The retail magazine publications division of an international media business media firm needed to upgrade the selling and negotiation skills of their advertising account managers.
Sales Training Needs Assessment
Due to recent high turnover in the sales force, the company had hired many new advertising account managers. The account managers who had been terminated were viewed by senior management as deficient in certain critical selling and negotiation skills. Notably, they needed to become stronger negotiators at preparing and presenting opening positions so that customers would agree to run more display ads more frequently. In addition, they felt that many of the prior sale force had conceded too much and negotiated primarily on price, and did not capitalize on the strengths of the retail publications that they represented. The new account executives were hired with these competencies in mind, and management decided to implement a corresponding selling skills and negotiation skills workshops.
Sales Training Solution
Peak Selling interviewed several high level sales managers, and then collaborated with the HR manager to design a customized negotiation workshops and role play exercises. Our Negotiating for Success Workshop was purposely implemented in two stages. First, during a normal slowdown in the sales season, the first workshop taught all of the skills mentioned above. A couple months later, just prior to the time when a lot of contracts were due for renegotiation, we then taught the second workshop. During this second session, the account managers planned and rehearsed for an upcoming sales negotiation with one of their critical accounts.