COO, State Sales Directors (QLD, NSW, VIC/SA, WA), Account Managers, Direct AMs and Coordinators. Each role has defined responsibilities with clear accountability frameworks.
Salesforce CRM as the single source of truth. Supported by proposal tools, rate card systems, campaign management, and reporting dashboards feeding the weekly pipeline WIP.
Weekly WIP cadence, pipeline management with 1.5x gap coverage, approval workflows, discount authorisation tiers, and quarterly bonus frameworks aligned to FY27 targets.
Who owns each decision, who requests approval and who is informed. Use this to know your authority ceiling and when to stop and escalate.
| Decision / scenario | Account Manager | State Sales Director | COO | Sales Ops Mgr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing & discounting | ||||
| Rate card pricing (0% discount) | Owns | Informed | — | — |
| Discount up to 5% | Owns | Informed | — | — |
| Discount 6–15% | Requests | Approves | Informed | — |
| Discount 16% or above | Requests | Escalates | Approves | — |
| Trading agreement terms | Not involved | Informed | Owns | Manages |
| Rate card updates | Receives | Receives | Informed | Publishes |
| Campaign & booking | ||||
| Close opportunity — Closed Won | Owns | Informed | — | — |
| Campaign booking submission | Via Coord. | — | — | Receives |
| Booking amendment | Via Coord. | — | — | Processes |
| On-air delivery failure escalation | To Coord. | If needed | — | Resolves |
| Compliance & creative | ||||
| Standard commercial copy approval | Submits brief | — | — | — |
| Political / gambling / gaming copy | Flags to Copy | Informed | — | — |
| ACMA compliance escalation | Escalates | Escalates | Legal / COO | — |
| Pipeline & performance | ||||
| Salesforce opportunity entry | Owns | Reviews | — | — |
| Pipeline health diagnostic | Self-audits | Runs weekly | Monthly | — |
| KPI scorecard completion | Input | Completes | Reviews | — |
| Bonus calculation approval | — | Submits | Approves | — |
State weighted pipeline must be at least 1.5x the gap between actual revenue and budget at all times.
Each AM maintains their individual pipeline at the required coverage ratio. SSD reviews weekly and provides coaching where coverage is insufficient.
The atn rate card is organised by Market (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc.), then by Daypart (Breakfast, Morning, Afternoon, Drive), then by Spot length (always 10 seconds at atn). Each cell shows the cost per spot for that market/daypart combination at rate card (0% discount). Rates are expressed per individual 10-second spot.
The rate card may also show Package rates — pre-bundled spot volumes at a fixed per-week rate — and Sponsorship rates for branded content integrations. These differ from spot rates and are noted separately.
The live rate card is maintained by Traffic Scheduling. It is not published in this framework as rates change with market conditions.
The financial driver is a gate — if it is not met, no bonus is payable regardless of Operational or Behavioural scores. Once the financial gate is cleared, all three drivers pay proportionally.
Sales Directors, Account Managers, Direct AMs and Coordinators. Each role has tailored KPIs. AMs can self-forecast their bonus position by tracking their budget attainment percentage through the quarter — if you know you are at 88% in week 10, you know you are on track for the 90% threshold. Ask your SSD for access to your personal budget tracking report in Salesforce.
SSDs review upstream vs downstream balance weekly. Red flag: AMs with full calendars but weak pipeline — likely spending time on renewals and avails rather than developing new opportunities.
Coordinators manage trafficking and delivery administration, freeing AMs to remain focused on upstream selling activities.
A senior cross-functional session focused on the commercial impact of how atn is trading across all markets. Reviews inventory position, rate card performance, trading agreements and the revenue implications of current booking patterns. Distinct from the weekly WIP — this meeting looks at the commercial health of the business, not individual AM pipelines.
Each SSD runs a mandatory weekly sales meeting with their AM team. The primary team-level forum for pipeline review, activity coaching, market intelligence sharing and individual accountability. Separate to the COO-level WIP — the WIP is state reporting upward; this meeting is the SSD coaching downward to the team. All AMs must attend without exception.
The quality of this meeting is determined entirely by the SSD's preparation. Going through the motions produces no change in pipeline behaviour. This is how to run it well.
