Group Sales
Training
Insert Team Logo
Presented by:
(names of Teachers)
(Dates of training)
(Location)
What you can
expect to learn
1. How to find the right group leader
2. How to “paint the picture” and get
the group leader excited
3. How to increase your number of
renewals
4. How to increase your number of
referrals
5. Who to meet with face to face
Group Sales Targets
Groups Sales Staff
1. Churches
2. Schools
3. Youth Sports
4. Misc. other groups
Outside Sales Staff
1. Businesses
Pursuit of the Right
Group Leader
Steps to Selling a New Group:
1. Find the right group leader
2. Gather information
3. Get the Leader excited
4. Marketing the Group
5. Make a Recommendation
Finding the Group
Leader - Churches
• Congregation-wide fellowship event
• New Member Recruitment
• Home Group – Larger churches
• Choir – Children’s, Youth, Adult
• School Program
• Seniors Group
• Married/Couples Ministry
• Singles Group
• College Group
Finding the Group
Leader - Churches
• Youth Group
• Vacation Bible School
• MOPS – (Mothers of Preschoolers)
• Mother’s Day Out program
• Knights of Columbus – Catholic
• Deacon’s Group
• Sports programs
• Volunteer Ministry
• Faculty/Staff Outing
Finding the Right
Group Leader - Schools
Potential Groups
• Entire District
• PTA/PTO
• Individual schools/classes
• Teachers & Faculty
• Student Clubs
• Student Council
• National Honor Society
• DECA/BPA
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
(FCA)
• ROTC/JROTC
• Band
• Sports Teams
• Dad’s Club / Mother & Son group
Schools
Reasons for an Event
• Community Night
• Family Night
• Field Trip – Night or day game
• Fundraiser (PTA, Athletics, etc.)
• Teacher Appreciation
• Student Incentives
• Perfect Attendance
• Character Awards
• Honor Roll
• On-Field Performance
• Choir - sing the National Anthem
• Dance & Cheer Teams
• ROTC & JROTC – Present Colors
Youth Sports &
Camps
Potential Groups
• League-Wide Event
• Individual Teams
• Any Youth Sport
• Local Tournaments
• Cheer/Dance/Gymnastics Squads
• Summer Day Camps
• School Day Cares
• Church Leagues
Youth Sports &
Camps
Why they do events?
• Fundraiser
• Team Banquet / Recognition
• On Field Performance
• End of season celebration
• Volunteer Appreciation
• ‘Something to do’ – In town for other
event
• Field trip opportunity – Camps
• Others??
Cold Call Script
SALESPERSON:
“Hi, I’m the Group Accounts Manager for
the Big City Kangaroos, my name is (your
name). The reason I’m calling is I’m
looking for the person who would plan
group outings at your school.”
SOMEBODY: “How do you mean?”
SALESPERSON: “Well, who organizes
group outings for your school or the PTA
or the band or a sports team? It could
just be a group activity or maybe a
fundraiser. Who would handle those
activities?” (if the person on the phone has no
idea, ask for the biggest sports fan.)
Cold Call Script
(WE’LL ASSUME YOU’VE BEEN CONNECTED TO THE YOUTH
COORDINATOR)
SALESPERSON:
“Hello, I was connected to you as the
person who coordinates group outings for
____. I’m the Group Accounts Manager
for the Kangaroos. My name is (your
name). I wanted to spend just a few
minutes to learn more about the type of
outings you do.”
Q1. “Have you ever been to a Kangaroos
game?”
(THIS GIVES YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW FAMILIAR THEY ARE
WITH THE TEAM. IF THEY’VE NEVER BEEN TO A GAME, GIVE THEM
SOME HIGHLIGHTS)
Cold Call Script
SALESPERSON:
I’d like to ask you a few questions to
better understand what type of group
outings your organization usually does
and see if there is something that might
be exciting for your group to come to a
Kangaroos game.
Q2. Can you give me an idea of what
type of events you have done in the past
and what criteria is most important to
you?
(BE PREPARED TO OFFER SOME SUGGESTIONS)
Background
Questions
Q3. Tell me a little about that experience.
What did you like and dislike about those
experiences? What would you do to
make the experience better?
Q4. How many people attended? Did
you include spouses and families?
Would you consider that a good turnout?
How many total members do you have?
(THE PURPOSE IS TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROS AND
CONS OF THEIR PAST OUTINGS AND THE SIZE. FILE THIS
INFORMATION AWAY FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION)
Additional
Questions
Q5. What are the goals you like to
accomplish with your outings?
