Key Player Management Services
We are a respected sports agency that focuses on the overall success and well being of its clients more than the expansion of its profit margins. We represent players and coaches in numerous leagues across the globe.
Contract Negotiations
Key Player concentrates on maximizing our clients’ earning potential while also factoring in their other desires. Our lead negotiator is Greg Thompson, an attorney and an executive with years of experience negotiating and successfully navigating business.
Our strategy for any free agent is to fully understand the client’s goals so as to better serve them. This includes determining which factors are most important to the player. Relevant factors include: which cities and teams are most desirable; desire to play for a contender; or a desire to play for coaches with a specific style. We will determine what the player wants and then work diligently to achieve those specific goals.
Public Relations
We formulate individual strategies tailored to each player’s unique talents and goals. The Public Relations department is run by Daniel Schoenbaechler. Daniel has a decade of experience in the media and will assist clients in crafting an image that will create additional opportunities during and after their playing careers. There are many different ways to project a player in the media. Our public relations strategies involve working closely with our clients in order to craft a public image of their choosing. The public relations decisions will also work together with the player’s specific marketing plan.
We also have plans in place in order to swiftly address any problems that may occur. Planning is the key to handling trouble. Daniel’s experience as a newspaper reporter and editor means that Key Player’s public relations department has unique knowledge of the inner workings of a newsroom. It also means that we have media contacts across the country which can be of great assistance when manipulating the way the public sees our clients.
Marketing & Endorsements
Key Player creates a personalized marketing strategy for each of our clients based on their interests, personality, and goals. At Key Player, we focus on branding our clients so that their names represent a specific image. This greatly affects the ability to secure endorsements and other image-related opportunities.
A proper marketing strategy greatly increases a player’s earning potential because companies are looking to market to very specific audiences. For example, Derek Fisher and Ron Artest will be used to sell very different products. By having a specific brand image, a player increases the likelihood of companies choosing him to sell their products.
Our connections in the media are a great asset in building each client’s brand. The goal of the personalized marketing strategy is to find local, national, and global endorsements that fit with the client’s objectives and personality. This includes endorsing products, making appearances, wearing certain products in public, etc.
Financial Planning
Key Player partners with experienced financial planners and brokers. The financial planning department is focused on maintaining and improving the client’s way of life. Far too many professional athletes wind up broke, and Key Player makes it a priority to prevent such problems. Responsible representation is a pillar of the Key Player mission. Professional athletes are often inundated with opportunities to spend their money. At Key Player, we assist our clients in avoiding financial mistakes, maximizing profitable ventures, and ensuring financial well-being after retirement.
Key Player clients will be consulted about long-term investing and the levels of risk that accompany various investment options. Many of the traditional investment principles do not apply to professional sports where athletes have large salaries, but short careers. Key Player clients will receive assistance in formulating a financial plan for lifelong stability and financial security. While these plans are created based on the player’s specific desires, we heavily stress planning for the future in an effort to reduce the potential for a player to go bankrupt. Bankruptcy is all too common with retired athletes and agents deserve much of the blame. Key Player will never ignore this unpleasant but very real danger.
Tax Planning
As an agency founded by attorneys, Key Player focuses on planning so as to reduce potential tax liabilities for its clients. Tax experts are available to counsel clients on various local, national, and international tax issues. Proper tax planning can result in saving millions.
There are massive tax implications based on which state or country a player lives or works in; what types of charities they donate to; which companies and products they endorse; and what investments they make. The key to saving money on taxes is not to hire a tax professional to prepare a tax return. The key is to utilize this knowledge throughout the year in order to make informed decisions anytime money is changing hands. As an agency of attorneys, Key Player can save its clients considerable money by reducing their tax liabilities.
Post-career Planning
Professional sports careers are quite short compared to other occupations. Key Player works with its clients to plan an ideal post playing career plan, and to take the necessary steps to make that plan a reality. It is never too early to consider the future, yet too many sports agencies to do not take the time to assist their clients in achieving these important objectives.
Whether it’s a career in broadcasting, music, coaching, public speaking, or real estate, we assist our clients in working toward these goals. This type of forward thinking sets players ap