A monthly face-to-face meeting bringing together the COO, all State Sales Directors and the Marketing department. The strategic alignment forum — where sales direction, marketing activity and commercial priorities are reviewed and aligned across the business. Sits above the operational cadence of the weekly and fortnightly meetings, focusing on the medium-term picture.
Audology is atn's web-based reach and frequency tool. It allows you to model the audience delivery of a proposed campaign — showing a client how many people in their target demographic will be reached, how many times, and at what frequency. This is the data that anchors a proposal in evidence rather than assertion.
GfK Probe360 is the industry-standard audience measurement and research platform for Australian radio and television. Unlike Audology which models campaign delivery, Probe360 provides the underlying GfK survey data — audience share, listening habits, demographic profiles, competitive comparisons and market ranking data. It is accessed via the atn ERP (not a standalone web login). Probe360 data is the source material for audience claims made in proposals — Audology uses GfK data as its underlying source.
| Stage | People | Systems | IT | Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Prospect | AM owns prospecting. SSD reviews target quality in WIP. DAM focuses on direct categories. | Salesforce — new lead entry. Pipeline tracker updated. Target account lists maintained. | CRM access, SharePoint target lists, Teams for SSD coaching. | Minimum activity standards per role. Upstream vs downstream balance reviewed weekly. |
| 02 Qualify | AM qualifies BANT. SSD coaches qualification criteria in WIP. | Salesforce — opportunity at 20%. Category and market classification added. | Salesforce CRM, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Teams for deal discussion. | Opportunity in Salesforce before progressing. Holdco / Indie / Direct classification required. |
| 03 Discovery | AM leads meeting. Coordinator prepares research. SSD joins key strategic meetings. | Salesforce — notes logged post-meeting. Research and audience data pulled. | Teams or in person. PowerPoint / 365. Research data systems. | Discovery documented in Salesforce within 24 hours. Next step committed with date. |
| 04 Proposal | AM builds proposal. Coordinator supports with rates and scheduling. SSD reviews significant proposals. Copy consulted on creative feasibility and compliance for regulated categories. | Rate card system. Salesforce at 50%. Proposal stored in SharePoint. | SharePoint version control. Outlook for submission. Teams for approval routing. | Discount tiers: AM up to 5%, SSD 6–15%, COO 16%+. All proposals logged in Salesforce. All commercials are 10 seconds. Consult Copy before committing to creative timelines for regulated categories. |
| 05 Negotiate | AM leads. SSD involved at discount threshold. COO for strategic deals. | Salesforce at 75%. Revised proposals versioned and stored. | Teams / Outlook. SharePoint document management. Digital approval workflow. | All concessions documented. Escalation by discount tier. Decision logged in Salesforce. |
| 06 Close | AM closes and confirms. Coordinator receives campaign brief within 24 hours. Traffic Scheduling receives brief from Coordinator — never direct from AM. SSD notified of significant wins. | Salesforce — Closed Won. Win/loss count updated. Revenue attributed to period. | Booking system integration. Salesforce triggers campaign setup. Email confirmation sent. | Closed Won entered same day. Coordinator briefed within 24 hours. Confirm commercial is 10 seconds before booking submitted to Traffic. Invoice process initiated. |
| 07 Deliver | Coordinator manages trafficking. Traffic Scheduling manages on-air spot rotation and delivery. Copy manages creative revisions if required. AM maintains client relationship. SSD monitors quality. | Traffic management system. Campaign monitoring. Post-campaign report. Renewal pipeline created. | Broadcast delivery systems. Traffic management platform. Post-campaign reporting tools. | Mid-campaign check-in for 4+ week flights. Post-campaign report within 5 days. Any creative changes must route through Copy and Traffic. Renewal initiated. |
Pipeline visibility, WIP accuracy, win/loss tracking and bonus calculations all depend on Salesforce data quality. SSD-led adoption accountability is essential to the entire framework.
The framework only functions when SSDs hold AMs accountable to the weekly cadence. SSD coaching quality at WIP directly determines pipeline health and revenue performance.
