December 2011

Is Sports Sales For You?

by |December 2nd, 2011

This is a guest post by Henry de Con
sports salesIt’s common knowledge that sports sales is the easiest path to start your career in sports, but as you can probably assume its also the hardest task. Sales in any industry is a challenge, so it should come as no surprise that it’s just as rough in sports.  Not only are you selling the professional sporting event, but the players, atmosphere, and perks.  You’ll encounter a lot of objections, excuses, and hang ups.  Sports may be the career for you, but are you ready to take on sales to get there?

Sports Sales – Things To Consider

Don’t let the introduction scare you off.  Everybody’s reaction to the sports sales experience is different.  Here are some personal things to look at within yourself if you’re thinking about starting a career in sports sales.
  1. Are you an aggressive person? The key to getting a sale is being aggressive. You can’t take no for an answer but only as further reason to convince the client why they need this product.
  2. Can you handle rejection? Imagine breaking up with your significant other every 5 minutes when working in sports sales. You’ll spill out your best pitch only to get an “I’m not interested, please stop calling.” Then you’ll hang up and make another call. Can you handle that for an 8 hour shift everyday?
  3. Are you confident? Sports sales is not for those who are shy. You will be in an office making calls for everyone to hear. You will make mistakes and stutter and everyone will hear you.
  4. Do you have a competitive nature? You’ll succeed more in sports if you’re competitive. You will be surrounded by co-workers who are making sales. Although you’ll be happy for them, their success is supposed to drive you to want to make sales and beat them. Nobody wants to be at the bottom of the sales lists.
  5. Are you a self-starter? You will receive a call list to start off, but if you really want to be successful, you will have to prospect on your own. Are you the type of person who will branch out and find leads without someone assisting you?
If you answered yes to all of the above, then you may be ready for a career in sports sales.
Do you have any other tips on how to excel in sports sales?

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Sports Job TipsTwo weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Ivy Sports Symposium at the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. The Ivy Sports Symposium is one of the global sports industry’s premier conferences that sets the standard among college-based sports business events. It is widely considered the best and most comprehensive one-day event. The Symposium has gained industry-wide recognition since its inception by featuring more than 180 unique speakers from around the world representing all facets of the sports business.  There were a number of great sports job tips to take away from the conference.

1. Social Media in Sports

The #1 thing that I took away from the symposium was how important it is to possess social media skills. Sports are moving to the social media realm at an incredibly fast pace. Many current industry executives are lagging on social media trends and since younger professionals are more versed, they are being hired to help their company’s social media presence. This skill was emphasized as a potential differentiator to break into the sports industry or creative a competitive advantage in your current job.

2. Sports Job Tips on a Global Scale

Another aspect that was greatly emphasized throughout the entire conference was that sports are becoming an increasingly global enterprise. In the United States, we often think that there are only four major sports that matter to fans and consumers. This is simply not the case. We often fail to recognize sports that are dominant in the international sector such as Futbol, Cricket, Formula 1 racing and Rugby just to name a few. There is enormous potential for brands and executives alike to capitalize on this relatively untapped market.

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About Holly Koski

Holly Koski is a Senior graduating in December from Indiana University majoring in Sports Marketing & Management. As the Sports Networker Marketing Intern, she is responsible for managing the Sports Networker Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages while promoting Sports Networker content through various online marketing strategies.

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