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on prospects past any initial uninformed “no” they might encounter. Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, a Facebook board member, and head of the venture capital fund, Greylock Partners, has a podcast titled “Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman.” In one of his podcasts, Hoffman interviews Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Google, and he asks Schmidt what Google looks for when it hires people. Schmidt’s answer is, “Persistence is the single best predictor of future success, so we look for persistence.”¹⁰ Google bases its hiring decisions on the analysis of massive amounts of data, so if Google has found that persistence is the single best predictor of future success, we should probably learn from Google and emphasize persistence in the AESKOPP approach to selling.

Key Elements and Core Competencies of the AESKOPP Approach

Each of the seven elements of the AESKOPP approach is made up of a group of core competencies – building blocks – that, linked together, lead to successful performance on that element. The core competencies are subject to change, depending on the media selling job involved. Some sales positions, such as in a large‐circulation, up‐scale national magazine – Vanity Fair, for example – require a high level of knowledge, especially about national advertising, the product, and magazine research, plus very strong relationships with major advertising agencies and advertisers. Other sales positions, such as in a local television station, might require an understanding of retail businesses – an automotive dealership, for example – and skills in negotiating with advertising agencies and customers.

Exhibit 4.1 shows the AESKOPP elements and the core competencies which form each element’s building blocks.

Exhibit 4.1 Salesperson core competencies

AttitudeHonestPositive/OptimisticCommittedConfidentCourageousCompetitiveCoachable (Open/Non‐defensive)CuriousSelf‐motivatedAssertiveFlexibleCooperativeNurturingEmotional IntelligenceSelf‐awarenessSelf‐managementSocial awarenessRelationship management InternalExternalSkillsCommunicating InternalExternalListeningUnderstanding peoplePresenting IndividualGroupsCreating Value Missionary sellingService sellingPersuasionNegotiating/ClosingAccount managementTeam leadershipKnowledgeFinancial/economic/business/categoryMarketing/Advertising/ResearchMarketProduct (your medium)CompetitorsCompetitive mediaProgrammaticPricingSales processContract terms and conditionsOpportunityProspecting/Getting appointmentsIdentifying problems (Discovery)PreparationResearching insightsSolving advertising and marketing problemsOrganizationPlanningTime managementCreating proposals and presentationsPersistenceGetting feedback on areas of needed improvement Internal feedback from bosses such as sales managersExternal feedback from clients and buyersExpertly structured deliberate practice scheduleIncredibly hard workGrit to keep going after being rejected or losing a sale

      Each of the seven AESKOPP elements will be defined and explained much more thoroughly in subsequent chapters.

      To use the AESKOPP approach effectively, you need to evaluate yourself based on your degree of expertise on each of the core competencies as listed in Exhibit 4.1. These AESKOPP elements and their corresponding core competencies will change with the type of media selling job, but the AESKOPP elements and core competencies in Exhibit 4.1 are a good place to start in order to define and evaluate a media salesperson’s job.

      Then, salespeople should study their modified list, evaluate themselves, and then develop a plan to improve those competencies in which they lack experience or have a deficit.

      The term salesperson is used because it is inclusive of a wide variety of titles salespeople in the media are assigned by their organizations: sales representative, account executive, account manager, sales consultant, radio marketing consultant, business development director, director of new business, and many more. The preferred title is account executive or account manager, which implies managing customers’ accounts, schedules, and campaigns according to what is best for a customer. Also, titles that include “consultant” should be avoided because customers need results more than advice. In this modern age of insight and solutions selling, “results generator” might be a suitable title. but this euphemism is akin to calling a janitor a maintenance engineer, so account executive or account manager are more appropriate titles. However, in this book, to avoid confusion, salesperson will be used in order to encompass all titles.

      The most effective way to use this list of core competencies is to download it from the book’s website (www.mediaselling.us) and use it as a coaching instrument.

      The AESKOPP approach to selling provides salespeople with an excellent way to keep track of their strengths and opportunities for improvement. A positive way to say weakness or shortcoming is to frame it as an opportunity for improvement. The core competencies list is also a valuable tool for managers because, by using a modified core competencies checklist, sales managers will have an excellent coaching tool and snapshot of a salesperson’s strengths and weaknesses and of who has high potential to become a manager.

Attitude and Goal Setting

      We have been using the word attitude in this book in a positive context. You might hear sports commentators say that a particular athlete has an “attitude,” which translated into everyday, non‐sports speak means that the athlete has an aggressive, nasty, or arrogant attitude. However, the word attitude is not a singular noun as in sports‐speak, but is an aggregate concept that encompasses all types of mind‐sets, both positive and negative.

      In this chapter we will answer the following questions about attitude:

      1 What is attitude?

      2 Why are attitudes important in selling?

      3 Can I control and change my attitudes?

      4 How can I motivate myself to maintain a positive attitude?

      What is attitude?

      An attitude is a point of view, either negative or positive, about an idea, situation, or person. We develop favorable attitudes about those ideas, situations, or people that are associated with positive rewards and benefits and unfavorable attitudes toward those that are associated with penalties or dislikes. An attitude is also an outlook on life or a mind‐set about something.

      An attitude has three components: what you think, what you do, and what you feel. To change your attitudes you can change the way you think, act, or feel. But changing the way you think and act is easier than changing how you feel, because attitudes have a strong emotional component despite being supported by varying degrees of fact. Thus, by correcting misconceptions or adding facts, you can change your attitude and those of others. For example, you can learn to like someone about whom you had a negative first impression by thinking about a positive attribute or characteristic and acting friendly at the next encounter, despite lingering negative feelings. Also, acting and thinking positively helps you begin to change the feelings part of your attitude.

      Why are attitudes important in selling?

      Attitudes are important in selling because performance in a job depends on a person’s attitudes and attributes (see the definition of attributes further on in this section). Performance in selling is like performance in sports; it is a synchronization of mind, body, and action. Many of the characteristics of successful athletes and successful salespeople

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