Welcome into the sales meeting this week where we are going to talk about how you have to start looking at this job, if you are not already doing so. We all know, a career in media sales is unlike a typical nine-to-five job. It doesn’t come with a guaranteed paycheck, a rigid career path, or even a safety net. Instead, it operates more like a business—a business where you are the CEO. Ultimately, if you want to thrive in media sales, you need to think of yourself as an entrepreneur, taking full ownership of your time, strategy, and success.
Just like we would recommend to any other business, you need a brand. In media sales, it just so happens that you are the brand. Your reputation, your relationships, and your expertise define your market value. Clients aren’t just buying ad space; they’re investing in your knowledge, credibility, problem-solving skills, and in the end – your ability to deliver results. As I often like to say, when the client asks for added value, remind them that you are part of that equation and possibly the biggest and best added value they can ever receive.
To build that brand, you must be intentional about how you present yourself. That means maintaining a professional presence (in person and elsewhere), consistently delivering value to your clients, and ensuring you’re known as a resource rather than just another salesperson. Stay engaged in industry conversations, share insights, and become the go-to person for solutions.
Again, just like for the businesses we work with, no successful business waits for customers to walk in the door; they actively seek out opportunities. The same applies to media sales. If you’re treating your career like a business, you should be constantly prospecting, generating leads, and growing relationships.
Be sure to leverage any and all channels to find and engage potential clients. You know what it takes, whether that is cold outreach, networking events, industry events, and using all various means of social media can be helpful as well. Don’t just chase numbers, focus on building real relationships. The strongest businesses aren’t transactional, they’re built on trust and long-term value.
The thing that can trip most people up is the lack of structure where you are not always told where to be and what you should be doing, you have to make those decisions each day. You are the boss, which means you need to manage your time wisely.
You have to set priorities, block time for the most important activities, and typically it’s best to stick to a routine. A wise manager once taught me each day to write down my list as an A list and a B list. The A list is things that have to get done during that workday. The B list are those things that can be done before or after work or just don’t need to be done right away.
In a ‘regular’ job, your compensation is dictated by someone else. In media sales, your earnings are a direct result of your effort and strategy. That means you have to think about your revenue like a business does and making sure you are not only set up for the now but set up for the future as well.
Media sellers can get in trouble if they rely too heavily on a few big clients. If one of those clients walks away for whatever reason, and we know sometimes the reasons are out of our control, your entire business could be blown up. That is a very risky way to go about a business so make sure there is plenty in the pipeline at all levels.
Look, the best business owners don’t just work hard, they also work smart. Whether it is balancing your time as mentioned before or investing in yourself (because we know the company isn’t going to do it) with education or tools to do your job better. And you have to stay up on what is happening in the business so that not only are you informed, but you can keep your clients informed as well.
Businesses that don’t adapt get left behind. The same goes for us. The way people consume media today isn’t the same as it was five years ago, and it will be different five years from now. You have to embrace change and be willing to dive in and really learn the new stuff. The best salespeople aren’t just following trends, they’re ahead of them.
At the end of the day, your success in media sales is completely up to you. There’s no one holding your hand, ensuring you hit your targets, or mapping out your future. Just like an entrepreneur, you have to be self-driven, strategic, and willing to put in the work.
If you treat your media sales career as just a job, you’ll likely struggle. But if you approach it as your own business—where you control the brand, strategy, revenue, and growth—you’ll set yourself up for long-term success. In this field, the ones who think like business owners are the ones who ultimately win.
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Dave Greene is the Chief Media Officer for Barrett Media. His background includes over 25 years in media and content creation. A former sports talk host and play-by-play broadcaster, Dave transitioned to station and sales management, co-founded and created a monthly sports publication and led an ownership group as the operating partner. He has managed stations and sales teams for Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media and Audacy. Upon leaving broadcast media he co-founded Podcast Heat, a sports and entertainment podcasting network specializing in pro wrestling nostalgia. To interact, find him on Twitter @mr_podcasting. You can also reach him by email at Dave@BarrettMedia.com.
