It’s common knowledge that sports sales is the easiest path to start your career in sports, but as you can probably assume its also the hardest task. Sales in any industry is a challenge, so it should come as no surprise that it’s just as rough in sports.  Not only are you selling the professional sporting event, but the players, atmosphere, and perks.  You’ll encounter a lot of objections, excuses, and hang ups.  Sports may be the career for you, but are you ready to take on sales to get there?

Sports Sales – Things To Consider

1. Are you an aggressive person? The key to getting a sale is being aggressive. You can’t take no for an answer but only as further reason to convince the client why they need this product.
2. Can you handle rejection? Imagine breaking up with your significant other every 5 minutes when working in sports sales. You’ll spill out your best pitch only to get an “I’m not interested, please stop calling.” Then you’ll hang up and make another call. Can you handle that for an 8 hour shift everyday?
3. Are you confident? Sports sales is not for those who are shy. You will be in an office making calls for everyone to hear. You will make mistakes and stutter and everyone will hear you.
4. Do you have a competitive nature? You’ll succeed more in sports if you’re competitive. You will be surrounded by co-workers who are making sales. Although you’ll be happy for them, their success is supposed to drive you to want to make sales and beat them. Nobody wants to be at the bottom of the sales lists.
5. Are you a self-starter? You will receive a call list to start off, but if you really want to be successful, you will have to prospect on your own. Are you the type of person who will branch out and find leads without someone assisting you?

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Some teams are knee deep into playoff ticket sales, renewals for next season, and a rush of new season ticket sales to reserve their priority numbers for next season. That’s great! However, this may not be the case for the rest of the teams in the NBA, NHL, or NLL.

Great seasons have come to a close and the focus already is on next year. What are you doing in your front office in the off-season to continue to engage a greater fan base, those hard-core fans, and businesses that use season tickets for employee or client entertainment?

The Experience vs Wins/Loss Record

At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked by a male attendee what could be done to engage the sport and business community if you happen to be with a team who didn’t win the championship trophy. I responded by asking the young gentleman whether he remembered if the last sports game they attended ended in a win or a loss. His immediate answer was that his group had a memorable time, but to be honest couldn’t remember the final score.

While games that end in a win can really enhance the experience for a client, the best part about attending games for most are the memories that they can take away to talk about at a later moment in time.  The memory of a daughter or son attending their first game with their father; the chance of a lifetime to stand center court to shoot baskets, or taking out a lead prospect to chat nothing about business, but everything about business.

Wins are great, but experience is everything.

Referrals

So I am pretty sure you have heard this word before and you might have even read about it. Referrals are a great way to grow your book of business and increase your fan base.

Business Referrals

This is not only to your benefit, but also your clients. If there happens to be four seats in section 124, row 8, seats 1-4 behind your client, they might know someone who would love those seats.  Be specific. What a great opportunity to further enhance a season long experience for your client to enjoy games socializing with those they already know!

 Organizational Referrals (season and group ticket related)

Think outside the box to create experiences your guests wouldn’t typically have access to. How can you enhance the experience for your clients two-fold? Do your clients belong to any non-profits that need fundraising? Season tickets can be used by a non-profit to fundraise year round where as a group outing can be used for one specific event. Where does their family volunteer their time? If they have children, what school or sports do they belong to? And if you are comfortable, where is their place of worship?

Hit the Pavement

This may sound a little old school, but face-to-face is a great way to really get to know your clients and meet others. Have you done a site visit to your clients’ offices? Do you know if there is an employee in that office with your team’s shrine?

Remember to take a look around. Many businesses work around other businesses and can provide a referral to a great contact to the company next door. Make a special note to thank their receptionist, as they are a great resource to their business.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn reached over 100 million users in 2011…do you have a presence? Have you connected with all your clients on LinkedIn? A great resource is not only the members of common groups on this social media platform, but the ability to find common connections with your clients. Don’t be afraid to ask for a referral if you see they are connected to a common interest.  Who are your 2^nd connections? Explore!

