This has been an interesting question for me lately as the buzz of our network and Yield Manager platform has grown. Increasingly I am coming across publishers who have heard of Yield Manager and are very excited about the potential it has to offer. Yield Manager has proved to a very beneficial tool for many of our clients who have allocated the time to learn the product. This is a great situation for a sales rep to be in:  a great product, satisfied users that are spreading the word, and inbound leads who are extremely excited. I have had referrals come in and leads handed to me where it seemed as though the contract was already signed. A sales rep’s dream, right? 

Not so much the case.

I find myself in a position that I have never really been in before as a sales rep–telling clients “no”. Saying “I’m sorry, but this product just isn’t the right fit for you” is not something I was accustomed to saying but is a situation I have found myself in lately. I have worked for companies where the mantra seems to be “ABC. Always Be Closing!” Sometimes I have felt like I was force feeding clients just to make a sale. Not at Right Media.

My job is to recruit new publishers to our vastly expanding network and sell our Yield Manager platform. There are a few things that have made this job enjoyable:  We have multiple products that I believe will extremely benefit our various clientele, I consistently see results that support what we “pitch” to people, and most importantly, my boss is ok with me being honest and saying “no” to people. The Right Media network and Yield Manager platform are flat out awesome, but Yield Manager is not necessarily the right fit for everyone. The core functionality applies to everyone, auctioning every single impression and always serving the highest paying ad. However, there is additional functionality that many pubs, who are looking for a solution that is less hands on and less to manage, just don’t need.

The great thing about Right Media is that the company has decided that there can be a better product for a portion of our clientele and “until we build it, let’s be open and honest with people. If the current product isn’t the right fit for you, it’s not the right fit. We will make you something better.” (www.rightmedia.com/symple/)  It’s a great feeling to be able to sit down with a client, analyze their needs and wants, and give them an honest answer about what is right for them. If the product fits, let’s go for it. If it doesn’t, let’s find another solution.

The question:  When should I tell a customer no? 

The answer:  When it’s in their best interest.

Wow!  What a novel idea!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Publishers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.