Systems and IT provide the infrastructure but cannot substitute for the human cadence. Weekly WIPs, discovery meetings and negotiation skills remain the highest-value activities.
No campaign reaches air without Traffic Scheduling completing the booking. AMs must understand Traffic's lead time requirements and inventory constraints before committing to client start dates. All bookings route through the Coordinator — never direct from AM to Traffic. A campaign closed without adequate Traffic lead time is a delivery risk, not just an operational inconvenience.
All atn commercials are 10 seconds — this is non-negotiable and applies to every campaign in every category. For political, gambling and gaming categories, Copy sign-off is required before any booking proceeds. An AM who commits a client to creative content, timelines or formats without Copy involvement creates compliance risk. Involve Copy at the proposal stage for any regulated category campaign.
You already understand how media buying works, what Holdco structures look like, and how to read GfK data. Your Day 1–30 priority is atn-specific knowledge — the product, the rate card, Salesforce configuration, discount tiers and the weekly operating cadence. You can move faster on prospecting and pipeline building in weeks 2–3 than a career changer.
You need to build foundational media knowledge before you can have a credible client conversation. Your Day 1–30 is a learning phase — not a selling phase. Use the full 30 days to absorb the Markets & Clients tab, the agency landscape, GfK terminology and what atn actually sells before initiating outreach. Rush this and your early client conversations will undermine your credibility.
Indicative benchmarks for a new AM during ramp. Your SSD will calibrate based on your market and portfolio.
These standards apply from your very first day. They are not ramp-period exceptions.
Every prospect, opportunity and client interaction goes into Salesforce within 24 hours. If it is not in Salesforce, it does not exist for forecasting, WIP reporting or bonus calculation.
A verbal yes is not revenue until it is in Salesforce as Closed Won. This directly affects forecast accuracy and state pipeline reporting.
You can offer up to 5% at your own discretion. Above 5%, go to your SSD before the client — not after. Offering unauthorised discounts erodes margin and credibility.
No opportunity in Salesforce should exist without a confirmed next action and a date. An opportunity with no next step is not a pipeline — it is a wish list. Your SSD will challenge every one in WIP.
The weekly WIP is your primary accountability and coaching forum. You present your pipeline, your activity and your challenges. Come prepared — your SSD will have reviewed your Salesforce data before the meeting.
Your SSD runs a separate weekly sales meeting for the AM team. This is distinct from the COO WIP — it is your team-level coaching and accountability session. You present your own pipeline. Salesforce must be current. Arriving unprepared affects the whole team.
A complete, accurate campaign brief within 24 hours of close is expected. Incomplete briefs cause delivery errors and client relationship damage.
"Discovery call with Sarah Chen (Marketing Manager). Client confirmed used car volumes down 20% YoY — awareness problem, not pricing. Target audience 35–55, western suburbs. Success metric: yard visits and test drive bookings. Margin per vehicle approx $2–4k. Client open to 13-week campaign. Agreed to review proposal week of 23 June. Updated SF stage to Discovery 35%."
The booking entry form lives inside Salesforce and is the formal mechanism by which a Closed Won opportunity becomes a campaign booking submitted to Traffic Scheduling. The Coordinator completes the form based on the campaign brief from the AM — but every AM must understand how it works, what it requires, and what happens when it is incomplete or incorrect.
The CSS (Centre for Sales Strategy) is a US-based sales performance consultancy whose methodology atn has adopted as the foundation for sales training, talent assessment and performance development. CSS focuses on three core pillars: Sales talent (identifying the innate strengths of each AM), Sales strategy (building the right approach for each market and client type), and Sales structure (the management systems and accountability frameworks that produce consistent results). The CSS approach is consultative and client-focused — it aligns strongly with the discovery-first, value-anchored selling methodology throughout this framework.
