18 costly mistakes billboard salespeople make
Sell available inventory instead of solving the advertiser’s problem.
A good advisor starts with the customer’s objective, audience, and budget.
Recommend locations without checking them.
A good advisor coordinates, traffic direction, obstructions, and approach visibility matter.
Ignore smaller advertisers.
A good advisor treats modest budgets important.
Make pricing difficult to compare.
A good advisor clearly states campaign length, production, installation, fees, and—for digital—spot length and rotation.
Overwhelm buyers with options.
A good advisor sends won't send 100 boards without a shortlist and does not make the customer do the salesperson’s job.
Overpromise results.
A good advisor knows exposure estimates don’t guarantee attention, leads, or sales.
Offer discounts without explaining the trade-offs.
A good advisor explains a cheaper board may have weaker visibility, less relevant traffic, or inconvenient dates.
Lead with traffic counts alone.
A good advisor explains who passes the board and why that audience matters to the advertiser.
Use outdated photos or availability.
A good advisor shows an accurate picture of what they can actually purchase.
Allow unreadable creative.
A good advisor knows too much text, weak contrast, and small logos waste the location’s potential.
Use pressure instead of useful advice.
A good advisor knows the claim “this board won’t last” loses credibility when availability hasn’t changed.
Disappear after the contract is signed.
A good advisor confirms installation, provides proof of performance, resolves problems, and reviews results before discussing renewal.
Follow up without adding value.
A good advisor replaces repeated “just checking in” messages with useful options, revised pricing, or a specific recommendation.
Respond too slowly.
A good advisor knows delayed quotes and unanswered questions can cost the advertiser a location or launch date.
Send proposals with errors.
A good advisor knows incorrect board numbers, prices, dates, or map pins undermine confidence.
Hide restrictions until late in the process.
A good advisor knows content rules, artwork deadlines, and cancellation terms should be clear before commitment. a holiday sale or weekly special? Definitely promote it here to get customers excited about getting a sweet deal.
Handle billing carelessly.
A good advisor knows unexpected charges, incorrect invoices, and misapplied payments create unnecessary work for customers.
Get defensive when something goes wrong.
A good advisor acknowledges the issue, explains the fix, and gives a clear timeline instead of passing blame.