NY Liberty - SVP, Advertising Sales


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The Advertising Sales department in the sports business is significant because it is one of the leading ways in which the team generates revenue. Convincing corporate executives to use a particular type of advertising with a team such as The Liberty takes a combination of a winning product and a good sales technique. The Senior Vice President in charge of Advertising Sales needs to oversee the advertising department. It is his or her responsibility to establish and prioritize sales goals so that the team has a significant client base. In other words, he or she must see that a lot of advertising is sold for the team. To do this job effectively, one has to know the product, or team, thoroughly and understand the demographics of the fan base. Who is watching the games? Who is coming out to see the team? Is this team going to be a winner soon and will they be packing in the fans or are they building to full houses and a championship in two or three years? These are among the many questions that need to be addressed in this high-ranking position.

Neil Davis is the Senior Vice President for Advertising Sales for the Liberty. He works hard to develop and maintain relationships with existing and new advertisers. Prior to games, he reads up on both the Liberty and their opponents to stay on top of the latest information. He also studies the industry, which in this case is the sports business.

Davis began his career interning at an advertising agency while in college and working during the summer as a cabana boy at a beach and tennis club. "This taught me how to deal with people on a daily basis who were adults" says Davis of this early interaction. He then worked in the media department of an advertising agency and as an account executive for a newspaper rep firm that represented over 150 daily newspapers. These job experiences taught him sales techniques, how to interact with clients, and a lot about the advertising business.

Studying and subsequently knowing your industry, being a hard worker, managing people and having honesty and integrity are among the characteristics Davis points to as significant for this type of position. "Subscribe to sports magazines, intern in sports during high school or college and go to the library and research information about the sports business," recommends Davis.

An understanding of the sports business, a firm belief in the team and the ability to deal with a wide range of personalities are attributes that might put you into the world of advertising sales for a professional team.