There are many skills needed to be a successful marketing director in the sports world. After referencing some job descriptions and people in the sports industry, the seven skills I found to be most important are:
Organizational Skills- Must have strong ability to organize material and personnel while maintaining attention to detail.
Written/Oral Communication Skills- Effectively present information and answer questions from clients, managers and the general public. Also, the ability to persuade and listen to others ideas is essential.
Computer Skills- Should know how to use several different computer applications (i.e. internet, Excel, PowerPoint). Should be able to keep records and develop databases.
Creative Thinking- Must possess the ability to think “outside of the box” and keep marketing schemes constantly new and appealing. Develop new angles that produce favorable results.
Resistance to Stress- Must be able to stay composed and handle stressful situations. Marketing Director cannot get easily discouraged and must stay focused on the goals at hand.
Highly Motivated- Must have a desire to improve team/company to its full potential. Must be able to keep clients happy and go the extra mile to ensure satisfaction and complete tasks efficiently.
Leadership- Must be able to effectively lead a team/group to achieve goals. Even when authority to lead is not granted, a marketing director should be able to persuade and negotiate in order to successfully accomplish a task.
These seven skills are vital to a marketing director’s success and should be strived for in the learning process of becoming a marketing director. As a marketing director in the fast paced world of sports, he/she should also be able to adapt to the ever-changing trends of the market and be able to learn quickly.
