Bringing in the right trainer matters, especially when they have a great track record of success. Jack Mielke has been training for the past 20 years, helping guide some of the largest sports franchises toward revenue success through ticket solutions. Mielke shares his knowledge on how to develop a sales culture from the ground up, taking assessment of staff already on board, and how managers should be taking ownership over results by their team. Twitter: @JackMielke
One of the major third party ticket companies to emerge in the last ten years for both professional sports and college athletics is Turnstyles Ticketing. Helmed by founder Chris Hutson, Turnstyles Ticketing tries to break the mold on how to speak to the fan through customer service out-bound calls, especially when discussing personal seat licenses. Hutson discusses his vision for the company, his involvement with selling tickets for the National Football League and New York Yankees, and how crucial protecting the price point is to ticket sales efforts in the future.
Going from a sales staff position to minor league owner in twenty years isn’t easy, but Jeff Eiseman has done that by forming Agon Sports, which oversees operations for the Augusta GreenJackets minor league baseball club. Eiseman talks about his experiences with Mandalay and Ripken Baseball, of why the sports industry is really a sales industry above all else, and what those who want to break in need to do in order to survive long term. Twitter: @Jeff_Eiseman
Luke Burket provides a fascinating case study of what the customer wants compared to what sales staffs focus on, in terms of selling sports. Burket discusses his role within the Evansville Iceman, how his title hasn’t changed his motivations or drive, and how keeping an office close to his staff is one of the key’s to his success. Twitter: @LukeBurket
Group sales is growing with importance in sports as season ticket sales diminish. Chris Asa sits on the front lines of selling groups on the Montgomery Biscuits minor league team, and gets into the details of how to specifically sell more group tickets, what to target and how to build a true relationship which will garner larger crowds as well as revenue for years to come. Twitter: @ChrisAsa1
Oklahoma State is at the forefront of the inhouse ticket sales revolution for college campuses. A lot of that vision comes from Adam Haukap, who talks about what college ticket sales was like prior to 2007 and where it is headed now. Haukap is considered one of the top sales minds in NCAA sports with OKSU stepping further ahead of their peers and hired a ticket analyst, gaining traction for the Big Data information wave that CRMs can reveal. Twitter: @AHaukap
It’s one thing to sell season tickets to an upcoming season, but Erik Hansen has been put in charge of selling out the house two years before the Phantoms minor league hockey team arrives in town. That means phone calls, training as well as motivating staff, and ensuring that specific sales goals are met, waiting for the arena in LeHigh Valley has been built. Twitter: @Kulax40
Greg Bennett separates his company, Surgence, with other sales trainers, because he wants some skin in the game with any staff he helps guide. This isn’t just a system, or presentation, but an intensive amount of indepth sales knowledge from Bennett, who implements dynamic new strategies in order to increase profit. Bennett talks about some of the issues he has with the sales training game, as well as some solutions to both staff development and retention. Twitter: @SurgenceTeam
Bringing her NBA experience with the Atlanta Hawks to Cleveland State, Carrie Neville talks about how the ticket sales office has transitioned into a full-selling suite. Neville presents several ideas of how CSU’s basketball events are more than just a game, whether that includes concessions, magicians or just fun. Neville discusses her passion for group sales, some of the techniques she uses in order to ensure that the largest group possible comes out, and the great challenge afterward of trying to determine what information aside from the group leader can attained from the rest of those coming. Twitter: @CSU_Vikes
Operating one minor league team would be a normal undertaking, but Mike Ostrowski is responsible for three teams which have overlapping seasons. Ostrowski talks about developing a good sales team, making sure that the brand is extended out, respected, and pushed futher into the community. Ostrowski talks about group tickets, the implementation of dynamic pricing on minor league teams, and the NBADL Canton Charge, which relocated to the Ohio area in 2011.