Most Important Part of #SportsBiz Time Management During #COVID19

I've talked to hundreds of #sportsbiz sales reps during #COVID19 and their biggest challenge is just the quantity of people they say are willing to buy. There are very, very few. And that makes sense. This is a genuinely tough time for people, and, by every statistical measure I've seen, fans aren't exactly sprinting back into stadiums for safety reasons.

Generally, in #sportsbiz sales, it can feel like finding a good, potential ticket buyer is a needle in a haystack. These days? It feels like that haystack is the size of the Empire State Building.

So what can we do to increase our efficiency? Set a clear agenda statement. Too many sales reps are walking into conversations with their guard up already. They talk about the impact of #COVID19, then they ask some questions, and they hope the person will be interested in tickets. And they do this call, after call, after call. And they don't sell call, after call, after call.

Setting an agenda statement is a critical part of the sales process, but it's never been more important than it is today. It keeps you from talking to someone who has no interest in tickets for 10 minutes. It's 1 minute, no interest, and out on those with no interest. It's 1 minute, interest, and engage those who are.

So what could that agenda statement sound like?:

The reason for my call is, first, to discuss if thinking about tickets for next season is something you're up for right now. If you are, I'd love to talk about how we're supporting our fans to get on board. Is it ok to discuss what we're offering right now?

"But Brett, they might say no it's not!"

That's f**king fine. It has to be. Our job is to find the great conversations, not try to sell someone who has made no decisions about even coming to one game next year. Open with empathy, set a strong agenda, and see if the buyer is even willing to think about it. If not? Move on. If so? Engage. It really is that simple. The best way to manage your time is to give yourself more time. This is that, exactly.