A "SELL OUT" for Gannett at the Rockford Register (IL) Star, after teaming up with the Blinder Group
The Opportunity
Today many newspapers are faced with the challenge of increasing their online advertising revenue. The Rockford (IL) Register Star has had great success in maximizing their classified-based multimedia revenue, but found challenges in garnering new online dollars from the traditional retail categories. As with many papers, the RRStar's conundrum was how to train the very qualified print staff to embrace and sell online advertising to their existing customers. Salespeople gravitate to where they are comfortable thus resisting the unknown. For some salespeople technology frightens them therefore the Rockford Register Star sales staff found it challenging to sell advertising on the RRStar.com Web site. The opportunity for the Blinder Group was to assist in the transformation of the Rockford Register Star's outside sales force into believers and to be able to confidently sell online advertising.
Program Overview
One of the benefits of working with the Register Star is their existing "Shop Local" online shopping channel in which local business advertising opportunities are offered within a searchable framework, that includes content from a complete suite of Shop Local advertising solutions. Critical mass of this "shopping" content is achieved right off the bat with Shop Local's commission-based shopping program. This "turn key" solution delivers relevant product results from millions of items from top online retailers. For each purchase originating from a Shop Local click-through, the Rockford Register Star already receives turnkey online revenue.
The Rockford Register Star brought in Mike Blinder of the Blinder Group to work with management to develop an initial sales training/ revenue generation program that would be easy for the local, traditional ad reps to "take to market' using Shop Local platform as the basis of the offering. During the initial visit, Mike facilitated a strategic planning session with senior managers, where it was decided that a "bundled" program would be taken to local advertisers, offering them a combination of:
This program was offered so that the advertisers would receive the benefit of having their message appear in front of the online "active shoppers" by being incorporated within the existing "shop local" environment. As well as, in front of "passive shoppers" by appearing tens of thousands of times each week, within a coveted "in-story" ad position.
Advertiser participation was limited to 20 local businesses, each agreeing to invest $149 per week for skyscraper ad position and limited to 25 local businesses, each agreeing to invest $99 per week for bottom banner ad position. Each program is for a 12-month commitment, entitling them to receive 65,000 impressions a month.
Also, great care was taken to instruct the salespeople (as well as the advertisers) on the benefit of having a compelling, changing online message that had enough information displayed within the ad space, so readers can respond to the advertiser's message, without having to "click" the ad for further information. Weekly changes to the ad content were encouraged as a means to keep the ads current as well as maximizing response.
Sales Marketing Support
The Blinder Group assisted the Rockford Register Star in the development of a complete, seven-page presentation to help the local, traditional ad reps, explain the value propositions of the program to local advertisers. The support materials outlined the Web site audience demographics as well as the features and benefits of the total program.
Sales Training Support
Mike Blinder also during the initial visit to the Rockford Register Star conducted an onsite motivational, training program for all managers and "outside" salespeople. Topics covered included:
During the meeting the sales staff was also informed of the Blinder Group's pending return visit (see below), in which "4-legged" sales training/closing calls were to be performed. Salespeople were urged and encouraged during the meeting, to set up a large amount of appointments, with qualified "decision-makers" of area businesses, so that they could experience "first hand" how to sell online products to their advertisers with Blinder Group assistance. Salespeople were given a "success kit" which reaffirmed the most important elements of the training. Plus it offered them a proven "appointment setting" script to assist in setting up the sales calls.
Sales Strategy
One of the key elements in ensuring sales success of this initiative is garnering advertiser approval of meeting attendance as well as the validity of the concept in general. Some of these advertisers are wary of trying new ideas. One of the most effective means of accomplishing attendance and acceptance is to introduce the advertiser to an industry respected "outside" consultant who has had success with similar programs, with similar businesses, in similar markets, all over the world. That is why many media companies contract with the Blinder Group to perform "4-legged" sales training closing calls with traditional ad reps, to assist in the launch of programs like the one defined in this document. Barbara Wickman, of the Blinder Group returned the Rockford market 14-days after the initial "set up" visit to conduct these calls with the local ad reps, on targeted advertisers.
Results
During the 5-days of assisted sales calls, 51% of the qualified advertiser "decision makers" committed to the 12-month program, in a single sales call setting, resulting in over $144,000 of new online revenue for the Rockford Register Star.
"The Blinder Group is AWESOME! Not only did they meet their revenue guarantee, but they exceeded it by nearly double!" said Kevin M. McFatridge, Online Director for RRStar.com. "Our newspaper sales force was trained on how to easily sell Internet advertising on rrstar.com to local advertisers, and then shown how to do it. The Blinder Group was easy to work with and ultimately delivered." "Mike's sales team training was one of the best I ever attended," exclaimed Lani Renneau, Advertising Director for the Rockford (IL) Register Star. "Not only was the message 'on target' in helping the traditional ad reps to realize the value of online selling; It was exciting, uplifting, motivational and downright fun!"
For more local information on the local sales strategy of this program, contact:
Kevin M. McFatridge, Online Director, RRStar.com
kmcfatridge@rockford.gannett.com, (815) 987-1470
Lani Renneau, Advertising Director, Rockford (IL) Register Star
lrenneau@rrstar.com, (815) 987-1320
Lead consultant for The Blinder Group:
Barbara Wickman, Senior Sales Associate
Barbara@blindergroup.com, (619) 203-6166
The Blinder Group
Tampa Offices: 6139 Fjord Way
New Port Richey, FL 34652 USA
(727) 847-2464 ~ (727) 847-5959 (fax)
profit@blindergroup.com
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Multimedia Sales Training ~ Assisted 4-Legged Closing Calls
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