According to the SportsBusiness Journal, the Sports Industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States with nearly $250 billion in revenue annually. That makes it bigger than the U.S. Auto Industry and 10 times larger than the Motion Picture Industry.

What does that mean to you? It means there’s an enormous amount of job opportunities in the sports industry. As the sports industry grows in revenue, so do the number of job opportunities.

To make this point, let’s take a look at the Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise and the first two decades since Jerry Jones bought the team from Bum Bright. At the time of purchase, the Cowboys were losing a million dollars a month.

For the right to take ownership of this money-losing franchise, Mr. Jones shelled out $150 million, the highest amount ever paid for a professional sports team anywhere in the world.

That was in 1989. A lot has changed since, especially the value of the Dallas Cowboys. According to Forbes (2009), “The Dallas Cowboys franchise is now the single most valuable sports franchise on the planet, worth $1.8 billion.”

Industry Growth = Job Creation

As revenue continues to increase throughout the industry, year after year, so have the number of jobs. For example, in 1989 the Cowboys employed a total of 79 people. Twenty years later, the team employed a franchise record 216 people.

Dallas Cowboys Jobs:

1989 – 79 Total Employees
1999 – 146 Total Employees
2009 – 216 Total Employees

Sports Industry Growth:

1989 – $90 Billion Annually (U.S.)
1999 – $153 Billion Annually (U.S.)
2009 – $238 Billion Annually (U.S.)

Between 1989 and 2009, the Cowboys saw their employment jump 173%. By comparison, the sports industry grew 153% during the same time period.

Front Office Jobs On the Rise

Every front office department within the Cowboys organization has grown including the coaching staff and player personnel. Two departments that have shown significant growth were—no surprise—the two revenue-generating departments: Ticket Operations and Marketing (i.e. corporate sponsorships).

Dallas Cowboys Ticket Operations:

1989 – 6 Employees
1999 – 19 Employees
2009 – 11 Employees

Dallas Cowboys Marketing:

1989 – N/A
1999 – 7 Employees
2009 – 17 Employees

(Note: Between 1999 and 2009 several positions from Ticket Ops moved over to Marketing.)

However, the department that saw the biggest jump in employment should also come as no surprise because this department has to count—and keep track of—all that money: The Accounting/Finance Department.

Dallas Cowboys Accounting / Finance:

1989 – 4 Employees
1999 – N/A
2009 – 14 Employees

Cool New Careers

There are several cool new careers within the Cowboys front office. These departments didn’t even exist 15 years ago. With the proliferation of cable channels and new media, including the Internet and handheld mobile devises, several new careers have emerged.

Today, for example, there are nine new departments within the Cowboys organization that did not exist in 1989:

Dallas Cowboys’ Newest Departments

• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Internet Technology
• In-House Media
• Cheerleaders
• Merchandising
• Diversity Affairs
• Stadium Development
• Community Affairs

Below are the rest of the departments within the Dallas Cowboys organization, all of which have grown with the number of employees over the last two decades.

Dallas Cowboys’ Departments Since 1989

• Public Relations
• Medical
• Equipment
• Video
• Player Personnel
• Football Operations
• Player Development
• Stadium Development
• Operations/Practice Facilities
• Blue Star Media

Final Take

Follow your heart first; then, follow the money.

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About Chris McKinney

Chris McKinney is the president of SPORTS LAUNCH™, a career services firm dedicated to helping college students and career-changers launch sports careers. Chris' new book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps can be found on www.SportsLaunch.net.

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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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I recently took a trip to New Zealand for some fun during the Holidays.

It is an amazing country to say the least (and that story is for another article) but I had the opportunity to meet with a few great sports professionals during my trip.

One of them was non other than sports ticketing and online marketing genius Shane Harmon.

Shane is General Manager of Marketing and Communications for Rugby New Zealand 2011, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for Rugby World Cup 2011. He holds responsibilities in Marketing, Ticketing, Media and Communications, Ceremonies and VIPs.

I had a chance to spend some time with Shane and hear about what his team has done to strategically promote the games and sell the maximum amount of tickets in what is considered a very small market in New Zealand to host such a large event.

