Local businesses regard trust and expertise when partnering with others. These small businesses develop strategic relationships to help them sustain operations and grow. Having a trusted advertising partner is one of the most important factors for their success.
Such companies rarely have the resources or expertise to execute multiple advertising tactics, whether that’s on TV, radio or digital channels. As a local seller, you can offer them a portfolio of options along with experience and deep market knowledge.
To become their advertising partner, you’ll want to convey your value beyond pricing and tactics. Check out these tips to seal the relationship.
Lead with Education
The best approach a sales professional can take is to educate. Those you interact with will have a range of advertising knowledge. You’re there to fill in the gaps and walk them through tactics, both linear and digital.
Digital is a bit more complex and often involves a lot of jargon that can alienate people. Instead, break down tactics into simple terms to express how they work and why they’re good for advertising.
Showcase Results
Everyone wants to see results before they trust a partner. After your initial conversations about goals and tactics, you’ll want to provide them with some tangible results you’ve delivered for other local businesses.
When you provide them with proof that your advertising strategies work, they’ll be more likely to want to emulate those results. Be sure that what you share is relevant to the company. It doesn’t have to be the same industry. Still, it should align with their objectives (e.g., acquiring customers, more foot traffic, increasing sales on a specific product or service, recruitment, etc.).
Demonstrate Industry Expertise
If you have a lot of industry experience, you’ll want to make that clear to advertisers. As an industry and local market expert, you deliver much more value than your competition. Being able to talk the talk with business owners makes them feel comfortable with you navigating their advertising journey.
Create a Relationship, Not a Transaction
In the end, people buy because of relationships. Product, options and pricing play a role. Overwhelmingly, when most other factors are equal, they choose people they like. To get in the friend zone with advertisers, work hard to cultivate a relationship. Empathize with and offer solutions for their challenges. Act as a trusted consultant who can help them reach their goals. Those conversations and interactions are much more than transactional, and they’ll be vital to winning and keeping advertisers’ loyalty.
Being an Advertising Partner Is All About Your Approach
By applying these tips to your selling strategy, you can garner engagement and build long-lasting partnerships. In the end, your customer’s success is yours, so be sure they know that. Being a great partner means listening, understanding, strategizing and delivering.
Get more tips on the sales process and how to improve at every phase by reading 7 Stages of the Sales Cycle.
