The Fundamentals of Sports Media and Sponsorship Sales: Developing New Accounts

by David J. Halberstam, Dr. Bernie Mullin (Foreword by)

Overview

The Fundamentals of Sports Media and Sponsorship Sales: Developing New Accounts is a tutorial in narrative form that provides practical step-by-step instruction on how to develop new sports sponsors and advertisers. There's guidance covering the gamut from getting organized, identifying prospects, preparing for the first conversation, commanding the room when presenting a proposal and closing a piece of business. PricewaterhouseCooper forecasts media rights and sponsorship will grow to $37 billion annually by 2018. In 2009, sponsorship and sports media rights produced just north of $20 billion. In today's general environment of restrained growth, sports revenue continues to outpace the expansion of many mainstream industries. Sales are the backbone of support for both these revenue sources. Because of these projections, there will be an accelerated need to find and train best-in-class sports sellers. But sports sellers don't have it easy. There are enough emotional challenges to weaken the resolve of even the best salespeople. As such, the text is chock-full of motivational suggestions and stimulating success stories. The book provides counseling to help sellers maintain their emotional equanimity through the crucibles that they tackle regularly. There are chapters on what sellers can learn from great leaders and many tips and tricks to get through gatekeepers and other obstacles. There are also interviews with some major marketing and advertising executives who share their views on a variety of subjects including how new sports sponsorship opportunities are best presented to them and what they consider to be both helpful and annoying behavior by sellers. Whether it's the chief marketing officer of Wal-Mart or the sponsorship head of MasterCard, the guidance they share is precious. The last chapter covers inspiring cold call successes including the three greatest in sports history; the sale of the naming rights to Barclays for the arena in Brooklyn, the NASCAR sale to Nextel for the naming rights to its cup series and most recently, the multi-million dollar sale by a relative newcomer to the business to Moda Health, covering the naming rights to the Rose Garden in Portland. As a result of this achievement, the seller, Uzma Rawn, was selected to Forbes' top 30 under 30 in the sports space.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780692488409
Publisher:	BookBaby
Publication date:	03/15/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	378
Sales rank:	527,421
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

David J. Halberstam has a long career in sports media sales and management. He spent ten years at Westwood One where he was promoted to EVP, Sports. Westwood One is among the top three national radio networks in America. The company has rights to the NFL, the NCAA Tournament and Masters. Previously, he was Director of Corporate Sales for the Miami Heat. In recent years, he's run Halby Group, a consultancy where he's worked with DirecTV, MLB Network, ESPN Radio and other media entities to develop sponsorship business. The Fundamentals of Sports Media and Sponsorship Sales: Developing New Accounts is his second book. The first, Sports on New York Radio: A Play-by-Play History, was published in 1999 (McGraw Hill/Masters Press). It was reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Crain's New York, New York Daily News and noted by the New York Times. It has also been frequently referenced by authors, newspapers and radio talk show hosts. The author has also written articles and columns on sales, sports broadcasting and sports history for publications like USA Today, LA Times, Yahoo Sports, SportsIllustrated.com, Bleacher Report, New York Daily News, Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and SportsBusiness Journal. He has also been a play-by-play basketball radio announcer for many years; Miami Heat of the NBA, St. John's University Basketball on WCBS and WFAN, New York and Westwood One Radio Network nationally.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Dr. Bernie Mullin graces the title with a stirring narrative that captures the importance of developing new business. Dr. Mullin is one of the few sports executives who have achieved glittering success on both sides of the business: as an academician, serving as a pioneering professor at the University of Massachusetts, and as a practitioner, holding lofty positions at NBA headquarters and later as president of the Atlanta Hawks. Mullin's foreword addresses the importance of growing sponsorship revenue in the coming years by regularly landing new corporate partners.

Preface xv

David Halberstam comments on recent action, stymieing cold callers, (e.g., JPMorgan and Coca-Cola shutting down voicemail). Yet, he points out, it is more difficult to stifle the determined seller who finds alternative ways to get through to prospects. Halberstam acknowledges some of the pioneers of sports sponsorship sales and the early leaders who set the stage for spiraling success.

