AccountancyISCO 3339
Advertising sales agent
An advertising sales agent is a person who sells advertising space and airtime in the media to businesses and to private individuals.
Check yourself in a minute: advertising sales agent
Rate 5 of the 24 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
guarantee customer satisfaction
ensure compliance with legal requirements
answer requests for quotation
deliver a sales pitch
implement customer follow-up
About advertising sales agent
The advertising sales agent starts by finding a client. The agent prospects for new customers, finds out who in a given company decides on advertising spend, and prepares a sales presentation: who a medium reaches, what its coverage is and which dates are still free. The agent knows the characteristics of the services on sale and can explain how one format differs from another.
The agent answers requests for quotes, prepares a costing against the client's budget, proposes packages and dates, and uses advertising techniques to advise which format suits the objective: a classified, a banner, a spot, a sponsorship, an entry in a trade issue. The agent also applies the company's sales strategies and product promotion techniques.
After the sale the agent follows up with the customer: checking that a broadcast or a publication ran as ordered, reporting the result back to the client, and returning with an offer for the next period. The agent keeps customer personal data records in line with data protection rules. Formal requirements are set by the employer.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a advertising sales agent.
1
Sales Prospecting and Lead Generation
- Prospect new customers through cold calling, networking events, industry research, and referrals to identify advertising opportunities
- Contact customers and establish initial relationships to understand their business goals and advertising needs
- Maintain a database of prospects and leads using customer relationship management software to track interactions and follow-up opportunities
2
Sales Presentation and Pitch Delivery
- Deliver compelling sales pitches that highlight the benefits and characteristics of different advertising services and media offerings
- Apply sales promotion techniques and advertising techniques appropriate to the customer's industry and target audience
- Communicate with customers using persuasive language and demonstrating knowledge of types of media and advertising strategies
- Answer requests for quotation by providing detailed proposals and pricing information tailored to client needs
3
Client Relationship Management
- Implement customer follow-up procedures to ensure client satisfaction, address concerns, and identify upsell opportunities
- Keep detailed records of customer interactions, preferences, and purchase history using CRM software for future reference and personalized service
- Respond promptly and professionally to customers' inquiries, concerns, and requests throughout the sales and post-sale process
- Guarantee customer satisfaction by addressing service gaps, handling complaints effectively, and ensuring service quality meets expectations
4
Sales Strategy Implementation and Compliance
- Implement sales strategies and achieve sales targets by maintaining focus, persistence, and demonstrating motivation for sales
- Ensure compliance with legal requirements related to advertising, data protection, consumer rights, and industry regulations
- Record customers' personal data accurately and securely, maintaining confidentiality and data protection standards
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (24)
sales promotion techniquessales promotion techniquesThe techniques used to persuade customers to purchase a product or a service.types of mediatypes of mediaThe means of mass communication, such as television, journals, and radio, that reach and influence the majority of the public.advertising techniquesadvertising techniquesThe communication strategies intended to persuade or encourage an audience, and the different media which are used to achieve this goal.customer relationship managementcustomer relationship managementThe customer-oriented management approach and basic principles of successful customer relations that focus on interactions with customers such as technical support, customer services, after-sales supp...sales strategiessales strategiesThe principles concerning customer behaviour and target markets with the aim of promotion and sales of a product or a service.characteristics of servicescharacteristics of servicesThe characteristics of a service that might include having acquired information about its application, function, features, use and support requirements.guarantee customer satisfactionguarantee customer satisfactionHandle customer expectations in a professional manner, anticipating and addressing their needs and desires. Provide flexible customer service to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.communicate with customerscommunicate with customersRespond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.ensure compliance with legal requirementsensure compliance with legal requirementsGuarantee compliance with established and applicable standards and legal requirements such as specifications, policies, standards or law for the goal that organisations aspire to achieve in their effo...answer requests for quotationanswer requests for quotationMake up prices and documents for the products that customers may purchase.deliver a sales pitchdeliver a sales pitchPrepare and deliver an understandably constructed sales talk for a product or a service, identifying and using persuasive argumentation.implement customer follow-upimplement customer follow-upImplement strategies that ensures post-sale follow up of customer satisfaction or loyalty regarding one's product or service.prospect new customersprospect new customersInitiate activities in order to attract new and interesting customers. Ask for recommendations and references, find places where potential customers can be located.record customers' personal