Homework

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Daily Sales Tip: If You Haven't Seen the Prospect's Website, Don't Call For a Meeting

According to a study reported in Sales and Marketing Management, 80% of salespeople -- salespeople in general-- do not check out a client's website before making a sales call. It is most important for digital advertising salespeople to know as much as possible about the client. Here's a checklist of research to conduct before your first appointment:

Review multiple pages of the client's website. Are they branding, selling online, or calling visitors to another action? Do they use rich media? Are they capturing visitors' information for database marketing?

Register on their site if registration is available so you can see what kind of e-mails, newsletters, and coupons they send. Pay attention to their call to action: buy something, come into the store, or is it branding?

Search for the company in Google, Yahoo and Bing to see if their ad appears or if they place well in search. You'll also see how they compare to their competitors in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Download their mobile app to your smartphone or tablet if they have one.

Connect with their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace pages to observe if or how they use social media.

Research generic sites serving their business category to see if the prospect is advertising on those sites.

Being prepared for your first meeting will show the client you are a true professional and a marketing consultant, and instill confidence to do business with you.

Source: John Potter, VP/Training, Radio Advertising Bureau

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