Advertising Manager Of The Year
January 2, 2014 Dear CNBAM Judges, It is with great pride that I nominate Lukas Peterson for CNBAM’s 2014 Advertising Manager of the Year. I have had the privilege of working with Lukas over his past year as a member of the advertising staff at the Minnesota Daily. Lukas has quickly risen through the ranks in our organization, and has successfully overcome all challenges along the way. In November of 2012, he began in our “Shark Tank” as a sales trainee, working to prove he deserved a position as an Account Executive. It did not take long for him to prove exactly that. Working in the “Shark Tank” is incredibly difficult, but Lukas learned from his fellow Account Executives, fearlessly executed fantastic pitches to prospects, and maintained a positive attitude that carried over into everything he did. In less than a month a half, Lukas was put in charge of one of our biggest client lists. As an Account Executive, Lukas focused on building strong relationships with his clients and continuing to build on his knowledge of the Daily. He was always looking out for the best interests of his clients and making it evident that his interactions with them are about much more than the sale. Lukas’s dedication to the organization and commitment to success made him a great Account Executive and allowed him to consistently achieve goals. In his role as the Retail Sales Manager, Lukas oversees our local and national Account Executives with great success. In his eight months as a manager, sales in the areas he oversees have increased almost $47,000 over the same period from the previous year. Lukas has led many brainstorming sessions with his staff, in addition to biweekly one-on-one conversations. I have seen our sales team develop professionally, and have also witnessed ever-increasing enthusiasm for coming into work every day, something for which Lukas deserves credit. It is for all these reasons, along with many others, which make Lukas an exemplary candidate for this position. If you have any questions regarding Lukas’s qualifications or experience, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Sincerely,
Bailey Alto Bailey Alto Business Operations Officer The Minnesota Daily
January 9, 2014 Dear CNBAM Judges, I am writing to personally recommend Lukas Peterson for the honor of CNBAM’s 2014 Advertising Manager of the Year. I have the pleasure of working directly with Lukas as a member of the sales staff at the Minnesota Daily, and his dedication and enthusiasm for the team has always impressed me. As my direct supervisor, Lukas has consistently proven to me over the past year his exceptional abilities and attitude toward his job that make him an excellent candidate for this award. During my first year of working on the Minnesota Daily sales staff, Lukas has played a key role in my success as an employee. Being new not only to the newspaper, but also to sales in general, I had no experience or previous training to rely upon for my position. Lukas not only answered each of my questions patiently and thoroughly, he truly went above and beyond to make sure that I was comfortable with and felt empowered in my position. Because of his comprehensive assistance, I was able to gain confidence as a sales representative and actually excel in my position, despite my lack of former experience. Lukas strives to maintain good communication between him and the sales team, and has demonstrated success in this in many ways. He meets frequently one-on-one with each member of the team to discuss our current sales work and assess any needs or lack of clarity on the managerial side of things. He is willing to drop whatever he is doing to help us out with anything from understanding our responsibilities to crisis management in tough situations. Not once in my experience working with him have I witnessed him overreacting or mishandling a situation. He is able to address any problem calmly and effectively. When faced with a problem that he does not know the immediate solution to, he takes the time to sit down and figure it out. With all of this in mind, it is my firm belief that Lukas fully deserves to be CNBAM’s 2014 Advertising Manager of the Year. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please feel free to contact me.
