I am proud to have worked in college and professinal sports and attribute much of my success not only to experience, but to my education.

I have a deep appreciation for other \”specialized\” degrees and would never stoop so low as to name call.

As they say…\”differnt strokes for different folks.\”

As for me…I\’ll continue to hold my head up high, speak with a stong voice and be proud to represent one of over 200 sport management programs in this great county of ours.

I know, cliche. But it seems to be the underlying, if unspoken, attitude of a majority of the “sales” type people I’ve ever met.

Content/assets/product do not exist in a vacuum. The salesperson breathes life into it, embodies it, engages it intellectually and emotionally, strives for its absolute success – yet at the same time acts as the devil’s advocate, and creatively seeks ways to take it to the next level. Sometimes “thinking outside the box” means dismantling the product conceptually and reassembling it…piece by piece. By conceptually, I mean in terms of ideology, culture, function, psychology, etc. It’s a process of stripping the product down to its essence – and then building it back up.

So I submit that the core of selling is not presentation, but creativity. A great salesperson IS a creator. And the best creators know how to sell their own work.

As they say in the entertainment business, content and distribution go hand in hand.

Crap , and here I tought I could go and play for the Mavs for my third comeback to the game , guess I will have to seek out another Team.

signed : Michael Jordan.
( its a joke )

One reality people seem to forget is : if you dont ask for it you will never get it. ( anyone know of the new Michael Jordan nobody knows about ? ( BTW Michael whas a very poor player until is last years of college , did not made the team and all … )

also : Never close your door for opportunity , you never ever know who will come knocking.

And if Mark Cuban and all is company are not hiring today , it must be the end of the world ? Or its because of the Bad US economy , if your not hiring , its “REALLY” bad.

the best salesman is not trying to get your money or to sell you what you whant but what you need.

Admit it , you like a real salesman when he is working for you , you hate a real salesman when you bought something from him which you dont need or dont fit your need or use at all.

Thats my take and its free , feel free to disagree

I have a degree in Radio/TV/Film production, and have long wanted to get into either sports or entertainment production. So what do you do? Well, I have a background in sales, and I currently work for a consulting firm that sells SALES TRAINING to Radio/TV/Cable stations and markets.

Mark, I’m so glad you said avoid the sports marketing degree. Does that also mean, avoid an MBA in Sports and Entertainment? Not to mention any local Dallas schools, but a certain one that the Mavericks actually have done promotion for and provided a scholarship opportunity for, is exactly what you are saying to avoid!

And as far as sales goes, I think I know why people are moving more and more away from it, even though it is the most important job in the system. If you are the most important job in the company, then why is the position often treated like the worst job? Sales people are looked down on more and more. I know this is not so for all companies, but when you look at retail, or even Radio/TV, they are the conduit through which revenue flows, yet they are the first to be put down!

I left my last sales job, because of this reason. Also because they could never get the sales commission structure right. How motivated would you be to sell, if you are worried when you will ever see the commission check? Or the rules constantly change? Sometimes, it is a simple matter of stability. I needed to know I was going to be able to pay my bills!

So I completely agree. Sales and management from a sales perspective, is the fastest way to get your foot in the door at any company. And thank you from saving me from going to a particular college, and wasting my time getting an MBA in a program that won’t help me.

As silly as it might sound, I have held the ideal of working in production or management with the Mavericks as the measure of where I want to be. I think to myself, if I wanted to work for the Mavericks organization, what do I need to do to get in the door?

So I guess I was mistaken thinking and MBA in Sports and Entertainment management would be great addition.

so where to go from here? More production experience? More sales? What kind of chance do I have of getting out of the sales department and getting into a decision making role would I have? Every company says they will promote from within, but how big of a leap is it to go from sales to production? Or Sales to facility management?

Riddle me that, Mark….

If your meaning was an unintentional diss on my profession, be more clear next time.

About the selling, that’s one thing that is constantly reinforced throughout all the schooling I’ve had. I currently go to Sullivan University in Louisville, KY. I’m a Culinary Arts major, and someday hope to be a personal or team chef for an NBA player or team. The one thing all my teachers have told me is to sell yourself and your product. My product being my craft, myself being someone you would trust to cook your meals.

A second is, how would I even begin to get started in this buisness? I applied to go to the NBA team jobs fair that was in Indy last year, but couldn’t go do to a family emergency.
Another question I have from a fellow IU fan is if you think Davis will be dropped after this year. All I hear is that when he took them to the championship against Maryland a few years back, that that was fluke of the century. Thoughts?