We have all been there: Something bad has happened (personally or professionally) and you have to inform your boss or a friend about it. Two things come to your mind: 1) You don’t know how to say it and overthink it. Or, 2) You just spill it out without thinking about the consequences. But did you know there’s a third way to deliver bad news in a '…

In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk to all of those who would like to change careers and become a sales person, or anyone that's always been interested in sales but doesn’t know if they have the skills needed to be good at it. The pair discuss communication skills, strong presentation, the way you carry …

The challenges that media sales people face in today’s environment are not the same as they were five, 10 or 20 years ago. So, as the media landscape evolves, so do the questions you make to your clients. In this episode of Killer Media Sales Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about the importance of always asking the right questions, but al…

The world is constantly changing, but we change with it too, and one of the things that make us, and the world change, is a crisis. But have you ever dealt with a difficult situation in your life? Something unexpected happened and you just froze and didn’t know what to do? In case you missed it, in one of the most interesting episodes of Killer Med…

Do you remember the last time that you bought a product just because a celebrity endorsed it? And can you tell if you are being persuaded or influenced? In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Russell Stephenson is joined again by the director and owner of Frontier Performance Pancho Mehrotra to talk about persuasion and implements in sales. They di…

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you can’t make a decision, so you end up picking the “easiest” option (no matter good or bad) so you just end your mental conflict? That’s called cognitive dissonance. You may think, “how is this related to my sales?”. Well, in this episode of Killer Media Sales Russell Stephenson is joined by the d…

There are many ways to improve relationships with your clients but probably one of the most enjoyable are the cocktail parties, lunches and dinners with them. Many people, however, see them as a way to get free drinks and they are missing out on what hosting and entertaining a client actually means. In this episode of Killer Media Sales Phillip Tar…

Working from home looks like it will be the new normal. However, like everything in life, there are pros and cons. A lot of people can feel more focused while working from home while others can feel less motivated. Whatever the case is, the reality is that business nowadays will have to adapt to this new hybrid working environment. In this episode …

Ten years ago, a media sales professional probably wouldn’t consider implementing a loyalty program due the fear of ending up lowering the value of a marketing campaign. However, the world has changed now and eight of every ten companies have a loyalty program. In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson again raise …

The value of recognising loyalty with your clients has never really changed, it is only the way in which you go about it that makes a difference. Recognising this loyalty is important in the sales-client relationship, and should never go away. Most businesses nowadays have membership and rewards programs as a way to demonstrate to their clients how…

We have all heard the old saying “the client is always right” and this is a great topic for a debate. If you’re a client you expect to be treated well, if you’re a sales person you might think otherwise. Customer service can be a bit problematic for sales people in general, but in media sales, this gets particularly tricky when dealing with clients…

Relationships are hard. Whether they are romantic, at work, in your family or with friends, no one escapes from having to face problems or misunderstandings. However, in a professional sales environment, dealing with issues, especially with your clients, can be particularly sensitive, and not knowing how to approach them can end up in a “breakup” a…

Have you been feeling tired and stressed lately, that all you can think of is to go on holiday so you can recharge? If the answer is yes, you should know you’re not the only one and most people at this point of the year are thinking and feeling the same thing. Being weary at the end of the year is natural, you’ve been working hard and it is normal …

Creativity is something all human beings possess on different levels. But in the realm of sales, people can get very creative very quickly, as they look to convince a client to try new things and close the deal. However, this creativity can become a problem when you get a crazy idea and present it to your client without even trying it first. In thi…

Media is the way in which people interact with the environment. Understanding how people engage with content is probably the most important thing to know in media sales to help your clients make decisions, and shape their message to reach as many people as possible. In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk ab…

We all know how important language is in all aspects of communication in life. Language is more than just words, it has a currency of meaning. That's how we make sense of the world around us. But what about the use of language in sales? Is it really good to be the most knowledgeable person in the room and show it off to your client? In this episode…

