I hear this a lot from business leaders — and it’s always kind of sheepish: “Chris, how do we actually make a sales process?” And I get it. Sales processes don’t just happen. They don’t just appear out of thin air. Instead, growing companies realize that they don’t actually have a sales process in place, so they either let their sales reps do their own thing — or they cobble something together that pleases no one.

It’s probably an understatement to say that so many aspects of the workplace have changed in the past few years. We’ve seen the ‘expectations pendulum’ dramatically swing – in everything from employees’ relationship to the workplace, to how they think about their wellbeing, and even more fundamentally than this, how work and life actually intersect.

Television remains the most popular choice for national and international news, despite the growth of online news sources. There has been continued expansion of news time on local television, setting a record high in 2010. During that time advertising on local news programs contributed 46.8% of the average station’s revenue, according to a survey of news directors.  Although TV viewership has increased overall, both local morning and late night time slots experienced the most growth in 2011.

Despite the lingering impact of the COVID-19 virus, a substantial increase in inflation and the war in Ukraine and other world and national events, American consumers plow ahead, continuing their decades-long role as the drivers of the US economy. Although negative news often receives almost all the headlines, it’s important to emphasize the March 2022 unemployment rate was 3.6%, the lowest since February 2020, and March 2022 retail sales increased 8.4% YOY and 18% from March 2020.

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What the launch of ChatGPT can teach executives about leading in disruptive times. Measured in numbers, ChatGPT has no rival (yet): The chatbot became the fastest growing consumer app in history only two months after its launch, chalking up 100 million monthly active users in January 2023.

This article provides valuable insights for local media salespeople in newspapers, magazines, billboards, TV, and digital platforms. It covers recent developments in the automotive industry, including tariff adjustments, technological advancements, and production shifts. Understanding these changes can help media sales professionals tailor their strategies to better serve automotive clients and capitalize on new advertising opportunities.

The headlines often tout that many parts of the US economy have returned, or even exceed, pre-Recession levels – GDP, employment, wage growth, housing, the stock market, etc. The majority of the US population that lives in urban and suburban communities has been enjoying this renewed prosperity for a number of years.

The shift to AI-driven search is inevitable and shows rapid consumer adoption, but its immediate dominance is hindered by severe economic and infrastructural constraints, meaning the revolution will likely manifest closer to 2028-2030, not the projected 2026. The core friction is the astronomical operational cost, as a single AI query consumes ten times the electricity of a traditional search, preventing mass rollout and necessitating selective feature integration by major platforms. Although AI-driven referrals currently account for less than 1% of total web traffic, these users convert 23 times higher than traditional organic search traffic, signaling a profound shift in consumer intent that is projected to drive $750 billion in spending by 2028. For advertisers, the immediate strategic imperative is adapting to the "zero-click" economy by prioritizing authoritative content for AI citation and dedicating greater resources to paid search, as its premium placement above AI Overviews has become critically important for visibility.

2025 turned out to be a strong year for U.S. advertising, but multiple forecasts suggest 2026 will still grow at a slower pace—meaning local advertisers and agencies will plan in shorter windows and demand more flexibility. As ROI pressure and budget constraints rise, dollars will continue to tilt toward channels that feel more measurable and adjustable, while brand channels will be asked to “prove it” with clearer reporting. Political spending and major tentpole events will further distort local inventory and pricing, making continuity planning and non-preemptible options more important than ever. The winners in local markets will be sellers and agencies who package optionality, measurement, and optimization into their offers—so clients feel their budgets are safer, not riskier, in a choppier year.

One thing many get wrong is that they don’t do the work to master B2B sales. Instead of prioritizing the improvement of our craft, most go about their business without improving over time. At the time of this writing, win rates are abysmal, and it is the same for quota attainment. There are a number of reasons why sales organizations fail to improve their sales results.

As local media evolves, hiring sales talent requires a shift from traditional experience to digital fluency, data literacy, and strategic thinking. The next generation of sellers must be curious, coachable, and capable of using AI and analytics to craft personalized, results-driven campaigns. Strong storytelling skills and a passion for local communities remain essential for building advertiser trust. Managers should prioritize mindset and adaptability over legacy media experience and use role-based assessments to evaluate real-world skills. By hiring for future-ready capabilities, local media companies can build sales teams that thrive in a hybrid, tech-enabled marketplace.

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Industry Press Highlights, Media, Retail, Advertising and the Economy

Perhaps as a sales manager or sales executive, you have pondered the question, “Is it time to restructure my sales operation?” When you’re not getting the results you need from your sales team, it’s certainly tempting to consider restructuring how you’re going to market. How to Determine If You Should Restructure Your Sales Team Getting breakthrough performance from a new approach is very appealing