We all know the dreaded sales call from the yellow page rep –

Rep - “Hi Mr. Client. The directory you advertise in is up for renewal and I want to schedule a time to stop by and review all of your advertising options for next year.” 

 Client – “No need.  We are moving towards a digital strategy this year.  Just give me a listing in the same headings we had last year.”

 Rep – “We can definitely do that if you want.  I still need to stop by as we have some great new products this year that will help you reach more customers.  It is part of our new consultative approach and you will be very happy with the results.” 

 The rep stops by, asks some questions about your business; shows you some products that align with your new goals; you sign a contract for one more year spending more than you were the previous year.  And that is when it hits you…How the heck did that just happen?

 This seems to be the new approach by all of the yellow page sales reps.  They position themselves as local media specialists and can produce numbers on Internet Yellow Pages (IYP), radio, television, billboards and newspaper advertising.  Most reps no longer beat you over the head about usage numbers because those numbers have fallen and are no longer in their favor.  Instead, they approach their clients as media consultants.  The problem is, all of their solutions point back to the limited number of products they have to offer.

I will be the first to say, there is nothing wrong with a sales rep pushing their product.  Any good sales rep will believe in the product they sell and advocate for it until they are blue in the face…or you throw them out of your office.  What has irked our clients the most is time wasted with these reps when nothing new is brought to the table.  What reps are neglecting to notice is that advertisers have more information at their disposal in today’s world than they ever had previously.  Gone are the days when a sales rep's data and information had to be taken at face value – a quick Google search or question posted to a social network will generate more information than a rep can hope to overcome. 

 So what should you do when your yellow page rep calls this year?  Go ahead and schedule that consultation they want to set up (but only if you can really say “No” when needed).  But make it a consultation, a meeting where you learn as much as you can about ALL of their products so you can choose what fits YOUR needs.  Don’t let the rep walk you down a pre-determined path to a cookie cutter solution that does not fit your specific needs.  Make sure the solution offered comes from a solid understanding of your business and advertising needs and not a need to close a sale.