Sports Jobs in Sales

Career: Jobs in Sales

Products and services do not sell themselves. To celebrate sales success, you need well thought-out sales/marketing strategies and committed employees. In sales management, the spectrum of tasks ranges from sales planning to direct customer meetings.

Sales employees almost always need a double qualification. On the one hand, they must be familiar with the specific products and market conditions, i.e. have specialist expertise in their sector, the sports business. On the other hand, they need commercial know-how to make sure that the calculation works out in the end.

Both qualifications are of little use without a healthy business sense and loyalty to one's employer. Thanks to appropriate employment contracts in sales, an increase in sales and profits is usually reflected in the employee's own wallet. This strengthens loyalty.

Sales jobs - the right qualifications

If you are looking for a sales job in the sports industry, there are several ways to get started. A degree in sports economics, which combines technical and commercial knowledge, is ideal. However, a classic degree in economics is also conceivable, possibly with a specialization in the area of sales & marketing in the master's program.

If sports play a role in the private sector, this is an advantage for business administration graduates in particular. The applicant can later orient himself/herself in the direction of his/her main sport, and the practical experience closes any gaps in sports theory. In any case, it is best to be convincing in sales - internally and with the customer - if the sales employee knows the products from personal experience.

Sales needs communicative skills

The sale of sporting goods is emotionally driven. "Fair play" plays just as important a role as customer loyalty to specific clubs or brands. Sales managers in the sports sector have to be able to respond quickly to their customers' wishes, which requires the ability to listen and process information quickly. Only those who, regardless of the sales channel, approach potential customers openly and are able to convince them personally will be successful in sales.

One of the most important qualities in sales with direct customer contact is authenticity. Anyone who only appears as a walking advertising mouthpiece will be stuck with the best product.

Marketing and sales strategies

The job descriptions in sales and marketing often do not have a clear dividing line. Basically, the smaller the company, the more overlap there will be. Thus, the sales area can even be seen as a sub-area of marketing: The marketing plan forms the "superstructure" and thus also determines the key data in sales / distribution.

In the large sports company, this will be different in the sales job. Here, the long-term brand establishment comes more to the fore in Marketing, which creates a desire for the product on the part of the customer. The sales department, on the other hand, concentrates on optimizing sales channels and on actual product sales.

Small but mighty

There is much debate about the interlocking or separation of sales and marketing. One thing is certain: Before applying for a job in sales, it is worth paying attention to the size of the respective sports company. It has an influence on the subsequent job. The effect is not that in a large company there are simply more employees doing the same job. There is a specialization that involves a greater separation of sales and marketing. Anyone who wants to gain an insight into the overall process should therefore tend to join a small or medium-sized company. There are offers for this throughout Germany.