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?…
Tag Archives | Sports Ticket Sales
Fire All the Salespeople
There is a common problem I see brewing in sports ticket sales organizations across the nation. It started about 18 months ago, and has been spreading like a virus, bleeding organizations dry. I’m not sure where it started, but I know how it can be stopped. Here’s the problem: We’re allowing the economy to lull…
Tips on Apologizing for Salespeople
Tiger Woods delivering his 13-minute speech was finally what hundreds of millions of people were waiting to hear. “I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you,” said Woods. “I have made you question who I am and how I could have done all the things I did. I am embarrassed I have put you…
In the Trenches: Building Your Network
(This is a guest article by Cabe Flesher) As the old saying goes, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” and this can’t ring more true than in the wide world of sports, specifically sponsorships sales. We are out there everyday trying to get in the door somehow and we have all heard…
Get Out of a Sports Ticket Sales Slump
So you’re not having the kind of success you’d like. Your calls are more difficult, you’re not closing as many sales as you’d planned, your manager is supportive but insists on results. Your check isn’t enough to do the things you want to do. This sports thing wasn’t what you thought it would be. This…
How to Get More Callbacks from Prospects
When someone has decided to call us back before making a buying decision, there’s a good chance (despite all their good intentions) they won’t follow through. It doesn’t make them liars or bad people. It’s just the law of averages. We know people get busy and have other priorities come up in their lives. Are…
Welcome Back…Now Get Selling!
The holidays have passed us by, it’s 2010, and for those of us who hibernated for several days, it means it’s time to get back to work. Over the years I’ve seen an inordinate number of people give me excuses why it’s not the “right time” to sell someone right after the holidays: “Everyone’s hung…
Selling Tickets to the Family
Nothing is quite as powerful or as meaningful to a prospect as the benefits of ticket ownership for their children. Talk about the benefits of tickets to them personally, and many will say OK… but talk to them about the benefits related to their children, and suddenly the purchase becomes much more personal and emotional….
Reach out in New and Creative Ways for Ticket Sales
I always take the opportunity to reach out to a customer and show off a brand I represent. I won’t lie, I had a college professor that pounded this into my head for a semester. Working in ticket sales a few years later, I searched for ways to capitalize on this point. In today’s ticket…
What to Say When Your Prospect Says, “Call Me Back Later”
You have a prospect who’s genuinely interested. They’re asking all the right questions, and you’re responding perfectly. All seems to be going well, and it looks like you’re about to close the deal. All of a sudden they say, “I’ve got some other pressing things that are going on right now, so I have to…
Salesman Calling!: Where People Answer Their Cell Phones
What’s the strangest thing someone has said to you as they’ve answered a call from you on their cell phone? Sports ticket sales professionals call thousands of prospects a day, and many times we catch people in strange, awkward, or questionable situations. Here are some of the best examples of responses from sales prospects during…
Getting Past Bertha: The Rules of Gatekeeper Engagement in Sales
We all know who Bertha is. She’s the ever-present Gatekeeper… the evil lord of the Decision-Maker’s precious appointment book, telephone, and front door. She eats unsuspecting sales reps for breakfast. She’s been around the block, and knows what you’re up to. You’re a Salesperson, and as far as she’s concerned, you’re the enemy. She’s made…