Selling Advertising

Susan Duncan
Tatum High School
Tatum, Texas

Objective: The learner will conduct an advertising campaign.

Activities

• Discuss handout, which outlines steps needed to sell an ad (create handout based on what’s below)
  • Dress appropriately.
  • Carry contracts, past newspapers, pen.
  • Ask for the manager or person in charge of advertising.
  • Introduce yourself by name and name of publication.
  • Comment on the store and its importance for teens or establish some kind of rapport with the manager before you try to sell him/her an ad.
  • Show manager the size ad you are selling and samples of past ads.
  • Ask the manager what size he/she would like to buy, not if he/she wants to buy (don’t give manager a chance to say ‘no’).  Remind the manager that he can pay in January. Try to sell for the year if possible.
  • Do not take rejection personally if the manager does not want an ad.
  • If the business does want an ad, fill out information on contract, leaving nothing blank.
  • Get clean artwork on a white or light-colored background.
  • Thank the manager whether they bought an ad or not. Do not burn bridges.
• Role-play ad sales campaign. Teacher will be possible advertiser. Student goes through steps in selling an ad in front of class. Practice with 2-3 students. Teacher should present different “types” of advertisers each time.
• Have business manager assign area businesses to’ sell. Have students sign up for businesses where they may have an “in.”
• Have a grid set up on spreadsheet program so that students can type in the list of ads they are assigned before they leave class.

Material/Resources: Handout, contracts, newspapers, spreadsheet grid set up and ready to input information.

Other Considerations:

• Teacher should role play when pretending to be the manager in the role play situation.
• The spreadsheet is a great help in keeping up with which businesses have been given out, when they are contacted, what size of ads they purchase, how much money the paper has secured, who needs to be billed, etc.
• If selling advertising on the phone, the teacher may also want to give some pointers on phone etiquette and possible problems in conducting an ad campaign in this manner.
• If selling ads during the school day, teachers may want to have parents sign a parental permission form so that they may drive their personal vehicles.
• Assessment: The learner will sell three ads and turn the contracts into the business manager by an agreed-upon date