10/05/2016
What Are the Duties of a Sports Agent?
Recruiting Athletes
Sports agents are often judged by the reputation and perceived value of their clients. Maintaining a roster of reliable athletes is the goal of every agent—although there are different strategies to achieve this outcome. High-powered agents may only recruit select athletes who possess high earning potential, while lesser-known firms may be open to representing scores of athletes who aren’t household names. Sports agents routinely research and make contact with prospective clients. Referrals from industry colleagues, agency assignments and cold calling are all recruitment methods. Agents must strike a balance between servicing their current clients and adding new clients to their rosters.
Negotiating Contracts
Sports agents deal with team ownership and potential endorsers on behalf of their clients. They make ongoing recommendations based on their formal knowledge, client preferences, market trends and their gut instincts. Since contract negotiations can be tense for clients, agents must stay reassuring and professional. Effective sports agents master the art of negotiation as it directly affects their own income. This is because agents are paid a percentage of their clients’ earnings. Failing to understand contract terms including pay disbursement conditions and clauses related to injury can lead to economic woes.
Managing Images
Public relations is an important duty of every sports agent. This is because revenue loss is inevitable when clients are entangled in controversy. Brands care about their reputations and will distance themselves from "bad-boy" behavior. Sports agents lose money when their athletes can’t secure deals because of poor images. They also lose money when their athletes violate personal conduct clauses of previously secured deals. Sports agents help their clients downplay controversies and draw attention to their charity
