App marketing on the open web - A buyer’s guide: 10 traits to look for in a performance marketing seller - the sales call part 1

This is the first in a ten-part series to walk? through the journey of undertaking performance marketing for your app outside the walled gardens of the likes of Facebook and Google. My tips are aimed at media buyers of performance marketing solutions on the open web and I’ll discuss everything from selecting a partner and managing the relationship, to campaign optimization and scaling your operations.?

The other side of the table

There are countless pieces of content you can consume about how to be or hire a great seller, but the same cannot be said for seeking advice when YOU are BUYING performance marketing solutions. Information is scarce when it comes to sales leaders helping buyers make good decisions. There’s even less material available that focuses on how to buy and sell performance marketing. This series of articles will address both points at the same time by providing a guide FOR BUYERS on how to buy performance marketing in general and, more specifically, how the user acquisition function should engage with app distribution partners.

I joined the mobile world in June 2012 and before that, my roles in biz dev all fell into performance marketing (when I wasn’t randomly taking a Masters course or country hopping!). Whether I was working on e direct mail, targeting the 50+ audience, or sponsored questions on telephone surveys charged on a cost-per-lead basis, my partners were ultimately all looking for ROAS (return on advertising spend) and buying on a KPI that was geared toward predicting that long-term ROAS outcome. The mass volume of data, and accessibility to it, makes the app ecosystem the extreme version of this general buying methodology.

There are some key points to always remember when navigating the establishment of a performance marketing partnership:

1. Performance marketing is always about the partnership - the vendor succeeds only when the client succeeds.
2. The vendor representative has been selected by that company to be its mouthpiece - you can tell a great deal about the company culture by who it is you’re talking to at this stage.

These two points form the backbone of this entire series and point two will always inform point one, as the best sellers and account managers gear everything towards achieving the best outcome possible for their clients within the limits of the product offered by their employer. Myfirst article covers the traits buyers should look for in sellers and how to detect them. I’ll wrap up by providing a checklist to help you assess sales calls with potential sellers and help choose a partnership that will result in success.

Traits to look for in a seller

Performance marketing is 100% about partnerships. The best vendors understand that partnerships start before any paperwork has been signed. The most successful businesses understand this and actively recruit new business sellers with character traits that contribute to driving scaled partnerships. These traits include:

1. Conscientiousness
2. Curiosity and analytical skills
3. Empathy and good listening skills
4. Adaptability and commitment
5. Confidence and a team player attitude
6. Goal oriented
7. Self motivation
8. Humility
9. Grit
10. Attentiveness

Some of these traits you’d think are simply useful from the perspective of the distribution partner. However, they all feed into the possibility of forming a productive and scalable partnership. Below you’ll find an expansion on each trait with some thoughts about how you can go about identifying the trait during the all-important sales call:

1. Conscientiousness

As a buyer, you can recognize conscientiousness in a seller easily through their attention to detail, punctuality in meetings, and their structured approach to pitching you their services. You should ask future-facing questions to assess how they handle responsibilities and commitments. A conscientious seller will likely provide detailed follow-ups and timelines.

Conscientiousness is a desired trait because conscientious people are more likely to succeed due to their disciplined approach. In your case, this could translate to effectively understanding your app and remaining committed to delivering on promises they made.?

2. Curiosity & analytical skills

Look for the performance marketing seller to ask probing questions about your app and goals. Do they? analyze data or trends to inform their strategies? Do they stay informed about emerging trends in app marketing? Be sure to listen out for how questions are being asked. Does it seem like the salesperson has a genuine interest in your business or does it seem like they are simply going through a checklist??

Curiosity typically signals an adaptive and innovative mindset — essential characteristics for an app marketer. You’ll also want to ensure your potential partner is keeping up with the latest app marketing trends and technologies, so you don’t miss out on any new opportunities.

3. Empathy & good listening skills

An empathetic salesperson will focus on your needs and challenges, offering solutions that are uniquely aimed at helping your app. They should actively listen, indicating they value your input and are keen to understand your business priorities as well as your specific priorities. You can test them by circling back and asking questions about things that you previously mentioned.?

