AI Won't Save Bad Salespeople
Artificial intelligence is transforming media sales tools, but technology alone doesn't create better salespeople. Ryan Dohrn, an Emmy Award-winning sales trainer and CEO of Niche Media, said the biggest misconception in the industry is believing that AI can compensate for weak fundamentals.
"AI is becoming one of the most powerful productivity tools ever introduced to media sales," Dohrn said. "But only when used correctly."
Stop using AI as a search engine
Most salespeople are approaching AI wrong. They're treating it as a replacement for Google Search, which wastes time and misses the point entirely.
"They're using it as a search engine," Dohrn explained. "That's what most people are doing wrong. You're not utilizing the tools really for what they're designed for."
The real opportunity is using AI to become more prepared, more relevant and more valuable to prospects. Instead of entering meetings with generic questions, salespeople can now identify a prospect's likely challenges, priorities and opportunities before making contact.
Relevance is the new advantage
Pre-call research is where AI delivers immediate impact. A salesperson can now research a jewelry store or major industrial client, find their pain points from news coverage and current promotions, and arrive at the meeting with specific knowledge.
"When a salesperson is relevant to me, I tend to engage with them," Dohrn said. "When a salesperson is generic to me, I'm kind of like, 'Yeah, maybe for another day.'"
The approach shifts from broad strategy questions to demonstrating understanding of what the client is already trying to accomplish. "I'd want to reach out and say, 'Hey Mike, I saw on your website you're promoting this. I have a way to get that on the air, in the magazine, featured in the newspaper,'" Dohrn said.
Build personality profiles
One of the most underutilized AI applications is personality profiling. By analyzing publicly available information, AI can help salespeople understand how prospects communicate, make decisions and evaluate opportunities.
"I don't think a lot of salespeople are using AI to build personality profiles," Dohrn said. "They're doing things like find an email format, find out the name of the marketing director. And for the most part, that's pretty flat."
The goal isn't manipulation. It's creating stronger connections faster. Today's buyers have less patience for lengthy relationship-building exercises and are looking for what Dohrn calls "quick connects" - building trust quickly enough to set a meeting.
What publishers are missing
Beyond individual salespeople, publishers can use AI to uncover new revenue opportunities, automate workflows and improve advertiser reporting.
One simple but powerful prompt: "What am I missing?" By feeding competitive information, market conditions and operational data into AI systems, publishers can gain new perspectives on threats and opportunities they might otherwise overlook.
Publishers can also use AI to better demonstrate advertising value. Most advertisers assume print performance can't be measured, but new AI-powered reporting tools can combine digital metrics with print exposure data to create comprehensive advertiser reports.
Humans still decide
Technology cannot replace the core skills that drive successful media sales. AI can improve writing, research, timing and preparation, but it cannot replace authentic human relationships.
"The ability to take information from AI and spin that into a relationship-based conversation with a client, that's something AI is not going to be able to replace," Dohrn said.
People buy from people. The winners won't be organizations with the most AI tools - they'll be the ones that combine those tools with strong human skills, deeper preparation and a commitment to relevance.
To develop practical AI skills for sales, consider exploring an AI Learning Path for Sales Representatives or taking ChatGPT Courses designed for sales professionals.
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