The commercial model differs between major events. For Rugby World Cup, ticketing is the sole source of revenue for the LOC. The Tournament owner, the International Rugby Board, retains all other revenue such as sponsorship and broadcast, which it invests in the growth of the game globally.

The ticketing numbers are big by international standards. However, by New Zealand standards they are huge. Shane and his team have a sales target of 1.4 Million tickets worth $268 Million NZD for the 6 week tournament.  With 8 months to go they are on track with 60% of the tickets sold and 85,000 international visitors confirmed.

In the interview below, Shane talks about the ticketing challenge and how RWC 2011 has embraced Social Media to address that challenge.  I hope you enjoy the video, and feel free to share you thoughts on what Shane and his team are doing with the RWC.

Shane has worked in sports marketing for the past ten years in Australia and New Zealand, and he is also a proud member of the SEA. You can follow him on Twitter @shane_harmon

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About Lewis Howes

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1. Network, Network, Network

Have you heard the adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” Well, in sports, it’s more like “who knows you” or “who is familiar with your work“. The key to getting your first sports job (or any job) is networking. You need to get out there in front of the decision makers who have the power to hire you, whether that’s the head of the sales department, box office or the general manager.

Attending networking functions is a great idea. Most teams and leagues either run their own career fair or attend sports related fairs every year. For example, job seekers interested in a career in Minor League Baseball should attend the annual PBEO Conference (the same “Winter Meetings” where players are traded and the Rule V draft are held ever year) and network with as many people as possible.

2. Get Ready to Sell

Sales is the most important aspect of a front office. One of the first things you must know about working in sports is that you’re always selling, even if you don’t work in the sales department. Although you might work in marketing, public relations or events, you will be called to sell tickets-or perhaps even sponsorships-from time to time. You’re always selling the value of attending a game at your stadium/arena so the concept of selling tangible goods like tickets really isn’t that different from selling the experience itself.

3. Be Comfortable Wearing Many Hats

Get ready to wear many different hats throughout the day-it’s true of the sports industry and especially in minor league sports. One day you might be driving to the airport to pick up the newest addition to your roster and the next day you might be dressing up as the mascot. Understand that all sports organizations do this to some degree. It’s more prevalent in minor league sports where staffs are small and “to do” lists are long but it occurs in major league sports at times as well.

4. Be a Sponge

Be a sponge. Soak up as much information you possibly can about the sports industry itself and especially about the team or league where you’d like to work. Ask for informational interviews to learn about the positions which interest you the most. The employee you’re talking to was probably in your shoes not too long ago. A little information can be a powerful think, especially as you try to position yourself as the best candidate for a position in the midst of an already crowded and extremely competitive job market.

5. ‘You Are the Team’

For all intents and purposes, this adage is especially true of the sports industry. A fan might only encounter one team employee during a game. It is therefore necessary that all employees represent the team and provide excellent customer service at all times-it is the single most important responsibility you have as an employee. If a customer asks you for help and you can’t help them, find someone who can. This may be your only chance to impact this customer all night–and often times the smallest interactions can leave the greatest impact on a customer and their overall enjoyment that night. The higher you rise in an organization, the more visible you are.

6. Love What You Do

Working in the sports industry is often a labor of love. There are millions of people out there that love sports but only a select few among them work in the industry. You have to be passionate about sports and really love what you do to stay in the sports industry. You will be asked to sacrifice your time on weekends and holidays. If you’re interested in working a traditional 9-to-5 schedule, the sports industry is definitely not for you. There are always college students and recent graduates salivating at the chance to work in the sports industry (and often work for free).

7. You’re Not Going to Be Able to Watch the Games

One of the biggest misconceptions about the sports industry is that employees have the opportunity to watch the games themselves. This is absolutely not the case. In baseball, for example, you might catch an inning or two while you move around the stadium but you will never have the opportunity to sit down and watch the game.

The game itself is your primary chance to interact with your clients which is why watching the game is something you will almost never do.

8. Be Ready to Climb the Ladder

As with athletes, sports employees will often start at the lowest levels of the minors and work their way up the ladder in their respective sports. It’s common for employees to move from one position to a more senior position in the span of several seasons.

