Overview
You're selling access to the Interactive Media Lab's facilities and expertise to external clients who need high-end digital production capabilities. You'll spend time identifying companies that could use a 36-foot LED wall, XR production tools, or rapid prototyping equipment, then convincing them to partner with or rent from an art school's lab instead of going to a commercial studio. Part-time role, likely 15-20 hours/week.
Role Snapshot
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Role Type | Partnership BD / Facility Sales |
| Sales Motion | Outbound-heavy (you're building the book) |
| Deal Complexity | Consultative (explaining capabilities, custom arrangements) |
| Sales Cycle | 1-3 months (depends on client type and project) |
| Deal Size | $5K-50K per project/partnership (estimate) |
| Quota (est.) | Unknown - likely measured on partnerships signed and facility utilization |
Company Context
Stage: Established non-profit educational institution (not a startup)
Size: 404 employees
Growth: Building out commercial applications for their Interactive Media Lab - this is a revenue diversification play for the school
Market Position: Unique niche - one of the only art school facilities of this caliber open to external partnerships
GTM Reality
Pipeline Sources:
- 80% Outbound - Cold outreach to production companies, ad agencies, corporate innovation labs, VR/AR studios
- 15% Referrals - Faculty connections, student/alumni networks, Cleveland business community
- 5% Inbound - People who hear about the facility through art/design community
SDR/AE Structure: You're it - full cycle from prospecting to close to partnership management
SE Support: You'll lean on lab staff and faculty to do technical demos and explain capabilities
Competitive Landscape
Main Competitors: Commercial production studios with LED walls, XR facilities, and prototyping shops in Cleveland and nearby markets
How They Differentiate: Lower cost than commercial studios (non-profit pricing), access to student talent for projects, unique academic-industry bridge
Common Objections: "Why would we use a college lab instead of a professional studio?", "What if we need it on short notice?", "Can you handle NDA/confidential work?"
Win Themes: Cost savings, access to emerging creative talent, supporting arts education, high-end equipment without commercial studio markup
What You'll Actually Do
Time Breakdown
Prospecting (40%) | Deal Development (30%) | Internal Coordination (30%)
Key Activities
- Cold outreach to potential clients: You're building a target list of production companies, corporate innovation teams, ad agencies, and VR/AR studios in the region. Cold emails, LinkedIn, calls to explain what the IML can do.
- Facility tours and capability demos: Walking prospects through the 36-foot LED wall, XR tools, 3D printers, CNC machines. You coordinate with lab staff to show technical capabilities.
- Proposal and contract negotiation: Custom pricing based on project scope, duration, equipment needed. You're figuring out rates with school administration since this is new territory.
- Internal coordination: Scheduling around student use, working with faculty on technical support, managing school bureaucracy for contracts and legal approvals.
The Honest Reality
What's Hard
- You're selling something unusual - most companies don't think "art school lab" when they need production facilities. Lots of education required.
- Part-time constraint means you're juggling this with other work, and deals move slower because you're not full-time available.
- Internal coordination is bureaucratic - you're working within an academic institution with slower decision-making, complex approvals, and competing priorities (students come first).
- Pricing is unclear - you're helping establish what the market will pay, which means lots of custom quotes and negotiation.
- Cleveland market is limited - you may exhaust local prospects quickly and need to expand regionally.
What Success Looks Like
- 3-5 signed partnership agreements in first 6 months
- Facility booked for external projects 20-30% of available non-student time
- Revenue targets (likely $50K-150K annually based on facility utilization goals)
Who You're Selling To
Primary Buyers:
- Production managers at ad agencies and studios
- Innovation/R&D directors at mid-size corporations
- Independent producers working on XR/immersive content
- Creative directors at digital agencies
What They Care About:
- Cost vs commercial studios (they want savings)
- Equipment capabilities (can you handle their technical requirements?)
- Availability and scheduling flexibility
- Access to student talent for projects
- Confidentiality and professional handling of their work
Requirements
- Experience in partnership development, facility sales, or production industry BD
- Understanding of digital production, XR technology, or creative industry workflows
- Comfortable selling in Cleveland business community and building regional network
- Ability to translate technical capabilities into client value
- Self-directed (part-time role means you manage your own schedule)
- Comfortable working within academic institution structure and bureaucracy
- Existing network in production, advertising, or innovation spaces helpful