AI isn’t just for content creation anymore. In a September 19 Local Media Association webinar, David Arkin of David Arkin Consulting outlined “10 prompts every sales team should be using today” to simplify outreach, proposals and reporting.

How AI is transforming local media sales workflows

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a secret weapon for local media sales teams — helping them find prospects faster, personalize outreach, and streamline reporting. That was the key takeaway from a recent Local Media Association webinar led by consultant David Arkin, who demonstrated how tools like ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity can automate everything from lead generation to proposal follow-ups without sacrificing human judgment or data safety.

Arkin’s central message: AI should be treated as a sales assistant, not a replacement. When used strategically, it can write sharper emails, identify new business leads and generate campaign reports in minutes. But he warned that sales teams must protect sensitive data by using paid accounts, disabling model-training options and avoiding uploads of proprietary media kits or pricing sheets to free tools.

Throughout the session, Arkin emphasized practical efficiency over novelty. By feeding ChatGPT structured prompts — such as a company’s “About” section or a themed issue topic — sellers can build tailored prospect lists, surface likely buyer titles, and even draft first-contact messages. For recurring special sections like health or business forecast editions, he recommended creating prompt libraries that store reusable instructions for editorial, advertising and outreach tasks. “You shouldn’t start from scratch every quarter,” Arkin said. “Teach the tool your workflow once and repeat.”

Another major benefit lies in personalized outreach. Arkin showed how AI can scan public information — news releases, reviews, filings, and social posts — to craft warm emails that reflect real-time developments at a prospect’s organization. The result: messages that sound researched rather than robotic. He also outlined multi-touch follow-up sequences that mix email and LinkedIn, reminding attendees to trim emoji, fix formatting, and add their own voice before sending.

Beyond prospecting, Arkin demonstrated how AI can support reporting and client retention. Campaign metrics can be uploaded into branded PowerPoint or Canva templates for instant summaries, while AI can suggest upsell opportunities based on past performance. It can even analyze competitors’ public media kits or ad programs to help new sales reps learn their markets faster.

In closing, Arkin urged media companies to make AI an everyday utility — a behind-the-scenes partner that saves time and sharpens execution.

Tools to use

  • Recording/summarization: Firefly (for summaries) and Otter.ai (client-friendly recorder with summaries).
  • Core AI: ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity (for citation-backed prospecting).
  • Calendaring/Docs/Design: Connect Google/Microsoft; consider Canva integrations.

Mini playbook you can copy/paste this week

  1. Safety check: Turn on Temporary Chat; turn off training.
  2. Prospect expansion: Paste a current advertiser’s About section → ask AI for look-alike accounts locally, buyer titles, and contact pages.
  3. Theme sell: “We’re producing a Business Forecast package in January—list 20 local companies that should align and why; include links to contact/marketing pages.”
  4. Sequence build: “Create a 4-touch cadence (Email/LinkedIn/Email/Email) using [your sales model], with short subject lines and one clear CTA each.”
  5. Reporting assist: “Using these campaign metrics, populate slides 2–5 of this template and propose 3 upsell ideas tied to observed performance.”

FAQs

What AI tools did this webinar recommend for sales prospecting?
ChatGPT Plus (Temporary Chat, custom GPTs) and Perplexity for cited research; Otter.ai for recordings/summaries.

How do local media orgs protect data when using AI?
Use paid accounts, enable Temporary Chat, and disable model training in data controls before uploading media kits, pricing, or reports.

Can AI find real contacts and buyer titles?
It can surface likely titles and official contact pages/PR/marketing inboxes. For named individuals, verify via company sites and LinkedIn; never paste private data.

What is a prompt library and why use one?
A reusable set of prompts for a recurring franchise (e.g., Health section) covering story angles, sponsor asks, submission forms, and outreach scripts—so teams aren’t reinventing the wheel each cycle.

How can AI improve follow-ups and proposals?
Auto-draft thank-you notes with next steps, convert meeting notes into action items, and place campaign metrics into pre-built slide templates with tailored upsell ideas.

How do I make AI-generated outreach feel human?
Reference specific news/reviews/initiatives, keep subject lines short, remove AI tells (emoji floods, over-formatted breaks), and mirror the prospect’s vocabulary and goals.

What prospecting angles worked in the demo?
Themed packages (e.g., Business Forecast), milestone hooks (10-year anniversary), and sector lists aligned to the editorial focus—each paired with role-appropriate contacts.

Is there a recommended outreach sequence?
Yes: 3–4 touches across Email + LinkedIn, each with one value prop and one CTA. Tie sequences to a named sales framework (e.g., Matt Easton) for consistency.

The webinar recording is available here: 10 prompts every sales team should be using today

(Passcode: P+z!cq69)

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Editor’s note: Artificial Intelligence was used to transcribe and create an initial summary of this article, which was then edited by LMA staff.