The new world of work that we face in 2022 requires new leadership competencies. For example, many employees are struggling with mental health issues. As leaders, you must develop the competency of emotional intelligence so that you can create authentic and deep connections with your employees and support their mental well-being. In this new video, learn more about this and the other leadership competencies you need to lead in 2022.

As a sales manager, it’s crucial to avoid common pitfalls that can negatively impact team performance. Here’s how to navigate ten key mistakes: Assuming Everyone Works Like You: Establish clear KPIs to guide different working styles. Hiring Based Solely on Experience: Prioritize performance over experience. Delaying Firings: Act quickly when someone isn’t performing. Failing to Identify Bad Reps: Remove toxic or unproductive reps promptly. Relying on Activity over Results: Focus on outcomes, not just activity. Allowing Low Win Rates: Coach reps, but don’t tolerate chronic underperformance.

Change is the one universal constant most challenging for humans. Our adaptability, however, allows us to change, although many resist. Typically, those who adjust to change in their personal and professional lives are more successful. Until recently, B2B sales seemed to be locked into a decades-old, legacy process. Many companies and sales teams have yet to embrace fully the new era of B2B sales, but they are courting disaster if they don’t do so quickly.

Let’s talk about B2B lead generation. It sounds complicated, right? But it’s really just a fancy way of saying, “finding the right people for your business and getting them interested in what you offer.” The challenge? Not all businesses are the same. What works for a software company probably won’t work for a manufacturing firm. That’s why you need a different approach for different industries.

Holiday sales in 2025 are projected to rise 4% to more than $975 billion, a healthy but below-average pace as consumers balance rising wages with debt and economic uncertainty.

Bain Company advises retailers to “go big” with bold, event-driven promotions—especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday—as cautious shoppers still flock to high-impact sales moments.
In-store spending is expected to gain 2.75% while e-commerce growth slows to 7%, making an integrated digital-plus-brick strategy essential.

Retailers that highlight value, deliver warm in-person experiences, and use timely, personalized ads are most likely to outperform.
For local media reps and ad agencies, the forecast is a call to action to pitch concentrated campaigns, bundle traditional with digital, and help clients turn calculated consumers into confident buyers.

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.

Once upon a time, there was “health,” well understood by most Americans. “Wellness,” however, was a somewhat vague term not fully understood and seemed to be limited to health spas and retreats and various New Age philosophies and questionable treatments. The pandemic has changed that relationship, elevating wellness on par with health and creating an equal partnership in the minds of millions more Americans and people across the globe. Make no mistake, health wellness is a global trend, almost a phenomenon.

As vehicle prices, monthly payments, and loan terms continue to climb, local auto dealers are facing a more affordability-sensitive consumer who is focused less on sticker price than on payment structure, trade value, and financial flexibility. For local media sales reps and agency professionals, that creates an opportunity to help dealerships move beyond generic price-and-urgency advertising toward clearer, more useful messaging centered on transparency, inventory fit, financing options, and service retention. In this environment, the most valuable media partners will be the ones who help dealers sound relevant, trustworthy, and practical to shoppers navigating a more complicated path to purchase.

In many industries — particularly “white collar” ones — the era of “bosses” is in decline. There is a rise in the need for leaders, guides, coaches, mentors, role-models, creators and builders, but less of a clamoring for bosses, managers, controllers, monitors, evaluators and paper pushers. This shift has been driven by changing demographics, the spread of technology, the rise of unbundled and distributed work, new behavior expectations and a re-definition of what “work” is — including the rise of fractionalized

Liquid content—dynamic storytelling that adapts its shape across formats, platforms, and user contexts—is rapidly redefining how local media engage audiences and deliver advertiser value. It transforms a single idea into multiple tailored outputs, from short form video to audio briefings to personalized alerts, ensuring relevance in every consumer moment. For local retailers, this fluid approach expands reach, boosts engagement, and connects their message to customers in the right place and right format without added production burden. For local media companies, liquid content becomes a competitive advantage—turning one piece of reporting into many monetizable touchpoints and strengthening their role as essential partners in community driven retail growth.

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

Local media companies are under growing pressure from platform competition, advertiser fatigue and fragmented buying behavior, but the deeper problem is not a lack of demand—it is an overreliance on transactional selling and short-term revenue. The strongest local media organizations will be the ones that borrow the discipline of SaaS-style go-to-market systems by focusing on recurring revenue, retention, customer success, smarter packaging and predictive metrics across broadcast, print, outdoor and digital. For AEs, managers and agencies alike, the opportunity is to stop merely selling inventory and start building renewable advertiser relationships that create stronger client results and more stable long-term growth.

About half of all sales reps don’t achieve their yearly quotas. Reasons for not hitting quota vary from not having enough opportunities in the sales pipeline to not following a sales process. Additionally, sales quotas have risen, yet the percentage of reps making their quota has fallen. If your salespeople aren’t hitting quota, here are a few questions to ask yourself.

Mel Karmazin was a transformative force in American media, known for turning radio and satellite broadcasting into high-profit, advertiser-driven platforms. Rising from humble beginnings in Queens, he built Infinity Broadcasting, led CBS and Viacom, and later revolutionized SiriusXM by bringing in Howard Stern. His relentless focus on ratings and revenue, combined with a deep respect for talent, made him a standout leader in a creative industry. Karmazin’s story is a masterclass in sales-driven leadership, adaptability, and operational excellence. His legacy offers powerful lessons for today’s media sellers and agency leaders navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.

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