I'm Never Selling a Ticket Again
As I've spent time around my friends and families over the holidays, and taken a big step back as I think about what selling tickets does mean...and what it should mean...I hit a crossroads.
A professional sports team's sales reps will always be their greatest marketing tools. They directly connect with the team's fan base on a constant basis. It's crazy the power they yield. And then we teach them Boiler Room or Wolf of Wall Street sales tactics. I know...I've done it. And you know what? I was wrong.
So I'm never selling a ticket again. Instead of finding ways to put pressure on our fans to spend more money on our product, I'm going to:
Actually care about them, not their money: I'm not going to ask them 5 questions and overwhelm them with information. I'm going to ask 15 questions to get great information from them, about them.
I'm going to make the right recommendation to them: If the only thing we're selling right now are season tickets, but they are a clear partial plan fit, I'm going to recommend they wait. Selling the wrong product to the wrong person in a pressured environment is why people hate salespeople. Buying the right thing at the right time is why people love buying things.
I'm going to solicit their feedback: I want to understand why my recommended package may be the wrong fit. I want to work with them to understand why it actually is by handling that objection, or negotiate with them to find a better product/number of seats/seating location/etc.
I'm not selling tickets. I'm helping our clients buy tickets. Jeffrey Gitomer said, 'People hate to be sold, but they love to buy.' That's more true today than when he said it. People love to take control over what they get and how they get it. So we need to create a sales process that is more inclusive of the buyer...or, a buying process. I'm tired of empty seats and high-pressure sales tactics. So, screw sales, time to help our clients reconnect by helping them buy!
Also, I promised an announcement. As I've taken a step back on all this, I've re-evaluated my own training. And I'm going to make some changes to help reps sell more by allowing our fans to feel like they have some ownership in what they buy. As I've looked back on my biggest and best sales, personally, it's everything that I've heard about above. So, in the new year, I'm going to be re-starting my sales training company Get After It Sales Training. I will not be training as much as I did in my hey day, but I want to get back out and make a hands-on impact with the sports industry again. More information coming after the new year! Enjoy your holidays!