Employees will often climb the minor league ladder as athletes do, especially if they work in sales, public relations or broadcasting. Employees have tremendous growth potential in the sports industry if they work hard and tirelessly and build relationships constantly.

9. Be Innovative

Creativity rules in the sports industry. Every year, teams gain exposure due to wacky and off-the-wall promotions, especially in the minor leagues. Sometimes the best sponsorship ideas come from a wild idea someone offers at the end of a meeting. That’s just how it happens sometimes.

If you enjoy coming up with creative solutions to problems and thinking outside-the-box, you’ll enjoy working in the sports industry.

10. Have Fun

Although sports is a business, it is also a fun business. You meet a lot of great people and gain valuable experience by working in the sports industry-experience that really transcends the sports industry itself.

Think about it: where else can you dress up like a mascot or dance with the Blues Brothers on the top of a dugout? Sports is a unique industry and can be fun if you give it a chance.

I’d love to hear the story of how you landed your first sports job. Please let me know in the comments below!

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About Brendan Wilhide

Brendan Wilhide runs Sportsin140.com, a site that covers sports and social media. He is currently co-authoring a textbook on social media for the sports industry. Follow him on Twitter: @BrendanWilhide and @Sportsin140.

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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 our leadership into expecting less from the salespeople who are paid to make things happen. Our managers are taking the “economy” excuse and letting our sales reps use it as a crutch, and it’s weakening everyone in the process.

If you’re an account rep, I have a few telling questions for you:

Did you achieve your monthly goals for either January or February?  If not, what happened?

How about the number of sales calls that are expected of you each month?  Did you reach the mark that was set for your performance, or did you fall short?

Can you say that you truly did all you could to achieve those goals?  Or did you decide that you need to hang it up early on several of those days to get a break from the constant negativity of being turned down? Perhaps more importantly, what were the repercussions of you missing one or more of those marks?

This is a B-I-G problem, and it’s not the fault of just one person.  It’s the responsibility of everyone involved to motivate a sales team to work as a well-oiled machine.

If you’re missing your sales targets by a wide margin your supervisor is now being forced to consider drastic measures to improve.  Nobody in management wants to do anything rash, but they would probably let go an entire staff if they knew it would benefit the organization. They would fire everyone in a heartbeat and start over with a new team of hungry reps, eager to show their new boss how grateful they are to work on your former team.

Why? Here are just a few of the reasons:

• There are a slew of qualified, available salespeople out of work right now. From real estate and banking to the insurance, retail, and automotive industries, some of the very best sales reps in your area have been let go, and are highly motivated to excel in their work.  Most are starving for someone to take them in, even if it means a pay cut.

• It can be mentally easier for your manager to bring in a new staff than to re-train those who aren’t producing. By starting with a clean slate, a manager can be a hero with their bosses by showing that something’s being done to improve their current situation.

• It’s a fresh start for your manager. The situation is partly his/her fault, too. If a supervisor hasn’t developed a standard practice of regularly monitoring, coaching, and developing expected levels of minimum performance for their current underperforming staff, it’s their chance to start over.

How can you insulate yourself?  Start today:

• Maintain an open dialogue with your manager. Don’t just seek your manager out when there’s a problem.  Discuss your questions, your successes, and your challenges with him or her regularly.  Make sure you know how you’re being evaluated in your position, and where you stand on his or her scorecard.

• Decide that no one else but you is in charge of your own success. It’s not the list, the phone system, the computer, the team, or anyone’s fault but your own if you don’t learn your craft, read about selling on your own time, practice on your own, and make the calls.

• Become the best in your organization at what management values most. Every organization is different, and values certain kinds of activities, sales, and benchmarks differently.  Make sure you know what your manager is measuring, and be the #1 person in your office to deliver that.

Ownership has millions of dollars riding on the success or failure of the sales effort.  That’s you.  They’ve trusted the team’s leadership to get the job done — through you.  Even in this economy, there are plenty of salespeople just like you in every corner of the nation that are meeting and exceeding their targets, so there’s no saying it can’t be done.

There is no such thing as job security. Unless, of course, you take the time to secure it yourself.

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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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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 is way too stressful.  Where’s all that fun and excitement you thought would be coming your way? This is more like…a JOB!

