Advertising sales agents are in charge of selling or soliciting advertisements, typically for websites, radio, television, newspapers, journals, direct mail, directories, or outdoor advertisements. They are sometimes referred to as advertising sales representatives or account executives. Since much of the revenue generated by media outlets comes from advertising, advertising sales agents are an important part of the firm as they play a critical role in their success.
National media organizations use separate media firms that sell advertising space on their behalf. The account executives employed in these firms work exclusively through managers at advertising agencies known as ''media buyers''. Media buyers are responsible for purchasing advertising space for clientele who want to execute national advertising campaigns. If a local radio or TV station, or online or print publisher, works with a representative media firm, the local company usually employs a national sales manager to work with the account executive media representative.
Local sales agents are sometimes referred to as inside or outside sales agents. Inside sales agents work at the employing agency’s office building, and there they interact with clients.. They are in charge of explaining corporate policies, and answer any of the client’s questions. They may use the telephone to sell advertising space to a prospective client or may do the selling face-to-face. Outside sales agents visit the prospective clients at their places of business. They may travel there after an arranged appointment, or may drop-in as an unscheduled visit. For such agents, getting new clients is the primary task, and the advertising outside sales agent may spend most of his or her time on the road visiting prospective clients, and current ones if the goal is to expand existing services.
Advertising sales jobs require one to have background information on a prospective client before either calling or meeting him or her in-person. This is helpful in building long-term relationships with the prospective client. Information on the client’s prospective customers, the geographical areas in which they operate, their products and services, and overall corporate performance, are all crucial pieces of information that an advertising sales manager should have at their disposal. This helps to determine the type of advertising medium that the client should use in order to reach the target audience most effectively. The account executive has a duty to explain to his or her client which advertising medium is most suitable, taking into consideration the costs involved relative to the effectiveness of a particular medium.
After successful negotiations with the client, a contract is drawn up between the client and the media outlet. The advertising sales manager supervises communication between the media outlet and the client. He or she ensures that advertising samples are created according to client specifications, and if necessary, that additional adjustments are made. The account executive may assist in developing print samples, and may go with the client to commercial taping sessions.
Adding to the aforementioned duties, the advertising sales job also includes keeping abreast of new products and services, knowledge of competitors’ current offerings and pricing, and monitoring of the media outlet’s sales performance. The job may also entail the drafting of contracts that define the advertising work to be done, its costs, and estimates of completion time. The contract may also include rights and responsibilities of both parties in regards to the specified work. The job may also involve the development of new sales tools, media kits, and promotional material which help to attract and retain new clients.
The advertising sales job can be stressful, because the income that the account executive receives is often in large part derived from additional revenue he or she has brought the company from clients. In addition, many companies give the sales advertising agents monthly or quarterly sales targets, or quotas, that must be met. This can also add to the stress of the job.
As the sales agents often work irregular hours, including weekends and holidays, they are granted considerable liberty in determining their work schedules. Most of the account executives work while on the road, and sometimes can telecommute.
Education and Training
Large employers usually prefer employees with a college degree for those positions that involve contact with large clients, while smaller advertising agencies may be willing to employ individuals who possess only high school educations. However, as the industry evolves, the importance of one’s formal education is continually being reduced, as the ability to close a sale is what is truly important. Successful experience in sales is more sought-after than educational qualifications.
Training for account executive jobs occurs when one is hired, and may be formal or informal in nature. In such cases, supervisors usually coach new sales account executives and monitor them as they contact clients, and when making prospective sales calls. The supervisors regularly advise the new employees on how to improve their sales technique. Some companies hire professional consultants to provide formal training to the employees in sales advertisement departments, especially when marketing to niche or segmented markets.
Other Qualifications
Account executives should be honest and have pleasant personalities. They should be professional in appearance and be excellent communicators. Possessing excellent written and interpersonal skills is often a necessity for account executives in the United States. Professionals who are multi-lingual, especially in English and Spanish, enjoy increased employment rates, as agencies diversify their services to market to the large Hispanic population and other non-native American citizens. Self-discipline, versatility, independence and aggressiveness are other traits that can define a successful account executive.
Advancement
Advancement in advertising sales jobs is open, as the account executive advances through hard work in acquiring new clients and building his or her client base. Often no specified qualifications for advancement exist, and the sales account executive determines how he or she will advance though hard work and persistence.
Conclusion
The advertising sales industry is one of the most lucrative, but also challenging, industries in the United States. There is no shortage of account executive jobs, but they require persuasiveness, persistence, and professionalism to get one to where he or she wants to be.
