Tournament Director Sales Script

Pre-Call

Before You Dial — Preparation Checklist

5 min

1

Research the tournament. Know the sport, approximate team count, age group, and if it's recurring or one-time. Check their website or social media.
2

Find the right contact. Tournament director, athletic director, or event organizer. LinkedIn and the tournament website are your best sources.
3

Estimate the math. # of teams × avg roster size = # of athlete cards. # of teams × $25 = added revenue you're handing them.
4

Have a sample card ready to text/email. A real athlete card demo link you can send instantly during or after the call closes more deals than any pitch deck.
5

Know your ask. 1 banner placement at venue + 1 table at event + "Official Digital Profile Partner" title on tournament materials. That's it.

Mindset: You are not asking for a favor. You are bringing a premium, revenue-generating amenity to their event — for free. Walk in with that confidence.

Step 1

Cold Call / First Contact Opener

30 sec

When They Pick Up

Your Words

"Hey [Name], this is [Your Name] with DraftReady.AI — did I catch you at an okay time? I'll be quick — I'm reaching out to directors running [Sport] tournaments in the [Region] area. I have an idea that could add real value to your event and put extra money in your pocket — at zero cost to you. Got 3 minutes?"

"Zero cost to you" + "extra money" = the two most powerful words for a tournament director. Lead with both. If they're busy, respect it — ask for a 10-minute call later that day.

If They Say "Not a Good Time"

"No worries at all — when's a better time to connect? This genuinely takes less than 10 minutes and I think you'll want to hear it before your next event."

Step 2

The Hook — Plant the Vision

60 sec

The Setup

"So here's the idea. We're DraftReady.AI — we build AI-powered digital profile cards for athletes. Think of it like a trading card meets a LinkedIn profile for every player at your tournament. Each athlete gets their own card with their stats, highlights, sport profile, and a QR code that coaches and scouts can scan to pull up their full profile instantly. These are premium cards — the kind of thing parents and players are genuinely excited to show off."

The Differentiator

"What we want to do is make your tournament the first — or one of the only — tournaments in this area where every single athlete walks away with their own free digital card. No other tournament in your area is offering this. That makes your event stand out in a way that no trophy or medal can."

Pause here. Let it land. Give the director 5 seconds to react before continuing. Their first response tells you everything about how to frame the rest of the call.

Step 3

The Director Value Pitch — 5 Revenue & Value Levers

2 min

Transition Into Value

"Now here's what makes this really interesting for you as the director — because this isn't a charity pitch. This partnership actually makes you money and makes your event more valuable. Let me walk you through five ways this works in your favor…"

💵

Charge $25 More Per Team

Add "Official DraftReady.AI Digital Profile Card for every athlete" to your registration package. Teams happily pay more for a tangible tech benefit their kids actually keep.

+$25/team = pure margin

📢

Sell Ads on Every Player Card

Every athlete card has a sponsor billboard slot. You can sell those ad slots to local businesses — sports stores, academies, protein brands — and keep 100% of that revenue.

$50–$500+ per sponsor

🏆

One-of-a-Kind Tournament Inclusion

No other tournament in your market includes a premium digital profile for every athlete. It becomes a recruitment tool, a marketing asset, and a keepsake — all in one.

Competitive advantage

🎯

Coaches Access Your Player Database

Every card is discoverable by coaches and scouts on the DraftReady platform. Your tournament becomes a recruitment event by default — elevating its prestige for years to come.

Prestige = higher entries

🏷️

Your Branding on Every Card

Your tournament logo and name appear on every athlete card we create. Every time a player shares their card with a coach, college, or sponsor — your brand travels with it.

Ongoing brand exposure

📣

Marketing Your Tournament for Free

We'll promote the partnership on our platform and social channels. "Powered by DraftReady.AI" signals to athletes and parents that your event is premium and tech-forward.

Free co-marketing reach

Summarize the Value

"So to put it simply — you're offering families something they'd pay for on their own, you can charge more per team, you can sell ad space on the cards to local sponsors, your tournament gets listed as a recruitment event on our platform, and your logo lives on every card we create. And none of that costs you a single dollar."

Step 4

Do the Math Live — ROI Example

60 sec

Say This

"Let me just walk you through what this looks like for a typical tournament — feel free to adjust these numbers to your event…"

Example: 32-Team Basketball Tournament

Teams in tournament 32 teams

Team fee increase (digital card inclusion) +$25 / team

Revenue from registration bump +$800

Athletes receiving free cards ~400 athletes

Sponsor ads sold on cards (est. 3 sponsors × $150) +$450

Cost to director $0

Estimated added revenue this event $1,250+

Land the Math

"That's over a thousand dollars in new revenue on top of what you're already making — just from saying yes to this partnership. And that's a conservative number. If you run multiple tournaments a year, you're looking at this compounding every single event."