It’s very powerful to make 100+ phone calls a day to drive new business development. Can you imagine the potential of the calls if they were actually able to put a face to your name?

I leave you with this…

Most often the front office staff is the face of an organization to clients all over town. A simple thanks to clients can really extend a long way!

Let’s not have this conversation end here, but continue the conversation below. These are just a few of the many ways to engage your local community and continue the excitement for next season. THIS IS THE YEAR! What are some other great tips you might add to assist others in a successful off-season?

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About Kristen Sonsma

Kristen Sonsma has spent most of her sports career in ticket sales with experience in the AFL, MLS, and NHL. Connect with her on LinkedIn or on Twitter

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Are you looking for a new innovative way to bring qualified account representatives to your sport? Are you interested in breaking into the MLS?  Do you want to work in soccer (futbol), but have been told you don’t have enough ‘sales’ experience?

The sports ticket sales landscape in the MLS is currently in an evolution, and Bryant is right in the middle of it. If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Bryant Pfeiffer, you know that he is a talented resource in the MLS Club Services department with years of sport sales experience.

The MLS started their own National Sales Center to help train those who have a specific interest in breaking into the sport industry through the MLS. I had to reach out to Bryant to find out more.

Kristen:    So to make sure we get this correct, what is your exact role and responsibility with the MLS National Sales Center?

Bryant: My primary role involved developing the business plan and selling it in internally at MLS.

Fortunately, Don Garber (MLS Commissioner) is a very forward thinking person and embraced the concept immediately.  From there, it was taking the project from ideation to development.  We set a goal of launching 30 days after we received the approval and funding from MLS so it was a mad scramble.

We were fortunate to hire a talented individual named Brett Zalaski who does most of the day to day heavy lifting as head recruiter, trainer, coach and placement officer.  I travel heavily with my regular responsibilities with MLS Club Services so am not in the NSC every day, but try to have a regular presence as my schedule allows adding to the curriculum, support Brett and the students.

Kristen:    Let’s get right to it! Most sport organizations create their own entry level opportunities for sales representatives. What is the vision behind the MLS National Sales Center?  Why start your own sales training center?

Bryant: At its core it is a talent development program.  The goal is to accelerate trainee’s learning curves in ticket sales so that when they are hired by a MLS club, they can hit the ground running and make a much quicker impact to the club’s bottom line, and their own pocketbook.

Kristen:    And, do you consider yourself a pioneer?

Bryant: I don’t think so.  Many people in this industry have talked about or attempted variations of this type of idea over the years.  If anything I’m resourceful, creative, and have blended those attributes with strong experiences from my sales days along with a passion I’ve had always had for developing sales talent.  In the end, the moons all aligned.

Kristen:    Blaine, Minnesota? Many might not know where that is on a map. What is so special about this location?

Bryant: Blaine is roughly 20 minutes north of Minneapolis.  Certainly not a tourist destination, but the NSC has office space on the campus of the National Sports Center, the largest Amateur Sports Complex in the U.S.  It is like a small college campus.

The offices overlook an 8,500 seat soccer stadium surrounded by an additional 50 soccer fields, an 18- hole golf course, a velodrome, and a ice hockey complex (US Women’s Hockey team trains there).   During their stay, the trainees live in dormitories on campus and have a meal plan in the full service cafeteria 100 yards from the NSC.

Kristen:    This leads me to the question I get asked most often, “How do I break into the sports industry?” And I hear you have graduates from over 22 states and 3 different countries. Who do you feel this opportunity is best suited for?

Bryant: We are seeing the majority of candidates ranging from recent college graduates to 3-4 years out of school.  We look for people who can convince us they are passionate about sales and growing a soccer nation!

Kristen:    And I hear you all are about to reach a certain milestone. Can you tell us more about that?

Bryant: On May 5^th we will conclude our fifth session since inception and will place our 50^th trainee in a full time sales position at a MLS club.

(image: Session IV graduation class and the Director of the program Brett Zalaski)

Kristen:    How are you going about preparing these students to be great candidates for the MLS teams?

