Book Overview

The Fundamentals of Sports Media and Sponsorship Sales: Developing New Accounts is a first of its kind publication.

There's no such training book today, certainly one in granular detail. It's a cold calling step-by-step tutorial; covering where to start and how to close new business. It addresses the emotional roller coaster that new business sellers, whether rookies or veterans, face every day. The text provides guidance covering the gamut: from getting organized, identifying prospects, preparing for the first conversation, commanding the room when presenting a proposal, overcoming objections and dealing with rejection.

There are interviews with some twenty sponsors and advertisers who share their candid views on a variety of subjects including how new sports sponsorship opportunities are best presented to them and the code of communication they expect sellers to honor. Whether it's the chief marketing officer of Wal-Mart or the sponsorship head of MasterCard, the guidance that these highly placed executives share is precious.

Sports sellers don't have it easy. They're repeatedly shot down and they constantly deal with phone calls that are unreturned and emails that are unanswered. There are enough emotional challenges to weaken the resolve of the most determined seller. As such, the text is chock-full of motivational suggestions and stimulating success stories.

Cold calling is not only the soul and fiber of effective selling; it’s the lifeblood of sales success. Once landing their first jobs, budding sports media and sponsorship sellers invariably begin at the bottom rung, fighting in the trenches for new business.

The foreword is written by the esteemed and highly successful Dr. Bernie Mullin, whose career has sparkled as both a sport management academician and a senior team and league executive with the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks and Colorado Rockies.

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.

Effective cold calling in the sports space can be the springboard to heralded success and often riches!