If you’re feeling this way, here are several things to consider:

Look at how you’re spending your time each day. Do you talk a lot with your co-workers about how bad things are?  It’s a natural thing to do, but it’s not doing anything to move you forward. In fact, psychologists say that peer group reinforcement of a particular negative belief can actually hold you back.  Is it worth feeling good for a few moments just to stay where you are?

Look at the number of calls you’re making. An obvious measure of your effort is your call volume, but some reps choose to make fewer calls in a slump.  They put them off, thinking it’ll be better to call them at a later time, an earlier time, etc.  FACT: The more calls you don’t make today, the fewer sales and appointments you’ll make today.  It’s that simple.

Look at the way you’re conducting your calls. How are you opening your conversations?  Is it the best it could be, or are you just going through the motions?  If you’re frustrated, desperate, or robotic, your prospect will pick up on it.  Freshen up your opening so that you’ll deliver it with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and sincerity.

Look at the way you’re prepared to answer objections. What are the top 3-4 objections you’re faced with each day?  Are you prepared to answer them with clarity and logic?  The best reps mentally prepare to answer each of their prospects’ most common objections, followed by a closing question.

Look at the way you’re leaving voice mails. More than 70% of your calls are directed to a voice mail system of some kind.  Do your voice mails sound interesting, compelling, and time-sensitive?  Are they too long, too predictable, or just plain boring to listen to?  Spend a few moments preparing a voice mail that gives people a compelling, intriguing reason to call you back.

Look at the time you spend in-between appointments. Many new reps will schedule appointments in the northern part of the city at 10:00, and another in the south at 11:30.  That’s unrealistic. Think about the time you’ll spend getting from one appointment to another, and schedule them accordingly.  Make your Tuesday appointments in one section of town, and your Wednesdays in another.  It isn’t always possible, but if you don’t ask your prospect if they’re more flexible, you may be stressing yourself out needlessly, and saving yourself precious hours in non-selling commuting time.

Look inside. Can you be honest with yourself?  What you signed up for is a SALES job.  All sales reps are experiencing challenging times, so you’re not alone.  Sales professionals have several choices when faced with a challenge; they can keep doing what they’re doing, change what they’re doing to be more successful, or look elsewhere for something that suits them better.  Decide which course of action you’ll take.

There are people who want what you sell. If you choose to improve on at least one or two of the points above, you will see a change in your results.  Now get on the phone and start selling!

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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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(This is a guest article by Chris Rufle)

Putting on a networking event at your venue can be beneficial for you in a few different ways.  It can give you the opportunity to sell a weak night, draw in new quality leads, and help other business executives further their businesses all at the same time.  As long as you follow a few steps to make sure you plan your event properly it can be a success.

First, pick a night. Since people are primarily coming for the networking event instead of the game, you have the opportunity to pick the date you prefer.  This gives you the ability to take one of your weaker nights and sell it while hosting a successful group outing with great potential for future leads.

Who do you sell? Having quality attendees will not only benefit the other networkers, but help you as well. Try and invite people that could also be future ticket leads for you. Use this opportunity to invite contacts that may not have ever been to the ballpark before.  These are the people you have been calling all week trying to help them realize the value coming out to the ballpark can have for their business.  This is a perfect opportunity to show them you are right.

Having quality networkers is also better for the fellow attendees.  Nothing is worst then showing up to a networking event filled with people that are just soliciting their product or handing out their resume to everyone.  A tip given to me early on in my career was “If you want to be successful in networking, you need to offer more than you ask for.” Inviting quality participants will help the overall success and result with people wanting to come back to future networking events.

Of course there is no exact set of rules when organizing your event, but here are some helpful guidelines to follow:

1. Team up with a local networking group – they are established and they put on these events all the time.  They will already have a large list of contacts and can easily send out information about your event. Also if you pick the right group, the association with their name can help legitimize your event.

2. Set your price- There are a few things that you have to take into account here.  Do some research and see how much another events in the area are charging.  Try and keep it at that level if you can.  If you are able to host the event in a picnic / party deck area where you can have food included is always a plus.

3.  Set an agenda - This will give the night structure and keep things organized.  It doesn’t have to be to elaborate.  Keep is simple (5pm – Registration and Open Networking; 5:30pm can be a spot for a special guest to speak; 6:45pm Drawings and 50/50 Raffle winners; 7:15pm Game time).