Have you ever wanted to understand why you feel particular emotions, and how are these affecting your sales results? Would you like to know how to control your emotions and behaviours so you can fight adversity and thrive in your work environment? Even more, if you’re looking to hire and expand your sales department, do you want to know what the cr…

The desire to be liked is inherent to the human condition. But as a salesperson a deep understanding of what it is like to be “likeable” is extremely important in the sales process. However, wanting to be liked and please can become a barrier to closing a deal with your client, and as a sales person you have to understand what being “liked” means i…

Dealing with competition is always challenging. But in the media sales industry it’s particularly hard when that “competition or competitor” you’re dealing with has a “win-lose” mentality. Usually there’s a level of mutual respect between like-minded competitors and they recognise that bad mouthing, sledging and casting aspersions on the integrity …

The media sales industry is constantly changing and with this in mind, using the same pitch each time isn't going to work, because data changes all of the time. Sales people have to adapt quickly to these changes if they want to keep moving forward successfully. In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about …

Professional sports players will make small steps to slowly increase their skills, speed, strength and other abilities, and many salespeople will follow a similar regime. On this week of Killer Media Sales, Hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson delve into the ways in which salespeople can change their mind state about what is possible. They ex…

Every day, people are presented with a multitude of decisions to make - whether that is what type of takeaway food to order or whether to spend a large portion of their companies budget on advertising. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson decode the miriad ways in which you can help your prospects make easier …

Pancho Mehrotra returns for another episode of Killer Media Sales to unpack the psychology of selling and the competitive drive that is required for salespeople to succeed. For some people, competition is innate and is part of everyday life; for others, it is developed through a process of consistency and practice. Russell and Pancho explore how yo…

Salespeople can be sucked into the numbers game, and often can become exhausted in the process. Pancho Mehrotra knows this all too well, and on this weeks episode of Killer Media Sales, he reflects on his career in sales and the lessons learned in the process. Host Russell Stephenson speaks with Pancho about the barriers he faced along the way, how…

Email marketing has been around for decades now, and can sometimes be seen as an afterthought to any media campaign. By looking at EDM's through a fresh perspective, salespeople can guarantee that they keep revenue flowing through good times and bad. On this weeks episode of Killer Media Sales, your hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson explor…

We all like to be out of our comfort zone every once in a while, but we also need to maintain a belief that things are possible by analysing our shortcomings and celebrating our successes. On this weeks episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson explore the benefits and methods to maintaining a positive mindset in the sales…

Meetings are a powerful tool for getting you closer to your clients, but approached the wrong way, they can be quite counter productive. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson outline the miriad ways to think about meetings with clients, and how you can gently take control and shift the focus toward your o…

Speaking with someone you don't know about money can be a challenging endevour. Different prospects will have varying goals and objectives, so it is important to have an open mind throughout the process. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Hosts Russell Stephenson and Alex Whitlock attempt to navigate the challenges and concerns faced by salespe…

For new and old salespeople, timing is always hard to master. From putting pressure on too early, to missing the boat completely - there can be no understating that timing of certain messaging is critical. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson analyse the benefits of applying pressure in different parts o…

One of the challenges that salespeople face is that they have to deal with a lot of information and can get overloaded really quickly if they don't know how to prioritise. In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about the importance of hierarchisation of the information in the sales process. In particular, w…

Did you know that the first level of qualification needs to happen in the first 20 seconds of the conversation? Sometimes sales people, whether they’re new or experienced, can get lost in the qualification process. Some salespeople have a nervous disposition as part of their nature but particularly when they are new, these nerves can take over and …

There are some very tangible tactics that can seperate failure from success when launching a new title, brand or any other type of media product. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson delve into the tools and strategies that you can use to avoid some very common pitfalls when bringing something to market.…

Sometimes grinding can get you results as a salesperson, but to have continued success in the media landscape you need to have an ability to read the room and to understand how people are feeling about a certain situation. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson explore how you can enhance your sales operations b…

