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Saluting Sales Excellence at Media Companies
Recognizing outstanding media sales performance, min's Sales Executive of the Year Awards salutes those in the trenches, selling the print, online, on-air and multiplatform programs and creating a winning proposition for both the advertiser and the media brand. Whether selling in a challenging or booming market, the winners will be the ones running circles around their peers, the ones who can sell well and better than the rest. min will salute those who are the “cream of the crop” and their best practices will serve as guides for the thousands of media sales professionals in search of stronger strategies.
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Who Should Enter?
This awards program is open to media sales and business development executives, account managers and leaders whose primary responsibility is to sell ad space or sponsorship programs for a media brand or to lead a team of salespeople. It is open to all sales/business development job titles — from Account Executive to Vice President, from Publisher to Sales Director. Hall of Fame nominees should demonstrate a career “lifetime” of sales success, not just in the 2009 selling period.
Eligibility Requirements:
This awards program is open to media sales and business development executives, account managers and
leaders whose primary responsibility is to sell ad space or sponsorship programs for a media brand or to lead a
team of salespeople. It is open to all sales/business development job titles — from Account Executive to Vice
President, from Publisher to Sales Director. Hall of Fame nominees should demonstrate a career “lifetime” of
sales success, not just in the 2009 selling period.
Additional Eligibility Requirements:
■ Judging period is January 2009 to March 2010.
■ The awards are open to any media company professional who is involved at least part time
in sales or sales management.
■ Outside contract sales executives are eligible.
■ The Awards are open to sales executives at media companies worldwide, as the criteria for sales
excellence is universal.
■ All entries will be treated with the strictest confidence. But winners should be prepared to be
interviewed by min editors for the special min "Best Sellers" awards issue.
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Categories
Salesperson of the Year: (Qualifying titles include but are not limited to Account Executive, Sales Executive, Business Development Manager, Publisher & Associate Publisher.) Sub-Categories (each category below will be judged separately and receive separate awards.)
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Qualifying titles include but are not limited to Account Executive, Sales Executive, Business Development Manager, Publisher & Associate Publisher.
Sub-Categories:
(each category below will be judged separately and receive separate awards)
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(Consumer of B2B)
- Single Title with Circulation 500K and above
- Single Title with Circulation 100-500K
- Single Title with Circulation 25-50K
- Single Title with Circulation under 25K
- Content Site (not associated with magazine brand)
- Emedia (Web, E-letters, Mobile)
- Event/Exhibit Show
- Multiple Titles
- New Magazine (launched in 2009)
- Online Audience of 1 Million + Unique Monthly Visitors
- Online Audience of Less Than 1 Million Uniques
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Salesperson Judging Criteria:
- # Years in position/at company
- Set and exceeds goals
- Customer relationship-builder
- Has a successful and consistent sales record
- Understands client business
- Maintains cool in difficult sales situations
- Strong presenter in a group or one-on-one
- Maintains agency/client contact – before, during and after the planning/buying season
- Responsive to clients’ needs
- Meets and exceeds clients’ deadlines
- Regularly bring new ideas to clients
- Provides strong alternative recommendations to clients
- Understand the competitive landscape
- Manages the “cost” hurdle as a partner
- Knows how to close
- Understand and applies marketing prowess in sales
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Sales Team Leader of the Year
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Team connotes at least 2 salespeople and one team leader. Qualifying titles include but are not limited to Sales Director, Publisher, Group Publisher, General Manager, Director, President & CEO. "Leader" must be someone that has sales staff oversight.
Sub-Categories
(each category below will be judged separately and receive separate awards):
- Content Site (not associated with magazine brand)
- Emedia (Web, Eletters, Mobile)
- Event/Exhibit/Trade Show
- Magazine
- Multiple Magazine Titles
- New Magazine (launched in 2009)
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Sales Leader Judging Criteria:
- # Years in position/at company
- Builds team spirit
- Knows how to develop and reach strong prospects
- Works as a partner with clients
- Has helped others to become top sellers
- Shows sales leadership
- A proven sales educator
- Accessible to all levels of sales team
- Regularly gets out into the marketplace to understand environment to sales people
- Runs powerful and insightful sales meetings
- Rewards sales excellence
- Model for their company
- Strong industry spokesperson for his/her company
See synopsis instructions under "How to Enter" for more information.
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Team connotes at least 2 salespeople and one team leader.
(each category below will be judged separately and receive separate awards):
Sub-Categories
- Magazine Sales Team of the Year (Magazine Brands)
- Marketing Communications Team of the Year
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Sales Team Judging Criteria:
- Above-par sales performance as a team for the year
- Each salesperson contributed to outstanding sales results for the year
- Each salesperson on the team has assisted colleagues at least once in the past year with a difficult sales challenge
- Team leader is highly motivated and a great teacher
- Team works collaboratively on client-centric programs
- Team has introduced innovative and results-oriented ideas and programs for clients
- There is a shared culture and mutual respect among team members
See synopsis instructions under "How to Enter" for more information.