Sarah Hebel Sincerely,
Sarah Hebel Retail Account Executive The Minnesota Daily
Personal Philosophy Dear CNBAM judges, First and foremost, I want to thank you for considering me for the honor of being named the Best Advertising Manager of 2014. At this time last year, I had just begun working as an Account Executive in our sales department, and I certainly had no idea what the next year would bring. Since then, I have had the privilege of attending the 2013 CNBAM convention in San Diego, and also became the Retail Sales Manager of the Minnesota Daily shortly after returning from the convention. I would consider my attendance of the 2013 convention an essential part of my success during this past year, and certainly a jumping off point for a tremendous leadership opportunity for me. Since becoming a member of the organization in November 2012, I have learned a great deal from those around me, acting as a sponge that takes in as much information about the organization as possible. After holding three separate positions in less than a year’s time, I was able to capitalize on opportunities to advance within our student organization, which may not have been available to me elsewhere. When I accepted the position of Retail Sales Manager in April 2013, I was extremely excited to use my natural motivational skills and energy to propel 8 account executives toward success. The unique part about the situation I came into was the fact that I had spent January through April working alongside most of these same individuals, whom I now had to manage. Although this is something that is not all that uncommon for an entirely student-run newspaper like The Minnesota Daily, it was an extremely beneficial situation for me as a new manager. The helpful part about working entirely among your peers is the constant learning process. Each manager and account executive brings something different to the equation, and during my time in a leadership role we have not found a situation or obstacle that we could not solve in a collaborative manor. From day one, I established a very healthy work environment, where executives and managers alike are held accountable for their successes and their failures. From April 2013 through January 2014, the advertising sales staff has benefitted from my leadership presence for a few different reasons; most of them are a direct result of the passion and helpful hand I bring to the team on a daily basis. By making myself always available through text, email or phone, I am able to answer questions and assist our team even with a busy daily student schedule. From my experience so far, it is difficult for me to pinpoint the impact of this managerial experience on my own life, but the following categories are a few management strengths that my staff has benefitted from during my time as Retail Sales Manager.
Personal Philosophy Cont’d. Constant Collaboration As a student leader among my classmates and peers in an office setting, I find the most beneficial and time-efficient way to get work done comes from constant collaboration. In hopes of creating the most fun and productive work environment possible, I attempt to involve myself as much as possible, making any problems my responsibility to fix. A large part of management is accountability, but accountability comes much easier when you are on the same page with your team members. By establishing a strong personal and professional relationship with each of my account executives, I am able to eliminate disconnection that may sometimes hinder the effectiveness of a professional company. We are a family, and as the leader of the family, it is my duty to know everyone’s business within the house and how they are affecting the success of the team. Positive Energy Holding a higher management position at the Minnesota Daily has taught me many things, but one requirement has come rather naturally to me, and that is the energy required to keep an entire sales team motivated. With a background in team leadership, motivating my sales team is something I bring each and every day, but I do not stop at that. I am constantly searching for new ways to implement my energy into productivity and using it to boost revenue. Some of these examples include making weekly sales meeting exciting and visually appealing, positive reinforcement during deadlines, and never letting personal issues affect my work ethic. I firmly believe that maintaining a high energy environment for people to work in will make them more likely to spend more time here and boost overall office morale. Professional Development The Minnesota Daily has a long-standing reputation as an organization that prepares young adults for the professional sales business after college. During my time as Retail Sales Manager, we have certainly not strayed from developing our account executives into business professionals. We work closely with other larger professional organizations like the Minneapolis Star Tribune to develop skills and campaigns that compare to what many of our alumni do in their careers at major newspapers. Our training programs and professional guest appearances allow our account executives to prepare and develop skills that you absolutely will not find in a classroom. Sincerely, Lukas Peterson Retail Sales Manager The Minnesota Daily
Appendix I. II. III.
Resume Retail Sales Manager Job Description Sales Goals and Revenue
IV.
New Sales Tactics
V.
Organized Training
VI.