Introduction xix

The stage is set by recognizing the contribution of sellers to the growth of the American economy and the critical role that cold callers play every day. Yes, there's some fun cold calling and there's certainly an unequaled sense of satisfaction when nailing down a new piece of business, but be prepared for the painstaking daily grind that the effort requires. Cold calling comes in a variety of forms, from hard core selling to Dodgers' announcer Vin Scully knocking on doors in the neighborhood to collect charity. Because sports sponsorships and media rights are projected by PricewaterhouseCoopers to enjoy healthy growth in the next decade, hungry sellers will be in demand for the foreseeable future.

1 Qualifications Required to Succeed as a Sports Seller 1

Before you embark, ask yourself if you have the stomach and desire, the nose of where to go to chase business, and whether you are committed to the critical organizational requirements needed to succeed?

2 Getting a Job in Sports Media and Sponsorships 17

How do you go about getting interviews and being relevant in the job market? How do you prepare for an interview? Where do you seek a job, and how do you differentiate yourself from others? What not to do when pursuing a job. Inspirational, successful and unique stories of job seekers are also reviewed.

3 Organizational Systems That Sports Sellers Must Follow 31

Committing to good organizational practices early in sales careers is essential because account activity is fluid. This important chapter provides detailed instruction on how to remain vigilantly on top of things. The benefits of CRM (customer relationship management) now being used by so many sales organizations are also addressed.

4 How to Identify Prospects 63

How to train your mind, eyes and ears to glean leads. Learn to match core competencies of the product you're selling with prospects' needs. The importance of reading, from the local business pages to Barron's. Think creatively and practically. How to identify new industries nationally that potentially suit sports sponsorships. What new local businesses moving into your area will benefit from a partnership with your local team?

5 Preparing to Contact New Prospects 87

Never pick up the phone or send an email before you're prepared. What to do before reaching prospects. Because clients want to buy from experts, not sellers, how to use social media to grow your credentials. Examples of account preparation from companies like FedEx, Microsoft, Discover Card and others.

6 Your First Conversation with the Prospect 131

What to say, how to say it. Be mindful of your goal: you're trying to get a face-to-face appointment. Suggested techniques and exercises. Critical importance of listening. Breaking barriers of unwillingness and dealing with silence on the other end of the phone.

7 Making the In-Face Presentation 157

Prepare psychologically. What to include, what to bring with you, how to dress and what to do if the prospect isn't there when you show up. How to command a room. How to motivate a room and galvanize a group of functionaries.

8 Overcoming Objections and Rejection 187

Dealing with the emotional roller coaster. Overcome adversity on tough days. Understand that failure and rejection are a prelude to success. Not allowing setbacks to temper your enthusiasm. A sampling of the many who've overcome rejection, from Oprah Winfrey and Frank Gehry to Michael Jordan and Christopher Columbus, from Dr. Seuss and Gil Hodges to FedEx and ESPN.

9 Learning from a Wide Range of Leaders 217

From the pope to Yogi Berra, from President Clinton to Commissioner David Stern, from Benny Goodman to Warren Buffett and from Phil Jackson to Peyton Manning, glean and learn. It will make you a better cold call seller.

10 Halby's Tricks, Tips and Snippets of Helpful Information 243

A potpourri of broad and situational advice, from building trust to getting through gatekeepers, how to use scanned articles or handwritten notes, being careful about building trust and not betraying confidences. The devil is in the detail. Don't take the Visa client to lunch and pay with your MasterCard.

11 Anecdotal Experiences 281

Interesting experiences in the sales trenches, breaking barriers and being disarming. Walking in cold on a chief marketing officer and fostering a multimillion dollar sale. How a unique seller commanded a room in the most charming of ways.

12 Great Cold Calling Sports Sponsorship Success Stories 297

Inspirational cold calling stories of sellers who converted soft variables into millions in cash, including famous naming rights deals like Nextel/NASCAR, Moda for Rose Garden in Portland and Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Additionally, there are stories of how cold callers landed deals for Wise Potato Chips at Citi Field, Aaron Rentals for naming rights to the Talladega racetrack, women-targeted Reynolds Wrap for the Yankees radio broadcasts and many other heartwarming success stories.