Magazine Salespeople need to consider several important factors for establishing and maintaining client relationships and, of course, when selling them e-media products.

“It’s so important, vital in fact, to sit down with your clients and assess their needs and determine how best to provide solutions for them,” F+W digital media vice president Chad Phelps said during a session at the FOLIO: Show last month.

During his presentation, Phelps shared with attendees six key strategies for selling e-media.

Integrated vs. dedicated online sale teams. “There are benefits and drawbacks for both.
Integrated teams offer deep client relationships, integrated sales packages and clear client/territory lead lineation. Dedicated staffs offer a greater focus online and a deep product knowledge, but also require a partnership with territorial sales staffs.”

Setting expectations. “The first thing I tell clients is that we’re selling audience, not the site. You should focus on the demographic profile of the site visitor and e-mail subscribers. Keep your statistics and analytics simple.”

Online sales training is essential. “Everything online is constantly changing. Know the terminology and make sure your staff is consistent. Make sure they know your products and why they are valuable.”

E-mail sponsorship. “There are three main categories: editorial sponsorships, dedicated e-mail blasts and custom e-mail newsletters—which are targeted, segmented messaging to portions of list.”

Going beyond banners. “No one says banners anymore. I train my sales staff to say display advertising. We talk about things like site takeovers, text links, in-text advertising, video, podcasts and custom solutions.”

How to sell lead generation. “Understand your clients’ goals,” added Phelps. “Questions you need to ask include: Are they selling a product or a service? What volume of leads are they expecting? What is their typical conversion rate and how do they measure that?”