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Shawna Gant
Experienced Sales Professional
Austin,TX
People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
Theodore Roosevelt
Summary
Innovative and hardworking sales professional with 25 + years of experience in the media sales industry. Offering expert insights into creating promotional strategies that capture emerging market trends. Highly proficient in SEO practices and knowledgeable in digital marketing and new media.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work History
Self Employed
Advertising and Marketing Consultant
Austin and Houston TX
08.2022 - Current
- Developed technical and non-technical marketing presentations, public relations campaigns, articles, and newsletters.
- Collaborated with sales team to increase brand awareness and enhance business development by building and maintaining relationships.
- Consulted with clients on business issues and developed innovative proposals.
Advertising Account Executive
COMCAST SPOTLIGHT/EFFECTV
Houston, Texas
06.2001 - 08.2022
- Identify and close new business development opportunities, cultivate relationships with customers and conduct meetings with business owners and media planners to negotiate contracts that range from $20,000-$500,000 annually
- Create compelling sales presentations, develop partnerships and affiliations with local organizations
- Train and mentor sales representatives in diverse sales, presentation and negotiation skills for business development
- Provide monthly territory analysis for management planning and commission payments
- Analyze market trends and sales history to forecast future business and discover new market areas to explore
- Exceeded revenue targets, maintained and increased local accounts advertising sales
- Developed sales presentations and facilitated sales negotiations averaging over $1.5 M a year in revenue
- Led relationships with over 2,500 local and regional clients and prospects, building strategic and successful multi-media advertising plans
- Awarded for ability to help customers create visibility of their brands and grow their business with effective advertising campaigns strategically placing their message everywhere video is consumed
- Recognized for consistent great client rapport, client referrals, as well as extensive personal/professional network of business owners.
- Developed strong relationships with advertisers and negotiated pricing following established procedures.
- Communicated regularly with territory, regional, and strategic managers for daily support and strategic planning for accounts.
- Sold non-traditional advertising in niche publications, commercial publications, digital platforms, and direct mail formats.
- Developed sales leads and uncovered new business opportunities through prospecting and cold calling.
- Used consultative sales techniques to pinpoint customers' advertising needs and close on short-term and long-term sales contracts.
- Educated clients on specific marketing strategies to increase client sales and overall promotion effectiveness.
- Sent clients estimates of costs for advertising products or services and followed up by phone call or email.
Account Executive
KRBE And KYOK Radio Stations
Houston, TX
04.1992 - 03.1998
- Negotiated sales deals between customers and agency, resulting in mutually beneficial agreements and cultivated relationships.
- Established close relationships with new small business prospects.
- Engaged in daily cold calls in-person and via telephone and followed up with small business prospects monthly to verify pipeline sufficiency.
- Mastered and constantly improved sales prospecting, follow-up and upsell processes.
- Distributed marketing materials to existing and prospective clients to promote products and services.
- Gained understanding of goals, objectives and processes to meet client business needs.
- Gathered information from clients to secure accounts, verify payment and identify special requirements.
Account Executive
PAX TV (ION)
Houston, TX
02.1998 - 06.2001
- Developed strong relationships with advertisers and negotiated pricing following established procedures.
- Communicated regularly with strategic managers for daily support and strategic planning for accounts.
- Helped customers in determining design and layout of sold and spec ads.
- Created and presented media and advertising packages to prospective customers.
- Made outbound calls to existing customers to upsell advertising packages.
- Serviced accounts and proposed new products and services to maximize revenue.
- Managed sales cycle to maintain solid customer base.
Education
Bachelor of Arts Degree - Journalism
08.1985 - 05.1990
Skills
Sales GrowthNew Business DevelopmentTeam LeadershipLead GenerationCustomer RelationsNeeds AssessmentContract NegotiationsMarket Trends AnalysisSales TrainingAccount ManagementProspectingHIGHLIGHTS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND VALUE OFFEREDAveraged over $15 M in annual sales at Comcast for 21 yearsDeveloped innovative comprehensive advertising plans that include videoStreaming, radio and niche media to accomplish business needs and goalsCreated and led impactful presentations, maintaining 100% to goalA market master who utilizes fanatical prospecting principles to develop strongRelationships with top-level executives to ensure top-of-mind awareness of the
Sales Reporting
Database Management
Digital marketing
Customer demographics
Sales forecasting
Strategy development
Additional Information
- I create the vision, close the deal and manage the full life-cycle of each account, including the initial discovery,presentations, negotiations, fulfillment and customer care. I present complicated performance results with ease, tailoredtowards each clients needs, showing the bottom line and proving value. Over the years, I've managed my clients transitionsfrom a strictly traditional media landscape to an advanced advertising world utilizing emerging technology to realize new,data-driven targeting opportunities online and with streaming TV, making their advertising more powerful and efficient.
Affiliations
Media Alliance of Houston
Houston Association of Black Journalists
Software
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Timeline
Self Employed - Advertising and Marketing Consultant
08.2022 - Current
Advertising Account Executive - COMCAST SPOTLIGHT/EFFECTV
06.2001 - 08.2022
Account Executive - PAX TV (ION)
02.1998 - 06.2001
Account Executive - KRBE And KYOK Radio Stations
04.1992 - 03.1998
Texas A&M University - Kingsville - Bachelor of Arts Degree, Journalism
08.1985 - 05.1990