As revenue targets rise and client demands grow more complex, media sales teams face mounting pressure, yet new data shows many sellers remain hesitant to replace traditional selling strategies with emerging tools like artificial intelligence.
The Center for Sales Strategy’s 2025 Media Sales Report reveals that only 12% of media sellers use AI “all the time,” and another 13% say they use it “often.” Half admit to using AI tools only occasionally, and 25% never use them at all. Among those who do use AI, the applications are still basic.
Sixty percent use AI for automating tasks, while 29% say they use it for idea generation and 26% for prospecting. More advanced uses like predictive modeling, lead scoring, or personalized content recommendations don’t even appear on the list.
As for the general use of technology in sales, eighty-eight percent of salespeople say they have access to CRM platforms, and 83% of managers say the same. But effectiveness lags. More than a quarter of sellers say they don’t use their CRM well, and nearly half of managers say their systems aren’t being used to full capacity. Worse, 43% of sales teams report rarely or never using sales automation tools at all.
Meanwhile, 75% of salespeople say it’s harder than ever to book meetings, with 85% of sales managers agreeing. Nearly 40% of sellers report needing 5–9 attempts to lock down a single appointment, and 14% say they often can’t secure one at all. Email and phone calls remain the dominant channels for outreach, while options like one-to-one video remain largely untapped – 93% say they “rarely or never” use it. Similarly, only 15% say they use LinkedIn “all the time” to connect with prospects.
Sales proposal output also remains modest. More than half of salespeople submit just 1–2 proposals per week, a number 76% of sales managers view as too low.
In training and development, the bulk of learning still happens through conventional means. Only 53% of salespeople participate in weekly sales training, and over a third admit they don’t practice core skills like objection handling or presentations enough to be effective. While the desire for development is high, 61% call learning “very important,” there is a gap in execution that smart tech could help close.
The full report is available now through CSS.
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In other words, it’s business as usual. Which is the problem.
AI is a wonderful tool, here’s an “AI Quick Start Guide for Radio Sales Reps”, if you will:
1) Use AI for spec spots. You may have to edit, but it’s a copywriter at your disposal 24/7
2) Use AI to give your written presentations polish: It gives your proposal finesse. The machines write better than I ever could.
3) Use AI to do research on new clients before you cold call them: Over in the Google Search, there’s a “AI Mode” on the top right hand corner. Ask the AI what it knows about the potential customer, and you’ll find out some important info on them before your first meeting.
Yeah. They are still running around collecting dats and reels LOL. Radio is so far behind the times and everyone else has already passed them by….
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