Every media seller eventually faces a new market; a new territory, a new format like OTT or digital, or a whole new industry to sell into. The instinct is to bring the playbook that made you successful and run it again. It rarely works. In this episode, Jamie sits down with Omar Othman, CEO of SABCO Media and a 20-year media leader who has crossed from Dubai to Oman, from content to commercial, and from TV to OTT to digital and beyond.  We cover how to read an unfamiliar buyer, what transfers and what doesn’t, how to rebuild credibility from zero, and the practical moves any seller or sales leader can make in their first 90 days in a new market.

For years, local media has been positioned as “traditional” while tech platforms have claimed the future.

But what if we’ve been looking at it completely backwards?

In this episode of Media Sales Mastery, Jamie Wood sits down with Steve Jones, President of Stingray Radio, to unpack why local media may actually possess one of the most powerful competitive advantages in modern advertising.

This is not a conversation about regulation or nostalgia. It’s about value.

If local radio was invented tomorrow, advertisers would immediately recognise the unique things it can do that global tech platforms still struggle to replicate:

• trusted local personalities 
• community credibility 
• real human connection 
• local influence 
• brand-safe environments 
• market intelligence 
• speed, flexibility, and accountability 

Steve shares why local media businesses need to stop defending themselves and start selling the unique commercial advantages only they possess.

If you sell legacy media, this episode will completely reframe how you think about your value in the marketplace.

Steve Bio: 

President of Stingray Radio, Canada's largest radio broadcaster and a part of the global collection of entertainment and engagement platforms that Stingray proudly offers. From TuneIn to Qello, we deliver curated music experiences on all platforms and drive results for advertising clients on those platforms. I am an in-demand professional keynote speaker at conferences, conventions, and events worldwide, and the author of two popular business books -"Brand Like a Rock Star" and "Start You Up". 

Don’t forget to include below in every show notes 

Connect with Jamie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/?skipRedirect=true

Connect with Steve on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-jones-aa4332b4/

Stephanie Antonis returns to give frontline sellers an honest, unfiltered look at the Sales Director role – the senior sales leadership position that runs a media company’s entire commercial function. We unpack the reality versus the perception: what the job actually involves day to day, what’s genuinely required to get there, the blind spots that quietly hold good sellers back, and the personal sacrifices that come with the climb. Less hype, more honesty – a practical picture of the role for anyone aiming at it. 

Jamie Wood Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/

Stephanie Antonis Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffantonis121981/

Alex Hobbs of MiQ joins to talk effective sales planning.

i.e - The kind of individual, tactical planning that helps media sellers hit target, stay focused, and adapt when things change. 

Guest LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-hobbs-ba15057b/

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/

Returning guest John “JD” Dawson joins to unpack the world of client relationship management. 

We dive into what a commercial relationship actually entails, how to navigate the awkward and unspoken dynamics that rarely get said out loud, and ultimately try to arm listeners with some concrete insights and frameworks they can take away and apply immediately in order to gain an edge.  

John JD" Dawson Linkedin here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dawson-2b653418b/⁠

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/

We revisit the most listened to episode of Media Sales Mastery: Relationship Management Masterclass ahead of an upcoming episode on commercial relationship management.

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/

Audience research is one of the most under-utilised assets in media sales. Companies invest heavily in data, insights, and studies; but too often it never makes it into client conversations in a meaningful way.

In this episode, Jamie Wood sits down with Leigh Lavery, GM of Growth Distillery at News Corp, to unpack how media sales professionals can turn audience research into a true commercial advantage.

From simple ways to embed insights into everyday conversations, to reframing value beyond reach and CPM, this episode is packed with practical tactics to help you sell smarter using data.

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/

Media sales and media agencies work incredibly closely together—but if we’re honest, there are still plenty of frustrations on both sides of the table.

In this episode of Media Sales Mastery, we’re tryingsomething a little different.

Ahead of the recording, a number of agency professionals were invited to submit completely anonymous “confessions”—unfiltered thoughts about what they wish media salespeople truly understood about how agencieswork, how decisions get made, and what actually frustrates them when dealing with sellers.

These aren’t polished answers or PR-friendly statements. They’re the kind of things agency people normally only say behind closed doors.

Joining me to unpack them in real time is Adele Gibb,Managing Director of Carat South Australia. Together, we’llread through these anonymous confessions and discuss what they reveal about the real dynamics between agencies and media sales teams.

Some of them are funny.

Some are uncomfortable.

And some might challenge the way media sellers think about their role entirely.

If you work in media sales and have ever wondered what agency buyersreally think but rarely say out loud, this episode is for you.

Expect honest conversation, practical insights, and a few uncomfortable truths that might just make you a better seller.

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/

In this epside we do a re-broadcast of an interview between Wade Kingley, host of the Quarter Hour Podcast and Jamie.

https://www.thequarterhour.com/

We cover off how to manage a crisis within a media business, using the very publicised Kyle and Jackie o show fallout as a real time case study.

Jamie also covers two listener questions from people facing similar unplanned / unexpected situations that impact reputation, relationship and revenue.

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/

AI is everywhere in sales right now, but most of the conversation is either overhyped, oversimplified, or completely disconnected from how media sales actually works.

In this solo episode of Media Sales Mastery, Jamie Wood breaks down the real role of AI in media sales and explains why sellers cannot afford to leave AI adoption to IT teams, leadership, or generic tools designed by people who do not sell.

Building directly from the previous episode Busy But Not Selling, this episode introduces a powerful way of thinking about AI as seller-owned leverage rather than automation.

Using a left-brain / right-brain model of media sales, Jamie walks through real, day-in-the-life examples of how ChatGPT can reduce friction, improve decision quality, and free sellers to spend more time in the parts of the role where human judgment actually matters.

This episode does not teach tactics or demo tools.

It sets the foundation for what comes next.

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-wood-1b824017/