Selling Adtech: How to Break In Without a Technical Background

Adtech has become one of the best compensated and fastest-growing career paths in the UK media industry. Learn how to break into this career path from one of the leading experts in the field. Episode OverviewProgrammatic, DSPs, SSPs and header bidding sit at the centre of modern digital advertising. Demand for commercially minded ad tech sellers in the UK has never been higher. In this episode of It's A Yes! Making It In Media, Debra Sharron and Jo Wood break down what ad tech actually is, what an ad tech sales role involves day to day, and why long sales cycles separate the people who thrive from the people who burn out.They are joined by Jane Wolfson, President UK and International at Captify, who moved from agency side to publishing and then into ad tech. Jane shares how her career developed, why measurement is critical to the commercial argument, and what she looks for in the people she hires.What This Episode CoversWhat ad tech actually is, explained without the jargonThe difference between DSPs and SSPs, and where the sales role sitsWhy technical knowledge is absolutely learnable and should not put you offWhat an ad tech account exec does, and what they are not expected to doHow to manage a nine-month sales cycle without losing momentumWhy multi-threading protects deals when client contacts move onHow cookie deprecation and changing search behaviour have reshaped the pitchWhat AI is changing about entry-level roles and everyday commercial workYES ListThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen CoveyDebra and Jo recommend this for anyone juggling a full pipeline, multiple client relationships and competing deadlines. In this classic, Covey separates being busy from being effective - a point that is pertinent in commercial media where urgent tasks often crowd out important work every week. The framework is all about how you think and prioritise rather than tactics or shortcuts.For media sales professionals, the value sits in the client-facing habits. Thinking win-win reframes negotiation around mutual value. Seeking first to understand is the single most useful discipline for anyone selling a considered, complex product.Top takeout: Know what you are trying to achieve before you start, and listen to your client properly before you pitch a solution.Available at major retailers. Get In TouchSend your questions to [email protected] from Jo & DebraSubscribe to Jo and Debra’s newsletter, to get the key insights and takeaways from each episodeJoin one of Debra’s upcoming media sales workshopsFollow the show on YouTubeFollow the show on SpotifyFollow Jo on LinkedIn hereFollow Debra on LinkedIn hereDisclaimerThe views shared on this podcast are for general information only and reflect personal experience. They should not be taken as specific career, legal or financial advice.