Question from an advertiser: So I have more and more digital sellers asking me for upfront dollars. How do I explain to them that they aren't getting any?

Agencies and publishers are showing more interest in programmatic ad buying and selling based on positive results from early adopters of real-time bidding (RTB). For publishers, RTB is creating more demand and driving up CPMs. Here's why:

Everyone needs water -- and, not that long ago, we used to get it for free. But I'll go out on a limb and guess the last time you quenched your thirst with some refreshing H2O, it wasn't from the tap. Most of us have grown accustomed to purchasing bottled water, whether it's an economy brand or some esoteric brand touting water from the oldest glacier in the world. The bottom line is, we're fueling a billion-dollar industry profiting from something that is essentially free and abundant. This is where publishers can learn a valuable lesson.

I know you have been told by an advertising or media agency; "you don't need to call on the client." They may have even said "the client doesn't see reps," or "you are not allowed to call on the client." So how do you reconcile that with your understanding of the way decisions are made?