We chose media sales - here's why

Welcome to the first episode of It’s A Yes! Making It In Media. Hosts Jo Wood (The Media Exchange) and Debra Sharron (Media Sales Training) share the career paths that led them into media from unconventional beginnings.

They discuss their career transitions from pharmacy and English literature into media recruitment and magazine sales, exploring why neither initially saw themselves as "salespeople". This episode tackles common questions about professional development in media, including how to refine your CV, what drives promotion decisions when you're already hitting targets, and why job satisfaction can shift around the 18-month mark.

Why do top performers sometimes get overlooked for advancement? What role do team dynamics and communication skills play in sales success? Jo and Debra explore what's often happening behind the scenes in sales management and career progression.

What This Episode CoversHow people actually find their way into media sales

1. Why sales roles are often misunderstood across the industry
2. What commercial experience gives you that other roles don’t
3. How progression and recognition tend to work behind the scenes
4. What influences job satisfaction and motivation throughout a media career
5. CVs and recruitment - and why human judgement still matters
6. Communication skills, team dynamics and adapting your approach for career success
7. Critical turning points where media professionals rethink their next move

The YES List

Surrounded by Idiots — Thomas Eriksson

Debra recommends this bestselling book on communication styles, based on the DISC personality model. It explores why people communicate differently at work and how adapting your approach can improve working relationships across teams, clients and managers.

More here: https://www.surroundedbyidiots.com/en/

Get In Touch

If there’s a media career question, challenge or experience you’d like us to explore, email [e-mail]

Upcoming Workshops

Debra runs online interactive media sales training workshops focused on building commercial confidence and capability.

Details of upcoming sessions can be found here: https://makingitinmedia.com/sales-training-courses/

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