Thursday, June 14

3:00-6:00
ALL-STAR SALES COACHING
Do your people sell to their potential? In this half-day session, Kathi Simonsen will guide you through a study of best practices used in the publishing industry, as well as teach you how to develop a sales staff that attains peak performance. Enable your salespeople to take their skills to the next level and maximize return on investment in each salesperson with win/win All Star Coaching.
Speaker: Kathi Simonsen

Friday, June 15

On-Going, By Appointment
ON-SITE SALES MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
Do you have a particularly difficult challenge that you’d like to discuss with a professional who understands your needs? To sign-up for a one-on-one half-hour consultation with publishing management expert Kathi Simonsen, contact Roxanne Cooper.
Please note: Consultation opportunities are extremely limited.

10:00-11:15
WHAT'S NEXT IN REAL ESTATE MARKETING?
This session will focus on how the web has reshaped the way in which people think about buying, selling and valuing properties, as well as how it has made real estate a voyeuristic pastime. Attendees will examine the benefits and features of the biggest online media players in the real estate space and indentify opportunities for AAN members to increase revenue and marketshare.
Speaker: Adam Fine, Move.com

11:45-1:00
MODERATED ROUNDTABLES
Attendees will use this peer-to-peer learning opportunity to discuss new ways to generate sales leads, increase their department's involvement in sponsorship opportunities, and manage special section sales in these fast-paced mini-sessions.

3:00-6:00
BEYOND FREE CLASSIFIEDS: Re-think, Re-organize, Re-tool Your Department
Free online ads and new competition have forever changed the classified game. Yet many AAN classified departments still work in "business as usual" mode when it comes to sales models, structure, pay plans, training, lead generation, promotions, and pricing. Attendees of this half-day workshop will learn how to reinvent the game and gain new revenue in both print and on the web.
Presenter: Dan Ambrose, Ambro.com

3:00-4:15
WEB METRICS AND ANALYTICS:
Learn how to talk like a pro
Having trouble understanding and teaching your staff about unique vistors/ impressions, pageviews, top content pages, conversion rates, ROI, RoAS, CPM, CPA, etc.? Executives from the Overland Agency --Portland's leading brand marketing and interactive advertising agency-- have come to your rescue! In this session, they'll teach you everything you need to know about all those numbers from the client's perspective. In this dense, fast-paced session, you'll learn how advertisers decide whether an online buy makes sense, as well as their expectations for measurement after placement. Learn how to talk to online media planners/buyers and how to align your pitch with advertisers' objectives.
Speakers: Arve Overland and Leo Chung, The Overland Agency

4:45-6:00
BEST WEB SALES PRACTICES
Hear four different approaches to selling and bundling online advertising from AAN advertising directors experiencing success in banner ad sales. You'll walk away with information and tips on how these papers created successful online sales program to increase local online and print revenues.
Moderator: John Heaston, The Reader (Omaha)
Panelists: Mark Bartel, CityPages; Carol Flagg, Austin Chronicle; Marty Griswold, The Stranger; Barbara Hefler, NOW

Saturday, June 16

10:00-1:00
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR AD SALES MANAGERS
Still budgeting by the seat of your pants? We all know what a spreadsheet is, but do we really know how to use strategic planning in creating accurate forecasts and reasonable budgets? Too much is riding on the success of our annual budget process to not get better at it. Publishers' plans can go belly up if sales drop from forecasts. Ad Managers' total compensation is reflected in the ability of reaching these numbers. It's time for us to take control of the budget process. Whether it's budgeting from the bottom up, or top down, there are methods and analyses that can assist in this important task. By the end of this session you will have the tools for creating realistic budgets.
Speaker: Fran Zankowski, Colorado Springs Independent

3:00-4:15
CLOSING THE GAP
Competition for classified advertising has never been more fierce. And while some AAN papers have lost revenue and marketshare during the last few years, some haven't. And many who have, have created new revenue opportunities --both in print and on the web-- that has helped close the gap. This session is your opportunity to share your best ideas, large and small, with other AAN members and is only open to the first 50 attendees who sign up prior to May 15, 2007. To sign up, contact Roxanne Cooper.

HOW TO HIRE TOP SALES TALENT
When the phones aren't ringing and the road map to success is fickle, how does a sales manager maximize revenue, increase yield and boost market share? No other skill will so dramatically impact virtually every aspect of your department as your ability to hire top sales performers.
Speaker: Jack Frutchman, Caliper

4:45-6:00
CLASSIFIED MEDIA BUYERS PANEL
Media buyers from the real estate, recruitment and automotive sectors will sit in the proverbial hot seat as you pellet them with your questions.