A person working in ad sales jobs is responsible for generating revenue for their company (typically an advertising agency) by providing a way for other businesses to advertise their name and reach potential clients. The advertising medium could include electronic sources such as placing advertisements on television, radio, and the Internet. Or ads may be located in visual mediums such as billboards, ad space in telephone books, car wraps, and door-to-door flyers. While it may not be conventional advertising, some people are selling parts of their body to be tattooed for a little coin—whatever brings in cash flow. In business, it is all about the money.
Depending on the company, ad sales representatives may also work on the creative side of advertising sales jobs. I worked in two similar electronic media jobs that handled their advertising in different ways. At radio station KABC, the sales reps did sales and only sales. When they sold a commercial spot they sent the copy over to the production people, who then independently made the radio advertisement. Radio station KXYZ was a smaller, locally owned radio station. There the sales reps went out to get clients, and when they came back they used their own creative juices to write their own copy for the ad and worked closely with the production department throughout the entire process, from the initial sale to the final air of the radio commercial.
An ad sales representative should be a charismatic go-getter. These are the people everyone wants to get to know. They are the ones on Facebook with over 1,000 friends. They are generally pleasant, easy going, and fun to be around. They have the type of personality that would easily convince anyone to plunk down $3 million for a 30-second advertisement.
The education needed to get advertising sales jobs varies. Some ad sales representatives may have master’s degrees or PhDs in Sales, while others may only have a high school diploma. Of course, chances for promotions and job progression are higher with a college education, but in this profession the saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know” tends to be true. It is the charismatic sales people who can bring in the most clientele who will quickly rise to the top.
Ad sales reps generally have office jobs equipped with a cubicle, lined paper, a stapler—you know, the works. However, much of their time may be spent in clients’ offices, because they spend a good amount of time away from their own office while they are out and about getting sales. They may do a lot of their work out of their cars or on the road. They spend a lot of time talking to people, so good communication skills—both verbal and written—are essential.
A successful ad sales representative can earn $53,000–$80,000 in a year. It depends on many factors, such as region and the market they work in.
If you are the type of person who is charismatic, has lots of friends, is usually the life of the party, and have a $3-million Super Bowl smile, an ad sales job may be just for you.
