How do you stand out from the rest of the media sellers? Recently, we tapped Peter Lamb, of Lamb Consulting, who says the key is focusing on your mindset to elevate you to the next level. Read on for Lamb's advice for branded content sellers.
Key Mindset of Top Reps:
TLC: Think Like the Customer
Understand and empathize with the customer’s needs, emotions, and mindset.
Reps should always consider the customer’s experience, challenges, and perceptions before pushing a sale.
Listen More, Speak Less
Top reps listen carefully to their clients, allowing them to talk about their business, concerns, or even unrelated topics (e.g., sports, personal life).
The longer a client talks, the more likely they will like and trust the rep, making them more likely to buy.
Ask Thought-Provoking Questions
Rather than sticking to basic questions, great reps ask deeper ones that challenge the client to reflect on their brand’s mission, values, and market positioning. Examples include:
“What does your brand stand for?”
“Which companies in your industry do you admire?”
“What is your definition of a good corporate citizen?”
Empathy is Key
When a client expresses frustration or disappointment (e.g., claiming print is dead), the best reps empathize first (“I understand how you feel”) before gently guiding the conversation towards facts, research, or alternative viewpoints.
Never Interrupt or Change the Subject
Top reps let the client lead the conversation. Interrupting or steering the conversation away from the client’s interests (even if it's unrelated to business) is a trust-breaker.
Allow the client to express themselves fully before redirecting to relevant business points.
Education Over Selling
Great reps position themselves as educators rather than pure salespeople. They inform, engage, and entertain their clients, presenting branded content as a tool that tells the client’s story rather than just a product to be sold.
Clients appreciate receiving new ideas and insights that they hadn’t thought of.
Framework for Success:
Preparation: Top reps are well-prepared with relevant research and creative ideas before meetings.
Engagement: Engage clients in discussions that make them reflect on their values, mission, and community involvement.
Patience: Waiting for clients to process and think about complex questions shows confidence and allows deeper connections.
Creativity: Combining editorial storytelling with brand objectives makes branded content a powerful tool for clients. Reps should frame this as an opportunity to use the best resources of their media organization.
Focus on Long-Term Relationships:
Building trust and rapport over time is more valuable than rushing to close a sale. The focus should be on helping the client succeed through creative and engaging branded content that aligns with their goals.
The Branded Content Project is designed through a strategic partnership between the Meta Journalism Project, Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium to help facilitate additional growth, engagement, and revenue success for more publishers of all shapes and sizes.
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