My desk: where the media kit madness begins.
All you summer-lovers out there probably aren’t so thrilled with the sudden onset of cooler temps. It really did seem to happen overnight, didn’t it? Well, I for one am ecstatic for fall to arrive—my hands-down favorite season of the year. My only hesitation on that statement would be less daylight which affects my running routine, but not much can compete with the comfort of my favorite sweater and jeans, and indulging in all the best healthy comfort foods I can create . . . and a few not-so-healthy ones. Hey, who can resist at this glorious time of year? Oh fall (and food), how I love thee!
At the magazine, mid-September starts a period of literal craziness, especially on the sales side. Not only is it event season where the staff could literally be at a different event every night of the week, but it also signals “media kit” season. This is when our sales materials are released for the upcoming year and when most businesses are reviewing their new marketing plans and budgets. For a sales rep, this pretty much equates to jumping into super-power gear, making an abnormal amount of phone calls to schedule as many client meetings as possible and then running up the odometer on our cars traveling between those meetings, all while trying to juggle paperwork and housekeeping duties that come with it all.
The biggest challenge we face is that this is also when every sales rep from every type of media is calling our clients—television, radio, newspaper, billboards, phone books, direct mail marketers . . . you name anywhere you see an advertisement, and you can bet they’re calling too, vying for a piece of the marketing budget. When you’re the gazillionth person in one day to ring the phone of the lucky marketing planner, it’s really a struggle to stand out from the crowd, and to avoid annoyance. It gets to the point where I talk to a lot of voice mails because they literally stop answering their phones.
The huge plus of all this, besides the fact that I’m working and selling for a gorgeous magazine, is that because of time and determination I have developed a lot of long-standing relationships with amazing businesses who happily take my calls. I always look forward to connecting with my clients again and having an excuse to get together to catch up—especially when it’s a lunch date. Yum! As stressful as media kit season can be, being busy and getting out and about is motivating, especially during my absolute favorite season of the year. Wait, did I mention that already?
Well, gotta get back to work. Wish me luck!
