GAME PLAN FOR NEGOTIATION SUCCESS
Win with Championship Level Negotiation and Influence Skills
We create negotiation all-stars in every arena - front office, sponsorships, media rights, and beyond
Trusted by the Sports Industry
Front office leaders lose sleep over career-defining player contracts while their revenue generating leaders hustle to make partnership stories capture interest in a crowded field. Remember when media rights meant a simple contract with a regional sports network? Now teams must navigate the complex streaming and digital platform landscape, and make difficult decisions. The talent game burns hot too – attracting and keeping the best scouts, assistant general managers, business development leaders, and broadcasters is tougher and more competitive than ever. Everyone in the room is passionate. The real difference comes from deal-making skills, developing relationships, and managing decision making while the pressure cookers of on the field or quarterly results keep boiling. These are the factors that leader to promotions, increased revenues, and championships.
Negotiation Training Delivers Value
When you’re sitting across the table in sports, everything moves fast and the stakes run high. Here’s how strong negotiation training can add value:
- Taking advantage of opportunities: Maybe you’re a GM working through the night on a franchise-changing trade that has risen our of nowhere, or you’re about to pitch a naming rights deal that will set a new precedent within sports. Great negotiators aren’t born in these moments – they’re trained, prepared, and built for them.
- Setting the tone and culture: The best thing about successful negotiations? It spreads. When one person sets the bar high with a great process and result, others rise to the occasion and follow. Train your team, implement a common language, and leverage a systematic approach and you’ll see improved and sustained performance improvement.
- Lead with Strategic Confidence: The best sports professionals step into any negotiation knowing they’ve are prepared and have the necessary skills and attitude to achieve a successful outcome. Whether structuring NIL deals, trading a player, or renewing media rights, you’ll walk in ready to handle whatever curveballs come your way.
- Develop Relationships: Sports, perhaps more than any other industry, lives on relationships – with players, coaches, partners, and everyone in between. Skilled negotiators know how to drive results while strengthening these vital connections. Every deal plants seeds for future opportunities.
- Stay Ready for Whatever’s Next: The sports business changes faster than ever. One day it’s NIL regulations, the next it’s streaming rights or AI sponsorships. Sharp negotiation skills help you roll with the changes and take advantage of opportunities others miss.
Negotiation and Influence Training for Sports Professionals
The following leaders in the Sports world could particularly benefit from negotiation training:
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GMs & Asst. GMs
Sports Agents
Sponsorship / Partnership Teams
Media Rights Negotiators
Athlete Endorsement Teams
Concert Promoters
Venue Operations Teams
Licensing Departments
Team Merchandising Units
Broadcasting Partnerships Teams
Ticket Sales and Pricing Strategists
Suites & Premium Teams
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“SNI’s program was a success in every way possible. Our group is very talented and experienced with a phenomenal brand and product to sell, yet we all learned so much about many of the things we do or don’t do, that hinder our ultimate success. As a result of their willingness to assist our team with deal coaching and preparation planning even after the completion of our program, we have already gained more confidence and reaped the rewards in terms of bottom line impact.”
— Kevin Rochlitz,
Vice President of Corporate Sales and Development,
Baltimore Ravens
“We have a very talented group and did not initially grasp the benefits of working with SNI. I will freely admit that I was 100% wrong. Their guidance and partnership has helped our group not only create better deals with players and agents, it has helped us tremendously improve our internal processes and communication as well. SNI is now just another part of our Spurs family and we’re very grateful for their continuous support.”
— RC Buford,
General Manager,
San Antonio Spurs
Shapiro Negotiations Institute: Your Premier Partner for Sports Negotiation and Influence Training
Imagine your team landing the perfect free agent contract, growing sponsorship revenue, or structuring innovative media rights packages that set league standards. From the Baltimore Ravens to the Cleveland Guardians, we help sports organizations master the art and science of negotiation.
Here's how:
Deep Sports DNA
Our programs speak your language – whether you’re a GM working player trades or a CRO growing partnership revenue. We live and breathe sports deals.
Real-World Intensity
No theoretical fluff. We run live negotiations that mirror your actual challenges, from tense deadline trades to high-stakes sponsorship renewals.
Skills That Stick
Walk away with frameworks you’ll use tomorrow, next month, and next season. Our approach builds lasting capabilities that grow stronger with every deal.
Advisory Partnership
Unlike traditional training, we have expertise in the industry and we’re there to support you when it matters most. Our experts provide ongoing guidance during your most critical negotiations, helping you put new skills into practice.
In-House Excellence
We teach you how to fish – rather than fishing for you. For GMs, our job is to support you and improve your negotiation performance, just as we do any high-functioning C-suite executive. For CRO’s , why hire an agency when we can help you negotiate a better result, improve your team, and save you money along the way?