Bryant: The program consists of a super charged 45 days of sales training curriculum.  We start with creating a selling foundation and then expose trainees to different selling environments they will face as account executives ranging from phone sales to face to face meetings to game nights.  Students receive real life experience by selling for MLS clubs during the program.  There is heavy use of audio and video feedback as a learning tool.

We are also attempting to build confidence and one of the more unique ways we do that is through teaching the fundamentals of improvisational comedy.  We try to create a culture that is “Deadly serious, yet deadly playful”.

Kristen:    Sounds like quite a unique experience Bryant! A path of innovation can most often lead to a greater level of success. Good luck!

For those who might be looking to connect with you, what do you recommend?

Bryant.pfeiffer@mlsnet.com

For those looking to apply for an opportunity to attend the MLS National Sales Center, where should they look?

Check out our website at www.mlsnationalsalescenter.com to apply for upcoming 2011 sessions.

About Kristen Sonsma

Kristen Sonsma has spent most of her sports career in ticket sales with experience in the AFL, MLS, and NHL. Connect with her on LinkedIn or on Twitter

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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.

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About Bill Guertin

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla. 

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Okay, so maybe it’s not quite time to put away the cold calling lists forever, but we might be getting close. Let’s explore the alternative.

Social media has a powerful way of putting a face to a name, a person behind a brand, and information from around the world at your fingertips.  With the click of a Like, Follow, or making someone a 1^st Connection, you’ve turned a cold lead into a warm one. Through the digital universe you are able to skip the company receptionist and have quick access to the communicator at the company of your choice.

In the sport business anyone can be a future client. There are those who like the sport personally, others who enjoy your entertainment for clients, or even those who help facilitate large group outings in a sport setting.  If everyone you meet has the power of being your next client, how do you decide where it’s best to spend your time?

The information we need to find quality leads most often can’t be found on the front page of a company’s website. Facebook announced they have over 500 million users, Twitter claims over 190 million registered accounts, and LinkedIN rounds out its professional users to well over 50 million.  This all sounds overwhelming to most, so where do you start?

Connect with all your clients on LinkedIn

The How: Keep the LinkedIn.com homepage open while you work throughout the entire day.  Building your connections as you go is a great way to develop your own organic leads list. Looking for a client at a particular company? I bet you can find an employee who works there. Searching for detailed information on a company? Take a peek as most companies now have ‘Company LinkedIn’ pages with all the data you might need.

The Why: If something changes at a company you are connected to or a client you’ve met, you are then notified in your news feed. And let’s say someone leaves their job for another (its been known to happen), you just got yourself a great referral and introduction to your next client.

Engage in conversations in LinkedIn groups where your target clients ‘hang-out’

The How: According to Teehcrunch, there are over 650,000 groups on LinkedIN. Find the ones where your clients are and engage in conversation.  Why not start your own group and control the conversation within your business community?

The Why: The conversations are already taking place, so why not participate.  It’s a great way to meet new business professionals who are looking for your solutions.

Maximizing Facebook Pages

The How: It does require you to use your personal facebook page for business use and not strictly personally which makes a good number of people very nervous.  It is important to learn all the privacy controls on facebook so that you are more comfortable, especically if you’re just starting out.

The Why: Facebook Fan Pages for businesses are everywhere and distribute all sorts of information about your client’s company or prospective companies to help you maximize your partnership. Are they hiring? What did they do for their holiday party? How about the new products they are launching. Facebook equals constant company updates at your fingertips! Do the companies you work with have a Facebook Page? And have you ever checked?

Twitter News Feeds

The How: It is important to keep up to date with news makers (e.g. LA Times, CNN, and Local Paper) and business news sources (e.g: Local Business Journal) in order to  keep constant updates coming into your twitter feed. Learn the power of lists so you can sort who you are following for quick access to a particular topic or subject. Looking to connect with a client’s business, organization, non-profit, or a prospective company? Best place to start is to Google “XYZ twitter account”. Follow them, engage them in a conversation, or ask them a question.