Marketing Events
Resume LUKAS N. PETERSON 221A 8th Avenue SE • Summary • • •
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Experience in written and creative design Strong leadership and communication skills Strategic thinking and results-driven planning
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(651) 353-2494
Education
University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota Bachelor of Arts, Journalism College of Liberal Arts • Emphasis: Strategic Communication, Advertising • Sport Management Minor
•
lpeterson@mndaily.com
GPA: 3.1 Expected May 2014
Relevant Experience
The Minnesota Daily Minneapolis, Minnesota Retail Sales Manager April 2013 Present • Motivated and managed the day-to-day operations of 15 retail, classified, national, and university account executives. • Hired and trained 6 account executives in order to fill open positions and ensure the future success of the organization • Initiated interdepartmental communication to eliminate mistakes and guarantee the highest quality product • Generated annual sales of 667k, an increase of 10 percent over the past fiscal year • Implemented the use of Google DoubleClick for Publishers for our online advertising revenue and management University Account Executive November 2012 April 2013 • Managed a clientele list for a variety of university departments including Gopher Sports and University Bookstore. • Prospected potential clients and attended formal meetings to discuss advertising in either display, online, or interactive campaigns. • Provided solutions for clients looking to expand their business using strategic marketing campaigns. • Built relationships with clients and a rapport for excellent service, with an end goal of making sure their needs were met for every advertisement they ran. National Student Advertising Competition Minneapolis, Minnesota Student Organization September 2013 May 2014 • Conducted secondary research on Mary Kay cosmetics, our assigned case study client, by gathering information on their direct selling approach and independent beauty consultants. • Interviewed multiple Mary Kay consultants and some of their competitors, gaining valuable information for primary research. Parking & Transportation Services, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Marketing Intern April 2012 September 2012 • Communicated information about programs and opportunities that PTS offers, including marketing directional instructions and maps to new students. • Launched PTS Facebook account in June 2012. Planned, created, and monitored content added to PTS Facebook account. • Drove social interaction and recognition of PTS by gaining 615 likes on Facebook and driving traffic to their website. • Created fresh content for PTS ad spaces, newsletters, and brochures using Adobe Creative Suite programs like InDesign and Photoshop. • Planned and executed the Parking and Transportation Services annual transportation fair to educate students on transportation opportunities around the Twin Cities. This involved contacting potential participants, planning giveaways, and purchasing refreshments.
Skills (Publishing) • Proficient in writing and speaking both the English and Spanish language. • • •
Years of experience in writing formal essays, summaries, features, and other blog entries. Devoted, responsible, and self-motivated toward achieving prowess in the fields of communication and sport. A profound knowledge of computers and computer programs like Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Adobe Creative Suite programs like InDesign, Bridge, and Photoshop. • Vast understanding of all emerging social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Activities: January 2010 October 2014 • Classic Suburban All-Conference Honorable Mention and captain of varsity golf team during senior year • Volunteer for organizations like Feed My Starving Children, Neighbors Incorporated, and Habitat for Humanity
Retail Sales Manager Job Description Position Title: Retail Sales Manager Department: Sales Department Reports To: Business Operations Officer Supervises: Retail Account Executives, National Account Executive Hours: 25 (Fall & Spring), 30 (summer) Pay Grade: 2nd Line Responsibilities
• • • • • • • • • •
Works with Classified Sales Manager to hire, train, supervise, and motivate Account Executives Assist with large scale advertisers and national clients Oversee day-to-day operations of the Retail Group Schedule and manage all online advertising Answer questions from Account Executives, while also coaching them on a one-on-one basis Ensure excellent customer service and satisfaction Achieve revenue goals and projects Calculates a monthly budgeted goal for all Account Executives Creates incentives for Special Issues Works to develop sales training programs and initiatives
Qualifications
Knowledge/Education • Must be University of Minnesota Student • Experience in advertising sales and customer service required • Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications • Available 20-30 hours per week • Excellent communication skills • Strong work ethics & self-motivated • Strong problem solving skills Essential Functions • Ability to hear and speak English clearly • Ability to visually analyze advertisements, contracts, and policies • Verbal intelligence to convey ideas • Finger dexterity for repetitive finger motions • Ability to reach and stretch Disclaimer: This job description is only intended to be a summary of the skills, qualifications, and essential functions required in the day-to-day work for this position. It is not exhaustive in nature. The Minnesota Daily reserves the right to change the job description at-will and to modify an employee’s job role at any time to best benefit the organization.