Q6. What time of year does your group
prefer to do outings? Do you prefer
weekdays or weekends? Do you want to
focus on a big-time opponent or is cost
the deciding factor? Our season runs
from October to April. If you were going
to do an outing with the Kangaroos, what
time frame would fit best with your group?
Payment and
Promotion Questions
Q7. When you do an outing, who usually
pays for it? Do the members pay, does
the organization pay or is the tab split?
Q8. Is there a price range you would like
to stay within to fit members’ budgets?
Do you typically include the cost of food
with the outing?
Q9. When you do an outing, how do you
promote it? Do you use email, flyers,
newsletters? How would we get the word
out and information in the hands of every
single member of your organization?
Decision Making
Questions
Q10. How are decisions made for outings?
Do you decide? Is there a committee? Do
you have to present to anyone? How long
does the decision making process take?
(IF THERE ARE OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE DECISION, OFFER TO COME TO
THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING AND PRESENT THE TEAM’S OPTIONS
AND ANSWER QUESTIONS)
Asking for the Deposit
- no schedule
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SCHEDULE YET, AND ARE PRIMARILY BUILDING
A DATABASE, YOU CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS:
1. Take a deposit – This works if the leader
is really excited about the outing.
SALESPERSON:
“It’s been great talking to you and I
appreciate your time. Our schedule comes
out in about ___ month(s). But, you may
want to do what other groups are doing. For
a small deposit of ___ dollars, you can get
on our Group Priority List, where your group
would get first crack at our best games when
the schedule comes out and before our
group mailing. Would you be interested in
doing that? Once we get the schedule, I’ll
give you a call and we can work out
something that is perfect for your group.
No Schedule, no
deposit – Call back
2. If the prospect doesn’t want to put down
a deposit before knowing the schedule,
that’s okay, you now have tremendous
information to call them back as soon as
the schedule is released.
SALESPERSON
No problem. Now that I know what you are
looking for, I will mark down to call you as
soon as the schedule comes out on ____.
As a recap, I will send you an email
summarizing our conversation that will also
have my contact information.
Making the
Recommendation
You now have the information you need
to make a recommendation. Your
recommendation should have three key
criteria:
1. Pick a game date on the right day of
the week and during the right time of
year.
2. Recommend ticket prices and
amenities that fit with their goals.
3. Let them know how you can help
them promote the outing.
Once they say yes, don’t forget to ask
for referrals.
Making the
Recommendation
SALESPERSON:
Based on what you’ve told me, I have a terrific idea for
you. Here’s what we could do for you.
You’re interested in bringing out the youth band in
November. I would recommend our first Saturday night
game in November. We play the Los Angeles Clippers.
They’ve got two huge stars the kids will love in Chris Paul
and Blake Griffin. In fact, Griffin won the NBA’s Dunk
Contest a couple years ago. Kids love him. We can
arrange some good seats for the kids for $17/ticket. If
you’d like, we can include a hotdog and soda coupon they
can redeem at the concession stand for an additional $5.
This way, the kids see a terrific opponent on a Saturday
night, and if you’d like, can also get food and drink
included. All for a terrific price. The kids will have a great
time hanging out together. With 100 kids in your youth
band, we can reserve seats for each of them with just a
$100 deposit.
Q11. Does this sound like an outing your group would
enjoy?
Asking for
the Order
SALESPERSON: Terrific. I’m glad you think this will be
fun. All we need to do to place your order and hold seats
is put down a deposit of $100 (or 10% if it’s a larger
order). I usually recommend being a bit conservative on
the number of tickets so we don’t hold too many. The final
payment is due (team policy) before the event. What
credit card would you like to use for the deposit?
OR (If others are involved in the decision)
SALESPERSON: I understand that you have to check
with a few people. Let me do this. I’ll send you an email
with a summary of all the details of what we discussed. I
can’t hold any seats until we receive a deposit. I can also
include a few sample flyers we’ve made for other
organizations so you can see what we can do. Would it
be helpful if I joined you in presenting the options? This
way, you don’t have to answer all the questions. I can
make your life easier. When do you think you’ll talk to
the other decision makers? Let’s schedule a time to talk
via phone right after that meeting.
Handling
Objections
• Pause – Don’t jump down the
prospect’s throat in your haste to
answer their objection.
• “How Do You Mean?” – Further
explanation.
• Feel, Felt, Found
“It costs too much”
PROSPECT: We don’t have enough
money in the budget for another group
outing.