The Why: It soon becomes not The Why, but The Why Not! Twitter provides access to companies in a more direct way, with up to the minute information not readily available elsewhere, and most importantly, instant access to the company’s communicator!

Have we connected yet on LinkedIn? How about Twitter?

Have you had success connecting with clients via social media? Do you think cold calling is becoming extinct? Be sure to share some of your quick tips too!

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About Kristen Sonsma

Kristen Sonsma has spent most of her sports career in ticket sales with experience in the AFL, MLS, and NHL. Connect with her on LinkedIn or on Twitter

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Who wants to make more money in sports ticket sales?  (OK… you can all put your hands down.)

And…who is willing to shame or embarrass their team’s clients in order to get there? (Keep those hands down!  Shame on you in the back row!)

Upselling current seatholders can be a major contributor to any team’s bottom-line growth.  But if your approach sounds like you’re only trying to fatten your commission check, chances are you’re coming off like a real jerk.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article from a woman that felt “victimized” by her sommelier (wine expert) while dining with a friend at a fine restaurant in a major city.  The restaurant was well-known for its wine and food, and the author found a 2008 Foillard Cote du Py Morgan on the wine list, which she felt would match what she and her friend had ordered.  At $68, she also thought it was a good buy, and let the sommelier know her choice as he approached their table.

The sommelier, hearing what she had chosen, responded by saying, “Are you fixed on that particular bottle?”  She replied that she’d be open to hearing his thoughts.  He flipped the list back a few pages to reveal a few wines that he like to offer “special” people, and pointed to a 1993 Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron, Les Vignottes, for $160.  She knew the producer and the year – it was quite good – but it was also $100 more than what she had originally chosen.

“I – I don’t think I’m really THAT special,” she stammered.  But in the process, she felt ambushed.  She had been made to look like a tightwad in front of her friend.  She wound up choosing the $68 wine, but felt like the almost-victim of a $100 upsell.

When she shared her story with friends and a few wine professionals, she was surprised to hear that many have had similar experiences at other restaurants.  One friend from San Francisco had recounted that their sommelier had used that same word – “something really special” – after both she and her husband had each had a glass of wine during dinner.  The “special” wine turned out to be $25 a glass, which was twice what the first had cost.  “And it wasn’t even that good,” she added.

When another friend had asked his sommelier for suggestions between two $40 bottles, he countered with an $80 selection.  Other stories were of those who were looking to spend $80 to $100, but were pushed into considering $180 to $200 bottles.  “Clearly the guy didn’t care about us,” the author’s friend spouted.  “He just wanted to get the check average up.”

How do you avoid being labeled a “victimizer” in sports ticket sales, yet still allow for the potential for growth from your current customers?  Here are the right ways to go about it:

1. Listen to what they enjoy or don’t enjoy about their current experience, and use that as the reason for your suggestions.

   If your customer brings clients out regularly, and raves about his ability to get one-on-one with them, you might suggest a suite, where he can enjoy a wider range of hospitality options and even a bit of privacy if they’d like to talk business.  If she comments negatively on the strong angle of the sun where she’s sitting, it’s a great time to suggest places in the park that would improve her experience.  By simply suggesting an upsell without a reason behind it, you risk coming off like our sommelier example.

2. Ask questions that reveal opportunities for your options, rather than suggesting upsells out of the blue.

   Let’s say you have a loaded ticket option for F&B.  It’s better to ask your Season Ticket holder a question like, “Do you ever give these seats to clients to use on their own?”   A positive response opens the door to an add-on with a very tangible benefit relative to how they’ll be using their seats.  Know your products and the options that add value to those seats, and then be ready with a good list of questions that lead you to the answers you need to suggest your upsell options.

3. Don’t sell what YOU need to get rid of; sell the outcomes that your customers want and need.

   Simply because you have excess inventory in the corners doesn’t mean that the corners are “exactly” what every customer needs.  Listen, take in what they say, and consider the customer’s entire experience before suggesting the section of the arena that management is pushing this week.

