Zoe Bauer
Premium Sales Intern
Phoenix Suns
Summer 2014
Journal
Goals – As I begin my journey is the sports world, I realize that it is a very competitive industry.
My goals for my 2014 summer internship with the Phoenix Suns are rather simple. The first
thing that I plan to do is to be a sponge; I want to absorb absolutely everything that I am
exposed too. I will be surrounded by some of the best Premium Sales people in the NBA;
learning as much as I can, will prove to be essential as I grow in my career. Another goal of mine
is to either make a sale of my own or assist in a sale. Having an insight into how the salespeople
interact with certain clients will provide me with a better knowledge of the sales industry.
Expectations – When I leave Phoenix in mid-August, I fully expect to have an in depth overview
of how professional sports teams conduct business. I also hope that I will be confident in
dealing with the many computer programs that many professional sports teams use throughout
the country. If I am able to maintain a steady grasp on these computer programs, then it should
make getting a job after college that much easier. Lastly, I expect to engage in the many
different sales training opportunities that the Suns will have to offer me. These sales training
sessions will not only enhance my communication skills, but it will also begin to develop my
selling skills.
Assumptions – I am assuming that this job is not going to be easy considering it is unlike
anything I have ever done in my life. I will be 2,000 miles away from home and will be forced to
dress up in a sport coat along with a shirt and tie every single day in 100-degree plus
temperatures. However, accepting the challenge is something that I am ready for because I
realize how beneficial this opportunity can be.
Week 1:
 Assisted in WNBA game day operations
 Escorted premium clients to special events
 Documented suite inventory of US Airways Center
 Held a detailed meeting with each department manager
 Sat in on a sales training course
 Observed calls made by members of the Premium Sales Team
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After one week on the job I can conclude that I was a bit overwhelmed. Between,
the sales training course and the calls that I was observing, it all seemed so
confusing and I felt as if I was not ready for any of it yet. Although the sales training
was confusing, I know that if I study the material and buy into it, I know that one day
it will make me successful.
Since it is summer time, the NBA is in the offseason. The summer season focuses on
the WNBA and Phoenix’s home team, the Mercury. During the Mercury game, I
stood at a table and checked in prospects. There were certain games where I would
personally escort the prospects to whatever specific event was going on. While
escorting these potential clients, I would hold conversation and get to know them.
After having a meeting with all of the directors, vice president, and president, I was
very surprised at how young they all were. They all provided me with very helpful
advice and the steps that they took to success. Seeing just how successful these
young guys were, made me want to follow in their footsteps. During my first week, I
learned that meeting people and building strong relationships are very key in the
sports industry.
Week 2:
 Trained in CRM and Archtics (computer sales programs)
 Went on client appointments with members of the Premium Sales Team
 Assisted in WNBA game day operations
 Prospected potential clients
 Worked with Microsoft Excel
 Assisted in the Phoenix Mercury open practice autograph session
 Operated client check in at 3 events
 Organized a list of 300+ companies in the Phoenix area that were on the rise
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CRM is the computer system that the Phoenix Suns use to keep track of anyone who
has ever bought. It is a way of organizing clients and making sure the same person
doesn’t contact them at the same time. Archtics is a ticketing program. When in
Archtics, one is able to review accounts and seat locations of that specific client. I
was trained on these two programs and overall I feel pretty confident when using
them.
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I was able to go on out of office appointments with members of the premium sales
staff; I visited a lawyer in Scottsdale. While on this appointment, I was able to see,
firsthand, what appointments were like. Overall, it provided me with great
experience.
I helped set up items for members of the Phoenix Mercury to autograph for a fan
give-away.
My boss then had me go online and research the top companies in Phoenix. I
compiled a list of more than 300 companies. This was helpful because these are
business that his staff will begin to prospect.
Week 3:
 Assisted in Premium client check in during the Billy Joel concert
 Operated client check-in
 Searched CRM for client mailing lists
 4 days of Sales training with Charlie Chislaghi (8am-5pm)
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For people who spend $25,000 and above with the Suns, they are treated to free
concert tickets. I operated client check in for this event. I was also able to sit in the
suite during the concert and talk to all of the clients. Meeting these wealthy CEO’s
and businessmen was a very neat experience.
Charlie Chislaghi is a very well-known man throughout the sports industry. His
techniques and ways of selling have made him very successful and very popular
amongst professional sports teams. He travels the country training entry level sales
people. Being able to put that I had “Charlie training” on my resume will be very
beneficial when searching for a job out of college.
Week 4:
 Organized leads for more than 300 companies
 Worked with Prezi relating to Suite presentation
 Prepared suites for the James Taylor concert
 Loge and suite box signage inventory
 Met with area business owners regarding ticket prospecting
 Went to dinner with a potential client (shadowed)
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For the companies that I had previously researched, I then had to go into CRM and
gather data. I was to find the companies phone number, final decision maker, and
whether or not they had been contacted recently or not.
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When presenting a suit lease to a company, the staff had to present it on Prezi.
Many of them had never dealt with Prezi before so I showed them the basics and
how to put together a pitch.
Prior to the James Taylor concert, I walked through all the suites and made sure the
furniture was in proper order. This ensured quality service to the clients that would
be watching the concert.
Another task I had was walking through the loge and suite boxes and taking signage
inventory. These two locations are two of the more expensive locations in the arena.
