Theorem Research Reveals Pre-Sales Phase as Advertising Sales’ Most Overlooked Revenue Risk

92% of organizations believe their tools are efficient, but 77% report manual errors during pre-sales that disrupt advertising revenue execution

CHATHAM, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Theorem, a digital marketing solutions provider, today released new research showing that 77% of organizations experience manual errors in pre-sales that disrupt advertising revenue execution, revealing a critical and often overlooked risk in the deal process. While most organizations believe their current ad sales and pre-sales tools are effective, the data shows persistent manual friction, errors and delays across the deal process.

The research points to pre-sales as a pivotal stage where pricing, approvals and deal structure are set, directly impacting how quickly deals close and how reliably they are executed.

Key Findings Include:

• 90% of professionals spend more than five hours per week on manual pre-sales tasks, with 44% spending over ten hours.
• 77% report manual errors that slow down or derail work, with nearly half saying this occurs frequently.
• 32% cite waiting on client approvals as the leading cause of delays, followed by internal system or data issues (22%) and too many stakeholders in the review process (21%).
• 52% report limited integration between ad sales and operations systems, contributing to inefficiencies across the workflow.
• 61% say they would spend more time on strategy and client relationships with more automated pre-sales processes, while 47% believe deals would close faster.

“Organizations are still closing deals, which makes these inefficiencies easy to overlook,” said Jay Kulkarni, Founder and CEO at Theorem. “However, as volume and complexity grow, what once felt manageable starts to erode margin, slow growth and introduce risk at scale. Ultimately, this research proves that the pre-sales phase is where revenue integrity is established, and it requires the same level of structure and control as any other revenue driving function.”

The Friction Slowing Down Ad Sales

Pre-sales processes are slowing down advertising revenue. As deal complexity increases, teams are spending more time coordinating pricing, proposals, approvals and data across disconnected systems, leading to delays, inconsistencies and rework before deals are finalized.

The data shows a clear disconnect. While 92% of organizations believe their tools are efficient, a significant share of professionals are still spending substantial time on manual pre-sales work. Pricing validation, proposal revisions and approval routing remain the biggest points of friction, along with fragmented data across systems, which slow deal cycles and introducing execution inconsistencies.

“Pre-sales processes have historically been treated as coordination work, but it plays a much larger role in revenue outcomes,” said Michele Bavitz Vice President of Growth at Theorem. “When pricing, approvals and data are not governed early in the process, teams absorb that complexity later through delays, rework and lost efficiency. This is where revenue performance begins to take shape.”

Stalled deals are driven more by process design than individual performance, with waiting on inputs, disconnected systems and layered approvals emerging as the primary causes of delay.

Fixing What Slows Deals Down

Organizations are starting to address these gaps by improving how pre-sales workflows connect across systems and teams. The focus is on reducing manual steps, improving data accuracy and speeding up approvals.

This change is already showing results. 86% of organizations report an increase in closed deals after introducing pre-sales automation, along with gains in speed and accuracy. Adoption remains uneven, with some teams citing integration challenges, data concerns and budget barriers. As pressure on advertising revenue grows, pre-sales is becoming a more visible factor in deal performance, driving faster execution and more consistent outcomes.

To access the full research and learn how organizations are addressing pre-sales challenges, visit https://theorem.digital/upward-pre-sales/.

About Theorem

Founded in 2002, Theorem creates, delivers and optimizes digital marketing campaigns for some of the world’s most successful brands. By offering scaled technology, media, operations, marketing, CRM and creative solutions under one roof, Theorem can provide flexible, full-service marketing solutions to their clients.

Theorem’s consultancy teams and operational expertise help brands simplify, streamline and automate complex digital tasks. This value exchange saves clients time, reduces their costs and increases their revenue. For more information, visit theorem.digital.