Sales Goals and Revenue Monthly Goals vs. Actuals MONTH
SALES GOAL
ACTUAL SALES
May
$18,500
$23,149
June
$7,150
$12,706
July
$4,400
$3,896
August
$2,200
$2,235
September
$40,100
$53,858
October
$31,600
$47,096
November
$26,200
$28,055
December
$13,250
$18,140
Total
$143,400
$189,135
A very encouraging increase for our retail sales this year came in three of our most important months of publication. A large increase was seen in the months of May, September and October respectively. Each of these months saw a substantial increase over the previous year and over their established monthly sales goal. Below you will see a categorical comparison between years 2012 and 2013. Total sales revenue increased by a margin of $67,315 over the previous year. My own retail and national sales increased by $46,866 alone, which accounts for 70 percent of the total increase.
Year to Year Comparison CATEGORY
2012
2013
Total Sales Revenue
$381,478
$448,793
Retail Sales Revenue
$93,448
$124,586
National Sales Revenue
$48,822
$64,550
Retail Revenue Percentage
24.5%
27.8%
National Revenue Percentage
12.8%
14.4%
New Sales Tactics As a retail sales manager, there are many different factors that contribute toward the success of the account executives that I manage, and ultimately the entire team. One constant that I always attempt to give them is leverage, both with the clients they already have and with future prospects. The easiest way to gain leverage is to have something the client cannot ignore, and these next three sales tactics are things I introduced over the past year to assure continued success for my account executives.
SUMMER SEND HOME ISSUES In order to further engage our student audience, I decided it would be worthwhile from an editorial and a business standpoint for the Minnesota Daily to be sent home to incoming freshman during the summer months before they came to campus. This opportunity would give us more awareness with our primary audience, but it would most importantly increase advertising revenue from clients attempting to reach students prior to their first semester on campus. Through a deal with university admissions, we were able to obtain mailing addresses for all incoming freshman and three of our summer publications were sent to over 7,000 incoming students! Along with the new revenue generated from those three issues, we also sent our freshman Survival Guide inside one of those issues, selling $25,000 in additional advertising for that special issue. Altogether, this new sales tactic generated $50,000 in advertising revenue that far outweighed the cost of mailing those publications.
New Sales Tactics Cont’d. PRINT & ONLINE BUNDLES As a way to incorporate a discount for our clients and prospects interested in both print and online platforms, we introduced bundling, evenly priced packages that cost a certain amount per month instead of per advertisement. These options gave clients more flexibility in their campaigns and they could then mix and match when they wanted their print ads to run, either simultaneously with their online campaigns or staggered. As a sales manager, I encourage my staff to emphasize frequency and exposure across multiple platforms, which I believe produces the most consistent results for our clients. Boosting online impressions for our website was also an objective that we were looking to accomplish through the incorporation of monthly bundles. As a result of these campaigns, our online advertising impressions totaled more than 2,700,000 from September 1 through December 31, 2013.
New Sales Tactics Cont’d. NEW CLIENT CONTESTS One of our most popular ways of incentivizing new client revenue is to encourage individual competition between our account executives, where cash prizes can be won for the most new client revenue generated. We do this to generate a conscious and continuous effort to prospect new business, even with the hustle and bustle of student life. These competitions have proven lucrative for the account executives and the business department as a whole. Many account executives are rewarded with commission increases or bonuses for their increased effort in bringing in new client revenue. As you can see below, we enjoy giving out big fat checks, especially when they are hard earned. Unlike past competitions for our sales staff, I devised a fair point system that would include each account executive equally. During our spring competition, our sales staff generated $47,000 in new client revenue, eclipsing their goal of $30,000 by over 150%.
