Brands, brands, brands.

Sales in any industry is tough but sales in the sports world is particularly challenging. With a flailing economy, the constant “sorry, we have no room to stock any more brands” and goodness only knows how many of your competitors all chasing the same deal, life as a sales person for any sporting brand is incredibly hard.

We all know that this industry is one of the most seasonal out there, short of festive decorations. As soon as the sun comes out, everyone wants to be outside, getting fit and having fun, so your sales team must be on top of their game during this short period of time to ensure every opportunity is maximised. Unless you’re a winter sports brand, the winter is less than fruitful for the vast majority.

Brands, brands, brands.

As a whole, the sports industry is going from strength to strength. What with last year’s Olympics, Andy’s victory at Wimbledon, our success at the Ashes and British teams storming the championship in F1 – sports are high on our agenda as a nation. These wins and national coverage have only served to bolster the industry, inspiring thousands to pull up their socks, don their sports gear and dig out the equipment that has been gathering dust for years under the stairs.

But (and there is always a but…) sales for any sports brand can be an uphill struggle. Some products will be a one off purchase, where others will be a consistent, repeat purchase. Take your newest range of road bikes. Retailers won’t be buying these every week; whereas your latest protein bar or golf balls will be purchased regularly. For this exact reason, you need to ensure the sales people that are representing your brand are fully primed and able to close meetings in a professional and timely manner, with the right knowledge at their disposal.

Keeping track of which of your retailers have bought what, the additional lines they should be buying but aren’t and any opportunities there may be to sell more into these retailers is hard at the best of times. You’ll have endless reams of paper, your little black book of contacts, a car full of samples and Excel spreadsheets a mile long that your predecessor’s aunt’s brother put together and have now become customary amongst the team. A fast paced industry needs a flexible sales team that can keep up with any changes and is able to react readily to a customer or prospect’s needs.

With hundreds of brands producing competitive products, getting yours into that one retailer is a constant battle. Relationships, being prepared and having all the correct tools at your disposal are all key to success in an industry where competition is always fierce.

No one ever said sales would be an easy career choice, but we can make it simple.