For the past 30-plus years, I have written about ticket sales, consulted on ticket sales, trained ticket sellers, created ticket packages, developed promotions to sell those packages, and restructured sales/service departments. This column reflects my view of what every ticket sales department should consider.
A clear reason to make a commitment to buying a ticket plan of any size. The organization must be able to make a compelling case as to why to buy a ticket plan. This might be in the form of a membership that offers some unique benefits or access, but it needs to be compelling, unique and ideally only attainable through the primary ticket source.
A point where one can “wade in.” Using the analogy of a swimming pool (not everyone can just jump in), some people need to walk in the shallow end and wade in the water to get accustomed to it. The mini-plan or a small flex plan can do this effectively — but only if the buyer has ongoing communication and interaction during this initial purchase period — helping them get accustomed to the pool.
An incentive to grow or upgrade. Not everyone is going to increase their attendance nor purchase a better plan (moving to premium locations), but there should be an incentive to encourage them to consider doing so. Please be cognizant that an incentive doesn’t always mean a discount or a deal. It can mean access, or perhaps a special incentive like a ball person opportunity for their son or daughter, or a chalk talk for their business leadership team. It’s much easier for an outside vendor to use price because they don’t have the product costs. On the other hand, they don’t control unique assets or benefits.
A trial or sample offering is the best way to create awareness about other ticket product options. Again using an analogy: A passenger sitting in coach might not be aware of the benefits of traveling in business or first class. If they are unaware, they are significantly less likely to have an interest in doing so. Therefore, a trial upgrade in a building to one or more higher-priced seating options (better location or premium benefits) creates awareness and also provides the experiential knowledge that this may be something to consider. You can tell me the sight lines are better or you can rave about the food and the service — but the easiest way to sell it is to let them sample the experience.
An ongoing approach to move from transactional interaction to a relationship. I have purchased ticket plans from minis to partials to fulls for more than 20 years. During that time I have had both transactional experiences as well as enduring relationships. My most memorable relationship was with Steve Morse, the account executive on my Pittsburgh Pirates account. Steve would know which games I would be attending and would make a point to visit with me. He also wanted to make sure I understood the benefits I was entitled to and on occasion would schedule me for an experience during one of my visits. Steve never had to ask me to renew. In fact, I would usually ask when my payment was due! As Jack Mitchell, author of “Hug Your Customers” would say, knowing what your customers want is only part of the relationship — understanding why they want it and what they did with it is just as important.
A vehicle to offload tickets that would go unused. The biggest barrier to renewing is that parts of, or all of the product, went unused and thus were wasted. While eliminating paper tickets also eliminated the problem of having unused physical tickets in hand, electronic tickets have merely changed the problem by making us less aware of the unused tickets. Donation options, in-house resale and third-party sales options should all be available and communicated to the buyer.
A variety of hybrid purchasing options. Flex plans have always been an option, but making them hybrid (package contains multiple locations and price points) should become an accepted inventory practice. This is especially true in the case of new buyers who are sometimes guessing which location and price points might be best for them. If available inventory permits, why not assign them several games in different locations to start the season then after the third game they decide on the location of their plan.
Another option would be comparable to a vacation time share where the owner has a number of points to spend as he/she chooses and the cost depends upon location, type of room and the time of year. Why not sell time shares in $5,000 increments — the buyer can select inventory based upon need subject only to availability. For example, a business owner might want to sit courtside or behind home plate with a top client, reserve a suite for top performing sellers or host a group night for their employees. This model secures the financial commitment up front while providing the buyer with the flexibility to spend the funds based upon their varying needs. As with any flexible product, the sooner the buyer selects a date and a product/location, the likelihood of being able to fulfill that “request” increases.
I’m happy to discuss any of these concepts with readership, just email me.
Bill Sutton (billsuttonandassociates@gmail.com) is a professor of practice at the University of South Carolina, director emeritus of the Vinik Graduate Sport Business Program at USF and principal of Bill Sutton & Associates. Follow him on social media at @suttonimpact.bsky.social.
