Ad Layout Introduction Put it in writing The layout sheet Indicating copy and art The copy sheet Keying copy Keying art Other things about art Digital artwork How art scales The model release form Proofs Managing proofs Credits and adjustments More on adjustments The fastest way to increase sales! Participate in this award-winning, newspaper-specific ad sales course on-site or in a Webinar.  • Get past upfront stalls and objections without any pushing  • Make the account believe he really needs you  • Get better information from your prosepct  • Develop quick ad strategies that work the very first time  • Eliminate size, frequency, content, cost and most other objections before they ever arise  • Get dramatic responses for all kinds of advertisers  • Never have to push an advertiser to run again click here

Also, as pointed out on most rate cards, in the case of really big mistakes, you and your newspaper are not responsible for any lost sales resulting from an error.

So if an ad gets left out of the newspaper altogether and a huge sale doesn't get advertised, that doesn't mean you have to make up the account's lost sales. In fact, you can't even really give a refund or even a rerun, since no ad ever really ran.

I once worked for a newspaper who years earlier had run an ad that inadvertently left out a zero on a price for an oriental rug, turning a $2,000 rug into a $200 rug.

Back when this happened, the advertiser had to honor the published price and a representative from the newspaper had to stand in the store and pay the difference for every carpet sold. Things have changed now, and in this situation, after arranging for some sort of adjustment on the ad, you or your manager would simply write a letter to the advertiser acknowledging the newspaper's error, stating the correct price, and apologizing for any inconvenience. Then the advertiser could show the letter to his customers and that would be the end of it.

Now that we've talked about the circumstances when a credit might be called for, let's talk about the few things processing an adjustment involves.

In many instances, you'll be able to predict when an advertiser might want a credit. When your newspaper comes out each day or week, find your accounts' ads and make sure everything looks right. If you're the one that processed the ad in the first place, you should know pretty quickly if the ad is wrong.

If something is wrong and it's the newspaper's fault, call the advertiser immediately so they know there's an error. Sure, it won't be your favorite call of the day, but it's much better than getting a call from an angry advertiser.

Call them before they even know there's a problem, apologize, and present them with a solution. Most likely they'll stay calm. Most advertisers understand the challenges associated with getting a newspaper out completely error-free and appreciate an ad rep calling them before they see it themselves, as long as there's a solution you can offer that they're happy with.

And although this is changing, at most newspapers the only person who can decide if and how much of an adjustment is necessary is an ad manager. Explain to your manager exactly what happened and any other issues that might need to be taken into consideration, such as any previous errors the newspaper has made with the same advertiser.

If you can, see if you can get your hands on the original layout sheet to see where the mistake was make, but regardless, see if your manager can approve a course of action to take, such as a free rerun, or a discount on the advertiser's next ad. If you can talk to your manager before you call the account, then you can provide him not only with an apology, but the solution.

If you can't talk to your manager immediately, don't hold off contacting the advertiser. Call the advertiser, explain the situation, and assure him that you'll call back later with a way to make it up to him that everyone will be happy with.

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