CSS's Media Sales Report Offers Detailed 2025 Snapshot

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, June 26, 2025 | 8:49pm CT

Center for Sales Strategy

The Center for Sales Strategy's 2025 Media Sales Report offers a detailed snapshot of the challenges, culture, and shifting dynamics within the media sales industry, with insights from both sales managers and frontline sellers. While recruitment continues to top the list of challenges for sales managers, its grip is loosening.

In 2023, 65% of managers cited it as their toughest task; by 2025, that figure dropped to 38%. Still, over 70% of managers say they want to grow their teams -- only 2.5% seek to downsize -- underscoring that hiring remains critical despite the drop in urgency

Most media sales departments remain lean: 30% of teams have just 1-5 salespeople, and 28% operate with 6-10. These compact teams place a premium on each member's contribution to revenue, and expansion is widely seen as necessary for continued growth

Sales talent assessments are widely used, with 70% of managers incorporating them into hiring. However, only 13% consider them "very accurate," and just 45% say they are reasonably accurate. This leaves more than 40% questioning their predictive value

Hybrid work continues to dominate the workplace model. Among managers, 57% prefer a hybrid schedule, while only 35% favor in-office work. Salespeople are even more emphatic: 68% choose hybrid, with just 11% opting for full-time office work

Compensation preferences are also shifting. In 2025, just 20% of salespeople favor 100% commission -- down from 38% the prior year. Meanwhile, 46% now prefer a salary-based model where more than half of their pay is fixed, reflecting growing interest in income stability amid market uncertainty

Sales managers and salespeople report generally strong working relationships. A full 63% of sellers say they feel supported by their managers "all the time," and 64% feel consistently valued

However, there's a notable divide in outlook: 73% of sales managers say their organization is positioned to be competitive in the future, but only 50% of sellers share optimism about the industry. This disconnect -- down from 82% of managers and 62% of sellers in 2021 -- highlights a "vision gap" between leadership and frontline staff

Company sentiment is also mixed: while 64% of sellers say they would recommend their company as a great place to work, over a third would not. Clear communication, consistent support, and alignment between leadership vision and staff reality are now more crucial than ever

The 2025 Media Sales Report paints a picture of an evolving industry grappling with staffing, cultural cohesion, and a changing definition of workplace success. For media organizations to remain competitive, they must invest in recruitment, embrace hybrid work, offer compensation that reflects modern needs, and -- perhaps most importantly -- bridge the growing gap between leadership optimism and employee perception.

Read all the reports at thecenterforsalesstrategy.com.