Direct Sales Techniques

Chapter 5

Media, Sponsors &

Fans

RNK TEAM G TOTAL AVG PCT

1 NY Yankees 78 3,335,521 42,763 77.7

2 San Francisco 77 3,095,743 40,204 96.9

3 Seattle 78 3,131,788 40,151 84

4 Los Angeles 81 3,138,626 38,748 69.2

5 Anaheim 77 2,900,676 37,671 83.6

6 Chicago Cubs 78 2,882,569 36,956 94.2

7 St. Louis 81 2,910,386 35,930 71.4

8 Arizona 78 2,685,830 34,433 70.2

9 Boston 79 2,655,032 33,608 100.1

10 Atlanta 78 2,377,490 30,480 60.9

11 Baltimore 81 2,454,523 30,302 62.9

12 Houston 76 2,280,919 30,012 73.3

13 Colorado 79 2,286,564 28,943 57.4

14 Cincinnati 76 2,198,884 28,932 68.8

15 NY Mets 74 2,093,384 28,288 49.3

16 Philadelphia 75 2,084,995 27,799 45

17 Oakland 80 2,189,223 27,365 62.7

18 Texas 81 2,094,394 25,856 52.6

19 San Diego 76 1,839,810 24,208 37.9

20 Chicago Sox 80 1,913,505 23,918 54

21 Minnesota 80 1,913,025 23,912 49.1

22 Kansas City 73 1,652,273 22,633 55.7

23 Toronto 76 1,712,621 22,534 44.6

24 Cleveland 81 1,730,002 21,358 49.2

25 Pittsburgh 78 1,636,751 20,983 55.4

26 Milwaukee 80 1,678,389 20,979 50.1

27 Detroit 76 1,309,195 17,226 42.9

28 Florida 75 1,151,812 15,357 42.3

29 Tampa Bay 78 987,682 12,662 28

30 Montreal 81 1,025,639 12,662 32.2

Explain the “water tower” concept with respect to media, sponsors & fans.

When the water tower is full, water pressure is high—pressure on fans to buy tickets while they are available. This places pressure on media to provide coverage. Media coverage pressures sponsors into making the media buy to reach those fans. If the water tower isn’t full, no pressure to get your tickets, for media to cover the event, or sponsors to buy.

Defining Sales

• The text discusses five factors that “cause” customers to perform or fail to perform (buy). One of these is really the result of the other four. Which one is it?

• Using the Rangers’ sales materials, explain the effect of the other four factors on customer performance (viz., purchases).

• Quality: 70-88, .433 (2003)• Time: How much time would a

person have to have to make the different packages worthwhile?

• Cost: Who can afford to pay the costs associated with the different packages?

• Fit: How do the game packages fit with different customer lifestyles?

These four factors determine the quantity purchased by customers.

Customer-focused Selling What are the opposites of a customer-focus?

When did you last experience someone with a product-focus?

1. Every customer is unique

2. Rapport & trust-building3. Ask questions4. Listening5. View as asset with a

lifetime value6. Customize, personalize7. Empathetic8. Find mutually beneficial

solutions9. Aftermarketing

1. All customers are the same

2. Misrepresent to make sale

3. Tell them what they want4. Talking5. Sell today, gone

tomorrow.6. One presentation fits all7. Ignorant8. Win the sale.9. “We’ve got your money.”

EDuselling

• Suppose you work for the Rangers. What are the key components of Eduselling in this context?– Define it– How long does it go on?– What do you need to

monitor?– What does eduselling

ensure?

p.104

Components of a SSale

• What do the Rangers have to sell?

• If you could have primary sales responsibility for a certain product category, which would you choose? Why? (remember that you get paid on base + commission)

• Naming rights• Electronic (TV, radio, web)• Signage (boards, marquees, field,

concourse, turnstiles, virtually any open space)

• Print (programs, media guides, newsletters, ticket backs & envelopes, scorecards, faxes, emails?)

• Tickets/hospitality (parking, club areas, season tkts, club seats, suites, PSLs, groups, parties/special events)

• Promotions (premium items, on-field promos, video scoreboard ads, pre-/post-game entertainment)

• Community programs (schools, camps/clinics, banquets/luncheons/ dinners, golf tourneys, etc.)

• Miscellaneous (fantasy camps, cruises, road trips, etc.)

sAAle

• What’s wrong with this phone sales person?

• How well do you think he does in his job?

saLLe

• If you worked in sales for the Rangers’ in the tickets & hospitality area, where would you get your leads?

• Groups with baseball interests (little league, etc.)

