Media sales executive: job description

What does a media sales executive do? Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills

The role of a media sales executive is to sell advertising space to clients and manage the relationship with these – including by working with colleagues to ensure that the design and placement of the adverts meet the wishes of the client.

Day to day you might be:

• Contacting businesses and other potential clients to source new leads – this could be through phoning, emailing, visiting in person and/or contacting on social media
• Maintaining strong relationships with existing clients by making sure they are aware of all the advertising solutions offered by your employer and working with your colleagues (such as designers) to ensure the client is happy with what is offered
• Staying in the know about different forms of communication (eg some companies look for candidates who are knowledgeable about social media)
• Meeting sales targets.

Typical employers of media sales executives

As a media sales executive, you will act as the go-between, bringing together the client that wants to advertise with the company that owns the advertising space. As such, you could work for:

• a media sales agency
• an advertising company
• a publisher or media company – including publishers of a variety of content types (such as online content, magazines and newspapers).

In order to search for opportunities, you might look at the vacancies on the TARGETjobs website, alongside sales-specific jobs websites.

Qualifications and training

While some employers might prefer candidates with a degree, as a rule the right skills and experience is prioritised. However, if a degree is needed, those related to business and marketing are likely to be looked upon most favourably.

Work experience that has enabled you to build up your sales skills will typically either be preferred or expected. This could be any position requiring you to use customer service and communication skills – part-time roles in retail or telesales could provide strong evidence of your potential as a media sales executive, for example.

Key skills for media sales executives

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills
• Project management and time management ability
• Attention to detail
• Resilience
• Self-motivation
• Commercial awareness
• Ability to collaborate effectively with others.