Empathy is the foundation on which trust is built and will foster the long-term relationship required to have sustainable app marketing success.?

4. Adaptability & commitment

Look for the seller's ability to pivot strategies in response to feedback, details, and questions you provide. Don’t only analyze what the new strategy is, but also how the seller handles having to pivot. Their commitment can be gauged by their persistence in overcoming obstacles and unforeseen circumstances.

Adaptability and commitment are traits essential for navigating the ever-changing world of performance marketing.

5. Confidence & a team player attitude

This one can sometimes be tough to judge if a? seller isportraying a false sense of confidence. But, remember that truly confident sellers articulate their value proposition clearly and show assurance in their abilities, yet still signify they can work as part of a larger team. Their teamwork skills are apparent in how they refer to collaboration or how they speak about their colleagues.

These two attributes are complementary and t? most effective when paired together, so be sure to look for both of these qualities and not only one or the other.?

6. Goal-oriented

Let’s be honest, an app marketing campaign is doomed to fail without clear goals, metrics or targets.?

A goal-oriented salesperson will discuss clear targets for your app marketing and show a structured plan to achieve them. A goal-oriented person tends to be focused and driven. You can look out for these qualities by how someone communicates and articulates strategic ideas.

7. Drive and self-motivation

Look for enthusiasm in the salesperson’s voice and see that they are proactive in the discussion instead of waiting for you to take the lead. A driven and self-motivated seller will often take the initiative in presenting new ideas and strategies? aligned with the input you provided.?

Someone’s drive and motivation are often predictors of success, as they lead to consistent effort and a proactive approach to challenges and opportunities, traits that are critical to performance marketing.?

8. Humility

Humility is important because it leads to more open and honest communication, which you need to have with your app marketing partner.?

A humble salesperson is more likely to admit when they don't know something and will be open to learning or receiving feedback. See how they respond to challenging questions and if they are just? answering for answering’s sake or truly offers an honest response. You’ll identify a humble salesperson because they won’t oversell or over-promise.?

9. Grit

This is another difficult one to judge because there is a fine line between grit and being too aggressive when selling. A good way to gauge this trait is to see if the perseverance is aimed at long-term goals or a quick sales win.?

Take note of how the salesperson responds to potential roadblocks you throw at them and see how they respond. Can they rise to the occasion and alleviate your concerns or are they easily deterred? Remember, if you are enduring challenges when you are live with the vendor, it will be your primary contact that fights in your corner internally and drives the necessary traction to overcome those challenges.

10. Attentiveness

An attentive seller will remember previous details and come to your meeting well-researched and well-prepared. They’ll tailor communication to suit your specific requirements.

Attentiveness reflects a person's ability to stay present and focused, which is crucial in understanding and meeting your app’s needs. If your potential partner doesn’t take the time to truly understand your business, how can you expect to have successful performance marketing campaigns??

Trait summary

Much of what you look for translates into success for your business when partnering. My outline of traits? gives you a sense of what to look for, how to do it, and how it translates into a better predictor for success in your growing partnership. I’ve created a checklist below to help you assess your sales calls - look to tick as many of these boxes as you can upon completion of any new business call. The more you tick, the greater the predictor for partnership success.

Your sales call checklist

• The seller was on time
• The seller was prepared with insights about my business
• The seller used the call to dig deeper into my long-term business objectives
• The seller used the call to look further into my product’s functionality and how this is measured
• The seller actively listened to my concerns and addressed them adequately
• The seller articulated clear goals for both our personal partnership and the business partnership
• Claims were backed up with clear data and/or qualitative insights
• The seller used the phrase “I don’t know” or something similar rather than fudge an answer
• The seller pivoted an idea on the spot, and where appropriate, based on any insights I delivered during the call and in so doing, the seller acknowledged that they needed to reassess based on changes to their previous assumptions
• The seller was honest and provided a rationalized risk assessment to launch the partnership
• Specific dates/timelines were discussed?
• The pitch was personalized to my needs
• The call ended with a clear CTA/follow ups