Step 5

What We Ask For — Our Simple In-Kind Ask

45 sec

The Ask

"So here's what we ask for in return — and this is truly minimal. All we need is:

One — the title of 'Official Digital Profile Partner' on your tournament materials — website, bracket sheets, or programs.

Two — permission to set up a table at the venue so our team can help athletes register and set up their cards on the spot.

Three — banner placement at the venue. Just one or two spots in high-traffic areas.

That's the whole ask. No cash, no rev share, no complicated contract."

Reframe the ask: "A table and a banner" sounds like it costs them something. Instead say: "We just need a little floor space and wall space so we can serve your athletes well — that's it."

"Official Digital Profile Partner" title in tournament materials
1 table with power access at venue (we staff it ourselves)
1–2 banner placements at venue entrances or sidelines
Mention in any email or social announcement to teams
Athlete roster list pre-event (names + jersey #s) to pre-build cards

Step 6

Handling Objections — Every Common Pushback

Reference

Objection #1

"This sounds great but we'd want some kind of payment or sponsorship fee from you."

Your Response

"I completely understand — and if we were a vendor just setting up shop, that would make total sense. But here's the difference: we're not selling anything at your event. Every single card is free for your athletes. We're bringing a premium product to your families — one they'd otherwise pay $12 to $29 a month for — completely complimentary. The value flows to your event. The table and banner are how we deliver the service to your athletes. Without those, we can't serve them — and you lose the benefit entirely."

Objection #2

"I need to think about it / talk to my board / get back to you."

Your Response

"Absolutely — this is a real partnership decision and I respect that. Can I send you a one-page overview and a live sample card so you can show your team exactly what athletes would receive? I'd also love to jump on a 15-minute call with you and whoever else needs to be involved. When's a good time this week?"

Objection #3

"We already have sponsors. I don't want to confuse things."

Your Response

"This doesn't compete with your sponsors at all — it actually complements them. Your existing sponsors can be featured on the athlete cards as the first advertisers. We're not replacing any sponsor category — we're a technology partner, not a product or service sponsor. Think of it as if you added a Hudl station or a stats tracker. It adds to the experience without touching any other sponsor relationship."

Objection #4

"Our parents/athletes won't sign up for something like that."

Your Response

"That's actually why we're there in person — we set up the table specifically to walk families through it on the spot. It takes about 3 minutes to build a card. And in our experience, once a parent sees what their kid's card looks like, they can't wait to share it. We handle all the education and setup — you don't have to explain anything to anyone."

Objection #5

"What's the catch? What are you getting out of this?"

Your Response

"Great question — total transparency: we grow our platform by getting athletes to try it. Our bet is that once an athlete builds their free card and sees how powerful it is, a percentage will upgrade on their own. That's our business model — we earn from optional upgrades, not from you. Your athletes get free value, our platform grows, and you get the benefit of an exclusive tech offering. It's a clean win for everyone."

Objection #6

"I'm not sure we have space for a table."

Your Response

"Totally fair — we only need a 6-foot table and access to a power outlet. We bring everything else — laptops, tablets, staff, signage. We're completely self-contained. If space is tight, even a spot near registration or at the entrance works great — that's actually where athletes are most ready to engage anyway."

Objection #7

"We don't want to push anything on our families."

Your Response

"We couldn't agree more — and our table is 100% opt-in. We don't pitch, we don't pressure, and we don't collect any data that isn't given to us directly by the athlete or parent. We set up, we let curious families come to us, we help whoever wants help. Families who aren't interested walk right past us. We're there to serve — not to sell."

Step 7

The Close — Ask for the "Yes"

Key Moment

Primary Close

"So here's what I'd love to do — let me send you a one-page overview and a live sample card right now while we're on the phone, so you can see exactly what your athletes would get. And if it looks good — which I think it will — we can do a simple one-page partnership agreement and lock in your event. What's the best email to send that to?"

Soft Close (If Hesitant)

"Let me make this even easier — what if we just do a trial at one event? No commitment beyond that. If your families love it and you see the value, we build the partnership. If for any reason it doesn't fit, no hard feelings. One event, zero risk, real upside. Fair?"