Is it wrong for a restaurant to try to improve their per-check average?  Not at all.  But if the sommelier had only gone about it in the right way by asking a few more questions prior to suggesting an upgrade, he might have been more successful.

And now it’s your turn.

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About Bill Guertin

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla. 

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Fans don’t typically purchase a ticket to your stadium because the seat is red or that the seat is 2 ½ inches thick. Then why do we still just sell clients a ticket?

“People buy products for what they can do, not what they are” –  Anonymous

It’s about people in the seats and the job of ticket sales reps to bring out large groups of people to fill those seats. Everyday your staff is working to fill the stadium by contacting new companies, develop fundraising campaigns for non-profits, organizing youth nights, or fulfilling current client’s requests for the next upcoming game. This is great, but then what?

When you are in the business of sports you work inside a stadium that might be the Mecca for many sports fans. You don’t ask for personal autographs from the athletes, and you might even see professional athletes on a regular basis. It’s far too easy to forget all the fascinating elements you have at your finger tip which can be leveraged to increase fan interaction and group size. Here are 4 quick steps that will help grow your ticket sales numbers each year:

1. Utilizing Fan Experiences

Every stadium has access to an enormous amount of ‘fan experiences’ that can be provided to groups of certain sizes depending on how unique the experience might be. Fan Experiences include: sitting on the players’ bench during warm ups, carrying the American flag onto the field, or a chance to play in your stadium pre/post game (or in the case of the picture up top, musical chairs on center ice with other fans!). Before moving forward, make sure your team has identified a list of assets the ticket sales reps can have access to on a more consistent basis. These assets provide the added incentive and drive for group leaders to get more people on board, as a result also increasing the group size.

To capitalize on ‘fan experiences’ it’s also important to not get STUCK on this list as if these are your only assets you can leverage. Talk with marketing clubs and set up a chance for them to talk with your CMO, or video production groups to chat with your video team before a game. REMINDER: Don’t forget about your mascot because I am sure he/she is a great hit with the kids too.

2. Capturing the Moment

Taking a picture of your group does a lot of great things, but will highlight two favorites.

First, it is a great takeaway for your guests that they then take back to the office to show others. People like to do what others are doing, so why not take advantage of the group event. The picture helps not only capture the moment, but remind your group how much fun they really experienced.

Second, it’s a great reminder for the ticket sales representatives to see the excitement of their guests when they participate in a fan experience or attend a game. Building on #1 Utilizing Fan Experiences, your staff might forget how awesome these fan experiences are to the typical fan as they see them all too often.

3. Don’t Just Think Big, Think Big and Broad

In sports, people like attending in very large groups. And sometimes it’s the job of ticket sales representatives to make this happen. Who are the company’s vendors? Why not invite clients to this event too? What about multiple branch locations? How about meet-up groups who meet about a similar topic in different locations? Why not use your location as a gathering hub that can bring people together in a unique and memorable way?

Can you imagine if the only groups you worked with had a minimum of 500 people attend? Well why can’t you make this happen? It’s all about collaboration and thinking broad. Consider all the elements about the company you are working with, the school district you have attending next month, and the non-profit group looking to raise more funds this year. While their employees and clients may be attending, also think about product launches the company does into your market. In sports, you truly have the ability to make big things happen!

4. Utilize the Power of Visualization

Paint a picture with descriptive words to tell a story. If companies really knew what you could do for them, there would be no time for out-bound calls. As an athlete, you learn how to visualize your best plays on the field before your game. Not just the basics, but you go into details about how many steps, your speed, any moves you might use, and the power needed to shoot that goal.

Why not incorporate that in business too?

Of course you can bring out 75 of your clients to view our next home game, but I might be able to help you bring out 200 of your best clients, get them right on the ice, and your company will be able to fully capture their attention at one time with an amazing memory related to your company. Not to mention 10 of your biggest prospects we put on the players’ home bench as the team warms up pre-game. *Special thanks to the insight over the years from Rob Sine with Hands on Sports who really knows how to make this visualization work for ticket reps.

