Here is your latest Matrix eNewsletter!
We are only 101 days away from the Media Sales Symposium and we already have an amazing slate of speakers and a jam-packed schedule. Check out our latest speaker announcement as well as our 5 Reasons to Attend list below - plus the latest Matrix and media industry news!
Media Sales Symposium
Sean Ammirati
Anticipation for the first ever Media Sales Symposium is building! And we are pleased to announce a new speaker for the event: Sean Ammirati! Sean is an Entrepreneur / Partner at Birchmere Labs and has over 12 years of experience in founding, building and selling businesses in the media and software industries. Sean was the Chief Operating Officer of ReadWriteWeb and before that was the co-founder / CEO of mSpoke which was acquired by LinkedIn.
Over the years Sean has learned how to grow media companies and their sales teams. The media ad selling landscape is shifting to custom advertising solutions for each client. To sell effectively, sales organizations have to understand the unique needs of their customers. Sean will talk about best practices for turning sales people into sales consultants. Sean will also talk about using strategic partnerships to grow sales and how to build out a digital savvy team.
Besides getting to be in front of key media advertising experts like Sean, there are many reasons to attend the Media Sales Symposium in January. Just check out our list below!
Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Media Sales Symposium
1. Enterprise-level strategies
This symposium will uncover proven sales strategies for sales teams as a whole, management, as well as Account Executives. If you are looking for best practices and effective ways to maximize sales for your organization, then this symposium is for you.
2. Impactful sessions led by industry leaders and innovators
Sessions will focus on how sales workflows have changed and how to leverage today’s technology tools to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. Hear how sales teams are closing deals quicker, increasing revenue by 50% over last year and as whole working together more proficiently.
3. Something for everyone
If you're committed to improving sales, this is the place to be. With an incredible amount of data available to sales teams, specific sessions will focus on how to best slice and dice that data, automate it to be pushed to you versus you needing to pull it, and how to use it to your advantage to sell.
4. Amazing networking opportunities
You never know who you'll bump into at the Media Sales Symposium! We've got several industry leaders - and your favorite Matrix team members - in attendance or speaking at the symposium already, so the opportunity is yours to connect.
5. Orlando in January
Need we say more? Bookend your travel with an extra day to be in the nice (warm, 70-degree) weather before heading back to points north (unless you live in Southern Florida, that is!).
For more, and to get all the latest details on the Media Sales Symposium, click here.
Three Things We Learned About Radio Ad Sales
After talking with Presidents, VP of Sales, Directors of Digital, and GSMs about radio ad sales, we learned that (no surprise here) the radio industry is in the middle of a sea change. Digital is penetrating its way into the radio ad selling eco-system, generating additional revenue from existing clients and developing new business are all “must-do” now slogans. If radio ad sellers are prepared there’s no shortage of opportunities on the horizon.
Check out our three key takeaways to keep in mind as you’re selling radio ads.
Around Matrix
Check out some of the recent shots from around the Matrix Headquarters, including the stunning morning sun over Pittsburgh, and our first ever soup and chili cook-off. Find more pictures from around the Matrix offices and while we're on the road over on our Twitter and Facebook profiles - and don't forget to follow us.
Industry Insights
IAB Outlines Standard For Dynamic Content Ads – Which Could Spur Programmatic Creative
The IAB unveiled a dynamic content ad standard that will move forward programmatic creative, which is open for public comment for the next month. Instead of churning out ads with dozens of different messages for different channels, advertisers simply define all the creative components and variations. Read more.
U.S. Ad Spend Growing at Best Pace in Six Years; 6.5% Leap Predicted
For the first time ever, digital advertising this year will equal TV ad sales, with both generating about $68 billion. Growing at 44 percent, social media advertising is the biggest contributing factor in digital advertising equaling TV ad sales. Read more.
Product Update
Matrix Monarch
As we announced this summer, we have been busy developing our latest platform, Monarch. Monarch will offer improved capabilities, a slick user interface and expanded integrations to fit the modern sales workflow. In case you missed it, catch your exclusive sneak peek here, and be on the look out for the official unrolling of Monarch in early 2017.
Want More Matrix? New Open Learning Sessions Have Just Been Added!
Our Open Learning Sessions are offered regularly and we just added five new dates to the calendar, so sign-up to take advantage of one today. Check the schedule to attend an open learning session that interests you. Sessions teach you how to use Matrix to maximize your CRM and sales analytics. And check back frequently as we are always increasing the offerings. We suggest attending them all to get the most from Matrix.
In the News, Podcasts, and More
Matrix Solutions’ Justin Matase has been Appointed to The Pitt News Advisory Board
Matrix Solutions announces Justin Matase’s appointment to The Pitt News Advisory Board. Matase, the business development manager for Matrix Solutions, will serve a three-year term on the board. The Pitt News Advisory Board serves as the publisher of The Pitt News, responsible for the business and editorial content of the student newspaper. As publisher, the board bears fiscal and administrative oversight for the newspaper, advising students, supporting the freedom of the student press, and helping advance the educational mission of The Pitt News.
“The Pitt News is representative of the types of companies I work with on daily basis,” commented Matase. “Being able to immerse myself on the client side of our business brings a mutual perspective and opportunity that will assist in advancing The Pitt News Advisory Board’s mission. However, what inspires me most is the educational aspect, having worked for The Pitt News during my years at University of Pittsburgh. I know first-hand the significant experience it brings to bear for those that are involved and invested in its future.” Read more.
New! Matrix Media Sales Podcasts
We spent a great deal of time at the Radio Show last month discussing the importance of the Podcast and what it means for media sales and specifically radio. In case you've missed it, we recently developed our own podcast about just that - media sales! Here are some of the latest podcasts available. Don't miss an episode - subscribe to the Matrix Media Sales Podcast on iTunes, here.
Episode 5: The Future of Radio & Podcast with Georgia Beasley
Georgia Beasley, Director of Digital at the Beasley Media Group, stops by our booth at the 2016 Radio Show to discuss the radio industry. We talk about the power of radio and how that applies to the digital world. Looking towards the future, we ponder how podcast will impact the world of radio. How do you price a podcast ad? How do you determine the quality of the audience? Stream it from SoundCloud now.
Episode 6: Live from The Radio Show in Nashville: Multimedia's Role in Radio
We're recording live from the Radio Show in Nashville! In this podcast, we interview a number of folks that stop by the booth. It's an eclectic cast that includes students, app developers, program directors and more. The idea behind this is to better understand the world of radio. What technologies are they using? What does success look like to a media sales person? What trends or analytics should radio sellers be aware of? Stream it from SoundCloud now.
Episode 7: How are Radio Sellers Using Podcasts to Improve Revenue?
This is the final Matrix Media Sales Podcast recorded directly from the 2016 Radio Show floor. In this episode I'm joined by the CRO of Matrix Solutions, Brenda Hetrick. Brenda (a podcast crowd favorite) discusses the trends in the world of radio selling and how exactly the radio industry is reinventing itself. If you're selling radio spots this is a must listen! There are great insights into leveraging the world of podcast and creating great content to improve revenue. Stream it from SoundCloud now.