Last week in this space staff writer A.J. Livsey, herself only recently a media planner, wrote "Please, rep, don't waste my time" in which she offered readers a frank series of complaints about magazine sales reps. The response from readers was lively, to say the least, as our letters column can attest, with many sale reps writing in with their angry complaints about media planners. This week, A.J. assumes the voice of a sales rep to instruct planners on how they can do their jobs better.
 

   Media planners, take heed, this primer might open your eyes. Call this Communications 101: How to Plan and Not Be So Damn Self-Righteous.

Be risk takers.
  Media planning, from both the agency and the media properties, should be a creative venture. Instead, it is often reduced to a numbers game.
  Media is a fluid industry. With all the new developments and technologies, no two years are ever the same. And just because you’ve placed your client in a particular magazine in the past is not a reason to continue to advertise with them.
  Too often, media planners recycle media plans because they don’t take the time to evaluate new opportunities.
  Every magazine has a unique personality that cannot be uncovered in syndicated research. Planners should use that data as support for their decisions, not the sole measurement.
  Look at magazines the way readers look at magazines. Read them. This way, you can understand the tone and the relationship the magazine has with its audience.
   And just because you don’t read a magazine doesn’t mean it’s not right for your client. Learn to separate personal preference from critical evaluation.
   Look for ways to make the media creative. We want to help you with this but we need you to be open-minded about considering new ideas. This process should be an ongoing dialogue and not something that is relegated to a line on the RFP.

RFP stands for “Request For Proposal,” not “Really Fast, Please.”
  This seems elementary. Sure, we’re all pressed for time. Advertising is a business where time is money, and the planning process is getting pinched from all directions.
  But it is simply unreasonable to send me a three-page RFP asking for “big ideas” and expect me to turn it around in one day. 
   Media planner requests for deeply discounted rates, unique merchandising packages and big ideas require that I work with a number of people on my end -- my publisher, my marketing director and my promotions manager -- to put together the kind of well-integrated, thoughtful response to your request.
   If you are truly looking for out-of-the-box ideas, you will appreciate the time it takes to create and present.
   When I ask for an extension to have the opportunity to come back with a compelling proposal, don’t threaten the business. If you are truly looking out for your client’s best interests, you will understand that best doesn’t always mean fastest.
   If you will not consider my proposal because it arrives a day late, why does it take weeks to get a response from you about your recommendation?
   If timing were such an immediate consideration, I would expect my proposal to be evaluated quickly.
  In the vein of reasonable requests, don’t ask me to exhaust my resources to come up with an elaborate idea when you don’t have the budget to afford it. We would love to work closely with our clients to come up with unique ideas. If it’s something you might consider if you have incremental dollars, let us know that up front, so we know how realistic the proposal is.
   Also, we all know that covers and table-of-contents positions are premium real estate for your client. That’s because every issue only has one back cover and one inside cover position. That means only two advertisers among the dozens in each issue will be in that space. We will try to accommodate you when we can and are given enough lead time, but it should be obvious that we cannot always place you on the back cover.
   It would be great if more media planners were familiar enough with our magazines to understand that franchise positions opposite regular features can be just as compelling as a TOC position. Don’t automatically snub your nose at a position just because it’s not in the front of the book.

We’re not the only ones who should be sharing.
  For the most part, we are coming to you with information about our magazine, whether it’s about a new readership study, a redesign or just an update on the product.
  But we can’t help you translate that into anything of real value unless we know what your objectives are.
  Media planners complain that we regurgitate the same information but don’t offer us any direction to make it more applicable.
   So often I am faced with tight-lipped media planners who have no questions about my magazine and don’t offer any information about the client.
  Sometimes that’s because I’m talking to people who don’t have the answers. That’s okay; I just appreciate hearing from someone who does have information. We want to be your partners, but that requires a two-way communication.
   Tell me about your target audience and what your client is trying to accomplish, and I can determine whether I can help you meet those objectives. Some of us do background research about your client, but nothing is going to tell us more than hearing it from you.
   If I am being asked to put together a proposal for you, I need honest information so that I’m not wasting my time putting something together that doesn’t make sense for your client.
  If I don't get on the plan, extend me the courtesy of explaining why. I’m not so wet behind the ears that I think I’ll make every plan. Just tell me why. 
   For every "yes" I hear, I hear another dozen "nos."
   It’s not going to hurt my feelings if you just tell me the real reason for your recommendation. Trust me, if it did, I wouldn’t be in this business for very long.
   If our audience doesn’t fit your target, let me know that. If my proposal wasn’t aggressive enough, tell me what should have been better. If you help me now, I know how I can come to you in the future with new ideas and proposals.
   If you say nothing, or worse come up with a lame explanation, we both wasted each other's time.
   And please don’t avoid me. I would rather hear a “no” than a no answer any day.
  Return my phone calls, just as you would expect me to return your phone calls.

Give me some credit for knowing my business.
   We all know that media planners are overworked and underpaid. We can’t expect that you have time to carefully read every magazine that comes across your desk or that you know everything there is to know about every media property.
   That’s why we’re here.
   Don’t dismiss my presentations as garbage or a waste of your time. If you pay attention, you may find that I’m giving you information that you haven’t considered or didn’t know.
   And that’s not just limited to the magazine I’m discussing. I’ve been in the business awhile, and many of us have been at several magazines over the years. We have our ear to the ground and can help you understand the industry as a whole.
   Not everything we tell you is sales chatter. We're in this business because we are passionate about it, and we've accumulated insights. Listen and then evaluate whether what we're saying rings true.
   Don't pretend you know something when you don't. Many media decisions are made because planners think they know a magazine, when in reality they haven’t ever gone through an issue. Instead of asking me to spend an hour learning about your client, try spending an hour learning about our magazine.
   I would love it if a media planner called to ask questions about my magazine or the industry, instead of just looking for a lower rate or better positioning.
   I won’t think you’re not doing your job if you don’t understand my magazine. I will think you’re not doing your job if you don’t ask any questions.

Respect is not a gift.
   R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me. In short, treat me the way you want to be treated.

   Here are some tips for following through:

--I know you’re busy and it’s my job to stay on your radar, but don’t ignore me. I shouldn’t have to call you six or seven times to get a response. The same is true for email. You expect me to get right back to you with your requests; I simply want the same courtesy.

--Don’t cancel a meeting when I’m already at your office. And NEVER cancel at the last minute when I’m bringing my ad director or publisher.

--Don’t appease me by taking my meeting and then say you only have 15 minutes. It sets the tone that you’re probably not going to listen to what I’m telling you anyway.

 --My expense account is not your expense account. Yes, I am happy to take you to lunch, or send you a gift now and then to thank you for your business. But I am not your personal shopper. I should not be asked to get you a Prada bag or Broadway tickets for your family.

--It’s not your age that is the problem. I know that many media planners who make decisions are younger than I am. What does bother me are the media planners who are only a year or two into the business who are drunk on power. Don’t insult me by thinking you hold my future in your hands, because I have worked in the business longer than you have and know the clients better than you do.