datarecord customers' personal dataGather and record customers' personal data into the system; obtain all signatures and documents required for rental.contact customerscontact customersContact customers by telephone in order to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments.keep records of customer interactionkeep records of customer interactionRecording details of inquiries, comments and complaints received from customers, as well as actions to be taken.demonstrate motivation for salesdemonstrate motivation for salesShow incentives that drive someone to reach sales goals and business targets.use customer relationship management softwareuse customer relationship management softwareUse specialised software to manage company’s interactions with current and future customers. Organise, automate and synchronise sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support, to increase t...implement sales strategiesimplement sales strategiesCarry out the plan to gain competitive advantage on the market by positioning the company's brand or product and by targeting the right audience to sell this brand or product to.respond to customers' inquiriesrespond to customers' inquiriesAnswer customers' questions about itineraries, rates and reservations in person, by mail, by e-mail and on the phone.advise on merchandise featuresadvise on merchandise featuresProvide counsel on the buying of merchandise such as goods, vehicles or other objects, as well as providing information on their features and attributes to clients or customers.keep records on saleskeep records on salesKeep records of the activities of the sales of products and services, tracking which products and services were sold when and maintaining customer records, in order to facilitate improvements in the s...characteristics of productscharacteristics of productsThe tangible characteristics of a product such as its materials, properties and functions, as well as its different applications, features, use and support requirements.produce sales reportsproduce sales reportsMaintain records of calls made and products sold over a given time frame, including data regarding sales volumes, number of new accounts contacted and the costs involved.
Optional (14) — show
media formatsmedia formatsThe various formats in which media can be made available to the audience, such as paper books, e-books, tapes, and analogue signal.outdoor advertisingoutdoor advertisingTypes and characteristics of advertising performed in the public domain such as on street furniture, public transportation vehicles, stations and airports and on billboards.media planningmedia planningThe process of selecting the best media to reach marketing and advertising strategy objectives in order to promote a client's product or service. This process encompasses research on target audiences,...carry out sales analysiscarry out sales analysisExamine sales reports to see what goods and services have and have not sold well.monitor media industry research figuresmonitor media industry research figuresKeep up to date with distribution figures of the various printed media outlets such as newspapers and journals; with the audience figures of radio and television or of specific broadcast programs; and...work with advertising professionalswork with advertising professionalsCooperate with professionals in the advertising field as to ensure a smooth development of the advertising projects. Work together with researchers, creative teams, publishers, and copywriters.apply social media marketingapply social media marketingEmploy website traffic of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to generate attention and participation of existing and potential customers through discussion forums, web logs, microblogging and s...develop promotional toolsdevelop promotional toolsGenerate promotional material and collaborate in the production of promotional text, videos, photos, etc. Keep previous promotional material organised.stay up to date with social mediastay up to date with social mediaKeep up with the trends and people on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.provide advertisement samplesprovide advertisement samplesShow clients a preview of the advertising format and features.develop media strategydevelop media strategyCreate the strategy on the type of content to be delivered to the target groups and which media to be used, taking into account the characteristics of the target audience and the media that will be us...apply technical communication skillsapply technical communication skillsExplain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.monitor after sales recordsmonitor after sales recordsKeep an eye on the after sales feedback and monitor customer satisfaction or complaints; record after sales calls for thorough data analysis.perform media outlets researchperform media outlets researchResearch what will be the best and most effective way to reach the majority of consumers by defining the target audience and the type of media outlet that better fit with the purpose.
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Frequently asked questions
What does an advertising sales agent do?
Advertising sales agents sell advertising space and media time to businesses and individuals. They make sales pitches to potential clients and follow up on after-sales.
What skills does an advertising sales agent need?
An advertising sales agent needs 24 essential skills, including sales promotion techniques, types of media, advertising techniques, customer relationship management, sales strategies.
Will AI replace advertising sales agent jobs?
The AI disruption score for advertising sales agent is 74/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: record customers' personal data, keep records on sales, produce sales reports. Most resilient: characteristics of services, work with advertising professionals, types of media.
AI Replacement Risk
74/ 100
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Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
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