The document discusses keys to long-term success in sports sales. It notes that the sales culture starts at the top with ownership and emphasizes building relationships. Marketing and sales must work together, with marketing driving conversations and sales following up. Teams can leverage experiences unique to their organization and venue to attract buyers, and focus on building long-term relationships is important for ongoing success.

1. 116 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATSpring2015
SalesintheCrosshairsCellar dwellers and league champions alike depend on the
next sale for organizational success. Whether an industry
newcomer or a sales veteran looking to brush up, note the
keys to long-term profits, as we take broad aim at sports
sales from across leagues and geographies.
By Dave Wakeman, Principal, Wakeman Consulting Group
O
ne doesn’t have to look very far to see why
some believe that we are in a golden age of
sports business. Super Bowl XLIX drew the
largest television audience in history, while
the NBA, NHL, and MLB also continue to set revenue
records. And all of the leagues have media deals that will
guarantee that television revenues will keep rolling in for
the next several seasons.
Dealing with corporate and luxury buyers, things are
looking good from their vantage points as well,with stock
markets hitting record highs, corporate profits remain-
ing strong, and other consumer indicators all moving in
a positive direction.
At the same time that all of these things are moving up-
wards, there are challenges and obstacles that we have to
be aware of to ensure that we are building and maintain-
ing long-term, high-value relationships with our clients
and potential clients. Things like new and trendy dining
spots, other entertainment options, and even one of our
largest partners,TV and the in-home experience, are sig-
nificant competitors to the games and events that we put
on in our stadiums.
These competitors exist in every market, even if a team
is in the middle of a decade-long sellout streak or trying to
get support for the franchise after a long period of rebuild-
ing. This is why teams always have to remember that as
much as they are in the sports and entertainment industry,
they are in the relationship business first and foremost. It
is important that every organization put itself in the posi-
tion to maximize the relationships their sales departments
are making and use all of the resources they have to extend
those relationships for the long term.
Selling From The Top Down
As sales professionals,it is easy to think that success can be
self-determined and that as long as one has the resources
needed to be successful, there is a way to close the deal.
In truth, the sales culture of an organization starts at the
top in the owner’s suite and works its way down through-
out the organization. So even if a team is flush with sales
superstars, having the owner of the organization pitching
the value of the team and the need to be a part of the ac-
tion is going to help close more sales.
In Washington, DC, where Monumental Sports &
Entertainment owns and operates the Capitals, Mystics,
Wizards, and Verizon Center, Founder and Chairman
Ted Leonsis has established a culture that focuses on sell-
ing the value of these teams to the community.
“Ted leads by example in highlighting that we are add-
ing value to our community,” says Jim Van Stone, Chief
Revenue Officer of Monumental Sports & Entertain-
ment. “This carries over to our luxury and premium rela-
tionships in that we have the resources and support nec-
essary to deliver first-rate value to these customers. Here
in Washington, we have an incredibly strong business-to-
business community, and we challenge ourselves to con-
tinually identify unique ways to add value through service
and satisfaction to these buyers. If we don’t, we will lose
them because there are countless entertainment options
in the DC region. So having the support at the top is a
huge help to us.”
Even if ownership and top executives are reluctant to
engage in selling and marketing activities, teams can still
use the power of high-profile members of the organiza-
tion to accelerate the sales cycle by engaging other mem-
bers of the organization like broadcasters,celebrity fans,or
even team alumni.
Get Marketing And Sales Working
Together
It is easy for an organization to look at sales and market-
ing as two entirely different departments and functions.
And in a lot of organizations, this happens because teams
are set up in separate departments that don’t have any kind
of cross collaboration. But the value to the organization is
just too great for the two functions to operate indepen-
Quick Hits
Thesalescultureofan
organizationstartsatthetopin
theowner’ssuite.
Marketingdrives
conversationsandattendance
toevent-basedselling
opportunities.
Anorganization’ssales
processisliftedbyexperiences
thatareuniquetotheteamand
itsvenue,nomatterwhereitis
initscompetitivelifecycle.
Withmanybusiness
relationships,themost
importantoneisbetweenthe
peopleconsummatingadeal.
“We have an incredibly strong business-to-
business community, and we challenge ourselves
to continually identify unique ways to add value
through service and satisfaction to these buyers.
