NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> A Rant About Online Sales Reps
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> A Rant About Online Sales Reps
Mark J. Welch (MarkWelch_at_MarkWelch.com)
Tue, 13 Oct 1998 10:42:37 -0500 (CDT)
Hope Cunningham wrote:
>Mark J. Welch's response to Jennifer Ruffin's complaint
>disturbed me somewhat. He described some of the people that
>contacted him concerning buying space as just "fishing for
>information" or wanting some of his time for free. Unless
>the web media reps take the time to educate (i.e. provide
>information) to prospective web advertisers then they cannot
>expect to increase advertising revenue generated from their
>websites. Many media planners and buyers are not familiar
>with the methodologies for analyzing internet data or the
>techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of a website in
>relation to its cost. If they don't know a medium they
>cannot recommend it to their clients. So yes, it is your
>responsibility to be a part of the education process.
I think it's time for me to respond and clarify my earlier post.
I am NOT a "web media sale rep." I do not have any
duty to educate web media buyers beyond the 40+
hours per week I spend maintaining my web site and
mailing lists on the subject of "web site banner advertising."
I am NOT just someone selling advertising space. I maintain
a very comprehensive web site with information about web
site banner advertising. I get several calls every day from
people who want me to provide them with free consulting
services. Once people realize that I don't give free advice,
they (or their colleagues) sometimes call back pretending
to be interested in buying advertising at my site, in order
to get more of my time without actually paying.
So, when I get a phone message from someone interested
in advertising on my site, my experience is that 90% or
more of the time, it is someone who is just trying to get
my time for free.
If someone wants to advertise on my "Web Site Banner
Advertising" web site, they are in the industry and they
know about banner advertising. If they are not in the
industry and do not know about banner advertising, they
are NOT prospective advertisers, period.
I am NOT a full-time ad sales rep. I sell advertising on
one web site, and the transaction sizes are generally
small ($125 to $2,500 per quarter). Therefore, I can't
spend the kind of time that a DoubleClick sales rep
should spend selling space. My experience is that
when I have spent substantial time and effort on a sales
call, it has ALWAYS resulted in no sale: people who
actually buy ads on my site know the site and know
what they want. I think I have a very clear rate card.
There is another issue I should stress: I am generally
very helpful to people who are "in the industry" who
call me, and if I got a call from someone in the industry
suggesting they wanted to buy ad space, I respond
fast (though I always wonder about getting a phone
call instead of email from anyone in this business).
And more often than not, while talking to media buyers
who are ready to place orders at my site, I end up
talking them OUT of buying space at my site. My
audience is very focused: webmasters seeking to
participate in revenue-producing ad networks or
affiliate programs; if someone is seeking a more
generic webmaster audience, they can buy it
cheaper elsewhere.
It's also important to recognize that I do paid consulting
work for vendors, at the (low) rate of $125 per hour
with a minimum retainer of $2,500 -- and some people
think that if they call and express interest in advertising,
they will get the same kind of consulting help by ordering
a $125 or $250 ad insertion. (I can usually weed these
people out because they are trying to place an insertion
order for an ad network or affiliate program that isn't
yet defined, and with no active web site.)
On a related note, I am now very reluctant to discuss
my consulting services with anyone other than the
president or CEO of a company. In the past few
months, I have spent many hours in preliminary
discussions with persons who have titles like "marketing
director" or "affiliate program director," only to find that
someone higher in the hierarchy vetoes my consulting
proposal -- most often, simply because the idea did not
originate at a high enough level.
Finally, I do get advertisers who believe that by paying
for an ad on my site, they will get positive editorial
coverage. Two advertisers cancelled their ad campaigns
when I posted honest comments about the vendors;
in each case, they expressed outrage that I would write
anything negative about a paying advertiser. I was glad
to refund their money (though I was not contractually
bound to do so), because I also prefer not to carry
advertising for vendors I don't recommend.
-- Mark J. Welch, Web Site Banner Advertising
-- http://www.markwelch.com/bannerad/
-- (925) 462-8483 voice - Pleasanton, California
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