CSS uses a structured talent assessment tool to identify the natural sales strengths of each AM across key dimensions including hunter instinct, relationship building, consultative approach, work ethic and qualifying ability. The assessment informs how SSDs coach each AM — not as a ranking tool, but as a development map. New AMs complete the CSS talent assessment during onboarding. Your SSD will discuss your results and use them to shape your individual development plan.
atn delivers CSS training through structured programmes covering the full sales cycle. Key modules include: Needs Analysis (the CSS approach to discovery and qualification, directly informing atn's Stage 03 process), Proposal and Solution Design (building client-first proposals anchored to business outcomes), Conversion and Closing (handling objections and asking for the business with confidence), and Account Development (growing existing client relationships through value-based renewal and upsell conversations). Training is delivered through a combination of external CSS resources, SSD-led coaching sessions and peer learning within the AM team.
The Behavioural driver of atn's KPI Scorecard (15% weight) is directly informed by CSS competency standards. Behavioural KPIs assess the quality of an AM's sales activity — not just volume. CSS-derived measures include discovery quality (are needs analyses structured and thorough?), proposal standard (are proposals client-first and value-anchored?), pipeline discipline (is Salesforce data current and accurate?) and coaching engagement (does the AM actively participate in development conversations?). These are assessed by the SSD in monthly KPI reviews.
CSS Needs Analysis uses a structured question sequence. These are not a script — they are a discipline. The goal is to understand the client's business situation before presenting any solution.
CSS qualification is more rigorous than BANT alone. An opportunity earns its place in your Salesforce pipeline when you can answer yes to all four:
If you cannot answer yes to all four, the opportunity belongs in your target list — not your Salesforce pipeline. A pipeline full of wishful thinking produces a misleading coverage ratio and wastes WIP coaching time.
Keeps the full sales, marketing and scheduling team current on atn's product offering, audience insights, new formats and market developments. The primary forum for sharing research, case studies, competitive intelligence and product updates. Attendance is mandatory for all sales staff — this is a learning and alignment session, not optional development.
atn delivers radio advertising across metro and regional markets. Formats include live reads (highest impact, personality-driven), produced spots (10 second — atn's standard and only commercial length), sponsorships and integrated content packages. Radio delivers high-frequency, high-reach campaigns reaching audiences in-car and at work — often reaching decision-makers during commute windows.
atn's television offering covers spot advertising and sponsorship packages across broadcast markets. Television delivers mass reach with high visual impact — best suited to brand awareness, product launches and campaigns requiring emotional storytelling. atn's TV offering works strongly in combination with radio for frequency layering.
The strongest commercial case is often a radio and TV combination — radio builds frequency and recall, television builds brand stature. Multi-platform packages carry higher average deal values and are harder for competitors to match. Always consider whether a combined package serves the client's objective better than a single medium.
9 AMs · Holdco-heavy · Highest average deal value
8 AMs · Strong agency and direct mix
3 AMs · Strong direct and property categories
1 AM · Reported through VIC SSD
Rep house · Resources and mining categories
Managed through QLD SSD · Lifestyle and tourism
Australian media buying operates through three distinct client types. Understanding which type you are dealing with changes your approach, your contacts and your commercial terms.
The major holding companies control the largest advertising budgets in Australia. Buying is centralised through trading teams. Relationships are managed at multiple levels — trading directors, investment leads, planners and buyers. Rates are often negotiated at the group level. Your contact may not be the decision maker on rate — understand the approval chain before presenting pricing.
Independent agencies are not part of a holding company. Buying decisions are often made by the same person you are talking to — faster cycle, more relationship-driven. Independents value genuine partnership and are more open to non-standard packages and creative solutions. A significant growth opportunity for atn.
Direct clients deal with atn without an agency intermediary. Direct deals require more education — you are building the business case from scratch. However, direct relationships are often stickier and less price-competitive than agency buys. The DAM role specialises in this channel.
ARN, SCA (Southern Cross Austereo) and Nova Entertainment are the primary radio competitors. Know their station line-ups and audience profiles in your market. Where atn's audience is stronger, lead with the data. Where it is comparable, lead with the relationship and the service.
Meta, TikTok, Google and programmatic digital are the biggest budget competitors. The objection "we are moving budget to digital" is common. Your answer: radio reaches audiences in-car and at work that digital misses — and frequency layering with digital produces stronger results than either medium alone.
Free-to-air networks (Nine, Seven, Ten) and streaming (Foxtel, Binge, Stan) compete for TV budgets. atn's strength is specific market coverage and the combination of radio frequency with television reach — a proposition the pure-play TV networks cannot match.
