A local media sales representative wanted to persuade an Allstate client to advertise. The challenge was the client was not in the paper’s main circulation area and was not convinced they could afford the paper’s rates.
“I knew there was a plan available from Allstate. Gary thought that if the funds were available, he could convince the client to advertise in the ‘zoned’ page for their circulation area, which would be more cost-effective.
“Gary presented the idea of the ‘zoned’ page to the client, which they liked. He then asked the client if they were aware that they had supplier advertising funding available to them. They were aware of this, but didn’t use it because it was too much of a hassle and too hard to get ad slicks. Gary convinced them he could overcome their objections, and assist in the process.
“They were happy that the ‘thinking’ was taken out of their hands-along with the paperwork. We were also able to secure the newest ad slicks for them. They committed to a four-inch ad per week on Gary’s ‘zoned page’ for a period of seven months.”
Don’t be frightened off by objections, you just need to rethink your strategy. Always remind your advertiser not only of the benefits of supplier funding assistance, but also how your company is committed to making the program work.