Workplace -- it could be a lot worse, and you control how it goes!

So, do you think you have it bad at work?

These two stories appeared next to each other on the local news website in the Syracuse area this morning:

Kim Jong Un executed defense chief for sleeping during meeting, spy agency says
Fall asleep at a meeting in the USA and you might get fired, or you might get handed a cup of Starbucks. In North Korea you apparently go before the firing squad. And you thought your boss was a jerk?

Upstate NY ex-postal carrier faces prison for dumping Bed Bath & Beyond ads
If a 12-year old carrier dumps papers he probably gets fired and maybe Mom grounds him for a day or two. A postal carrier gets fired and goes to prison. And his wife probably gets really, really angry with him.

The common thread here is a simple lesson: screw up on the job and you pay for it. For those involved in advertising and marketing sales, the corollary is truer: screw up and you don't get paid. Your client doesn't get paid either. Nor does your company, the source of everything you have to sell for. 

There are large, obvious errors, such as leaving a client's ad out of a paper. No one gets paid. The point today is that you may be making many more, less obvious errors that are costing you, your clients and your company even more money over time. And they are so basic:

1. You don't suggest -- no pressure on the customer, just ask "have you ever considered expanding your market area? Would you be interested in discussing a new campaign that will help you build your market share? We have a print & deliver insert product that we can target specific neighborhoods with -- should we look at that for the new line of tractors you're carrying?" We get caught in our routine...so make your routine better! Make it one of consistent suggestive selling that benefits your client.

2. You don't pay attention -- watch the small details; notice little things in your client's inventory: new items to promote, seasonal items that need to be cleared. Notice competitor ads and approaches that affect your client's results and strategy. Pay attention to details like that. You probably do it for your top 20% -- expand that to your top 50% and see what additional revenue it brings you.

3. You don't ask -- for referrals, for additional ads promoting related services, for details on co-op plans, for sit downs to discuss annual plans and revised strategies. You know.

You are not going to be killed or incarcerated for missing these little tips. Fact is you are not going anywhere...you will remain in the income and opportunity level where you are currently seated if you continue to miss these finer points of your job responsibilities. I read a study on Ej4.com recently that stated 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact on a customer. Here’s another interesting number: 44% of sales representatives quit after the first  “no”. Your job also includes hanging in there. Don't screw it up.


tcuskey@fcpny.com  1-877-275-2726

Zig Lives On Even If Cold-Calls Haven't

"Cold Calling Is Dead - Thanks to Social Networking. Get Your Free eBook. Download Yours Now!"

This headline is at the top of my LinkedIn page this morning. What has happened in our profession? Google "cold call" and results return more references to the demise of this sales staple as well as a couple of 2012 links explaining the finer points of the technique ("7 steps to a perfect cold call - CBS News", "Seven Secrets to Cold Calling Success - Entrepreneur").  Contradiction in the search engine! I am confused. When did cold calling die? Must have passed away when Zig Ziglar did, in November of 2012. I still love Zig, and miss his wisdom, captured in this Top Ten Ziglar Quote List, courtesy of Forbes.com:

10) “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”

9) “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

8) “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.”

7) “There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic.”

6) “People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.”

5) “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”

4) “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”

3) “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

2) “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

1) “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”

Funny, but the term "cold call" isn't in Zig's list, be they dead or alive. As much as some folks want us to think that selling has changed (and we all need reprogramming with a fee payable to the trainer claiming to be the cold-call undertaker), the fact is that selling always has been and always will be about relationships, helping people and being sincere in everything you do. Successful advertising works the same way. So, if you're selling successful advertising, you'd better be twice as nice and twice as sincere.

Aside from learning how to write up an order and using some helpful tools, there really isn't too much else you need to know.

If you need help with the tools that FCPNY provides as member benefits-- AdMall, CVC Audits and more -- contact Tom at tcuskey@fcpny.com or call 877-275-2726.

IOT -- It's not short for "IDIOT", at least not yet.

God speaks to me. Often, unfortunately. It's not that He has a lot to say to me; He has to repeat Himself several times before I actually listen. I am working on that and I am getting better at listening.

