The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

In this Quick Take episode, Matt wraps up our coverage of The 5th Annual Media Sales Report by spending a few minutes thinking about what this year’s findings can tell us about the future of the media sales industry.

In short, you’ll find that while obstacles are ever-present and, in many cases, more difficult than ever, media sales managers and salespeople alike seem to be up to the challenge.

Even With Challenges Ahead, Media Sales Professionals Feel Prepared

“We’ve been fortunate to do a whole series of podcasts that really focus on breaking down and dissecting The 5th Annual Media Sales Report,” Matt says. “And while the report is loaded with information, I think it would be smart to pull back and [ask]...how does this all relate to the media sales industry as a whole?

“I’ll say that there’s as much uncertainty in the industry today as there ever has been. Despite that, the results from this year’s surveys paint an overall optimistic picture. People are not blind to the challenges ahead.

“They feel informed, empowered, and excited about their opportunities to make an impact, and I think that’s great.

It’s true:

• Recruitment continues to be as tough as ever
• New business development is becoming more difficult
• And salespeople are having trouble covering prospects

“But there’s still a sense of optimism. People are saying, ‘We’re going to meet these challenges head-on. We know what we need to do, and we know how we’re going to do it.’”

“Take every detail from this year’s data and remember the following:

70% of managers use sales talent assessments in the hiring process, and 86% find those assessments to be accurate or very accurate in predicting future success.

“Anytime that you hire a salesperson, you’re taking a chance,” Matt says. “They’ve got to have the right skills. They have to have the right talent, and, in our opinion, you can’t sacrifice any of those talents at CSS.

“So, it’s awesome that managers are using sales talent assessments, and 86% find them to be accurate or very accurate.

“If you’re not using a talent assessment, you should be. If you want to hear about ours, give us a call. We’ll help you; we’ll talk to you about it.

Most salespeople (81%) say that they have access to the resources needed to exceed their goals.

“Again, there’s that optimism, right?” Matt says. “At the same time, while they’re saying, ‘it’s harder than ever to get an appointment, it’s more difficult to close business,’ they’re also saying, ‘you know, what? I have the resources I need to hit my goals.’

“That’s awesome.”

93% of salespeople feel supported by their manager.

Matt says, “This can’t be highlighted enough.”

“So, back to when I said that this is going to be a tough year, people are open to it. Now, they’re not blindly optimistic. They realize the challenges that lie ahead, but an optimistic picture is being painted.

“The reason for that optimism? They feel supported by their sales managers. And they feel as though they have the resources they need, probably because they’ve been selected based on their innate talents.

“With all of those amazing data points, almost anything is possible, right?

“There’s no wonder that nearly ¾ of sales managers feel optimistic about the future of the media sales industry.”