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.
90% spend 5+ hours weekly on manual pre-sales tasks; 44% spend over 10 hours.
77% report manual errors that slow or derail work; nearly half say this occurs frequently.
32% cite waiting on client approvals as leading cause of delays.
52% report limited integration between ad sales and operations systems.
86% report increase in closed deals after introducing pre-sales automation.
61% would spend more time on strategy with automated pre-sales processes.
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. Pricing validation, proposal revisions and approval routing remain the biggest points of friction. 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.
Jay Kulkarni, Founder and CEO at Theorem, stated: "Organizations are still closing deals, which makes these inefficiencies easy to overlook. 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."
Michele Bavitz, Vice President of Growth at Theorem, added: "Pre-sales processes have historically been treated as coordination work, but it plays a much larger role in revenue outcomes. 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."
Organizations are starting to address these gaps by improving how pre-sales workflows connect across systems and teams, focusing on reducing manual steps, improving data accuracy and speeding up approvals. 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.
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. 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%).
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.