Context: An AM is meeting the marketing manager of a multi-franchise car dealership group. This is the first structured discovery meeting. Note how the AM leads with the client's business, not atn's product.
Business objective: Increase used car yard visits and test drive bookings. Target audience: 35–55, families, western suburbs, 15–20km radius. Measurable outcome: yard visits and test drive bookings. Budget signal: $2–4k gross margin per vehicle. Next step: Proposal presentation — [agreed date]. Opportunity stage: Discovery (35%). Category: Automotive Direct.
Context: An AM has a first meeting with a buyer at an independent agency whose client is a mid-size retail chain. Note how the approach differs from a direct client meeting — the agency buyer is not the advertiser, they are an intermediary whose credibility with their client depends on the quality of your advice to them.
Agency: [Agency Name] — Client: National Homeware Co — Buyer: Priya [Surname], Buyer. Brief: brand awareness and foot traffic, mid-premium homewares, 4-week burst. Audience: Women 30–54, HHI $100k+. Budget: $40–50k radio. Digital confirmed (Meta + programmatic). Markets: Melbourne and Sydney. Next step: Proposal with reach/frequency model at $45k + retail case study — due Thursday [date]. Stage: Discovery (35%).
This is what a well-completed Salesforce opportunity looks like at the Proposal stage (50%). Fields in teal are mandatory — missing these will be raised in your weekly WIP.
A strong atn proposal has six sections in this order. The order matters — starting with the client's business goal, not with atn's product, positions you as a strategic partner rather than a media vendor.
These are the five most common objections you will face in your first 90 days. The goal is never to win the argument — it is to understand the real concern and respond to that, not the surface objection.
All atn commercials are 10 seconds. This is atn's product standard, not an option. Never quote 15, 30 or 60 second formats to a client. Never promise a longer commercial. If a client requests a longer spot, the answer is that atn's commercial format is 10 seconds — this is the product they are buying. A 10-second commercial requires tight, precise copy. Brief the client on this standard at the proposal stage so there are no surprises at production.
Copy production requires adequate lead time. Never commit a client to a campaign start date without confirming the creative lead time with the Copy department first. A campaign booked into Traffic without approved creative cannot go to air. Copy revision cycles must be completed before the campaign start date — not after. For new direct clients who have never produced a commercial before, flag that the copy process will take time and set expectations at the proposal stage, not at close.
Traffic Scheduling requires a minimum lead time between receiving a confirmed booking brief and the campaign going to air. Confirm this lead time with your Coordinator before committing to a client start date. A deal closed on a Thursday for a Monday on-air is likely not achievable. Clients who are given unrealistic start dates and then told the campaign is delayed lose confidence in atn. Set the right expectation at close — a short delay for proper scheduling is far better than a failed delivery commitment.
Certain advertising categories are subject to strict regulatory requirements under ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) broadcast standards and atn content policies. For any campaign in a restricted category, involve Copy at the proposal stage — not after close. Never confirm creative content to a restricted category client without Copy sign-off.
Context: An AM is presenting a post-campaign report to a direct client — a regional furniture retailer — who ran a 6-week radio campaign. The campaign delivered well. The renewal conversation happens at this meeting, not weeks later. Note how the AM uses the results to open the next booking rather than close the current one.
Create a new opportunity immediately after this meeting. Do not wait until the proposal is sent. Opportunity name: [Client] — Renewal Q[X] — [Market]. Stage: Discovery (35%) — you have qualified the opportunity in this meeting. Amount: your best estimate of the renewal value. Next step: Send two proposal options by [today's date]. Close date: 10 business days from proposal date.
Context: A new AM has a first meeting with the marketing manager of a regional financial services firm — a mortgage broker group. Financial services is a compliance-sensitive category with ASIC advertising obligations. The AM needs to understand the compliance landscape before committing to creative or content approaches.
| Name | Username | Role | Market | Status | Last Login | Actions |
|---|
| # | Timestamp | Username | Name | Market | Outcome |
|---|
Currently credentials are stored in this browser only. To sync users across all devices and browsers, connect a free Firebase database: