Designed for sales reps, sales management, publishers; marketing, business development and editorial staff who sell or support the Internet ad sales efforts.

This course provides in-depth basic and intermediate “how to” knowledge and sales skills and techniques needed for selling online-only and integrated advertising programs. Learn both internet advertising fundamentals as well as sales skills specific to selling online-only or integrated advertising programs. By far, the course is the most comprehensive, effective and successful interactive and internet media sales training program available.

Who Should Attend

• In-House Sales Team
  • VP of Sales
  • Sales Managers
  • Sales Reps
  • Sales Support Staff
  • Marketing Staff
  • Business Development Staff
  • Editorial Staff
  • Media Buyers
  • E-media Directors
  • Marketing Directors
  • Marketing Managers

• Agency Team
  • Account Managers
  • Media Buyers
  • Account Executives
  • VP, Director, Supervisors Creative Services
  • Creative Services Team
  • E-media Directors

All Laredo Group Courses are designed to enable students to immediately understand and engage in interactive digital media and marketing in its many forms. They are for all who need an understanding of Internet advertising best practices, ad programs, vocabulary, how ads are delivered and measured, how to differentiate and use branding versus direct response ads, and to understand the opportunities and limitations of what can be accomplished with online advertising and how this benefits advertisers. A limited number of students is allowed in each course, so each student can be assured of maximum interaction and learning and robust program presentation and curriculum, comprehensive manual and experienced instructors...in a setting that allows for greater interaction between instructors and students, providing more immediately relevant dialogue and information for each individual student.

Course Outline

• Introduction
  • Commodity vs. Consultative selling
  • Commodity sellers
  • Consultative sellers
  • The consultative approach
  • The trusted advisor

• An Industry in Transition
  • What clients expect from digital media & their media partners
  • The changing relationship with the consumer
  • Our changing media world & media innovation
  • Media technology evolution
  • Web 2.0 & the changing media landscape
  • Key concepts and terms

• What Clients Expect from Digital Media & Their Media Partners
  • Agencies in transition – the changing landscape
  • What clients expect
  • Agency challenges
  • Digital marketing campaign components
  • New approach to account planning
  • Picking media to follow the consumer
  • How digital is a very different medium
  • New measurement approaches
  • Expectations for publishers

• Walking in the Buyer’s Shoes
  • Buyer’s background and experience
  • Agency focus
  • Clients’ expectations
  • General process
  • Strategy development
  • What will be measured?
  • Measuring branding effectiveness metrics
  • Channel planning – follow the consumer
  • Defining media parameters
  • Audience definition
  • Media research & planning
  • Finding appropriate media vehicles
  • Issuing the RFP
  • Developing the plan
  • Media buying
  • A difference in media currency
  • Negotiate with sites
  • Tracking & measurement
  • Trafficking
  • Post-campaign analysis
  • Future opportunities
  • Site evaluation process
  • Media planning considerations
  • A digital upfront?
  • Buyers’ pet peeves

• Defining & Finding the Target Audience
  • Media criteria
  • Define the target & build the plan
  • Develop measurement plan
  • Using research tools to find and rank sites
  • Other site selection tactics

• Delivering on the Objective
  • Online ad measurement
  • Managing campaign objectives
  • Branding campaign expectations
  • Awareness conversion
  • Branding campaign methodology
  • Managing response campaign objectives
  • Response goals
  • Response campaign methodology
  • Response campaign expectations
  • Success metrics
  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • What will your clients measure?
  • Post-click & post-impression activity

• The Sales Reality Check
  • Important qualities for ad sales organizations
  • What it takes to be a strategic seller
  • Selling process versus the buying process
  • Strategic selling
  • Re-engineering the sales process
  • Getting and staying on the plan
  • A checklist for negotiations
  • Competitive data
  • Contract terms and conditions
  • Economics of internet media
  • Optimizing revenue
  • Traditional media planning values
  • Internet media values
  • The trusted advisor
  • A reality check

• An Integrated Media Approach
  • Integrated media programs
  • How to think about integrated media
  • Why media integration is important
  • Definition of integration
  • What online adds to traditional media

• Online Advertising Trends
  • Ad spend forecasts
  • Focus on branding objectives
  • Consumer-generated-media and social media/networks
  • Broadband penetration
  • New ad units and technology
  • Search engine marketing
  • Trends – social media, mobile, viral marketing, widgets

• Wrap Up & Discussion
  • What’s it all about
  • Organizing for a more challenging sales environment
  • Understanding industry dynamics
  • Setting expectations for your advertisers
  • Stay on the cutting edge
  • Your call-to-action
  • New terms and concepts to learn
  • “Walk the talk”
  • Finding competitive insights
  • Recommended books
  • The Laredo Group resource list