By Daniel Cásarez
On Friday afternoon at the CNPA Press Summit, Gary Moore presented strategies to provide sales executives, publishers and online experts a wealth of knowledge in a competitive market.
One idea was that sales leaders should know the salespeople that work for them. And the leaders must remain "plugged in" to what's on their marketing plate.
"Do you (leaders) interject energy?" Moore asked.
Without micromanaging the crew, the more knowledgeable a sales leader is, the stronger and much more empowered the crew will be, he explained.
Moore later admitted the energy question may not make him popular, but it is crucial in the production of an effective sales group.
"Managers need to be clearly set on their expectations," he said. "Hire self-motivated people."
Moore said advertising executives should never be satisfied with mediocrity in a sales group.
"Salespeople should have online goals and print goals on a monthly basis," he added.
What sales groups have done in the past, Moore said, no longer works. The industry's biggest challenge today is simply raising the bar. Changes in recent years cannot be faced with traditional strategies, he said.
A few good qualities to watch for in a sales rep?
* Passionate for what they represent.
* Prepared for what the customer expects.
* Flexibility in a challenging industry.
* Relentless, but respectful of the customer, industry.
* Think like visionaries.
"We're in a position where everybody, everybody in our industry has had to change. That's a given," Moore said. "We need to redefine the entire culture of the sales organization."
Moore cofounded InsightEdge in 1999. His team offers clinics and strategies to various national sales organizations. Moore's 35 years of sales experience include 10 years at McClatchy Newspapers and as an advertising director at The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Daniel Cásarez is a reporter for Vida en el Valle in Fresno.
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