How Leading Broadcast Sales Teams Are Hitting Bigger Goals With Leaner Resources

 

Two words: Time and traction.

Across markets, we’re hearing from sales directors, general managers, and even CEOs who are being asked to do more with less. Teams are leaner, budgets are tighter, and digital competitors are more aggressive than ever. “Everyone’s margins are under pressure,” Erin Callaghan, Director of Enterprise Partnerships at Futuri, says. “There’s no room for wasted motion.”  

Your reps are seasoned but drowning in prep work, CRM toggling, proposal slide creation, and manual outreach. It’s not about lack of skill but about lack of time. “That’s not selling,” says Erin. “That’s surviving.”

This isn’t a moment for more tools or heavier processes. It’s a moment for clarity and real support for sales teams.

So, Why TopLine?

Let’s get to the point.

TopLine is an AI-powered sales intelligence platform that dramatically shortens the time it takes to “get smart” about a prospect, build a pitch, and take action. It helps media sellers win more business and get more face time with clients, without the heavy lifting.

“I’d give this tool a 5-star review. I love how it includes a fully designed presentation with polished, relevant data.” — Account Executive, Wisconsin Radio market

“Okay, I’m listening. What’s the first step?”

“Start with a conversation,” Erin says. “Ask your team: What’s taking the most time? Where are deals getting stuck?”

Then, let TopLine meet them there. Whether it’s setting an appointment, creating a pitch, or customizing a proposal post-CNA, TopLine can drop in and immediately start freeing up bandwidth.

And the best part? It’s not all-or-nothing. “You don’t have to overhaul your tech stack to benefit from TopLine,” Erin says. “You just have to be willing to let it lighten the load.”

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• How are your AEs prospecting? 
• Who’s responsible for research? 
• What resources are they using to develop proposals, and how long is that taking?
• Do you have enough AEs to reach your goals? How are you preparing for recruitment and retention in the next 3–5 years?

TopLine helps you optimize what you have, freeing your best people up to do what they do best, and giving your newer people a system to help them grow faster. 

“I pulled something yesterday for a home improvement category.  I was thrilled when I opened it.  All I had to do was put in the product slides at the end. It gives me the ”why”.  We have other software providers, but they don’t give me the ‘why’. This gives me the ‘why’ and puts it into a beautiful format, and I just love it” – Media Consultant, Top 25 TV market.

“We already have a CRM. Why do we need something else?”

First, TopLine is not a CRM. Second, your CRM is probably solid, but it holds your pipeline; it doesn’t close deals. 

“We’re not replacing your CRM,” Erin explains. “We’re making it work harder for you.”

TopLine layers on top of your current tools to give your sellers exactly what they need to:

• Personalize outreach with personality insights
• Access industry-specific talking points
• Pull custom decks and proposals with co-op data
• Get ready for a meeting fast

“Leveraging Topline’s Co-op tool, I identified a reimbursement opportunity with a prospect and proactively reached out to HVAC companies utilizing their products. This approach successfully led to a meeting and subsequent proposal closure with an HVAC customer, who were previously unaware of their available cooperative funds. Utilizing both the co-op tool and insights from Topline, I successfully secured a solid piece of new direct business.” — Account Executive from, Iowa TV market

“Isn’t this just more work for my reps?”

No. It’s less. TopLine simplifies the parts of the job that take too long and drain too much energy. Many sellers today are doing everything—from writing their own scripts to designing their own decks. They’ve essentially been turned into part-time marketers, researchers, and analysts, but that’s not their job.

“We’ve seen teams take what used to be three hours of prep work and turn it into 15 minutes with TopLine.” – Erin Callaghan, Futuri

TopLine takes those burdens off their plate and lets your sellers focus on selling while TopLine handles the rest.

The impact you’ll see is more time in front of prospects, more polished first impressions, faster closes, and sellers who feel confident every step of the way.

“Can’t my experienced sellers just do this on their own?”

Yes, sure. But at what cost?

In today’s market, it takes 10+ touchpoints just to get a first meeting. That’s a lot of effort, even for seasoned reps. Even the best reps are stretched thin. TopLine ensures they walk into every conversation with something smart to say—and something better to show.

“Do your sellers have 10 pre-written, personalized, strategically designed touchpoints ready to go?” Erin asks. “Because with TopLine, they do.”

The Account Cards in TopLine offer a complete roadmap: personality profiles to guide tone, pre-written emails that can be regenerated on the fly, curated articles and infographics for specific verticals, and even co-op data that helps clients find money they didn’t know they had.

“It’s like walking into the conversation already one step ahead,” Erin says. “When a seller can start a meeting with insights specific to that client’s needs, they’re not pitching—they’re partnering.”

“Will this actually drive ROI?”

Absolutely. TopLine is trusted in every top 100 market because we deliver results.

A partner in a smaller market recently closed a $350K HVAC deal using TopLine—identifying the right lead, approaching with the right message, and presenting the right story.

TopLine helps media teams keep more of what they earn. “In digital advertising, publishers often only keep 15 to 40 cents on the dollar,” Erin noted. They’re shifting focus to channels that don’t return value. TopLine helps teams re-center around opportunities that actually convert and deliver revenue back to the business.

“What if I do nothing?”

That’s the riskiest move of all. Margins are thinning. Pressure is rising. And doing the same things won’t get new results. Erin says, 

“If you’re not hitting your numbers, and you’re not doing anything different… then what are you expecting to change?” 

TopLine is a sales efficiency engine designed to empower your sales teams—one that helps your team get back precious hours each week and arms them with the confidence and materials to show up as strategic partners, not just sellers.

Are you holding back due to economic uncertainty? We have some guidance for you. Read How Leading Broadcasters are Fighting Market Erosion. 

Now what?

Leading broadcasters are pushing hard on digital, automation, and cross-platform selling. But modern strategy needs modern execution. TopLine is the platform that helps your team pull it all together and move faster, with less lift.

If you want more appointments, smarter outreach, and proposals that actually close—without hiring more people—TopLine is the answer.

Click below to request a TopLine strategy session today

About Erin Callaghan

As Futuri’s President of Enterprise Partnerships, Erin Callaghan works with broadcasters and digital publishers worldwide, helping them keep pace with fast-changing technology. She built her career helping her partners win in challenging environments. And she delights in using Futuri’s technology to help partners increase revenue, grow their audiences and create better content faster and more efficiently. Prior to joining Futuri, Callaghan spent more than 25 years in broadcast sales and sales management at companies including Cox Media, Journal Broadcast Group and Capstar.