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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Thanks for the article! I thought it was interesting that you suggested using all the fan experience options for the game. I can see how using all these benefits can make your sporting experience more memorable. I love going to sporting events and taking every possible opportunity to I can to just have more fun at the game. I really appreciate your help. I hope to apply these tips in the future.
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