We have all been there: Something bad has happened (personally or professionally) and you have to inform your boss or a friend about it. Two things come to your mind: 1) You don’t know how to say it and overthink it. Or, 2) You just spill it out without thinking about the consequences. But did you know there’s a third way to deliver bad news in a 'good' way?

In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about the importance of knowing how to deliver information but more specifically how to deliver bad news. They mention that the importance of communicating the bad news is critical, as people's reactions will depend on this. The duo advise that one of the best things you can do is to manage the impact and acknowledge that something went wrong and the damage caused, but most importantly, to have a solution or solutions ready to go.

They also highlight that as a sales person you not only have to be prepared for bad things to happen but you also need to be ready to perform during a moment of crisis. An understanding that everyone takes bad news differently, will help you to develop your communication abilities and come up with more creative solutions.

Do you want to know what the two key factors are that will make you be better at delivering bad news? Listen till the end of this podcast to find out, you can’t miss this one!

In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk to all of those who would like to change careers and become a sales person, or anyone that's always been interested in sales but doesn’t know if they have the skills needed to be good at it. The pair discuss communication skills, strong presentation, the way you carry yourself, and how you present information are just a few of the skills and qualities that make a good sales person. They also mention that one of the core fundamentals in sales is that you have to be “fairly fearless” when it comes to talking about money. They mention that being likable is really important in sales but emphasise that “this is not enough” to be good at sales. They highlight that talking about money is key, and probably the most important thing in sales is you have to be able to close a deal and not only be pleasant with a client. According to the duo, salespeople can lack certain qualities and skills and still be good at it, however they give one single and powerful piece of advice to anyone that is moving into sales or trying to get a job in sales that will help you discover if this career is for you. Do you want to know what it is? Don’t miss this amazing episode and find out! Tune in now!

The challenges that media sales people face in today’s environment are not the same as they were five, 10 or 20 years ago. So, as the media landscape evolves, so do the questions you make to your clients.

In this episode of Killer Media Sales Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about the importance of always asking the right questions, but also they invite you to challenge your questions as a media sales person and refresh them constantly. The duo discuss how things go awry in sales. Sales people don’t just fall off a cliff, but gradually downward spiral, for example missing targets more frequently, which may trigger confidence and in turn make the situation worse. These things happen over time and are actually because you can get a bit rusty at what you’re doing, therefore it is important to know your client and the market but also change with them.

If you want to know how to stay up-to-date with the sales and the market environment, this is an episode you can’t miss, tune in now!

The world is constantly changing, but we change with it too, and one of the things that make us, and the world change, is a crisis. But have you ever dealt with a difficult situation in your life? Something unexpected happened and you just froze and didn’t know what to do? In case you missed it, in one of the most interesting episodes of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson discuss how a normal situation in sales can turn into a crisis, when something happens quickly or unexpectedly and especially when those situations catch you off guard. In this episode they also raise some questions: What makes a crisis, a crisis? What are the key aspects that can turn a normal sales situation into a crisis? What’s the key to solving a crisis? Can a crisis be avoided? They also discuss how in dealing with a crisis you have to get out of your comfort zone and the more you do that, the better you’ll be at handling difficult situations. The pair also consider how a crisis can be a huge opportunity to deepen a relationship and build trust. You can’t miss this episode full of tips and tricks that will help you to kill it in media sales.

Do you remember the last time that you bought a product just because a celebrity endorsed it? And can you tell if you are being persuaded or influenced? In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Russell Stephenson is joined again by the director and owner of Frontier Performance Pancho Mehrotra to talk about persuasion and implements in sales. They discuss the differences between persuasion and influence and give advice to sales people about the importance of understanding your own thinking in order to influence and persuade others and improve your sales. The duo also talk about the mistakes that sales people make when they focus on “sales tactics” rather than building the self of that person so he or she can learn (among other things) how to react under pressure or how to improve their communication skills. Pancho mentions that this is one of the big challenges in sales nowadays, but also says that if you want to improve your sales and learn how to be more persuasive and influential in your role, this is something that can be learned and trained and definitely can be mastered with experience. If you want to learn how to influence more and persuade better, this is an episode that you can’t miss. Tune in now!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you can’t make a decision, so you end up picking the “easiest” option (no matter good or bad) so you just end your mental conflict? That’s called cognitive dissonance. You may think, “how is this related to my sales?”.

Well, in this episode of Killer Media Sales Russell Stephenson is joined by the director and owner of Frontier Performance Pancho Mehrotra to talk about cognitive dissonance and how this can impact the negotiation process with your clients. They discuss the importance of knowing what your discovery process is as a sales person, in order to identify the needs and desires of your clients, so you can make better decisions and avoid this cognitive dissonance in your sales pitch as well as in your client thought process.

The duo also talk about the power of people’s beliefs and how sometimes our decision making process is not always the right one, and that as a sales person, being aware and knowing when your client is having two conflicting thoughts is key in the sales process, so you can make “decision making” smoother and easier for them.