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Sub-Categories
(each category below will be judged separately and receive separate awards):
- Agency/Client Team of the Year
- Best Creative of the Year (Magazines)
- Designer: Media Kits/Sales Support
- Marketing Executive of the Year
- Media Buyer of the Year
- Sales Support
- Sales Assistant of the Year
See synopsis instructions under "How to Enter" for more information. |
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Sub-Categories
(each category below will be judged separately and receive separate awards):
- Best Internal Sales Contest by a Media Company: recognizing a company-run competition among its staff staff that inspired the team and led to increased sales.
- The Frequent Flier (goes the distance for a sale): this award recognizes the salesperson who goes the distance for a sale, doing whatever it takes (within legal/ethical bounds) to close the sale. Entries should specify specific instances in which the sales person or sales leader went above and beyond to score a win.
- Most Creative Program (sold to client): recognizing a client-centric program that exceeds the advertisers' expectations with its creativity and high return on investment.
- The Relentless (never takes "no" for an answer): this award will go to the sales person or sales leader who never takes no for an answer, who is relentlessly going after business until it can be closed. Anecdotes encouraged.
- The Renewer (most impressive # of renewed business): this award honors the sales person with the most impressive number of renewed contracts year over year.
- The Woo-er (most impressive # of new client business): recognizing the salesperson or sales leader who is top of his or her game in generating new business for the company, consistently adding an impressive number of new clients to the roster.
See synopsis instructions under "How to Enter" for more information. |
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Open to currently working and retired executives. A Hall of Fame award is bestowed upon an executive who has grown through the sales ranks to the level of President, VP, Director, Publisher, etc; one whose name speaks to his or her excellent reputation in driving revenue and relationships; who has earned the respect of his or her peers and of the advertising community. Several Hall of Fame Awards will be bestowed.
See synopsis instructions under "How to Enter" for more information.
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How to Enter
Enter by mail or online.
Most of the entry synopsis is open-ended. We want to hear how you, your team or the person you are entering best match the category criteria. When providing the information below, and under your category criteria, please describe why the nominee/team should win the award.
Please include a 2- to 3-page synopsis with the following information:
- Areas of Responsibility
- Specific Sales or Sales Leadership Successes
- Sales or Leadership Hurdles/Challenges Overcome
- Description of your Best Client/Agency Relationships
- For Hall of Fame describe nominees contributions to building the brand(s) over his/her career.
What To Send by Mail?
- Five (5) copies of the entry form
- Ten (10) copies of your synopsis
- Five (5) sets of supporting material
- Entry fee (see information below on multiple entries)
Please include supporting materials such as client testimonials, urls/Web sites, print materials and marketing collateral, photographs, and other materials that will help the judges. Nothing needs to be sent by mail if entering online.
Deadlines/Entry Fees
Deadlines:
Deadline: March 5, 2010 (postmarked)
Late Deadline: March 12, 2010(postmarked)
All entries must be postmarked by Friday, March 12, 2010.
Entries postmarked between March 6 and March 12, 2010, please add a $175 late fee per entry. Award winners (including Honorable Mentions) will be notified in mid-May and honored June 15, 2010, during an awards ceremony at the Grand Hyatt NYC.
Entry Fees:
The price of each primary entry is $300. If you submit the same entry into multiple categories, the additional fee is $175 per category. There is a late entry surcharge of $175 per entry. Payment in full must accompany the entry. Entry fees are not refundable.
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FAQs
What sorts of supporting materials are you looking for?
We need a short synopsis of why the nominee/team should receive an award. Please, no more than 3 pages long, and we want to hear how you, your team or the person you are entering best match the category criteria. Please reference the above Judging Criteria.
Who will be judging my entries?
We will have a distinguished panel of outside media experts and internal judges from our min staff. Your entries will be held in strict confidence.
Can I enter in multiple categories?
Yes. Please be sure to check off which categories you’re entering and tailor your synopsis to each category. There is an additional entry fee for each category you enter.
When and how will the winners be announced?
Finalists will be notified in May and honored June 15, 2010 during an awards ceremony in New York.
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Sponsorship Opportunities
To sponsor min’s Sales Executive of the Year Awards & Special Awards Issue, please contact Erica Gottlieb at (212) 621-4612; egottlieb@accessintel.com .
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Contact Information
Please contact awards coordinator Rebecca Stortstrom at (301) 354-1613 or rebecca@accessintel.com.
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