We work for decades, yet for most of us, there are a handful of moments in time that define the course of our leadership career. Unfortunately, these moments — opportunities or crises — don’t come with a caption suggesting, “Hey, pay attention and embrace this mess because it’s going to turn out to be important to you.” For individuals who choose to lead, it pays to see the signposts. Here are three significant moments in the career of everyone who leads that merit your complete engagement.

Audio advertising is undergoing a creative renaissance, offering unmatched personalization, speed, and scale that other media channels struggle to replicate. With the ability to produce and deploy hundreds of tailored ad variations in real time, brands are using audio to connect with audiences through contextually relevant, hyper-local messaging. Trusted voices like radio hosts and podcast personalities amplify this impact, turning ads into authentic conversations. Case studies from industries like sports betting and telecom show measurable results — from app downloads to increased foot traffic — driven by audio’s creative agility. For advertisers, this signals a broader shift: in a crowded media landscape, intimacy and adaptability are the new competitive edge.

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.

Back-to-school shopping in 2025 is starting earlier than ever, with 67% of K–12 families beginning purchases by early July—driven by inflation concerns and a desire to secure deals. Despite this early start, 84% of shoppers still have half their shopping left, creating a key opportunity for local media to influence purchasing decisions. K–12 families plan to spend an average of $858, while college households expect to spend $1,325, with electronics, clothing, and supplies topping the list. Online and discount stores remain dominant shopping channels, but local media can boost relevance by promoting value, supporting community events, and tailoring messages to both K–12 and college audiences.

Out of the mouths of babes. It’s an expression used when someone young or inexperienced says something surprising for its wisdom. Wisdom like this, the idiom implies, is usually the stuff of those who’ve been around a long time, weathered the storms, climbed the hills and hierarchies. “Leader” is the word we often use to describe them. Age and seniority can be helpful, yet these have far less to do with actual wisdom and impact than two more potent and often overlooked factors: exposure and asking questions.

Follow Sarah, a fictional seasoned local media sales rep, as she explores how AI can help her work smarter and sell more effectively. Through tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Drift, she automates routine tasks, prioritizes high-value leads, and personalizes her outreach. AI also helps her optimize ad performance, manage social media, and generate compelling proposals—freeing up time for strategic selling. Sarah’s journey illustrates how any sales rep can start small with AI, build confidence, and gain a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced media landscape.

Mindfulness, a key component of Buddhist philosophy, has become quite in vogue today. Get on the right path by asking yourself one question. As a leader, it is critical to be mindful and present in interactions with your many stakeholders throughout the day. While this is very easy to understand in theory, it is incredibly difficult to do in practice.

Creating realistic and engaging role-play scenarios is crucial for sales training as it helps participants develop and refine their skills in a controlled, practice-based environment. Below, I provide two detailed examples of role-play scenarios that can be used in sales training workshops, each aimed at enhancing different aspects of the sales process.

A study by Horizon Media reveals that Millennial parents and their Gen Alpha children are exhibiting new consumption behaviors, emphasizing multi-platform, interest-driven engagement. Traditional top-down influence models are becoming obsolete, with peer and community-driven influence gaining importance. The study highlights the shift from hyper-personalization to community-driven discovery and the importance of content relevance over creator popularity. These insights are crucial for local media salespeople, helping them adapt their strategies to resonate with today's dynamic audience.

A new report from Borrell Associates reveals that recently established local businesses are breathing new life into traditional media mdash;including radio, TV, print, billboards, and direct mail mdash;with a notable increase in ad spending. Radio leads the way with an average advertiser spend of $48,060, topping even television. The growth in small business formation post-pandemic has created an influx of new advertisers who often favor traditional media channels for their perceived effectiveness and hands-on support. This shift signals a vital opportunity for local media sales reps to reconnect with Main Street and capture growing budgets from newer, often underserved advertisers.

Clipping mdash; the practice of sharing short video segments from longer content across social platforms mdash; is emerging as a stealthy but effective advertising strategy. Initially driven by influencers, this tactic is now attracting major brand dollars, offering new revenue opportunities for local media outlets. While still flying under the radar of regulatory oversight, clipping offers a model of snackable, high-engagement content that local newspapers, magazines, TV stations, and digital sellers can learn from or even leverage. Local media sellers must consider how to integrate or compete with this trend as advertisers look for fast, viral exposure over traditional placements.

Weekly Newsletter December 29, 2025

In media sales, your ability to connect with clients on a personal level can make all the difference. Whether you’re pitching to a high-stakes client or nurturing a long-term relationship, mastering body language is essential. While words can convey information, your body language often speaks louder than anything you say, influencing how clients perceive your confidence, credibility, and trustworthiness. Here are some expert tips to help media sales professionals leverage body language for more successful interactions.

Direct mail is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in 2025, delivering an average ROI of $42 for every dollar spent while achieving response rates of 3.63%—significantly outperforming digital channels struggling with privacy regulations and ad fatigue. Eighty-two percent of marketing executives plan to increase direct mail investment this year, with modern campaigns leveraging AI-powered personalization and QR codes for attribution tracking that boost response rates by 63% when integrated with digital touchpoints. For local media sales representatives and agency professionals, this shift represents a significant opportunity to offer higher-value services, though success requires mastering new competencies in data strategy and attribution modeling. The convergence of digital advertising headwinds and direct mail's tangible advantages suggests this is a fundamental market realignment rather than a temporary trend, positioning early adopters to capture disproportionate value.

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.