Case in point: IOT. I have heard the term twice now in the past three days from very legit sources. Repetition merits listening to. If you are new to the term, as I was, it stands for Internet Of Things. My first exposure to the phrase came from a friend who owns a fast growing, high-tech lighting company. You'll see an example of his work if you watch this year's Super Bowl (they lit the Phoenix stadium where the 2015 game will be held). He was talking about LED lights they design that have built-in transmitters that communicate constantly with a central station that monitors the status and condition of the lights. Keeps everyone on top of maintenance. He said "this is the next big thing you're going to start hearing about: the Internet of Things!" He was right. I heard about it again, this morning, on a news report about the huge high-tech product showcase that is going on in Las Vegas this week. The Internet of Things is all over it. Not only are people connected through our enabled devices, the devices themselves communicate with each other and take care of their business, if you will, without our direct assistance. The Internet of Things. 

Like everything new it is part exciting and part scary. I know I have seen sci-fi movies where smart machines take over the Earth. That's not the scary part, it's the exciting part. Here is scary...

Our clients would like to automate their marketing and advertising. There are programs that put a social media message out on multiple platforms at the stroke of a key. Reports come in that tell what kind of web traffic they are getting and where it comes from. Digital equals measurable, and measurable is good. Where are you in this mix? Hopefully, you're out in front of it. Digital changes so quickly that you have to become an everyday student of it…and then you can help your customers, your PRINT customers, make the most of it. Don't wait for your company or your boss to tell you to do this. It's up to you. You see, print isn't dead, it's alive and kicking in many forms. And it won’t die unless you kill it by not efficiently and intelligently attaching it to the new technologies that will always be coming our way. 

So don't become an I-di-OT. Get out in front of the wave. Learn a little bit more about new and existing products every day. Your advertisers have businesses to run -- they are looking for someone like you to take their hands and guide them through all of this, today and going forward. That becomes the exciting part. In spite of the looming Internet of Things, people still make ad decisions and pay the bills. And your job is to help people make their futures brighter. That makes yours brighter, too. Thank God!

Need training or assistance from FCPNY? Contact Tom at tcuskey@fcpny.com or call 877-275-2726.

Political ad spending -- looking forward to 2016?

I don't know if anything could have been done to stop the death of the dinosaurs. Lava flowing from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is going to make its way downhill to the sea, and man will not deter its course. There are some things in which we are powerless. Changes in media spending habits may be one more fine example, but I am betting, and hoping, that we still have a hand in our future. 

I live in the 24th Congressional District. Incumbent Democrat Dan Maffei is fighting off a strong challenge from Republican John Katko. This means nothing to you if you live outside the district, unless your home district is touched by the Syracuse TV market. Estimates of ad spending in this race have topped $5-million, and the great majority of those dollars have come from outside the district. Both parties have seen this race as a volatile swing zone so the outside money has flowed. And the winner is...local television. As we approach Election Day (tomorrow as I write) 30-second local spots have been almost entirely swept up by political messages, most of them by this Congressional battle. TV execs are whooping it up right now (and probably already sweating the "curse of media success": going up against these sales numbers next year). Still, TV's future seems bright, or brighter than most, except for you know what.

According to an article on emarketer.com (http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Total-US-Ad-Spending-See-Largest-Increase-Since-2004/1010982), 2014 will wind up seeing the biggest jump in ad dollars since 2004. TV is king at 38.1% of the mix while print grabs 17.7% of the ad dollars. Between now and 2018, it's estimated that TV will lose 6% of it's share while print will lose almost 21% of its claim. Every category is losing except digital. 28.2% of dollars are there right now, expecting to grow to a share of 37.3% by 2018, a 32% increase. The web is full of stories documenting the challenges newspapers/print media have had building digital services that provide revenue. As an industry, as a state association and as individual publishers, we have to overcome that or continue to lose. Why not make the 2016 elections our target to do so?

It all comes down to having an audience or readership, as always, but knowing who they are and how to segment them for successful targeting has become the key to new revenue. Our collective past attempts have relied on packaging digital with print, but that's because we desperately want our print products to survive. Like Tarzan, we have to let go of one vine before we can grab another if we want to keep moving forward. Otherwise we are just hanging there, gradually losing our grip. 

