Influential Woman · Media sales for digital and geo-targeted national magazines

Debbie Landau

Sr. Account Executive, Media Now Interactive

Bridgewater, NJ

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Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Syracuse University Degree Newhouse School Degree Advertising and Marketing major Degree Business minor

Her Story

About Debbie

I've been in media sales for over 30 years total. I started my career on the ad agency side as an account manager after graduating from Syracuse University's Newhouse School with a degree in advertising and marketing and a business minor. I then went into sales because I wanted to make more money. I sold radio for 20 years and was the number one salesperson at my station, but when the company changed and became too conservative and radio was going down, I made the pivot to digital. I've now been in media sales for digital and geo-targeted national magazines for 10 and a half years, and I've been in the top 10 for years. My day involves constantly cold emailing and cold calling, and when I book an account, I manage it to make sure they get all the assets and answer all their questions. I have a whole team behind me. What makes me successful is relationship building. I'm an honest salesperson, not just a pusher. I don't try to sell clients something just because I want to sell it. I want to sell them something that's really going to work for them, because if it doesn't work, they're going to go away. We do a lot of research to make sure we give them a good proposal. I've had some clients for 30 years who followed me from radio to digital. This year has been very hard because of everything going on federally, and the industry has gotten a lot more competitive because a lot of people do similar things and many don't really understand digital media even though they think they do.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Debbie

01What do you attribute your success to?

My parents were very into being ambitious. They told us you have to go to college because you have to have a good living, and you gotta just be ambitious and work hard. Even back when I was a kid in high school doing jobs, my parents said you just have to work hard and it'll be better, and get involved. I've always wanted to have a good life. I like traveling, so I wanted to make money. I was divorced when I first started in sales with two kids who were two and a half and one years old. My husband was using drugs and became abusive, so I've been a single parent forever. I had to work hard to make enough money to live a good life on my own, and my kids turned out to be great, they're doing great. I've always liked my job.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

When I started out in sales back in the day, I learned how to figure out what people wanted and to make sure that you don't try to sell them something that you just want to sell. You want to sell them something that's really going to work for them. I'm honest with my clients. I don't try to push them to just buy anything because it doesn't make sense, because if it doesn't work for them, they're gonna go away. You want to be able to make sure that whatever you propose to them is worthwhile. We do a lot of research to make sure we give them a good proposal.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say just work well with people and work hard. You really gotta push it. I was divorced when I first started in sales and I wanted to make money, so I just worked hard. You have to have good relationships and be honest with people, I feel like. I'm not a pusher, I'm an honest salesperson.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The challenges are that media has gotten a lot more competitive because a lot of people do the same things. We're not an ad agency, but agencies are clients of ours, and we have a lot of agencies that are clients. So it's just gotten very competitive because people are doing a lot of similar things. I also think they don't know a lot about digital media and they think they know it, so they don't know what the difference is. This is a very hard year because of everything that's going on federally.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I just think you have to inspire the people that you work with. My support team will churn something around quickly for me because I treat them nicely. That's what I did to raise my kids too. You just treat people well and let them know when they do good stuff. In sales and media, it's all about having relationships. That's everything.

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