Archive for February, 2009

MEDIA SHY

Friday, February 27th, 2009

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There are many coaches and athletes out there who are absolutely brilliant at what they do on the pitch but when it comes to media they don’t want to know about it. These people can be a real challenge for managers and sport administrators. The fact is that if you’re in a high profile sport that generates enormous income from broadcasters, advertisers, sponsors and fans and you are being rewarded appropriately because of the money that sport brings in then you have an obligation to the media, like it or not. The media aren’t always fair, they aren’t always kind and they may even have hidden agendas from time to time, but they are a crucial cog in the money making machine that sport is. No coverage = less interest from fans = less interest from sponsors = less advertising dollars = pay cut for you the athlete.

While I’m on the subject, it’s amazing how many sports stars shun the media when competing only to look for job opportunities in the media when they retire?? Everyone has parts of their job they don’t like, media can be one of those for athletes but that doesn’t mean you can ignore it. In future posts I will comment on the how to deal with it part.

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The Yes Men

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Managing athletes can be a delicate game sometimes. You have a star client and that person is crucial to your business, they bring in the big dollars and give you credibility in the marketplace. A lot of managers play a game of “keeping the client happy”. These type of managers are “yes men” and unfortunately they never make the tough decisions or have the hard conversations with their client(s).

If I’m an athlete I want my manager to be someone who is going to tell it like it is, who isn’t afraid to speak up to me when I’m being pompous or making bad decisions that will affect my commercial value in the marketplace. I saw the recent Britney Spears documentary and she talked about having “yes men” constantly around her, however she did mention one person who gives it to her straight. Guess who she respects and trusts the most?

Athletes and celebrities employ managers for a reason, managers know best, they have experience, they’re job is to raise the profile of their client, align them with good sponsors and guide them along a strategy that is in the best interests of the client. So athletes, let your manager do their job and managers, be candid with your clients, if this means showing tough love, then so be it, the athlete will respect and trust you a lot more then those yes men.

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Posted in Client Relationship | 2 Comments »

R&D for Athlete Managers

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

In the world of athlete management, your products are the athletes you represent and your customers are the sponsors.

Sponsors will not only pay top dollar for the best products but they will often come to you. On the other hand, lesser valued products won’t attract the same money and attention and you will need to burn an enormous amount of time and energy to make a sale.

At the end of the day, athlete managers are only as good as the talent they represent. This sounds harsh and unfair, but the reality is that sponsors look at the product (the athlete) as opposed to the company behind the product (the manager/agency). You can have the best customer service, the good track record, and all the contacts in the industry, but if you don’t have a product the market wants then you are going to struggle.

This offers an even playing field for athlete managers and agencies. So while other agencies are concentrating on sales and servicing, why don’t you try delegating more of your time and resources to the acquisition of outstanding talent. It will pay in the long run.

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Coaches Corner

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

It’s often said that managing athletes is all about personal relationships. There’s your relationship with the athlete, the athlete’s parents, the athlete’s partner, the lifelong mentor, the best friend, the list goes on. But one relationship that is sometimes undervalued but often critical is your relationship with the athlete’s coach. The coach is the one person who is in the trenches with the athlete daily. They know what makes them tick, they know how to motivate them and often the athlete will rely on them for life advice. They’re job is to get the best out of the athlete. As an athlete manager, this is also your job from a commercial perspective, you need the athlete to perform in front of media and sponsors when required. A strong, open and honest relationship with the coach of your client will help you learn more about the the individual you represent and makes things
like scheduling appearances around training diaires so much easier. On the contrary, a bad relationship with the coach can be a nightmare for a manager. Coaches may come and go, you might not like all of them, but respect each one and do your best to develop a healthy and productive relationship. If you can do this, then don’t be surprised when that same coach years later recommends you as the manager for their next young prodigy.

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Posted in Client Relationship, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Sweat the Small Stuff, It Matters

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Many athletes sign a sponsorship deal and then sit back and wait for the sponsor to leverage the relationship. The contract says you must do XYZ, so naturally you do XYZ. This might include shooting a TV commercial, attending a signing session with fans or schmoozing with clients. The athlete is fulfilling their duty to the sponsor so everyone’s happy right? Well not always. As in life, to be successful you must go above and beyond what is expected of you. Sponsorship is no different. Forget the big photoshoot, the TVC, and the lavish corporate hospitality, those things are all expected of an athlete, after all it’s in the contract. What is not in the contract is the small stuff that makes a huge difference. I’m talking about the athlete who takes the time to find out the CEO’s birthday and then sends him/her a personal card on the day. The athlete who turns up to the head office with a hamper for the staff, the athlete who sends their sponsor tickets to watch them compete, the athlete who sends their sponsor a signed memorabilia piece, the athlete who stays a bit longer at an appearance, the athlete who asks questions / takes an interest in the lives of those who sponsor them. It’s simple stuff but it never happens, so when it does, sponsors fall off their chair. They remember and care about these little things more than the athlete can ever imagine. I’ve seen cases (they are rare) when an athlete retires and fades from the public eye, their brand no longer warrants the dollars they are paid, yet the sponsor hangs on. I think you know why. Sweat the small stuff.

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Enter the Cage

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

I recently noticed that Mixed Martial Arts has been legalised in NSW.

Sport Minister Kevin Greene was quoted as saying “They’re here to stay (the sport) and on that basis it’s important for the Government to set some rules.”

There is no denying the popularity of MMA on a global scale, pay per view numbers are up, crowds are up and mainstream brands such as Burger King in the US are starting to get involved.

“But its blood thirsty human cockfighting,” I hear you say, well maybe but the sport’s popularity has a lot do with the crowd MMA attracts. We’re talking the very lucrative male 18-34 demographic. Whether you love it or hate it, MMA brings extremely passionate fans through the door and captures millions of eyeballs through broadcasting and social media (go figure).

There are a few Australian promoters starting to pop up such as CFC. So if you’re a brand in that space, then you should at least have a look, as they say, you’ve got to go where the crowd is. And as the Sports Minister said, it’s here to stay.

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Posted in Sponsorship | 4 Comments »