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.
Salespeople Want to Learn. Are You Letting Them?
A resounding 61% of sellers say learning and development is very important to them. Another 36% say it’s important. That’s 97% of your sales team telling you loud and clear: train me.
And yet, only 53% of sellers participate in weekly training (the frequency most likely to reinforce behaviors and boost performance). Nearly a quarter admit they’re not spending enough time on training.
Action for Sales Leaders:
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Move beyond one-and-done training sessions. Build weekly rhythms that reinforce key skills.
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Make sales training as essential as pipeline reviews. It shouldn’t be optional or ad-hoc.
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Invest in high-impact formats: micro-learning, team drills, video coaching, and real-play role practice.
Coaching is the Missing Link in Most Teams
While many managers rely on sales talent assessments during hiring, they aren’t extending those insights into ongoing development. Only 39% of salespeople receive frequent feedback on their talents. And 10% say they’ve never received feedback on their strengths.
To simply write this off as a "missed opportunity" would be an understatement.
Action for Sales Leaders:
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Coach to the individual. Use talent insights to tailor your feedback, motivation, and development plans.
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Set a monthly cadence for one-on-one performance reviews, including feedback on strengths (not just pipeline).
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Train your managers to coach consistently and effectively. The best sales reps still need guidance to grow.
Lack of Practice = Lack of Preparedness
Only 36% of sellers say they spend the right amount of time practicing core skills like cold calling, presenting, and objection handling. And just 26% say they feel very prepared to handle changes in the media sales landscape.
The rest? They’re either “somewhat prepared” or just hoping to keep up.
Action for Sales Leaders:
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Build weekly practice into your sales meetings: short drills, roleplays, objection handling, and peer critiques.
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Reinforce practice through competitions, certifications, or shadowing top performers.
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Treat practice like performance. If your team isn’t improving, don't tell yourself that "they’re unwilling." What's far likelier? They’re underprepared.
Too Few Superstars, Too Many Underperformers
Nearly half of media sales managers (45%) say less than 20% of their team are true superstars. Even more concerning? A quarter of managers report that 41–60% of their team is underperforming.
This disparity is likely driven by inconsistent development. Without structured training, feedback, and practice, it makes it harder for average performers to become great and easier for great ones to stagnate.
Action for Sales Leaders:
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Identify your development gap. Who’s being coached weekly? Who’s getting feedback? Who’s practicing?
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Segment your team based on performance and create tailored growth plans for each tier.
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Celebrate incremental improvement (not just superstar outcomes) to build momentum.
Don’t Just Recruit Talent. Grow It.
This year’s report confirms what top sales leaders already know: Talent development is not optional.
If your team isn’t learning, they’re falling behind. If they’re not practicing, they’re not improving. And if they’re not getting coached, they’ll never reach their potential.
But here’s the good news: your sellers want to grow. All they need is the structure, consistency, and leadership to make that growth possible.
Download the Full Report:
To dive deeper into how leading media organizations are approaching learning, coaching, compensation, and sales enablement, download the complete 6th Annual Media Sales Report here: Download the Full Report.
