In his article for E&P Magazine, Jeff Sleete emphasizes the persistence needed in sales, noting that 98% of sales are not made on the first call. He discusses the myriad reasons why prospective advertisers might initially decline an offer, such as budget constraints, loyalty to other media partners, or simply not feeling the urgency to buy. Sleete draws parallels to the famous sales case in “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss, illustrating the importance of overcoming objections through repeated, varied offers. He encourages media sellers to continuously pitch their ideas to all potential clients, embodying the persistence of “Sam I Am” to eventually secure sales.

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“Most sales gurus agree that about 98% of all sales are not made on the first call. Sometimes the customer says “no.” That’s when the selling starts. If you can turn a no into a yes, you make the sale.

There are a lot of reasons prospective advertisers say no:

• They don’t have the money.
• They have the money but are just plain cheap.
• They think they can get a better deal elsewhere.
• They have something else in mind.
• They don’t want to change media partners.
• Your price is too high.
• They don’t trust you.
• You didn’t give them any urgency to buy now.
• You’re a jerk.

The list of possibilities is almost endless…”