It’s keeping team owners and sales VP’s up at night – and everyone else that’s involved in professional sports. Facedwith the threat of a potential labor strike, those who are in sports ticket sales are being asked to continue to stay the course and call their prospect lists. While managers are saying “Business As Usual”, there are big challenges in making sure that the revenue stream from the sales department continues to be “Sales As Usual”.
How can sales reps approach this objection in the best possible way? Here are a few suggestions:
For renewals – Focus on the risk of losing their place in line. Season ticket holders have earned their spot in the stadium, based on the many years they’ve been a ‘member of the club’. Let them know what a shame it would be to lose all the seniority they’ve built up over the years, and to have to start from scratch with a seat location that won’t be nearly as good when they return.
Ask them if they’ve come to know the other people in their seating section. The relationships that are built as a STH can be very strong, and many people look forward to the company of those around them as much as any other part of being a seatholder. In your renewal conversations, bring up what a disappointment it would be for them to miss out on seeing those friends you’ve come to know at the games over the years. The labor situation will eventually work its way out, and when it does, you’ll be able to pick up those relationships right where they left off.
If it’s a corporate client, ask them to consider how many people have benefitted from the tickets you’ve had in the past. As competitive as the business landscape is today, relationships will continue to be a key driver of decisions being made into the future. How many relationships have they strengthened as a result of the seats they own? What opportunities might they lose if these seats aren’t there in the future? When the players and owners finally agree, they’ll want to continue to take advantage of those benefits going forward.
For new buyers – Focus on the unusual opportunity the situation represents. Just like in real estate, it’s those who see an opportunity when others are looking away that can yield the most return. In this case, it’s the seat locations that may be available based on the negative publicity that could be that diamond in the rough. If for whatever reason the teams don’t come to terms in time, let them know what your plans are to issue a full refund. It’s a guarantee that no one in real estate is making!
Point out that you’ll be locking in a price that may not be there once the agreement between owners and players is reached. The potential is always there for teams to adjust their pricing, depending on the way the CBA works out. By buying now, you’ll be guaranteeing their price for seats, and regardless what happens with the CBA, their price will be set because they took advantage of the opportunity they have with you today.
(NOTE: My regular Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter always gives several answers to some of the toughest objections in ticket sales in each issue; subscribe for free here.)
Whoever you’re calling, it’s important NOT to offer your personal opinions on either side of the negotiating table. Remember that even though you may not feel like an important cog in the big wheel of the team, you are a bona fide representative of the organization, and your ‘opinion’ may be attributed to the whole company in certain circumstances. Using “I hear you”, “I understand how you feel”, or “I can certainly see where you’re coming from” shows that you’re objectively absorbing what’s being said by the prospect without reinforcing it with your own opinion.
Customers will continue to use the labor issue as an objection not to buy. As professional sales reps, our job is to continually help our prospects focus on the things that the media doesn’t talk about that are direct benefits of being a seatholder – the memories, the experiences, the business potential, and all the things that happen to people as a result of being at the games. Whatever the outcome of the labor situation, the bottom line is that it’s a temporary situation, and chances are things will get worked out and the games will go on. If the games aren’t played for whatever reason, their money will be refunded, so it’s actually riskier for the seatholder NOT to buy today!
Don’t back down easily, help your prospects focus on the potential good of a decision to buy, and ask for the business. Now more than ever, those basics should be in play on every difficult conversation.
I’m in the world of getting people to come to sporting events to get the free stuff, i.e. the swag, so this isn’t directly up my alley, but still very interesting and hits a lot of points, so thanks! I do know from experience that repeat season buyers DO indeed enjoy knowing all of their surrounding people… and also loathe the season holders who sell their tickets to the opposing team, ha!
Undeniably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification seemed to be on the
internet the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I
definitely get irked while people consider worries that they just do not know
about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined
out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal.
Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something which I
think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad
for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the
hang of it!
Greate article. Keep posting such kind of info on your site.
Im relly impressed by your site.
Hello there, You have performed an excellent job.
I’ll definitely digg it and in myy opinion suggest to my friends.
I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this website.
비발치교정
An nteresting discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you need to wrjte morre about this issue,
it might not be a taboo matter but usually peopke don’t speak about these
issues. To the next! All the best!!
타다라필 직구
Yes! Finally something about comprare follower Instagram.
aumentare visualizzazioni YouTube
Quality posts is the secret to invite the people to pay a quick visit the
site, that’s whaat this website is providing.
ปั้มผู้ติดตามเฟส
I do trust all the ideas you’ve offered in your post. They
are really convincing and can definitely work. Still, the
posts are very shott for beginners. May you please extend them a bit from subsequent time?
Thanks for the post.
실데나필 직구
Fastidious replies in return of this query with genuiine arguments and explaining
all on the topic of that.
acheter des followers tiktok
For latest news you have to visit world-wide-web and on world-wide-web I found this website as a most excellent site
for most recent updates.
유튜브 구독자 구매
When someone writes an pwragraph he/she maintains the thought of a user in his/her mind that
how a user can be aware of it. Therefore that’s why this piece of writing is outstdanding.
Thanks!
바카라사이트업체 (Normand)
What’s up, always i used to check webpage posts here early
in the morning, since i enjoy to find out more and more.
머니라인 도메인
This post is priceless. When can I find out more?
아시안커넥트 꽁머니