Can you now imagine all the new possibilities?

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About Kristen Sonsma

Kristen Sonsma has spent most of her sports career in ticket sales with experience in the AFL, MLS, and NHL. Connect with her on LinkedIn or on Twitter

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Have you ever been ‘frozen’ in a ticket sales conversation?

We all get that sinking feeling every once in a while.  You’ve either lost your place in the conversation, got distracted, or reached a verbal dead end.  It’s been called “Salesheimer’s Disease”; your brain goes numb, and it feels like there’s nothing left to say that would make any sense.

What do you say when you don’t know what to say?

Fortunately, there are a few phrases you can get to know and memorize that can get you out of sticky situations like these, and save the call in the process.  Have these responses handy next to your phone, just in case you may need them:

• “Tell me more about (the last thing you were just talking about).”

Ask your prospect to GO BACK to a previous, recent place in the conversation. It could be their kids, their past experience at the arena, the new draft pick you just got, their group, or anything else that was just previously being discussed.  Whatever it was, ask them to elaborate; they’ll talk for several seconds, which will allow you to regain your composure.

• “How did you get started in (the work you do)?”

Same principle here; this question shifts the mental focus of the conversation onto the prospect, allowing you the precious time you need.  Remember to keep listening during this “rebooting” time; they may be telling you something that’s critical to discovering which of your team’s programs would be perfect for them!

• “I’m so sorry… I was distracted here in my office.  What was that you were saying again?”

Most people understand office distractions.  It’s happened to them, and it’s really OK to come out and tell your prospect what may be happening behind the phone call.  Some prospects actually enjoy that kind of up-front admittance, and as a result will become more forthcoming with the information you need to sell them.  (Go figure!)

• “What’s the biggest challenge that’s on your desk right now?”

This may seem like an odd question to ask.  It’s not one that people hear often.  But it’s one that gets a B-to-B prospect thinking in a way they hadn’t been thinking before.

Most decision-makers have at least one or two critical challenges literally in a file on their desk at that moment; an employee HR issue, a proposal that needs to get out, a brochure from the competition that just came in the mail with an offer that needs to be addressed.  If our product is going to solve a problem for our prospects, we need to find a problem to solve, or else there’s no sale.

If you get a legitimate answer to this question, be prepared with solid suggestions as to how a solution including your team can help.  (If you’re stuck for what solutions your team offers, this subject is covered in detail in my Sales Dominance training program for sports ticket sales reps.)

Salesheimer’s Disease isn’t fatal.  It’s happened to everyone in the business, and it becomes less and less prevalent with experience and knowledge.  The good news is that there’s a cure; the antidote for all professional sales reps, no matter what the industry, is to be fully prepared.

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Bill Guertin has spent over 25 years in becoming one of the most dominant sales professionals. He serves on the board of advisors for the newly launched Sports Executives Association (SEA). Learn more about Bill and check out his ultimate sports ticket sales mind set when you join the SEA today.

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About Bill Guertin

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla. 

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With cell phones, call forwarding, and the death of the land-line in the home, most often we have no idea where our prospects might be when we’re calling them about our sports ticket opportunities.  They could be in the car, the supermarket, out on a date, or anywhere else you could imagine.

Wherever your prospect happens to be, chances are they’re near a piece of paper and a writing instrument of some kind. It’s your chance to engage them in your conversation – IF you’re good enough with using information that can lead to a sale.

While you have someone engaged on the phone, try this: ask them if they’re near a pen and paper, and ask them to write down a few things you’re going to dictate to them.  This subconsciously gets them to begin thinking creatively and positively in your direction, because they’re writing down something about you, keeping an informal “record” of your conversation, and they have a pen in their hand… which is a close cousin to signing a deal.  (Many people also think better when they have a pen in hand and are writing!)

Here’s how this might flow in an actual sales conversation:

“Do you happen to have a pen and a piece of paper in front of you?  Why don’t you grab it for a moment, because I’d like to share some numbers with you.”

