One study showed that 80 percent of all sales made by professional
sales representatives came after the fifth visit or contact with the poten-
tial customer. It is wise, then, for a high school advertising staff to be
prepared for any and all visits.Information on Local Businesses At the begin-
ning of the year, the staff should discuss the types of businesses or ser-
vices that students use and the names of local businesses that offer these
goods or services. These are the businesses that are most likely to place
ads in your publication. Keep a file of these businesses, complete with
mailing addresses, phone numbers and contact persons. Periodically
update this information. Categorizing these businesses by the products
or services they offer makes it easier to use your file. As prom or home-
coming approaches, for example, you can then turn to your “flowers” or
“tuxedos” section to create a list of businesses to contact for possible ad
placement.The Student Survey Another worthwhile activity early in
the school year is a survey of student spending habits. If you can, dis-
tribute it to all the students in your school. In the survey, ask students
to list their gender, age, grade and any allowance they receive. Ask them
if they work, where they work, how many hours a week they work and(^392) PRODUCING THE NEWS
he most fun is being
weird with your co-
workers,” says Emily
Voth, former director of client
services at Metro Productions in
Kansas City. At the Metro office,
for example, the soundtrack
to the film Natural Born Killers
was often played over the inter-
com. Metro Productions works
with film, video and special
effects. Voth explained, though,
that the business of advertis-
ing is not as “goofy” as most
people believe. Adver tising is
just as competitive as the cor-
porate world, and, said Voth,
“creativity often suffers from
the pressure to compete.”
A graduate of the University
of Kansas, Voth majored in
journalism and specialized in
corporate television. Her first
job after college was as a pro-
duction coordinator for Sprint.
Voth’s degree in video helped
her get “instant credibility”
with the corporation. Voth then
went on to produce the video
Hello, Hello, which won for
her Sprint and Omni Award.
At Metro she found satisfac-
tion in watching the storyboards
of clients turn into finished ads.
The challenge is to keep up
with the technological changes
that are continually chang-
ing the industry. Occasionally,
she performed before the
camera. Voth appeared in
a regional Toyota ad and a
spot for Topsy’s Popcorn.
She also had a small role
in a film with Paul Newman
and Joanne Woodward.
Voth’s advice to other begin-
ning journalists: “Be hungry. If
you get a position as an intern,
knock yourself out. Always ask
for more to do.” Of course, that
work ethic has already paid off
for Voth, who has founded her
own company, Indigo Wild. Her
goal for her own career is to
avoid the fate that awaits many
creative people in the world of
advertising. In other words, Voth
said, “I don’t want to be bitter.”
Portrait of a Young Journalist
Emily Voth, Director of Client Services
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