The Trusted Advisor at Your Service

Peter Stanek, Team Lead – Demand Side at Yieldbird, reveals what it takes to be a trusted advisor in the era of consultative selling.

I position myself as an advisor, consultant, and middleman between inventory and direct buyers – I know my clients, and I know it’s always a long-term cooperation. This particular type of relationship goes by the name of a consultative selling.

Consultative selling takes it all.

Consultative Selling is the future of customer relations. A salesperson takes the role of a trusted advisor in the client building, trust-based relationship. In the past, there was “solution selling,” a milestone for consultative selling which was popularized in the 1980s, mainly in the US. Since then, the entire structure of relations underwent a dramatic change. And for the better.

It all comes down to a few simple rules.

Some time ago I received a call from an account manager from one a European publisher. He was very persistent in his sales approach and tried to sell me a Christmas campaign for one of my customers.

In the end, I didn’t take the deal. Why? Because I felt pushed onto a product which I didn’t know and wasn’t convinced about. So I had no interest in it, whatsoever.

It’s the customer’s interest that the seller should lead with, and not his or her own. After all, the default approach is based on relationships and mutual cooperation. Not the opposite. We’re not talking about one-off sales transactions, but a long-term and trusted relationship. That’s also why transparency is the bread and butter of today’s customer-salesperson relations.

In programmatic, it’s all different.

I work with clients based on a transparent model. They appreciate my point of view and advice given to them on reaching more potential customers.

A month ago I was asked by the biggest transportation company in Europe to deliver essential campaign solutions. They built all programmatic competencies in-house, but still needed proper and premium inventory to run branding campaigns.

Of course, we’re all specialists. But on the other hand, we’re still learning each and everyday. We exchange new ideas and share the best solutions – in this business, everything can change within a month. So, I knew that they needed the guidance of a trusted advisor who would elevate their KPIs and maximise their brand experience via effectively delivered campaigns.

All it takes is a few steps to deliver the right results.

• SET PRIORITIES FIRST.
  That was the case here. Experts at Yieldbird, myself included, always strive to bring the highest quality solutions to the table. So it was firstly a matter of settling the client’s needs and expectations, like KPIs. ‘Now, consider the value your company provides’, is what I first asked the client. Before you cut expenses and exert more influence over marketing budgets, rethink your strategy on how you want to reach your audience. It’s highly possible that you’re buying our inventory on the Open Market. The difference is you can do it more efficiently with our help.
  As we close deals, priority increases, so your KPIs are much easier to deliver. Naturally, the prices increase, yet the effects are better. So overall, you’ll spend less reaching your business objectives.
• AN INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED PRODUCT IS THE ANSWER
  We put everything on the table. It takes time, effort, and trust to become more open about sharing the ins and outs of your business. Yet, only when knowing your needs and business capabilities, will we be able to offer you custom-delivered quality products. If we currently cannot offer you a product that meets your demands, we will not engage in the deal. We value your time as much as we value our relationship. That’s why I always make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to properly understanding your business objectives.
• TRUST MEANS CONFIDENCE IN DELIVERED RESULTS.
  In trusting, it is not only about focusing on the risk taken. It’s about reciprocity of access to marketplaces and business relations. It’s about becoming a reliable partner for any possible scenario. Relationships in digital advertising matter now much more than ever before. The reason for it is simple: if someone isn’t getting the results they want, there are many other fish in the sea.