Leading isn’t easy, and leading sales is one of the more difficult roles in business. Unlike some other leadership roles, there seem to be more variables in sales. Some of them include the sales effectiveness of the sales force, the economic environment, the nature of competition, and the variability that comes from trying to help people change their business results. This list of qualities is necessary for success, although there are others.

Sales managers, let’s be honest… it’s hard to watch a salesperson that seems to be flailing in shallow water when they are on a prospect or client call. However, if you take a step back, you realize they are probably going to find their feet and be able to stand up and be fine.

Understanding and adapting to a buyer’s personality type is a critical sales skill that can significantly improve close rates, reduce objections, and build long-term relationships. Drawing from DISC and MBTI frameworks, buyers can be categorized into four core types—Driver, Analytical, Amiable, and Expressive—each with distinct motivations and communication preferences. The article provides detailed strategies for identifying and selling to each type, including hybrid personalities, using real-world examples and role-play scenarios. It also highlights the risks of misalignment, such as being ghosted or losing credibility, and offers advanced techniques for adapting in real time. Beyond sales, this approach enhances communication in all interpersonal relationships, from family to the workplace.

As a leader, it’s important to constantly work on your development and growth in order to effectively guide and inspire your team. However, there may be certain behaviors or habits that are holding you back from reaching your full potential and you might not even be aware of it. Here are few common things that can hinder your leadership development:

We have all heard about the Great Resignation. The notion that many people are leaving their job or not returning to work has been a persistent theme of 2021 and 2022. There are any number of theories as to the cause of this trend: Pay scales were too low. Government benefits were too high creating a disincentive to work. People were fearful of getting sick and/or bringing the virus home to members of their family.

AI can write emails and summarize meetings, but it cannot detect emotional nuance, disengagement, or the subtle signals that require human leadership. Strong communication—not automation—is what drives productivity, trust, and team cohesion, especially in high-touch industries like media and advertising. For local media sales reps and ad agency professionals, relying too heavily on AI risks weakening client relationships and team dynamics that depend on empathy, accountability, and real conversation. Smart leaders use AI to support their work—but they lead through human connection, not machine-generated messages.

This is the glorious time of year when most leaders are engulfed in budgets, planning, meetings, and deadlines. With less than six weeks until 2023, let’s dive into a few things to check off or add to your list. Always Start by Looking Back Data is your friend so take the time to review your performance metrics, leading indicators, pipeline performance, and how accurate your revenue projections were/are.

Meta’s reported decline of 20 million daily active users across its family of apps suggests that even the largest digital platforms can lose audience momentum when feeds become cluttered, repetitive or low-value. For local media sellers and agencies, the lesson is clear: advertisers do not simply need impressions; they need attention in environments people still trust, use and value. Radio, TV, cable, print, outdoor and local digital can use this moment to argue that quality content, community relevance and audience loyalty are increasingly valuable alternatives to algorithm-driven clutter.

A new partnership between advertising platform Innovid and SiriusXM Media is bringing digital audio into the spotlight by integrating it into the same ad server tools used for video, display, and social media campaigns. For local media sellers — from newspapers and magazines to billboards, digital, and TV — this signals a major shift in how digital audio will be valued in ad models going forward. The collaboration promises better measurement, clearer attribution, and more trust in the value of audio advertising, especially for local markets. With new tools offering deeper insights and cross-channel consistency, digital audio is stepping into a more equal role within the ad ecosystem.

Leo Burnett, born in 1891 in Michigan, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential figures in advertising history. He founded Leo Burnett Company in 1935 during the Great Depression and built it into a global powerhouse by championing emotionally resonant, character-driven campaigns like the Marlboro Man, Tony the Tiger, and the Pillsbury Doughboy. Known for his belief in the “inherent drama” of products, Burnett emphasized simplicity, sincerity, and storytelling in advertising. Despite early skepticism and economic adversity, he built a legacy rooted in trust, creativity, and consumer connection. His philosophy—“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”—continues to shape the industry today.

Sales managers and reps face immense pressure to deliver results—understanding how to operate within your Overton window could be the key to career survival. I am not typically drawn to political discussions. In my experience, politics can often lead to negativity and unnecessary stress. The last time I watched political news shows, it was during the Clinton administration. Instead of television news, I prefer reading The Economist or other well-regarded publications that focus on insights rather than divisive opinions. I have a theory that we often get the leaders we need at a particular time rather than the ones we necessarily want.

As a former sales manager and c-suite executive leader, and now working alongside sales managers to help them grow their teams, I know that a sales management career can really make an impact. Sales managers are your frontline leaders. They work with their teams to focus on goals and objectives for the organization. Sales managers direct expectations, show people and instruct people in ways to achieve the company goals. Being a sales manager is extremely trackable and measurable.

AM/FM radio remains the top media platform in America, reaching 9 in 10 adults weekly and dominating ad-supported audio listening across all age groups. Its evolution from traditional broadcast to digital streaming has expanded its accessibility across smartphones, smart speakers, and connected devices. Case studies show radio’s effectiveness in driving local event attendance, service calls, and tourism engagement through emotionally resonant and timely messaging. Media buyers praise radio’s trustworthiness and personal connection, especially through local hosts and curated content. When integrated with digital strategies like SEO, social media, and retargeting, radio becomes a powerful cross-platform tool for local advertisers and agencies.

Some of the best sales organizations use role-play to sharpen their skills. Role-play is a powerful tool because it allows sales teams to practice the language they need to use. Sales is a conversation. Sales managers who emphasize role-play provide their teams a safe place to find the right words—or borrow them from other sales reps who have mastered their talk tracks.

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