How Publishers Can Close the Gap Between The Sales and Editorial Teams

At first glance, you may not see much overlap between the sales team and the editorial team but when you take a closer look you will realize that there is a HUGE opportunity to work together for the greater good of your publication. Sales reps can help source new stories which is often a challenging and time consuming (or at the very least annoying) task for editors while editors can give the sales reps a good reason to call a prospect or existing advertiser (hopefully we don't need to explain why this is a good thing for sales reps).

Finding New Things to Write About

Let's start with sourcing new content. Whether that be for print or the web, many publishers struggle to continually find new and interesting things to write about from issue to issue or post to post but they often overlook one of the simplest sources of new content. Their sales reps! Sales reps are continually having conversations and building relationships. The good ones not only talk about the prospects business but also their families, hobbies, extra-curricualrs and the like. That is where the opportunity lies. Did someones spouse or kid win a big award? Did a restaurant hire a new executive chef? What about an upcoming fundraiser? All of these stories would make a great local focused article but unless you explicitly tell your sales reps to ask the right questions and take notes they will likely fall by the wayside.

A Reason to Call a Prospect or Advertiser

Sales reps can always use a reason to call on a prospect and being able to point to a recently published story makes a great conversation starter.

Hey Jim, we just did a profile on your new chef, would you be interested in how we can help you further promote him and get more people into your restaurant?

Just like that they're in the door. Further, it demonstrates the kind of value you can provide for advertisers on an ongoing basis. Something that a lot of other digital folks won't be able to provide (access to a targeted audience that they want to reach). Why is this method so effective? It's simple really. Many advertisers will simply buy an ad to "return the favor" but we know this is only the beginning of the conversation. You've now got them on the hook and can continue to develop the relationship (and their spend).

Closing the Sales-Editorial Gap

As you can see, there are a many benefits to having the sales team and editorial team work more closely together but it will require a commitment by both parties to make it work. The easiest way to get started however is to schedule a weekly meeting with everyone present where you gather around and discuss the following:

• Stories that were recently published (so sales rep know who to call next)
• New story ideas or stories that will help a sales rep make contact (so editors can schedule and create the content)

In addition, it's a great time to discuss ongoing/upcoming campaigns to make sure the editor knows what they have to do in accordance with what was sold/promised but also that they have everything they need to execute the campaign from the rep. In 10-15 minutes, both parties can walk away with action items for the next week.

So what are you waiting for? Go schedule your first meeting!