Example Career: Advertising Sales Agents

Career Description

Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or the Internet. Includes individuals who obtain leases for outdoor advertising sites or persuade retailers to use sales promotion display items.

What Job Titles Advertising Sales Agents Might Have

• Account Executive
• Account Manager
• Advertising Account Executive
• Advertising Sales Representative

What Advertising Sales Agents Do

• Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
• Explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible.
• Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
• Locate and contact potential clients to offer advertising services.
• Process all correspondence and paperwork related to accounts.
• Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
• Inform customers of available options for advertisement artwork and provide samples.
• Deliver advertising or illustration proofs to customers for approval.
• Prepare promotional plans, sales literature, media kits, and sales contracts, using computer.
• Recommend appropriate sizes and formats for advertising, depending on medium being used.
• Draw up contracts for advertising work and collect payments due.
• Obtain and study information about clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history, and business practices to offer effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance.
• Write copy as part of layout.
• Consult with company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies to develop promotional plans.
• Identify new advertising markets and propose products to serve them.
• Determine advertising medium to be used and prepare sample advertisements within the selected medium for presentation to customers.
• Attend sales meetings, industry trade shows, and training seminars to gather information, promote products, expand network of contacts, and increase knowledge.
• Gather all relevant material for bid processes and coordinate bidding and contract approval.
• Arrange for commercial taping sessions and accompany clients to sessions.
• Write sales outlines for use by staff.

What Advertising Sales Agents Should Be Good At

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Advertising Sales Agents Need to Learn

• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.