Are We Using The Same Terminology As Our Clients?

Old habits are hard to break, especially when they’ve led to career success and financial reward. But the rules of the game have changed. Just as MLB pitchers had to adjust to a pitch clock in 2023 (and will soon have to adapt to robo-umps calling balls and strikes) sales teams and underwriting reps must evolve with the times. If we’re not using today’s terminology and frameworks when talking to clients, we risk making our entire industry look like an outdated form of marketing.

Take network television, for example. Long considered part of the old guard, NBCUniversal is proudly touting its most successful upfronts ever. Sure, marquee events like the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, NBA, and Big Ten football helped drive revenue, but what stands out is the $1 billion they secured in programmatic advertising. Through its new UniversalAds platform, NBCU now offers ad inventory not just across its own content, but across competitors like Paramount, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. That gives them serious leverage, especially when targeting beyond traditional demographics.

And that’s exactly where most businesses are, especially those small-and-medium businesses that make up radio’s core clients. NBCU reports that 60% of its (big) advertisers now buy based on advanced audiences, not just age and gender. Think AI-enhanced contextual targeting, lookalike audiences, and data-driven segments that go far beyond “18–34-year-old women purchase Pampers.”

So when our veteran AEs sit down with a new client, what language are they speaking? Are they still pitching GRPs and Nielsen demos—or are they having outcome-based conversations grounded in real-world results?

In sports, the teams that fail to evolve get left behind. The same goes for media sales. If we’re not talking to even our smallest clients about attribution, programmatic reach, or conversion lift, we’re not speaking the language modern advertisers expect. Just like baseball’s traditionalists have had to embrace pitch clocks and automated strike zones, legacy sellers must confront a new reality.

It’s important that we translate our value, both linear and digital, into today’s terms. Because if we don’t adapt our language, we won’t just sound out of touch—we’ll be sure to strike out.

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