PhD Style on Sponsorships, Sales, & Branding
This weeks guest comes from sunny Miami Florida aka Hurricane Country. Windy Dees is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Sponsorship at the University of Miami. It's not every day you have the opportunity to speak with a PhD, especially one in your field.
So thankful Windy took a few minutes of her time to share her expertise on sales, promotions, and sponsorship. Entry level jobs in sport, usually fall under the sales and promotions umbrella. It's difficult finding valuable resources for those entering the sports industry (entry level). Most topics are geared toward mid-level professionals.
N.C: What is one tip or piece of advice you would give an entry level individual in sports sales/promotion/sponsorship?
W. D. Don’t stop networking after you land your job, particularly in sales. Any type of sport sales position (Tickets/Sponsorships/Development) is ultimately about building and sustaining relationships. People who like and trust you will do the most business with you over time. One of the best ways to build a strong relationship is to not base everything on selling. Communicate with your customers even when it’s not about money.
I want to highlight one sentence above. "Communicate with your customers even when it's not about money." This is so important. Humans sense authenticity. Speaking to people only when it is about money and sales is a turn-off . Take a genuine interest in every person you come in contact.You will separate yourself from other sales professionals if you communicate with customers in non-sales situations.
Consumers are inundated with branding all day long. You have at most, 10 seconds to grab someones attention. How do you do that? Windy explains.
N.C . What is one thing a small business or individual can do to improve their brand and market attraction?
W.D.: To build a strong brand in today’s global, digital world, you must be authentic and differentiate yourself. Brands, like people, are attractive when they are genuine and do not seem overtly persuasive or pushy. You also need to have a unique quality or characteristic that defines your brand and separates you from the masses. That ‘It Factor’ makes consumers gravitate to you. The best brands are the ones who have a compelling story and tell it in a way that makes people want to become part of it.
What is different about your brand? What makes it unique? Powerful brands are able to communicate in authentic ways, telling their story to the world. Windy discusses the "It Factor." This is when consumers gravitate to you and your company. Your company must be able to communicate it's story if it is going to thrive in the 21st century. Follow Wendy on Twitter at @getdeetstweets
