When it comes to sticky sales scenarios, no conundrum's too convoluted for Secret Sales Guy

I am the associate publisher of small agricultural magazine that does around $3M a year in display advertising. Print sales are off, so we're looking to add more banner capabilities to our Web site and hire an online salesperson to sell them. What qualities should I look for in this employee? Also, not being well-versed in matters online myself, can you recommend training for me?

It sounds as though your company has been bitten by the "new media" bug, and is getting ready to flush a shitload of cash down the toilet in the interest of "staying competitive." As an avid reader of Pig International (and many other obscure controlled circulation trade magazines to which I subscribe just for the hell of it), I can tell you that the new media future in your farmers' market looks dim for years-if not decades-to come.

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