Continue to build audience with diverse print products, and tie them to exciting websites that build different demographic groups. Learn how to integrate video in your sites with interactive platforms that advertisers (or candidates) can take advantage of. The goal: have it up and running by this time next year and be ready to market it to the candidates. Let your associations (like FCPNY) bundle it for access to national and statewide political action groups. 

It's different, yes. The margins are different, too. Historically, that's too bad, but it is what is. Given a second chance, the dinosaurs would probably have settled for change with new possibilities for growth rather than extinction. But they didn't have a choice. 

Meet a "new school" expert.

Salespeople from our publishing membership have asked about the new selling style or the “new school” approach to sales. One hears a lot about it today when searching for training and education information on becoming a more effective salesperson. In my mind, Marc Wayshak is one of the best at presenting the skills of a new school salesperson. Marc received rave reviews after presenting at our FCPNY SuperConference earlier this year.

I subscribe to Marc's weekly email. This week's entry follows, and it is to the point on how the sales process is evolving. From Marc....

Here Are Five Ways to Stand out from the Competition

#1. Tone down the enthusiasm. Salespeople love to show their enthusiasm to prospects about their product or service. The problem is that every salesperson uses the same fake enthusiasm, and prospects are on to this gig. It’s time to par back on the histrionics and simply be real and sincere.

#2. Stop trying to persuade. All of your competitors are out right now trying to persuade their prospects to buy from them. Persuasion is a very old-school strategy in selling, and it simply doesn’t work anymore because every salesperson uses it. Instead of persuading, spend time asking effective questions and understanding what your prospects are really seeking to accomplish.

#3. Ask questions focused on outcomes. Nothing will separate you from your competition more than fully understanding what your prospects are looking to actually accomplish.

So ask questions such as, “Help me understand what you’d be looking to accomplish,” or, “If I gave you a magic wand to change anything about your situation, what would you change?”

By asking questions like this you are going to more effectively understand what your prospects are seeking to achieve; you’ll thus stand out from your competitors as the person who understands his goals.

#4. Learn about key challenges. Your prospects will not be buying your product or service; they’ll be buying a solution to their challenges. By starting your conversations focused on the challenges that your prospects are facing, you are going to have a much better idea of how to actually solve those challenges.

Think of going to a doctor: A doctor doesn’t ask you what solution you want. A doctor asks you, “What are the challenges that you’re facing?” and asks a lot of effective questions to understand what’s really going on. Follow this same protocol and you will find that your approach is totally distinct from that of your competitors.

#5. Don’t pitch your prospect. Prospects are so used to being pitched by salespeople all day long that the second you start to give a pitch, the prospect’s defense walls will go up significantly. Drop the pitch because it’s time to start effectively asking questions to understand what’s going on.

Once you’ve fully understood what’s happening and you’ve gotten buy-in from that prospect about what those challenges are, it’s time to just share some potential solutions with your prospects in the form of a proposal or presentation without all of the flare and hype of a pitch.

The most successful salespeople stand out like a sore thumb from their competition. Be the apple among the oranges. By applying these five ways to stand out from your competition, you’ll find that you’re totally and completely distinct from your competitors.

Marc encourages his readers to share his information, as I have today. I have to admit that I struggle with some of the new approaches. For example, I am an enthusiastic guy and toning down goes against my grain. But growth only comes through change, and change takes effort, sometimes pain.

I invite you to visit Marc's website, GamePlanSelling.com, where you can get his free eBook, 25 Tips to Crush Your Sales Goal and receive his weekly email on sales tips. And remember to contact us at FCPNY whenever we can be of service to you. Call 877-275-2726 or email tcuskey@fcpny.com. Thanks for your time today!

Local ad tracking comes through training, too

I am a sucker for a deal. This morning, the McDonald's drive-thru, two Sausage McMuffins for $3.00 (no, I didn't eat them both; I shared with my colleague at work. Really, I did.). This particular McDonald's has two drive-thru lanes but only one pay and pick-up lane. And they were busy. When I got to the pay window, the young lady smiled and said, without hesitation, "that will be $3.28." I replied, "How do you know? How can you tell which order is mine when you have customers coming from two directions?" She laughed. "The drive-thru order station takes a picture of you and your car so I know who has what!"