It is important that the organization gets all of the signs sponsored.
I made business calls regarding Mercury tickets. I prospected almost all of the
downtown businesses and hand delivered them their game tickets.
I shadowed a member of the premium staff on a business meeting with a client. We
met the client at a fancy Scottsdale restaurant and talked business over dinner.
One thing that this week taught me was just how important building the relationship
with the clients really is. The gentleman that we went to dinner with in Scottsdale
was a millionaire and drove a Rolls Royce, yet we paid for the meal. Graham (the
member of the staff I shadowed) explained to me how long of a way little acts of
kindness for your client can really go. Graham is a very successful 26 year-old, and I
will embrace all the advice that he gave me throughout the summer.
Week 5:
 Sorted through past Suite owner records
 Met with area business owners regarding ticket prospecting
 Assisted in 2 WNBA game day operations
 Assisted in WNBA autograph session
 Developed the Premium Sales suite prospect funnel
 Made an in-depth spreadsheet of the Premium Sales clients that was presented to the
President of sales and the owner of the Phoenix Suns
 Took Loge and Theatre Box signage inventory
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This week I prospected all of the businesses in the downtown Phoenix area. The goal
was to hand out about 3,000 free Mercury tickets for the game. The businesses were
able to use the tickets for their employees and customers, just as a way to say
thanks. After I had successfully prospected the businesses, I hand delivered the
tickets where I was able to engage in face-to-face meetings with many of the
business owners. I found it surprising that many business owners were so kind and
open to what I was doing that they often gave me a free lunch or something free
from their business.
Another thing that I did this week that stuck out was I was asked to prepare a
spreadsheet for the President of Sales and for the owner of the Phoenix Suns. The
spreadsheet included a look at clients that spent $20,000+ with the Suns last year.
Knowing that the owner of the Suns was going to be looking at my spreadsheet, I
had to make sure it was mistake free.
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I ended the week by going through the premium locations and taking signage
inventory. Missing signage isn’t good because that means that no business is
sponsoring that specific location.
Week 6:
 Assisted in the Suns’ NBA Draft Party
 Assisted is “Meet the Picks” night
 Put together a PowerPoint for my boss to be presented to the NBA
 Cross referenced a list of Phoenix companies
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This week was a huge for the organization; it was the week of the NBA Draft. The
Suns also had three first round draft picks, more than any other team in the NBA.
The draft was help in New York City, but the Suns held a special, premium event for
the entire top spend clients. The event was held at Hotel Palomar located in
downtown Phoenix.
The following night, the Suns hosted another event. This event included the newly
drafted players; it gave the members a chance to come out and meet the draft picks.
I operated client check-in for this event. It was also a pretty cool experience to be
able to meet the players and coaches of the Phoenix Suns.
My boss, Zach, had to fly to Kansas City, Missouri for a meeting with NBA officials.
He was to put together a detailed PowerPoint that showed many of the premium
locations here at US Airways Center. He had had a very busy week and asked me to
do this for him. Once again, I was very nervous putting this together knowing that it
would be presented to the NBA.
Week 7:
 Took part in courtside inventory
 Assisted in WNBA game day operations
 Put together a complex spreadsheet for the President of Ticket Sales
 Prospected and called local businesses in the Phoenix Metro Area
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This week I assisted in tracking the courtside seats. I pin pointed, on this huge
cardboard seating chart, what seats were occupied. By doing so, this helps the
premium staff review available inventory.
I also put together another spreadsheet for the President of Sales. He asked me to
make a spreadsheet that included top spend accounts throughout the premium
staff’s funnel. This was a nice feeling for him to ask me to do this considering he is a
very detail orientated-person; he showed that he had trust in me.
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Again, I reached out to local downtown businesses in order to hand out tickets to
the Mercury game. This allowed me to get face-to-face with many local business
owners.
Weeks 8-10:
 Assisted in WNBA game day operations
 Took part in the 2014 Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star Game
 Kept up on my daily assigned duties
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This was a very busy couple of weeks. The 2014 WNBA All-Star Game was being
hosted in Phoenix, it was only the second time ever the city has ever hosted an allstar game. Leading up to the all-star game, there were three, home, Mercury games
that week. I was in charge of my basic game day operations, which included client
check-in and in game services. The all-star game gave me a good chance to meet
with top executives throughout the league; it was a great networking experience.
Week 11:
 Took part in a 2 day group sales training by Steve DeLay
 Assisted in WNBA game day operations
 Repaired suite phone signage throughout the suites
 Participated in cold calling for group ticket prospects
 Prepared suites for Lady Gaga concert
 Got offered a job!
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This week was a very beneficial week for me. Steve DeLay, who trains many other
teams around the NBA, came into our organization and put the sales staff through a
two day training session. During this training, I was able to pick up on many new
techniques. Once the training was over, we then got to hit the phones. I was
assigned 15 leads in which I called and used the training on. It was good experience
to be able to call local business and pitch them our product.
Later on in the week I prepared the suites for the Lady Gaga concert. This involved
making sure the proper food was set up and making sure the suite was well
organized.
I was approached by the inside sales manager and offered a job for next year. The
job is set to start in the first week of June 2015 and I couldn’t be more excited. I can
now relax and not stress about finding a job during the college school year.