We’ve put this article together to give a little extra guidance to graduates considering a career in media sales. The media industry is an exciting, fast paced, ever changing and ubiquitous sector. As career media sales can be extremely rewarding, however we understand that many graduates considering this as a path may not have a full perspective on the industry; being entry level professionals. A graduate with any degree will be considered if they have the correct disposition for this role. Essential to success within media sales is having exceptional communication skills; the ability to articulate, listen and be persuasive.
Places of work – Commercial television and radio stations, national and local newspapers, magazines and periodicals, publishing houses, business information companies and outdoor media companies, ambient media and digital media companies.
Initial duties – Business development: selling advertising space through b2b sales calls, advising potential clients on advertising costs and building a portfolio of clients. Principally you will be persuading a potential client that you can provide them with an advertising solution through the correct medium, in order to connect them with their target audience. Lead sourcing is also an underlying part of this role, constantly creating a list of potential clients through research and networking. The role eventually moves more towards account management; looking after your existing clients, whist maintaining good business development practises.
Development – More experienced duties include on-site client visits, a heavier focus on revenue and new business and the opportunity to become involved in new feature ideas for advertising space.
The hours for this role can be long initially, requiring a lot of dedicated office time to kick start a presence in the sector. There are also often targets to work to that will be supervised; however the environment from one sales floor to another will vary depending upon the specific company. Some offer a boiler room environment which is in stark contrast to a more consultative approach. A career in media sales however can be extremely rewarding, offering the opportunity for fast promotion and excellent bonuses.
If you are interested in a career within media sales, speaking to an experienced recruitment consultant can help guide you. Making sure that the companies you are potential interested in are the best fit for your personality as regards their sales environment is paramount – as mentioned this can vary massively. Graduates may be put off by interviewing within companies that are too fast paced or not fast paced enough.
For more information see:
http://www.mediaweekjobs.co.uk/article/307003/media-sales-is-still-a-great-place-to-forge-a-career/