"SPORTFIVE was always the big player that everyone wanted to work for."
Published on
by Kristin Podewils
There are many career paths at SPORTFIVE. Katharina Smith dreamed of working for us even while she was studying business administration with a focus on sports, event and marketing management. After working for Dynamo Dresden, Hannover 96, Continental AG and Anschutz Entertainment Group, among others, her path finally led her to SPORTFIVE in 2016.
Since February 2023, Katharina Smith has been Senior Director of Direct Sales at SPORTFIVE Germany. In this interview, she reveals what her job entails, why there has never been a better time for women in sport, and how she manages to balance family and career.
In this Insight:
Katharina, what exactly is your role at SPORTFIVE?
I head up Direct Sales, SPORTFIVE Germany's ‘junior performance academy’, as we like to call it. Depending on requirements, we have between eight and twelve young talents in our team who spend a year getting to know SPORTFIVE's sales and DNA from the ground up: They receive comprehensive sales training from our internal coach Marcus Hoppe, who founded the department 18 years ago. They assist with hospitality and perimeter advertising sales, are at the stadium on match days and spend several weeks shadowing the teams at our partner clubs. This allows them to get to know the club team they will be joining after the year is up. My team members learn very quickly how things work there and whether it suits them. In addition, the managers on site can also better assess the potential new employee. This is a huge advantage for both sides, because after the 'transfer', colleagues can hit the ground running and work fully from day one.
The Direct Sales training year is truly unique in the sports industry. I am always proud when our young talents have convinced one of our teams and take the next step on the SPORTFIVE career ladder.
Katharina Smith heads up the Direct Sales Department at SPORTFIVE Germany
In your opinion, what qualities should young talents have for a career in sales?
Definitely strong communication skills and the empathy needed to approach customers. In addition, they must have the drive to sell – an inner motivation, so to speak. They also need a high level of self-motivation, a positive attitude and the perseverance and discipline to keep going when things aren't going so well. And in sales, you should of course enjoy working with people and interacting with them. With sport, we have a great, emotional product – it's quite different from selling a vacuum cleaner or an electricity connection. Every ‘cold’ call can be the beginning of a great long-term partnership – that's what we always tell our young talents.
At SPORTFIVE, we would like to get more women interested in sales. You have been working in the sports industry for more than 20 years. What advice would you give to women who are interested in a career in the sports business?
Self-confidence and a certain coolness and quick-wittedness certainly can't hurt in this male-dominated industry. There's a lot going on right now, and the momentum for women in the sports industry is definitely there.
I just think that a career in sports – in general – shouldn't be just for men. I was a competitive swimmer myself as a child, and my father and brother were professional footballers. Sport was always the focus and I have always loved watching football matches at the weekend. It simply didn't matter whether I was a girl or a boy. Of course, I did get the odd comment along the way. Looking back, some of it was awful and women needed to have a thick skin. Fortunately, that has changed.
In the summer, we had just as many women as men on our team – and that made such a difference. The spirit was completely different – how we interacted with each other, how we learned from each other: much more empathetic and understanding, less of a lone wolf mentality. Our male colleagues liked that too.
Our young talents are still quite young – in their mid-20s to early 30s. I can already see that they have a much greater awareness of equality. That makes me confident that progress is being made on this issue – also for my daughter.
A career in sport should not be just for men. There is so much happening right now, and the momentum for women in the sports industry is definitely there.
Katharina Smith
How did that work out in your career? You have a management position and two children.
In my previous positions, I was already managing large projects and clients as a senior manager. After my parental leave and a move, I started at SPORTFIVE as an assistant because I really wanted to get back into the sports industry. Looking back, I wouldn't do that again. I quickly realised that the tasks weren't right for me and took on additional responsibilities in event organisation and hospitality marketing. I repeatedly made it clear that I wanted more – and was lucky to have colleagues and superiors who recognised my potential and supported me. I have almost always worked full-time – juggling family and job only works thanks to flexible working hours and the trust of my superiors.
And last but not least: What do you enjoy about your job?
I really enjoy working with young people who are just starting their careers and bring so much energy and passion to the table. I also learn a lot myself – in terms of perspectives, food for thought and how to interact with each other. I think it's great to be able to accompany these people for a short period of time. When the year comes to an end and the 'transfer' takes place, there is always a mixture of joy and sadness. But we stay in touch afterwards – and it's always a great pleasure to see each other again at the SPORTFIVE Christmas party.