Duh.

Smile, you're on Candid Camera! I don't think we appreciate how often we are tracked today, by cameras, by online cookies and software, GPS on our smart phones and Lord knows what else. From an advertising standpoint -- print advertising in particular -- it can make for uncomfortable moments as advertisers today expect, even demand that they know exactly what their advertising and marketing is producing. This digital tracking environment we live in has groomed them to expect hard, fast answers. It makes them think traditional media advertising is lacking because, short of a coupon count, it's hard to track the results.

Arm yourself with knowledge to share with advertisers:

1. Tracking an ad is insanity. Does Alan Mulally, Ford CEO, run one TV ad for Mustangs and then measure sales results? Of course not. Your advertiser shouldn't either. They should be running planned campaigns that raise consumer awareness of their brand and build tactical urgency to move product that the market wants at competitive value.

2. Teach your advertisers to train everyone who works for them to ask, "Where did you hear about us? How did you know about the sale?" And then continually harvest the responses. Stay on top of results because the market is always changing.

3. Advertise online? Of course they should. The website is a huge resource for product and service -- and value -- information. A recent BIA/Kelsey study shared by the folks at AdMall points out, though, that 93% of local shopping happens at brick & mortar locations. That is in stores, not online. They also found that 61.8% of the 55-plus crowd read local print and newspapers and 57% like to use coupons (good coupons, I might add. I'm 55-plus!). 45% of the Gen-X crowd (aged 39 to 54) likes local publications and newspapers, too. Even 37% of the millennials are readers. Traditional print media is still a place where smart ad money, at the local level, should be directed.

FCPNY offers tools like CVC readership studies and AdMall not to help our salespeople "close deals" but to help them make advertisers more aware of how to effectively reach the market and become successful. Our members have an ongoing history of making small, local businesses successful. Call us at 877-275-2726 or email tcuskey@fcpny.com for help and training in making this happen in today's marketplace.

Thank you for your time today!

Don't make people guess who you are.

Over the past month or so I have been involved with our own FCPNY annual Super Conference and the Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) conference, held this year at Disney in Orlando. At each event I had the opportunity to meet people face-to-face that previously I had known only through email or phone contact. With many folks today hiding behind their digital communications means, this is becoming a more common occurrence. What's more, none of these people looked like I imagined they would.

Two reasons:

1. I am quickly becoming one of the older people in the conference room. I am in that narrowing group of business people nearing retirement age while most of the other folks in the room are 59 and under. I tend to imagine people as being in my own demographic stratum but most turn out to be younger. Duh. Much younger in some cases. I met one salesperson that looked like she could have been the high school aged daughter of the woman I imagined her to be.

2. No one ever looks like you imagine them -- we are all non-psychic, lousy guessers.

Which leads to the selling point: prospects use the same electronic gatekeepers as our colleagues, only they have them running at DEFCON 1. On top of that, prospects are trying to do more with less (just like our companies) so they have less time to spend chatting with salespeople. Thus, we often don't know what they look like, sound like, what they need, want or fear. How do we overcome?

Honestly, if I knew the hard, fast answer I wouldn't be here writing a blog, I'd be cashing checks in Palm Springs. The wires are full of suggestions on how to break through and get conversations started. Boil down most of what you read and you're left with two basic realities:

1. You haven't shown or aroused potential value in your brief opening.

2. You don't stand out from the rest of the selling crowd.

If your product doesn't have value, fix it. If it does and you haven't conveyed it, practice. Be sincere and be supportive. Don't sell. And practice, practice, practice what you say or do.

If you don't stand apart, work on branding your product and yourself. Yes, you need a personal brand that you convey so people remember you and what you do. Unless you’re the product owner, your personal brand may be the only brand you have total control of. Make sure everyone knows what you look and sound like, and what you stand for. 

We at FCPNY can help you with all of these sales needs as well as other selling issues you may be facing. Give us a call at 877-275-2726 or email me at tcuskey@fcpny.com.

Thanks so much for your time!