My experience in the sports business is that January is easily the most polarizing month of the year for most executives. On the positive end, it’s the time of year where we dream big and think of what’s possible. We think of what we’ll achieve. What we’ll create.

This is a marvelous exercise for both younger and seasoned executives alike.

On the opposite end, it’s also the time of year where we get buried in routine. Catching up on emails, plans and other tasks that are essential to our roles and responsibilities but also weigh us down.

Team executives talk all the time about the fan experience.

As part of their rhetoric, they routinely stress the importance of being “at the game” as a cornerstone of their sales strategy and messaging.

While these talking points provide a proven foundation for any team looking to put “butts in seats,” I was reminded this week of another element that team executives would be wise to add to their repertoire: “the fun experience.”

G’day!

In my mind, the most “fun” part of working in the sports industry is the simple joy of enjoying the ride. Taking a step back and looking back in the rear view mirror a bit to understand where you’ve been and where you’re going.

One of my mentors Roland Hemond of the Arizona Diamondbacks says it even better when he proclaims, “Enjoy the moment!”

Can’t agree more.

For me, today is one of those days to truly enjoy the moment as we never know where the journey of working in sports will take you.

Today, my journey is taking me to Australia.

Fun Is Good Friday is all about having fun but it’s also about showing that fun can be serious business. As you know, we’ve been taking questions from The Migala Report followers through the hashtag #AskVeeck to ask the guru, godfather and master of fun in the sports business, Mike Veeck a question or two.

We’re in the process of finalizing the postings for the video but in the spirit of celebrating all the “good” that come in our business from having “fun,” I’d thought I’d share a little nugget that Mike told me this past week.

Throughout your life, you have probably heard the phrase, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  The key is to remember that this holds true not only in your personal life, but also in the world of sponsorships. 
 
I am a sponsorship rep for a big brand. I can tell you that the vast majority of the thousands of unsolicited requests for sponsorship we receive each year are declined.  Regardless of whether or not you find this surprising, I thought it best to be honest and offer a sneak peek into how it really works.
 

I am going to do something that I have never done before. No, it is not giving a presentation without PowerPoint which is an accomplishment in itself because it is so much easier for me to not fail by reading off a piece of paper but I am not afraid to fail.
I am going to use the next hour to share with you the one piece of knowledge on marketing success that changed my entire business life. I am doing this because I want to help each of you to learn from my experience and strengthen your future abilities to help your teams generate more sponsorship revenues.