The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

In media sales, top talent is developed, not found.

The 6th Annual Media Sales Report reveals a consistent theme across high-performing teams: intentional learning and development. But while salespeople crave growth, most organizations still struggle to deliver it consistently.

Here’s what the data from the Learning & Development section of the report tells us, and what sales leaders must do to bridge the performance gap.

Sales leaders are constantly asking: “Are we hiring the right people?” and “Are we coaching them to reach their full potential?” The answer to both begins with using the right sales talent assessment. In this post, we’ll explore how a validated, role-specific assessment can help you hire smarter, coach better, and build a high-performing sales team.

Both questions are essential to long-term success, and both can be answered more confidently with the help of a validated talent assessment.

Each year, The Center for Sales Strategy’s Media Sales Report offers an up-close look at the evolving dynamics of media sales departments. The 6th annual report reveals important shifts in recruitment, structure, and compensation, and offers insights sales leaders can’t afford to ignore.

Here’s what we uncovered in the Sales Department section as well as what media sales managers should do about it.

What Skyscrapers Can Teach Us About Sales Structure

Imagine trying to construct a skyscraper without blueprints or support beams. Even with the finest materials and most skilled workers, the building would never stand tall—or worse, it might collapse. The same is true for your sales organization. A well-designed sales structure is the framework that supports everything your team does. Without it, your efforts might look busy but lack the stability and scalability needed to grow.

From Steel Beams to Sales Teams: Why Structure is Everything

A solid sales structure acts as the steel frame of your business development skyscraper. It dictates how efficiently tasks are handled, how well your team collaborates, and ultimately, how effectively deals are closed. Conversely, a shaky structure causes confusion, inefficiency, and underperformance—no matter how talented your team is. Just as engineers routinely inspect the integrity of a tall building, leaders must regularly evaluate their sales structure to ensure it’s supporting performance and growth.

Let’s face it—not every prospect deserves a spot on your call list.

That can be a tough realization, especially for newer sellers who assume every business with a budget is a viable lead. But experienced sales pros know better. Your time, energy, and focus are limited resources. If you want to grow your revenue and hit your goals, you have to get ruthless about prioritization.

Here are three key questions to help you separate real opportunities from the ones that just waste your time.

If you're grappling with organizing your sales team or pinpointing issues in your current structure, you're not alone. Many sales leaders face these challenges, and understanding the right sales organizational structure can make a significant difference.

Determining the best way to organize your sales team is important, and you're likely looking to find the most efficient sales structure. Your sales team organization matters, because it can affect the sales that you make and the revenue you bring in.

Let's talk about what the different kinds of sales organizational structures are and list some pros and cons. Then, we can discuss how you should go about organizing your own sales team.

As a sales manager, your role in guiding your team through the initial Connect phase of the sales process is crucial.

At The Center for Sales Strategy, the connection phase is an integral part of our comprehensive sales process, known as the Sales Accelerator. This process is designed to align with the modern buying journey and includes six critical steps: Identify, Connect, Discover, Advise, Close, and Grow.

The Connect phase focuses on using insights to develop a compelling reason for engagement and build rapport with potential customers. By mastering this phase, sellers can establish trust and credibility, making it easier to move prospects through the subsequent stages of the sales process. It is all about establishing meaningful connections with prospects, and it sets the foundation for a successful sales journey.

Here are some effective coaching ideas to help your team excel in this critical phase:

In this Quick Take episode, we’re exploring the undeniable power of sales coaching, the challenges of traditional approaches, and how AI-powered solutions are setting a new standard for skill development. 

On the other side of this brief episode, you’ll see how AI sales coaching truly can elevate the game of your sellers.

The Power of Consistent Sales Coaching

There are no two ways about it: sales coaching is helpful for driving performance in any sales team. Its benefits are well-documented, with consistent coaching leading to improvements in both individual and team productivity.

While training alone can boost sales production by 20-30%, integrating regular coaching and practice can amplify this impact fourfold, reaching an 80% improvement.

This transformative power is essential for sales leaders focused on not just meeting but exceeding revenue targets. By fostering an environment of continuous development, sales coaching enhances not only skills but also confidence and customer relationships, laying the foundation for sustained success.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: if your CRM is just a place where deals go to die, you’re doing it wrong.

A well-run CRM should be your sales command center—a real-time snapshot of what’s happening, what’s coming, and where the money’s hiding. But too often, it turns into a digital mess that’s part to-do list, part graveyard, and all frustration.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re a sales leader looking to get more predictability, performance, and profit out of your pipeline, start by locking in these 3 CRM musts:

Effective communication is the cornerstone of success. As sales leaders, it's imperative to ensure your team masters the art of communication. The 7 Cs—Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, and Courteous—are not just principles; they are the bedrock of every successful sales interaction. 

Salespeople must be adept at conveying their messages in a way that resonates with prospects and clients. The ability to communicate effectively can make the difference between closing a deal and losing a potential customer. By mastering the 7 Cs, your team can enhance their communication skills, build stronger relationships, and drive better results. 

Let's dive into how you can instill these essential communication skills in your sales team.