Organized Training As an advertising manager that mentors account executives coming in with very little experience, it is extremely important to exercise continual organized training as a way to build successful sales skills. On the other end of the spectrum, many account executives get bored from being required to complete training that is repetitive to them. As a manager, I attempt to creative inventive new training programs, while also making them beneficial and fun for my team to take part in.
RETAIL THINK TANK As a bi-monthly exercise for the account executives that I manage, I organize a meeting within our department to discuss a number of things over lunch in one of our conference rooms. I like to hold these meetings at the end of every-other month to discuss what areas we have been having success and where we can look to have more success going forward. This is not only a time to come together and bond, but these sessions have proven to be constructive in planning for the month ahead of us. Revising prospect lists and assigning new prospects to account executives is a very fun way to encourage attendance of these meetings, because if you don’t then you are out of the loop!
SALES TRAINING DAY When I became an account executive in November 2012, most of my training had to do with “mock” situations that were meant for practice purposes. These are important exercises for new account executives, but I felt that this November should have a very different training exercise since most of our sales team was experienced already. The sales team was sent out in groups of 2 or 3 to prospect new businesses through impromptu meetings at that establishment. We assigned each team a different area within the Twin Cities, which they then explored for three hours to generate new sales leads by gathering business cards, distributing media kits, and exchanging contact information. This competition was tied into the conclusion of the new client contest mentioned earlier, where points were then rewarded for successful interactions and contact information acquired.
Organized Training Cont’d. GUEST SPEAKERS At the Minnesota Daily, we are very lucky to be surrounded by a metropolitan area where many sales professionals work each and every day. As a part of professional development for our sales staff, managers are tasked with finding appropriate guest speakers who can spend an afternoon of their time speaking with our sales team and answering career interest questions. Over the past 10 months as retail sales manager, I have contacted and scheduled appearances by professionals employed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Twins, General Mills, Clear Channel radio, and SPS Commerce. These professionals were each able to bring a great deal of expertise and insight to our sales team here at the Minnesota Daily. Many of these individuals have also reached out to me when they are looking to fill a position within their department as well, and often ask for me to pass along the opening to my own sales team. These structured appearances are truly constructive for both our sales team and for the professional we bring in as a mentor.
SALES REP BINDERS Whether you are just learning the ropes as an account executive or are a seasoned veteran on the sales team, it is always nice to have a guide stowed away for reference when in need. After not having updated reference binders for a few years now, it was one of my major tasks that I tackled over the past summer. Updating the layout and information within the binders, as well as the sales tactics included inside them, gave my team a leg up that they had not had before. One of the biggest changes included a full tutorial and step-by-step process of how to use our new online ad-hosting platform, Google DoubleClick for Publishers. This was a major change to each binder that included screenshots, descriptions, and directions to having success scheduling online advertisements.
SALES TEAM JEOPARDY Any time I can incorporate competition and enjoyment into a training exercise for my team, I pull out all the stops to make it happen. A prime example of this came when I created a Minnesota Daily sales-themed jeopardy game. The program functioned just like a regular jeopardy game you would see on TV, but all of the categories had to do with Minnesota Daily history, media kits facts and miscellaneous constructive questions that were meant to teach. Each question that was not answered properly was revealed and used as a teaching moment, and the entire team was shown where to find it for reference. I promise that the actual game functioned and was much more visually appealing than the rough face swap shown below!
Marketing Events After working at the Minnesota Daily for over a year now, it is extremely clear that this will be the best job I will ever have. As a manager on the business staff, it is important for me to also be a constant ambassador for the Daily brand. There are many ways to make this happen, but I have done this most through my participation in marketing events. One of my favorite things to do at the Daily aside from my normal job duties is to attend special events and promotions on behalf of the Daily. Whether it is handing out our paper, giving away Daily gear or spreading Minnesota Daily cheer, I am always willing to lend a hand to promote who we are and what we stand for. As you can see below, there is not much I will not do for the Daily, which includes putting on our mascot costume and walking in our homecoming parade!