If we don’t, we will lose them.”
– Jim Van Stone, Monumental Sports & Entertainment

2. 117 | S E A T | www.alsd.com | #SEATSpring2015
dently.
The greatest benefit to the organization and the sales
department comes when the marketing department is
leading aggressive, targeted campaigns that lead to con-
versations with potential buyers and help ease the job of
the sales team members when they follow up with these
prospects.
Bill Sutton, Professor of Sports Marketing at the Uni-
versity of South Florida, says, “It’s really important that
marketing and sales support each other and create incen-
tives that reward the two specialties for working together.”
The Miami Marlins are a good example of how run-
ning integrated campaigns has a tremendous positive
impact on results. This offseason, they have undertaken a
series of two-week “sprints”, targeting professions, com-
munities,or other demographics to engage the luxury and
premium buyer in the experience of Marlins baseball.
In putting together these sprints, Ryan McCoy, Vice
President of Sales and Service for the Marlins, has two
key motivators: driving conversations and attendance at
“closing events.” The Marlins have two key components
to their integrated efforts: a direct mail piece and a closing
event.These two things work hand in hand to drive buy-
ing decisions.
“We found that if we start with a mail piece, the rate
of our conversations jumped from about 3% to over 10%,”
McCoy says.“And by pushing the sales process towards an
event,we find that we can force a buying decision.Where
if we don’t have a buyer at one of those events,we are 70%
less likely to get any decision.”
This simple plan has worked for the Marlins, leading
to a 300% increase in premium sales over the offseason.
An organization can maximize its return on investment
and integration by focusing on a few key steps:
• Target a certain population. Don’t just blast
everyone with the marketing message.
• Don’t allow the marketing action to be a stand-
alone event.
• Use the tools available to drive a decision, yes
or no.
Capture The Experience
Every brand in the world would love to have the visceral
connection that sports teams have with their fans.It is this
connection that keeps fans and buyers coming back year
after year, even when the team is losing or even when the
team has been sold out for years.
Even with 105 straight sellouts, the Seattle Seahawks
have the challenge of selling, prospecting, and extending
premium experiences to their fans.
“We want to maintain contact with our buyers and po-
tential buyers,so we have been pretty aggressive in finding
opportunities for them,”says Chris Lawrence,Director of
Ticket Sales and Service. “This has led us to offer side-
line seating on the field.These seats allow fans that might
not have any other way to experience the gameday atmo-
sphere to have that chance, and it allows us to maintain
contact with our premium customers and prospects.”
The allure of a new venue can be a powerful buying
trigger as well. In Atlanta, the Braves and Falcons are
building new stadiums, and they are using the promise of
their new stadiums to attract the attention of buyers.
“We use SunTrust Park heavily in selling to our premi-
um buyers,” says Dennette Thornton, Senior Manager of
Memberships and Group Sales with the Braves.“Not just
because of the experience of a new stadium, but because
our seating capacity will be less, and having seating prior-
ity is important for a lot of our corporate buyers.”
The use of experiences can be helpful no matter where
an organization is in its competitive lifecycle. Remember
that nostalgia is a powerful buying mechanism and that a
team has a brand connection with its audience that helps
close sales.These things are always in play.
Relationships Rule
We have to always remember that all of these actions are
a means to build relationships of long-term value for team
partners. Sales professionals must also remember that any
tactics their organizations provide them are only addi-
tional tools in the tool belt to building and maximizing
relationships.
Team success or a new stadium will certainly help open
doors to business relationships, but as with many busi-
ness relationships, the most important one is between the
people consummating the deal. So make sure to always
focus on making that relationship more successful and
more valuable.
“Everyone loves a winner,” says Mike Stanfield, Senior
Vice President of Sales with the New Orleans Saints and
Pelicans.“But it’s really our job to understand how we can
maximize the long-term value of these relationships.”#
Howareyoursalesrepsbuildinglong-termrelationships?
WritetoDaveatdave@davewakeman.com.
COMING UP NEXT:
THE STORY OF
LEADERSHIP
“By pushing the sales process towards an event,
we find that we can force a buying decision.”
– Ryan McCoy, Miami Marlins