Ten Important Skills for Sponsorship Sales

I am oftentimes motivated to write blogs based on personal experiences … this is one of those times. I’ll skip any clever attempt at a setup and get right to the point.

Selling sports sponsorship (properly) is done with a set of important skills that ultimately result in a measurable benefit to all parties involved. To put this less succinctly … it’s important that both the seller and the buyer understand how to craft a sports sponsorship that will work in the favor of the company that it is investing in it and the sports entity that is selling said sponsorship assets. (in that order)

Everyone tracking thus far?

The importance of this has never been more evident. This is because the need for revenue has never been more pronounced. The cost of media rights, player contracts, as well as general operating costs have resulted in the critical need for more capital. This applies to both college and professional sports.

Fortunately, this has coincided with greater engagement from consumers.

Hence, opportunity.

Let’s look at some important skills that a sports sponsorship seller should possess. As much as I’d like to skip the obvious, I won’t. If anything, it’s a good reminder for all of you good people in the industry. For students, former students, or anyone pursuing a career in the industry, this should be a roadmap for you that, if you heed it, you will have your best chance to succeed.

I was going to say that these are in no particular order … and then they weren’t.

Here are the attributes that are important for someone to succeed in selling sports sponsorships:

1. 1. Intelligence – I won’t differentiate between book smart and ‘street smart’ here, only because they are of equal value. Consider this one foundational.
   2. Listening skills – Note that I didn’t say speaking skills.
   3. An understanding of marketing and how it works. Yes, you sell, but you really shouldn’t. You should use your assets to help your sponsor with their marketing efforts…there’s a difference.
   4. Personality – This helps you to develop relationships with your clients. Having a personality also may help you to attract friends and or a life partner.
   5. Professional appearance – Let’s play a game. You have two people in which to do business with…one is wearing a hoodie with jeans, and the other is wearing a golf shirt with a sports coat with a nice pair of slacks. Who has more credibility?
   6. Energy/Enthusiasm – If I have to explain this, I want you to stop reading and follow this link to your future.
   7. Creativity – Having a creative mind makes you a better marketer, which makes you a better sports sponsorship salesperson.
   8. Resilience – ‘NO’ is the most common word in sports. You will get it from prospects, clients, friends, and life partners. It will also come from internal sources. Learn how to properly respond to NO.
   9. Be articulate – You’ll get fewer NO’s if you understand how to speak well. Just don’t speak too often … yeah, I said that.
   10. Life Balance – Selling sports sponsorship can be difficult. This is especially true now. Many people in the sports world act like their job saves lives. It doesn’t. Work hard, play harder.

OK, so that’s my rant. Full disclosure, I just needed to get this off my chest. I have been fortunate to work with some of the greatest sports sponsorship professionals in the business. This is just some of what I’ve learned from them over the past three decades.

Cue the validation:

Ed has bought, sold, and consulted on sports sponsorships for over 30 years. If you’re looking to learn more about how you can make your sponsorship investment more impactful or if you’d like Ed to review your partnership efforts, contact him at ed.olsen@linedrivesportsmarketing.com or call his cell at 602.284.6722