How we closed a deal with Panda Express 🐼
Good morning. I told you we had a big deal coming
I spend a lot of time talking about the importance of "brand alignment" and "authentic story" for sponsorship deals. While these are the foundation there is another element that is required. And that is pure grit and perseverance.
Yesterday we finally announced the sponsorship signing of our client Alexander Massialas with the beloved global restaurant chain Panda Express. This unique partnership will feature Alexander hosting a national tour of fencing camps with Panda Express as the premiere sponsor. The Massialas Fencing Tour Powered by Panda Express kicks off in a few weeks with stops all over the country.
This deal was a wild one. I looked back at the CRM notes and it took 117 emails, 4 zoom meetings and 2 formal presentations to bring this to a close. Alex was a trooper, taking numerous photos of himself dining out at various Panda Express locations and sending them my way for collateral. It truly was a team effort between client and agent.
We also had to demonstrate tremendous patience and perseverance as we waited out a near 12 month delay due to the pandemic last year. Trust me, that was not easy mentally.
It just makes this deal that much more special.
To all my fellow sales folks reading right now, here are two things to remember:
"No" doesn't hurt. So don't be afraid of hearing it.
Someone who is persistent and polite is nearly impossible to say no to.
Now let's go find some more deals (they are out there waiting for you) and knock these next few weeks out of the park
- Cejih
OTHER BIG NEWS THIS WEEK:
Kieran Smith named to All-SEC First Team.
Johnny Quinn served as the Master of Ceremonies for Dallas Builders Association's 43rd Annual McSAM Awards.
Roșie Brennan finished 3rd at a NordicX ski event in Anchorage.
P.S. Nervous about missing upcoming news from CG Sports? Follow us on Instagram (@cgsportsco), Facebook (CG Sports Management), and, of course, our weekly newsletter.
McKenzie Coan & Colleen Young
U.S. Paralympics Swimming has announced the roster for the 2022 Para World Swimming Championships, scheduled for June in Madeira, Portugal. McKenzie Coan and Colleen Young are among 25 athletes named to Team USA's roster.
See the full roster here.
Cierra's blog gets 1,000 views in under 24 hours
Are you all caught up on "Burd's Word?" Cierra Burdick recently published a new blog post, titled "Whirlwind in the W Pt. 1," about her time in the WNBA and the whirlwind that has been a part of her career.
Stay tuned for Pt. 2!
James Green
The newest USA Wrestling coach, James Green, joins David Mirikitani on a new episode of "Mat Chat." On the episode, Green talks about his new position as USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Development Coach and the transition into coaching.
Contact List Specialization
Once you've collected a lengthy contact list, the next step is to hone in on engagement. Hopefully, you are providing value from the start and maintain it - but the reality is that is not always the case. You may have subscribers who joined to get that free PDF, but haven't opened a message since. Here are some tricks to boosting that open rate:
Provide an opportunity exclusive to the newsletter.
Tag your audiences based on how they joined, and send out targeted emails based on their chosen platform and the purpose behind their subscription.
Analyze time and location that your audience opens emails - schedule campaigns around that! That also gives more insight into the type of people you're targeting and how you can phrase posts and emails.
Add an opt-in button or quiz within your email that requires a click or a scroll to the bottom of the email.
Watch the snowball effect come into play!
When presenting, bring your own ideas to the table
I recently gave an athlete sponsorship presentation to the head of PR at a major restaurant chain. The purpose of the meeting was for me to present a few ideas on how they could get the most ROI from their sponsorship with our client.
To really make this a 'low' pressure meeting, the head of PR opened it up with this exact line: "We've worked with athlete ambassadors in the past. Some with millions of followers. It's been 'okay'. What can you present to me that is different from what we've already done?"
How's THAT for getting you to think on your feet!
Here are a few tips to incorporate into your next sponsorship presentation:
Prepare a few original ideas.
Smile while you present.
Initiate the follow-up and secure the next meeting.
Triathlete Mindset is now available for purchase! Swim, bike, and run your way to this inspirational book by Morgon Latimore!
Mendi CBD
Mendi is on a mission: to help people thrive naturally. Mendi launched in 2019 as a solution to help individuals live their best pain-free life without over-the-counter drugs and addictive prescriptions.
Mendi has created products to help millions of active people feel their best and not be held back by poor sleep, stress, or pain. Using the power of plant-based ingredients, unique blends, and high-quality hemp products, Mendi is redefining what's possible to help you feel your best.
VisitMendi's websitefor a full list of available products.
A collection of the CG Sports Teams’ favorite random news of the week.
Swimming: The qualifying times for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris have been released.
NFL: Miami Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips joins VERB Kind to mentor incarcerated children.
NFL: The Washington Commanders have strongly denied any financial misconduct in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission.
NBA: Kyle Irving has been fined $50,000 for flipping off several Boston Celtics fans during Game 1.
NHL: Scoring averages are up - NHL players, coaches, and execs weigh in.
Champion's Mojo
There are a LOT of podcasts available to listen to these days, so in between new episodes, we wanted to help you choose your next listen. (You didn’t ask for our advice, but we wanted to offer it anyway.) Are you ready to invest more joy in your life? This flashback episode’s special guest is Jeff Commings -- an author, broadcast personality and elite swimmer. Commings talks about how he has learned to find joy in the life in front of him and avoid feelings of negativity or missing out. He gives advice for listeners to feel energized about all areas of life, including making exercise a priority.
Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com.