If you want to know more about how to avoid this cognitive dissonance to improve your sales, this is an episode you can’t miss, listen now!

There are many ways to improve relationships with your clients but probably one of the most enjoyable are the cocktail parties, lunches and dinners with them. Many people, however, see them as a way to get free drinks and they are missing out on what hosting and entertaining a client actually means. In this episode of Killer Media Sales Phillip Tarrant director of Momentum Media, joins Russell Stephenson to talk about the importance of entertaining your clients when hosting a party or event. Phillip mentions that this is an ability and a skillset that needs to be developed, and emphasises the fact that it is not solely about having a couple of drinks with your clients and being friends for a night, but it's about being professional and being mindful of your 'why'.

He also says that as the host in these types of events, you’re the brand ambassador of your business, therefore you have to make sure your clients are having a good experience, and that you understand the benefits of this, and most importantly you do not lose focus of what’s going on , especially if you’re a new media sales person. The pair also talk about the importance of networking in these parties, what’s the objective of them and what it is that you want to achieve in order to control the outcome of these events. If you want to know more, this episode is definitely a must listen! Tune in now!

Working from home looks like it will be the new normal. However, like everything in life, there are pros and cons. A lot of people can feel more focused while working from home while others can feel less motivated. Whatever the case is, the reality is that business nowadays will have to adapt to this new hybrid working environment. In this episode of Killer Media Sales Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about the advantages and disadvantages of working remotely. They discuss how to stay motivated in a home office environment, especially for sales people when most of them are used to the buzz of the sales floor. On the other hand, they also discuss how working from home can help people to be more self disciplined, as by default you can no longer rely on your colleagues to keep you accountable. Working remotely can build a deep sense of responsibility and this can help you to perform better and hit your sales targets for the year. Do you want to know how to manage your time better? Or do you wonder how the year ahead is going to look for your business and your sales in this new hybrid working landscape? You can’t miss this episode, tune in now!

Ten years ago, a media sales professional probably wouldn’t consider implementing a loyalty program due the fear of ending up lowering the value of a marketing campaign. However, the world has changed now and eight of every ten companies have a loyalty program.

In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson again raise the subject of loyalty and rewards programs and what the best strategies you can implement to improve your client relationships through them are. They discuss how you can use these rewards programs as a way to compete in the media sales industry and not only as a way to give away “money” or “gifts” to your clients. They put a special emphasis on why the best reward you can give to your clients is a “tangible reward”.

They discuss the importance of framing the real value of the money that your clients are spending with you, by rewarding them with something like digital advertising, interviews, or broadcasts. They mention that “the discount disappears" and it doesn’t get recognised, but the tangible inclusion of those additional things you do for them is what will make a difference. Should you be rewarding all your clients? Or only your premium ones? What about attracting new clients through loyalty programs? Well, if you want to know more about this interesting topic, listen to this episode and find out! You can’t miss it!

The value of recognising loyalty with your clients has never really changed, it is only the way in which you go about it that makes a difference. Recognising this loyalty is important in the sales-client relationship, and should never go away. Most businesses nowadays have membership and rewards programs as a way to demonstrate to their clients how important they are to the business. But is this something that the media industry should do, too?

In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson discuss if a rewards program is something that media sales people should implement with their clients and if so, what this reward should look like? They talk about how the first thing you should do as a sales professional is to ask yourself, why are you rewarding your clients? Is it because you “like” the client or is this reward only a part of a “business strategy”?

They also chat about how you have to be cautious when telling clients that you’ll be rewarding them, as you never know what will happen in the future, and you can end up with a mad client. Finally, they also mention that having lunch, dinners or a few drinks with a client are not always the best way to build a relationship with them, as those things tend to disappear. Instead, they recommend for you to go and look for growth opportunities and focus on building long-term relationships with your clients, as your aim should be to have few larger relationships than a lot of short term ones.

Do you want to know more? Don’t miss this episode, tune in now!

We have all heard the old saying “the client is always right” and this is a great topic for a debate. If you’re a client you expect to be treated well, if you’re a sales person you might think otherwise. Customer service can be a bit problematic for sales people in general, but in media sales, this gets particularly tricky when dealing with clients that are hard to please.

In this episode of Killer Media Sales Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about the importance of taking ownership of the relationship you have with your clients and how understanding their needs and truly listening to them will set up the ongoing nature of the relationship and how you will be able to manage it in the future.

They discuss how you have to be conscious of the fact that not everything in this client relationship will be rock solid guaranteed. And for this reason, as a media sales person your key to success in this customer service relationship is when your client feels like “they are your only client”.

The duo also talk about one of the most common mistakes with sales people that is “the easiest client can often be forgotten” and how you can neglect them and their needs while being busy trying to please the hardest clients. They also explain why accountability and communication are critical in this relationship and how you can deliver the best service and outcomes by understanding the importance of the value of the money your client is spending.

One more episode that you cannot afford to miss! Tune in now!