The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at how executive coaching helps leaders evolve so their teams can truly thrive. 

And joining Matt is Donna Hall, SVP/General Manager at Robertson Lowstuter, whose piece in the 2025 Talent Magazine explores how executive coaching creates a ripple effect across teams and culture.

Whether you’re new to leadership or deep into your career, this conversation will help you rethink what great executive development looks like.

Donna shares such rich insights, like: 

• How, if you want to be the best leader you can be, it takes the recognition that everyone has areas for growth 
• Why the cornerstone of great leadership begins with authenticity 
• And, finally, how Michael Jordan didn’t have a coach because he was weak. He had a coach because he was committed to staying at the top of his game

Sales enablement should be the bridge between your sales team and closed deals—but in many media organizations, that bridge has cracks. The 6th Annual Media Sales Report reveals that while most sellers have access to some resources, too many are questioning their quality, effectiveness, and the strategy behind them.

Here’s what the Sales Enablement data tells us—and what media sales leaders need to do to make it a true revenue driver.

In this episode, we’re talking about what really causes sales performance to decline and what leaders can do to help their reps bounce back with clarity and confidence. 

Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy, joins Matt to help break it all down. She expands on key ideas from her article in the 2025 Talent Magazine, where she shares a framework for diagnosing underperformance and reigniting momentum through strength-based leadership. 

Stephanie delivers powerful takeaways, such as: 

• Why, too often, feedback from sales managers is too vague 
• How to distinguish between a skills gap and a motivation issue 
• And, finally, why you should focus on a rep’s strengths (even when results seem to be lagging)

In this episode, we’re exploring what smart sales leaders do before their top performers resign. 

And joining Matt is Beth Sunshine, SVP/Talent Services at The Center for Sales Strategy. 

Her contribution to the 2025 Talent Magazine highlights the importance of being ready long before turnover happens. And, here, she shares actionable ways to build that readiness into your talent strategy. 

Beth brings so much wisdom to the table, including: 

• Why it’s essential to protect the relationships with your people who leave, because “boomerang” employees are all too common 
• How, when it comes to referrals, vague requests get vague results  
• And, finally, why the only thing more expensive than making the wrong hire, is waiting too long to make the right one

In this episode, we’re diving into how identifying and leveraging innate talent (rather than just experience) can help leaders build stronger, higher-performing sales teams. 

And helping Matt unpack it all is Trey Morris, VP/Senior Consultant/Director of Training Innovation at The Center for Sales Strategy. Trey’s article in the 2025 Talent Magazine explores how smart hiring decisions can transform team performance, and, here, he brings those insights to life with practical strategies and real-world examples. 

Trey shares so many eye-opening tips, like: 

• Why hiring for raw potential often yields better results than hiring for polish or experience alone 
• How to spot innate talent during the interview process using tools like structured assessments 
• And, finally, why, every time you interact with anyone, you should ask yourself: “Is this someone that I could I add to my Talent Bank?” 

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.