The Rate Card Introduction Basic calculations Frequency discounts Volume discounts Combination discounts Modular rates Contracts Ad agencies Market info Readership and Circ. Promotional messages Co-op information Color charges Electronic ads Deadlines Special sections Column widths Line screens Odd sizes Legal disclaimers Ad acceptance guidelines Billing and Credit 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 prospect  • 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

The rate card can be very intimidating and confusing, both for the new ad salesperson and the advertiser.

The name itself is misleading, both because it's not really a card and there's a lot more in it than just ad rates. It'll also tell you just about everything you'll need to know about your publication, including deadlines, ad sizes, which ads are acceptable, in what format they can be used, and even your publication's legal liability when things go wrong.

The problem is, rate cards often aren't as easy to use as they could be. In fact, I know some publications who intentionally keep their rate cards confusing so that a prospective advertiser must ask for help from one of their advertising representatives, who then would have a better opportunity to sell the advertiser.

This chapter will walk you through the things you'll probably find in your rate card starting with the rates themselves.

Next: Basic calculations