“What would be an average amount of money you might spend to go out to eat with your family?  OK… write that down.”

“OK… how about a movie?  What would that cost for your family to go to a movie together?  Write that down too.”

“Is there anything else you often do together with the family?  Attend Little League games, go bowling, anything like that?  Often, that also involves going out to eat, too, doesn’t it?  OK… put that down too, and what it might cost you on average each time you go.”

“OK… so how many times would you say you might do those things over the course of, say, six months?  Put that down next to each one… now let’s add that up, and see what we come up with.” (Get a number from them)

“Very good.  So, let’s take that big number, and put it alongside the amount we’re talking about here for these tickets… which is $_____.  Understand, now, that some of that big number will be absorbed into the season tickets, now that you’ll be spending time there instead of these other places… so what we’re really doing is replacing or re-distributing the way you and your family spend your recreation dollars rather than increasing them.”

“When you look at it in black and white, the extra expense really doesn’t seem to be that much, does it?”

This is just one scenario.  Business-to-business prospects can also enter into “pen-and-paper” conversations about things like:

• Their top 3 clients, and how much revenue they bring to the bottom line (compared to the investment your tickets would be in keeping that revenue coming in)

• How much their current sales contest prizes are costing

• The number of salespeople they have, and how often each of them gets a chance to spend quality time with their clients

• Their current employee incentive programs, and how much is budgeted vs. their turnover rate, etc.

Email me with PEN AND PAPER in the subject line, and I’ll share a few other potential scenarios with you.

You can turn any telephone presentation into a multi-media sales opportunity by turning your client on to the high-tech world of pen and paper as a means of engaging them more fully.  Try it and see!

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About Bill Guertin

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla. 

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Every account executive in sports sales would be rich if they had a nickel for every time they’ve heard “It’s Not In The Budget” this year.  It’s the all-purpose excuse for the new normal.  After all, it’s an easy out for the prospect; how can any rep argue with a budget that they can’t see?

As a group of sales professionals, our success against a stingy budget boils down to two things:

• A rock-solid understanding of the value of our product to our clients, and;
• An iron will to continue to sell through their initial resistance.

Most everyone that has the power to write a check is nervous about the pressure they’re getting from all sides.  Spending money in the “wrong” way has been the kiss of death for many executives, and no one wants to be the next victim.

Regardless of how nervous our prospects are, the reality is that whether or not their budget is gone, the need for your product’s solution may still be there.  Your challenge – and your opportunity – is to discover what your buyer’s greatest challenges are, find out what those problems are costing them, and lay out how an investment with you can improve their situation.

Bottom line: Don’t take the objection at face value!

When you hear, “Sorry, it’s not in the budget this year,” here are a few of the kinds of responses I recommend:

#1: “We hear the ‘B’ Word a lot!  Let me ask you: even though your budget is gone, is the need for (motivating your salespeople/entertaining your best clients/employee appreciation) still there?  With all due respect for your budget, what are the consequences of choosing NOT to invest in that in 2010?” Discuss the negatives of doing nothing, what they will cost, and the relative good that can come from being a part of your team for 2010.

#2: “Staying within budget is always a challenge.  What would you say your biggest business challenge is this year?” This kind of discussion gets your prospects thinking in terms of issues and the need to resolve them, and you’ll have the chance to connect your product with these kinds of solutions.

#3: “I understand.  If budget wasn’t an issue – if the seats I had were FREE –  what would you do with them?  How would you use them to build your business?” Remove the budget issue completely, and allow your prospect to dream about how your product would be used if given access.  Many prospects actually enjoy this activity, and their answers will give you valuable insight into their potential intentions.

If these don’t sound like you would say them, change the words around until they sound and feel right.  As long as you keep the intent intact, you should be fine.

There are more reasons than ever for people to say “No” to our offers.  What’s important to remember is that there are just as many reasons to say “Yes” – if we’re well-prepared to overcome today’s objections with compelling reasons for our prospects to reconsider their answer.

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About Bill Guertin

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla. 

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