It’s relatively simple to tack on a low priced online product to a newspaper, Yellow Pages, radio, direct mail or television sale.

“For X dollars more, we can extend the reach of your message with an online offering.”

The trouble come up in a few circumstances:

1. The sales cycle changes. Biggest example is the annual print yellow pages sales canvass vs. the constant tweaking and hand-holding necessary with a promotional, higher priced, lead generation online program.

2. Cannibalization of traditional media with the lure of the online. It’s real, it’s devastating to traditional media revenues (ask AT&T, Idearc, Dex and Yellow Book).

3. Not only is the problem with the sales force not understanding the online products, but the advertisers don’t understand them either. Try explaining to a locksmith why he’s not number one on Google for his primary key word phrase at all times. From first hand experience,it’s not pretty.

All that being said, here’s today’s sales lesson . . .

“Sell what people want to buy over and over.”

The art of discovery and understanding what makes a business successful has been lost with the overwhelming focus on product training or online platform certification. Advertisers want to know how all of the multitude of local media choices fit together to meet their goals and their budget. Splitting up the sale says to the advertiser that the reps do not understand the product and the company does not care to train them adequately so they can sell a full portfolio. Sure, two channels are better for the sales organization to manage, but additional sales calls are not convenient for the advertiser — as so many of our Kelsey clients have discovered. If sales organizations can refocus on customers and their needs, rather than on features and benefits, multiproduct selling would be an easier proposition.