The fundamentals of being successful in media sales have never changed. With a host of new requirements brought by digital media, as well as the evolving expectations of the modern advertiser, it may seem like the game has been completely flipped on its head. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson show tha…

When operating in a complex and ambiguous marketplace, you need to have your head screwed on the right way. While you might feel like playing it safe at points, it is important to keep a rhythm in the way you do things so that you don't gloss over the small stuff. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson dis…

Have you confused ego with confidence? Do you lack confidence or is your confidence driven by your ego? Or are you even conscious of your own ego during the selling process? In this episode of Killer Media Sales Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about why sales people should have high confidence and charisma as this is key to the sales proc…

In their early careers, sales people are so keen to bring the money on board, to hit the target and to move their brands forward that they can fall into the “close the deal” trap. In this episode of Killer Media sales Russell Stephenson and Alex Whitlock talk about some of the early mistakes that salespeople make when trying to bring money to the t…

Of all the skills a salesperson needs, negotiation has got to be top of the list. The ability to work around a tough situation is something that will benefit you greatly in the long run. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson mull over the ins and outs of good negotiating. They dwell on their experience in tryin…

Sometimes it is good to take a step back and gain a view of the bigger picture in the media landscape. Gaining insights into the industry can sometimes be difficult when you are standing in the middle of the crowd, and opinions from the other side of the fence can be extremely valuable. In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Host Alex Whitlock is j…

The darkest months of COVID-19 had a huge impact on sales teams around the world. However, approaching the end of this financial year 2021, Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about the pitfalls and dangers for salespeople and sales managers to underestimate the market moving forward. They also give advice on how sales people should look back…

Ideally, people who engage with you commercially will value what you have to say. In order to build a profile and a presence, it is extremely important to be engaging and connecting with your chosen industry and audience in order to gain traction and trust. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, Hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson address th…

Large media groups in Australia are proactively going out with tight strategies around how they sell native space. They are also digging deep in the creation of content and how to utilise it. In this episode of Killer Media Sales Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson talk about how to proactively put a proposition forward to a client that has native…

When representing a certain brand or product, salespeople need to be aware of the perceived value of what it is they are selling. In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Alex Whitlock & Russel Stephenson dive into the dynamics of price, value and the overarching themes related to connecting organisations with audiences. They explore the capabilities…

With the majority of businesses adapting to the changing nature of the market, loyalty is something that is more important than ever. In this episode of Killer Media Sales, Russell Stephenson joins host Alex Whitlock to share insights into how you can enhance client engagement, increase brand recognition, and ensure that stakeholders all feel like …

In a disrupted marketplace, it is absolutely essential for salespeople to be receptive to evolving circumstances and to harness the opportunities that these new situations are presenting you with. On this episode of Killer Media Sales, hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson outline why in times like these, it’s more important than ever to stop …

Sometimes in the sales process, you fall into a rut. The same patterns and habits can lead you down a rabbit hole of mediocrity, but how do you get out? Hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson outline why it’s critical to set the tone from the outset, how to control your workflow without burning yourself out, and what tactics to use when you are…

The Killer Media Sales Podcast regularly focuses on success and how to over-deliver on results, but it is a fact of the sales game that not every campaign will meet the expectations of your client. When a relationship has already been built, these non-successes can be worked through with your client, but what if it is a new advertiser and you haven…

Targets are something that every salesperson has. They are a way of measuring your success and earning that success no matter what barriers get put in your way. The question is, how do you set targets for yourself that are measurable and acheivable, but can also be exceeded if you put in the work? In this episode of Killer Media Sales, your hosts A…

In the second episode analysing the question received from loyal listener Bill surrounding differentiating yourself from your competition, hosts Alex Whitlock and Russell Stephenson delve deeper into the strategies and tactics that can help you to own your market. Part one of the chat can be found HERE and covered spontaneity, why it is important t…