Professional Sales Techniques Handout

By Maria Guevara

Things to bring with you to a sales meeting:

• appropriate attire : Dress professionally. Looks go a long way!
• contracts/rate sheets, past newspapers, pen, business cards if available
• smile: Charm is a sales person’s best chance for chee-ching!)
• confidence: Do not be intimidated by the manager or owner. You’re a business person as much as they are.

Procedures to follow during your sales meeting:

• Ask to speak manager or person in charge of advertising. Ask for your contact if you have a prescheduled meeting.
• Introduce yourself by name and name of publication while shaking the person’s hand firmly and keeping eye contact.
• Use your charm. Comment on the business and its importance for teens or establish some kind of rapport with the manager before you try to sell him/her an ad.
• Show manager your rates sheet and samples of past ads
• Ask the manager what size he/she would like to buy, NOT if he/she wants to buy (Don’t give manager a chance to say NO) Remind the manager that he/she does no have to pay on the spot. Try to sell for the year if possible.
• Do not take rejection personally if the manager does not want an ad.
• If the business does want an ad, fill out information on contract.
• Get clean artwork on a white or light-colored background.
• Thank the manager or owner while shaking his/her hand. You have made your sale!

Rates:

• Full Page: $100
• ½ Page: $50
• ¼ Page: $40
• Business Card: $20 (If they consider a business card size remind them that they will get a lot more visibility with at least a quarter of a page —Remember all those students!)