Calendar Close

"Perfect — let's get your first event on our calendar. What's your next tournament date? I want to make sure we can get everything set up so every athlete walks away with their card the same day."

Always ask for the email before ending the call. Even if they're not ready to commit, getting their email gives you a warm follow-up path. Say: "Let me at least send you the sample card — even if you decide it's not a fit right now, you'll have it for reference."

Step 8

Follow-Up Email — Send Within 1 Hour of Call

Template

Email Template

Subject: DraftReady.AI × [Tournament Name] — Official Partnership Overview

Hey [Name],

Great connecting today. As promised, here's a quick overview of what we discussed.

WHAT YOUR ATHLETES GET:
Every athlete receives a free DraftReady.AI digital profile card — an AI-powered card with their stats, sport profile, photo, and a QR code coaches and scouts can scan instantly. No cost to them. No app required.

👉 Sample Card: [INSERT LIVE CARD DEMO LINK]

WHAT YOU GET AS DIRECTOR:

✅ Title: "Official Digital Profile Partner" on all tournament materials
✅ Revenue: Charge $25 more per team registration
✅ Sponsorship: Sell ad slots on athlete cards to local businesses (you keep it)
✅ Branding: Your tournament logo on every card — permanently
✅ Prestige: Your event becomes a real recruitment event via our coach/scout database
✅ Co-marketing: Featured on our platform and social channels

WHAT WE ASK FOR:

→ "Official Digital Profile Partner" title on tournament materials
→ 1 table + power access (we staff it and bring everything)
→ 1–2 banner placements at the venue
→ A short mention in your pre-event team communication

Zero cost. Zero risk. Real upside.

I'd love to lock in your next event. Reply here or grab 15 minutes: [CALENDAR LINK]

[Your Name] | DraftReady.AI | [Phone]

Step 9

Day-of Event Execution Checklist

Operations

Goal for the day: Make the director look like a genius for saying yes. Be professional, be visible, and make setup frictionless for every family that approaches the table. Every positive interaction is a future referral to the next tournament.

1

Arrive 45–60 minutes before gates open. Set up the table, banners, and devices before a single athlete arrives. First impressions are everything — be organized before chaos starts.
2

Table setup: DraftReady.AI branded tablecloth, 1–2 tablets or laptops for live setup, printed QR codes pointing to the sign-up page, business cards, and a "Demo Card" displayed on screen for every passerby to see.
3

Banners: Place near main entrance and sideline/court area. Both should clearly read "Official Digital Profile Partner" + DraftReady.AI name/logo.
4

Engage proactively but not aggressively. A friendly "Did you get your athlete's free digital card yet?" to parents walking by is enough. Let the demo on screen do the heavy lifting.
5

Capture at least one photo with the director. Post it on DraftReady.AI social. Tag the tournament. This creates social proof for future partnership pitches and keeps the director invested in the relationship.
6

Track signups. Know how many athletes registered at the event. This is your proof point for future pitches and renewal conversations with the same director.
7

Send a debrief to the director within 24 hours. "We activated [X] athletes at your tournament — here's what they built." Include a few card screenshots. Make them proud of their decision. Ask about their next event.

Day-After Director Message

"Hey [Name] — just wanted to close the loop on yesterday. We helped [X] athletes build their free digital cards at your event. Families loved it. Here are a few of the cards your athletes built: [links]. Really proud to be your partner on this — when's your next event? I'd love to lock it in now."

Quick Reference

One-Page Cheat Sheet — The Whole Script in 60 Seconds

The Script Flow

1. OpenZero cost + extra money hook — earn 3 minutes

2. HookFirst tournament to give every athlete a free digital card

3. Value$25/team + ad revenue + branding + coach access + co-marketing

4. Math32 teams = $800 reg + $450 sponsors = $1,250+ new revenue

5. AskOfficial title + table + 1–2 banners. That's it. No cash.

6. ObjectionsWe're not selling, we're serving. In-kind. Opt-in only.

7. CloseGet the email. Send sample card. Offer trial event.

8. Follow-Up1-page overview + live card link within 1 hour of call

9. Day-ofArrive early, be professional, track signups, send debrief

🎁 We Give

Free cards for all athletes
On-site setup & support table
Tournament logo on every card
Coach/scout database listing
Co-marketing & social posts

🤝 We Get

"Official Partner" title in materials
1 table + power access at venue
1–2 banner placements
Mention in team communications

Tournament DirectorSales Call Script

Tournament Director
Sales Call Script