SALESPERSON: “I can understand that,
but I had a couple of other clients that had
the same situation, and they found a
different solution. They had their
organization members paying a large part
of the ticket price. I can help by providing
marketing materials to you to get the word
out. Our lowest price seats are $XX.
Would your members be willing to pay that
amount for a night out?
“Too Far”
PROSPECT: Your arena is too far away.
I’m not sure our members will drive that far.
SALESPERSON: “How do you mean?”
PROSPECT: (Clarifies the objection)
SALESPERSON: I can understand that.
Keep in mind we’re not talking about
coming on a weekday when people have to
work the next day or traffic is rugged. We
can focus on a Saturday evening game and
include food in the package so they don’t
have to worry about stopping for dinner on
the way. How far have you traveled for
other group outings in the past?
Group Renewal
Steps
1. Phone call – Three weeks before the
selling season starts.
2. ‘Early bird’ personal letter. Letter
from the salesperson to renewing
groups two weeks before the official
group renewal offer.
3. Phone call follow up – Gentle
reminder about the early bird letter.
4. Preferred Buyer Mailing – This is the
full scale mailing to past group
buyers.
5. Mailing follow up – Call a day or two
after the Preferred buyer mailing to
secure a deposit for next season.
Renewal Group
Call Script
The purpose of each renewal call is to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Thank the customer for their group
outing last season
Verify the group leader and info
Get any feedback from last season
Promote their preferred buyer status
Build a sense of urgency
Collect referrals
Renewal Call
Introduction
“Hello, I’m the Group Account Manager
with the Big City Kangaroos, this is
(your name). It’s great to talk to you
again. I wanted to say thank you again
for bringing a group out to the arena
last year and let you know we’ve
begun taking deposits for next season.
Q1. How did you and your group enjoy
the game last year?”
POSITIVE RESPONSE
“Terrific! That is what we like to hear.
What did people like most about the
outing?”
(LISTEN FOR FEEDBACK THAT CAN HELP YOU IN THE
RECOMMENDATION PHASE)
Renewal Call
Introduction
NEGATIVE RESPONSE
“I’m sorry to hear that. What was it that
didn’t go as well as you wanted?
OR
How can we make it better for this
coming season?
(LISTEN FOR FEEDBACK. THIS FEEDBACK WILL HELP YOU IN THE
RECOMMENDATION PHASE)
Renewal
Information
“Well, I appreciate the feedback. I think
we can make this coming season
even better for you.
(IF THEY HAVE MAJOR ISSUES, ADDRESS THEM ON THE SPOT)
“By now, you should have received our
information on next year’s group
outings for the Kangaroos. Because
you are a preferred buyer, I wanted to
make sure we got you taken care of
for next year before group tickets went
on sale to our wait list.”
“Before we get into details, let me make
sure our information is updated.”
Q2. “Will you be the group coordinator
for this event next season?”
(IF YES, CONFIRM ADDRESS, PHONE AND EMAIL ADDRESS IS STILL
THE SAME)
Renewal
Information
(IF THEY WILL NOT BE THE GROUP LEADER THE NEXT YEAR. FIND
OUT THE NAME AND CONTACT OF WHO WILL BE)
“Would you be willing to make an
introduction for me to the new leader?
You could do it via phone or send them
an email and copy me on it.”
(IF THEY WILL BE THE GROUP LEADER AGAIN)
Q3. “Is there anything else you would
like to do differently for this year’s
outing that would make it better?”
(ASK THIS IF YOU DIDN’T GET FEEDBACK ON THE OPENING
QUESTION. IF YOU DID GET GOOD FEEDBACK, IGNORE THIS
QUESTION)
Confirming the
Outing
Q4. Last year, your event was on (day of
week and date) against (opponent). Do
you want a big-time opponent again on a
weekend/(weekday) or would you prefer
something else?
Q5. Last year, you had ___ people come
to the game and sat in the ______ (insert
seating area here). Was that the right
number of people for you? Is there an
opportunity for more people to participate
this coming year?
Six Keys to Making
the Sale
Your recommendation must include
(assuming you don’t have a schedule
yet):
1. Estimated # of tickets/seating area
2. Preferred day of the week
3. Desired month during the season
4. Seat location preference/price point
5. Desired Fan Experience, if any
6. Preferred opponent (if specified)
Recommendation
“This is terrific. Because you are a
preferred buyer from this past season, I can
reserve your spot before we put group
tickets on sale to our waiting list. I want to
make sure you get what you want. Based
on what you’ve told me, here’s what I
recommend.”
(MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON TIMEFRAME,
SEATING AREA, # OF TIX)
As soon as we have our schedule, I will call
you and we’ll finalize the details so you can
get exactly what you want. All we’ll need to
do to reserve your spot is get a small
deposit of $100.
Q6. Do you want to use the credit card we
have on file for the deposit?
Building Urgency
PROSPECT
“I have to talk to our
committee/group/members etc.”
SALESPERSON
“No problem, I understand. I will send
you a follow-up email summarizing
everything we just talked about.
Q7. When do you think you’ll talk to the
others?
Action Steps
I understand the process. Keep in mind
that you have preferred buyer status
because you came out last year.
You’ll want to make sure to take
advantage of that to get the best seats
to the game you want. Also, final
payment isn’t due for a while. Is there
anything I can do to help you speed up
the decision-making process so you
don’t fall behind any new buyers?
“Terrific. You’ll get that email from me in
a little while and I will follow up with
you on (agreed upon date and time)”
Touch Plan - Step 1
• If they have purchased, send a thank
you/confirmation email at the end of the
day (excel invoice/receipt)
- This must include:
• Number of tickets/hospitality area they
reserved
• Where the tickets/hospitality will be
located
• What is included with their ticket/hospitality
area, including menu
• The amount due
• The due date
• All your contact info
• Any materials they need to promote the
event
• Thank the customer for their order
Touch Plan – Step 2
• Between when they reserve and their
payment due date, there needs to be
contact with the customer every 2-3
weeks
• Use CRM to set reminders when you make
the sale
• You can send an email with a highlight
from early in the season
• You can call the customer to see how their
marketing/order taking process is going
and offer any assistance (this is also a
good time to add to the number of tickets
they have reserved)
• You can send a personal note just saying
you wanted to check in
Touch Plan – Step 3
These Steps Below Done by the Ticket
Office
• Mail payment invoice for those not set
up on auto-pay
• This will be sent two weeks prior to
their payment deadline
• Mail tickets
• Only send the tickets when they are
paid in full
• Include hat or food vouchers, maps,
details, business card, how to reach
you on game day, etc.
Touch Plan – Step 4
• Day of the game
• Greet the group at their seats
• Make sure everything is going well
• Give them a business card with
your cell number in case they
have any needs during the game
• Use the seat visit as an
opportunity to get referrals from
others in attendance with the
group
Touch Plan – Step 5
• Day after the game
• Send your customer a hand written,
personalized thank you note.
• Email any pictures you might have
of the group.
• Group Survey – Goal is to send out
a group survey the next day.
Touch Plan – Step 6
• Two weeks after the game
• Call the customer about returning to
another game
• Recommend another game or
group product that might work for
them
• Get referrals!
 Contact them every 2 months to
continue to build the relationship and
get more referrals
Referrals
• Specific
• Other groups like theirs
• Work place
• Family members
• Neighbors
• Introduction
• Email
• Phone
• Communication
• Staying informed
Asking for Referrals
“By the way, a lot of my business comes
from referrals. Can you help me
connect with three or four other
departments/organizations like yours
that you think would enjoy some of our
outings?”
“Do you plan events or participate with
other groups like youth sports, church
groups, office happy hours, etc?”
(MAKE SUGGESTIONS AND CONTINUE TO HELP THEM THINK UNTIL
THEY GIVE YOU TWO OR THREE NAMES AND NUMBERS)
Face to Face
Meetings
Who to meet with:
1. Larger groups
2. Groups with potential to lead to larger
groups
3. Referral Opportunities
4. Prestige Meetings
Preparation
for Each Day
Setting up your daily schedule:
• Plan 70 calls that you are going to
make tomorrow, at the end of the day
today.
• Things to think about before planning
your calls:
• Type of Group
• Who is the decision maker?
• What time is the best to reach
the DM?
How To Dedicate
Your Time
Schedule your day….
• Set up your day in blocks of time
(Make it a routine)
-
Cold Calls
Renewal Calls
Lead Research
Group Types
Example:
• 8:00 – 8:30
School Principals
• 8:30 – 11:30
Churches
• 1:00 – 4:00
Youth Sports
• 4:00 – 5:20
PTA Parents
• 5:20 Set up and prepare tomorrow
How To Dedicate
Your Time
When making phone calls:
•
Turn off email notifications to
avoid distraction
•
Do not allow outside factors to
throw off your concentration
•
Use CRM to stay on track
•
Concentrate on one group type
at a time so you are prepared to
answer questions and
overcome objections