4. Utilize social media – Take advantage of outlets such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook to promote your event.  They are free and allow you opportunities for your guests to meet and interact before even arriving.  List your event on these social networking sites and count on some help from your local network to share the information.

5. Keep detailed records – It is likely you will be running around talking to lots of people, making it difficult to keep track of everyone’s name.  If you have a registration table you can keep track of who came. It can also be a reference point when following up with everyone about future networking events and future tickets sales depending on how your conversations went that night.

Remember, by setting up a successful networking event you will move more available inventory, build your network in the local business community, and grow your potential future sales leads. Have you hosted similar networking events at your venue, what tips would you share?

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Chris is currently an account executive for The Long Island Ducks Baseball Team.  Responsible for selling the total product mix including Full and Partial Season Ticket Plans, Group Tickets, and Corporate Partnerships. He has may interests with-in the sports business world such as: Networking, Sharing Ideas, Social Media, and Helping others.  Chris founded Sports Group Sales a web site deciated  to the sharing of ideas and practices of the industry.  Follow Chris on Twitter @crufle or you can find him on LinkedIn.

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About Lewis Howes

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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 you kidding?  Something else is more important than getting back to you about their awesome seats?  C’mon!  You don’t have to take that crap! Push the odds in your favor!

The next time someone tells you, “I’ll have to call you back,” try one of these responses:

- “Sure, we can do that.  Do you have your BlackBerry with you?  Let’s go ahead and both put a callback day and time into our calendars, so we’ll have a time frame to work with.  We don’t want to let it go for too long!”

-  “Great! Should I work with your assistant to set up a day and time, or do you keep your own calendar?”

-   “OK.  Let’s pick a day and time, and I’ll send you an E-mail reminder, just to keep us both on track. What E-mail should I use?”

Another option is to attempt to sew up the deal right then and there, eliminating the need for a callback at all:

- “If you need to run this past someone, I don’t have a problem getting someone else on a three-way call.  Do you happen to know where they are right now?”

-   “Here’s the thing.  The problem is I can’t guarantee that these seats we’re looking at right now will be available once I let them go.  Is there any way we could put a small deposit on them?  If for some reason these seats aren’t what you’re looking for, we can just transfer your deposit to another location.  Does that work for you?”

-  Does your partner usually trust your judgment?  OK… then why don’t we just lock in these seats right now while we can, and I’ll be glad to help you go over the details with your partner later?”

Want more suggestions on how to generate a higher percentage of callbacks? Just e-mail me with the subject word CALLBACKS, and I’ll send you another hot idea on how to help move your phone number straight to the top of your prospects’ “To Do” list.

We have enough to do and can’t worry about people getting back to us.  Take control, people!  Help make it easy for others respond to you, and you’ll be taking callbacks left and right… and cashing a few more checks in the process.

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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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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 over.”
• “People are hitting the ground running, and they’re too busy to talk to me.”
• “Their budgets have just been set for the year, and there’s no money for me.”
• “People have more important things to do, and I’m the last person they want to talk to right now.”

You can come up with a hundred excuses for every day of the year about why it’s not ‘the right time’ to sell. (In fact, my friend Lee Salz has a hilarious list of sales excuses for each month. If you’d like a copy, just e-mail me and put the word “EXCUSES” in the subject line. I’ll be glad to share it).

Here’s the reality: For everyone that isn’t quite ready to buy today, there are plenty of others who are ready to say “yes” to you. That’s right; TODAY. Now.  This moment.  Your job as a professional sales rep is to find them.

That’s what sales is.  It’s not excuses about the lousy conditions, the time of year, the time of day, the weather, or any number of things that others use to justify their decision not to call someone today.

While there might be ‘better’ days to reach a majority of prospects than others, every day represents an opportunity to sell someone on the benefits of your team’s product. Right now, someone needs to hear about the relationship-building, the fellowship, the family time, the motivation, and all the other benefits your team brings to young and old.

Even on a day like today.

The holidays are over.  It’s time to get back to work. Put a spring in your voice, an extra measure of enthusiasm in your presentation, and make 2010 your best year ever.

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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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