that she even has clients

who consult her on what

advertising agency to use.

Throughout the media industry, the

name "sales rep" has slowly and

quietly been replaced by

"marketing consultant." No longer

are media people merely

representing the offerings of

their companies. Dickinson sees

her role as one "to educate,

network and, most importantly, to

build a relationship." She is

constantly faxing clients relevant

articles to their business or

their advertising choices and

follows up regularly to see if

adjustments are needed to make

their advertising more effective. To increase a client's results,

she'll suggest changing copy or

running more frequency or

developing cross-promotional

ideas.

Similarly, Barbara Parks at the

Marco Island Eagle helps keep

clients informed about special

programs or opportunities that can

assist a client target more

specifically. She conscientiously

follows up and makes

recommendations on placement or

frequency.

Many clients have come to rely on

Parks for her perceptions and

insights on the marketplace and

even recommendations about other

publications. They trust her.

"That trust comes mainly from

doing what you tell them you're

going to do and not forgetting"

says Parks. When a client gives

her an ad change, the person

doesn't have to worry about it. In

fact, many clients will just say

"hey, you know what I want, you do

it." And she does.

Many reps emphasize the importance

of trust and honesty. As Parks

does, it's not unusual for reps to

recommend the competition for

certain programs or time periods

if it will help the client achieve

the desired goals. In this way,

reps establish a position of

credibility and reliability.

At WGUF radio, general manager Tim

Spires instructs his reps to be "a

resource and solution provider"

for the client. "We should do the

thinking for the client and be

proactive," says Spires. "We

should be suggesting that the

client revise a spot before the

client even thinks about it." As

Spires proffers: "the rep should

be one of the best people on their

(the client's) employee roster but

not on their payroll."

The important bottom line is that

the sales rep (or "marketing

consultant") can be a tremendous

asset to you and your business;

keeping you abreast of the

competition and trends in the

market. It's tough to close the

door on such a valuable resource,

isn't it?