Bragging is rude.

It’s obnoxious and it’s annoying. At least that is the belief in most areas of life. Ad sales, however, is not most areas of life. Bragging is vital for sales survival. Reputation means a lot in advertising sales. A bad one will scare off prospects.  Customers are not concerned that you are nice guys or that you have a cool logo. They want to know that you can boost their business and grow their revenue. Make it a point to include in every sales presentation, every pitch, and every website a portion where you brag a little. Be passionate, but be careful; claims must be honest, quantifiable and verifiable.  For instance, brag about the results, and value you were able to give clients and the big companies that trusted you to handle their business.  Not only does this build credibility, it makes you look experienced and knowledgeable about the industry. If not, talk about your own growth.

Here are some easy ways to brag a little in your ad sales presentations and marketing collateral:

• Case studies: Provide examples with data of the work you did and results you got for others.
• Referrals: Research shows 91% of customers said they’d give a company a referral, but only 11% of companies ask for them.  Try our SPARK technique to ask for referrals.
• Testimonials: It’s one thing when you brag, but when others do it for you it’s more powerful.
• Name dropping: If you are fortunate enough to have worked with a big brand or company include them in your sales pitch and in a current/former clients section on your site or collateral
• Growth data: How have you grown revenue for a company? How have you grown your own company? This shows you can deliver results.
• Press Clippings: If the company has been the subject of a positive news article or program link to it on your site and reference it in sales materials.
• Awards or Honors: Were you honored in any way? Include those as well, particularly if you are a smaller company.

Igniting sales growth…

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