• Past ticket buyers (online, phone, credit card)

• Contest cards• Coupon, etc. redemption• General inquiries• Referrals• Lists (attorneys, dr.’s,

etc.)

salEE

• What is your assessment of the “equity” offered by the different products the Rangers have to sell?

• Which offer the best opportunity for a win-win situation? Which don’t?

Effective Salespeople Like You

Are salespeople born or made?

Which of these can you personally choose to improve?TrustworthyEmpathyPersistenceCompetitivenessAccountabilityResponsibilityIntegrityOptimismUnderstand missionUnderstand prospectsTeachableAsks & listensKnows product benefitsAble to illustrate product benefitsAble to persuade prospects to agree on benefitsAsks for saleReinforces saleOvercomes rejectionMake buyers feel like they chose

Effective Salespeople Like You

Are salespeople born or made?

Which of these can you personally choose to improve? TrustworthyEmpathyPersistenceCompetitivenessAccountabilityResponsibilityIntegrityOptimismUnderstand missionUnderstand prospectsTeachableAsks & listensKnows product benefitsAble to illustrate product benefitsAble to persuade prospects to agree on benefitsAsks for saleReinforces saleOvercomes rejectionMake buyers feel like they chose

The Customer

• Who are your most valuable customers?

• How would you use the frequency escalator idea in prioritizing your sales calls in your job with the Rangers?

• Why are potential customers not current customers?

• Current customers• Target low/med/high

users and try to convert them into the next higher level (increase frequency)

• Inadequate– Interest– Comprehension– Access– Resources– Loyalty/satisfaction

Butterfly customers

• What are they?• Do these customers

really “replace the loyal customers of the past?”

• What risks do you see in trying to attract the butterfly customer?

The Sales Presentation

1. What does the audience expect to gain from the information?2. What one thing do you want them to recall?3. What materials will best convey the impression you want to

make?

Group Discussion:Are the Rangers properly employing full-menu marketing? Explain.You are making a phone sales call to prospects for each of the six

seat-related products (p.114) for the Rangers. For each type of product,

• identify the most likely target, • what information they most likely expect or need to know, and• determine what one thing (benefit) you want that target audience

to remember from your sales call.

Direct (e)mail

Individually:• Design an email (copy, graphics) that you would send to

individuals who bought tickets for 5-9 games in 2003 for the Rangers.

• Make sure it is self-explanatory, clear, & focused…with clear instructions.

• Should be:– Targeted– Personal– Measurable– Testable– Flexible (customizable)– Permitted (how will you gain permission?)

Sales Materials

Which of the following are most likely to be accepted (used) or rejected (trash can) by frequent vs. infrequent fans?

• Full-season ticket brochure

• Partial ticket plan brochure

• Group brochure• Pocket schedule• Poster• Appeal letter

118-9

Sales Materials

Which of the following are most likely to be accepted (used) or rejected (trash can) by frequent vs. infrequent fans?

• Full-season ticket brochure

• Partial ticket plan brochure

• Group brochure• Pocket schedule• Poster• Appeal letter

118-9

Telemarketing

• Adapt the 7-step telemarketing process example (p.121) to the Rangers situation. You are calling someone similar to Mary Stuart, with selling the Rangers’ package options (28, Fab14, BusinessPlan 14) as your goal.

• Prepare your script and be prepared to make the call!

Unique Sports Products: Sponsorships

Assume that you are attempting to get a local restaurant to sponsor a 10k race put on by the HSB marketing majors.

• What rights would you attempt to offer?– Graphic display associated with event– Exclusivity?– Title sponsor? Or other “official product” sponsor?– Conduct promo activities on-site at race?

• What benefits would you offer as partners in helping the sponsor market their restaurant?– Sales?– Awareness?– Image?– Enhance trade/channel relations?– Other?

What have we learned?1. The four factors (quality, time, cost & fit) that determine the quantity purchased

by fans.2. Aspects of what is and what is not customer-focused selling.3. Eduselling4. What sports products (naming rights, electronic, signage, tickets, etc.) sports

sales people sell.5. What’s necessary for a SALE (sales products, attitude, leads, equity) to occur.6. Being an effective salesperson is mostly a matter of individual choice, not

genetics.7. Who our most value customers are (current)8. The risks associated with targeting butterfly customers9. Full-menu marketing: including key targets for each item on the menu and its

key benefit10.Components of an effective direct (e)mail11.Sales materials most appropriate for (in)frequent customers12.The phone sales (telemarketing) process: precall planning,

approach/positioning, data gathering, solution generation, solution presentation, close, wrap-up.

13.The rights & benefits one sells sponsors of events, venues or teams.