Yellow page directories are published once a year, advertising contracts are done on an annual basis. When you sell a business an advertising program, you keep their contract for the following years they’re in business. They’re your client.

It’s your responsibility as a representative to keep these contracts in good faith and standing. Every now and then, send the client a box of cookies, Braves tickets, whatever. If you don’t keep in constant communication with these advertisers throughout the year the book is in publication, the only memory they will have of you next year is the invoice for $1000 they got once a month. And that’s not a very good memory for someone to have of you or your business. When they write a check out for a grand every month– all they think about is how much money you’re costing them.

Last week I got a stack of contracts from an employee who used to work with us, that my associates claim cannot be renewed. So, today I called on a few of them with a simple question, “How did we fail to meet your business needs last year?” “What can we do to earn your business again?”

My associates must’ve been calling them with the standard, “Hey, this is _____. What time can we meet with you to get some money for this year?” The leads have notes written all over them such as “going out of business”, and “didn’t get no customers”, or “not in their budget this year”. These are standard objections designed to make you go away.

When I got the decision-maker to start discussing what went wrong last year, I started getting to the bottom of the real objections and reasons why they didn’t want to do business with us this year. I went over each concern, and over-came each objection one at a time simply re-stating the objection, sympathizing, and re-stating. It’s a simple process to learn but very effective.

And I will continue to show these people the value of what they’re paying for this year to ensure I get their business next year, too.