Careers

Are you the best around?

kirk_wakefield 2013, Careers, Learn, Marketing, Sales Training , , , , , 0 Comment
Are you the best around?
by Jeff Eldersveld – August 2013

What does “best” mean?

The word “best” is interesting. While clearly defined in sports with crowned champions, MVPs, medals and trophies, the business side of sports is a little harder to understand.

Who is the champion of website marketing? What was the best in-game promotion?

Sure, there are awards for these types of things, but they are voted on by members within the industry – based more on gut and feel rather than stats and numbers.

If I ask you who’s the best hitter in baseball, you should reply with the league leader in batting average (don’t say Yasiel Puig!). If I ask you to name the best promotion in Minor League Baseball, you could reply with a variety of answers from Brittany Spears’ Child Safety Night with the Newark Bears to Free Gas Night with the Fort Myers Miracle. Different promotions are the “best” in their own unique way.

Best in class

A characteristic of the best salespeople and managers I’ve known is that they have a clear vision to be the “best” wherever they are. If people in this business are satisfied with middle of the pack or bringing up the rear, odds are it won’t be long before they’re realizing their vision of work somewhere else. Here are some tips that have helped me stay focused on the right path.

Define what value means to your organization–>especially your boss.

dan migalaNot everyone has the same idea. You should constantly present data, statistics, or examples that prove your worth to the organization. For those already employed, this is a great way to solidify your position within the organization. For those seeking employment, this is a great way to get a foot in the door. Dan Migala, Founding Partner of Property Consulting Group, could not agree more:

“Iowa State University Associate Athletic Director, May Pink, just reminded me at NACMA this year that hiring decision-makers look for candidates that show they want the job the most. I think this is great, timeless advice. I would encourage any applicant to find multiple opportunities during the interview process to show vs. just tell why you want the job the most.”

Always encourage others. Go out of your way to compliment a job well done.

You can’t get anywhere in your career by yourself. The people who can propel your career development are the ones with whom you work most closely.

Take time to cultivate those relationships; it will strengthen the chemistry within your team and positively affect the culture within your organization.

The faster you embrace your company’s culture, the better, says Migala, “Understand that the culture and people you work with and learn from are more important than the logo on your business card.”

Be unique

You are your own person. “Be yourself, ” says Oscar Wilde,  “Everyone else is taken.”

“Legendary Notre Dame SID Roger Valdiserri taught me early in my career that each person is the sum of their own experiences,” explains Migala. “The minute I realized this, I stopped trying to guide myself into the box of what I thought the industry wanted me to be and focused instead on carving my own path.”

Start now

So start being the best around. And if you are the best, share it. Shout if from the mountaintops, market the heck out of it, or more literally, leave your comments below. Remember, we make each other better. The worst thing that you can do is keep your “best” to yourself.

 

Creating the right culture for your sales team

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by Jake Reynolds – July 2013

Creating the Right Culture

What is culture?

We hear the word thrown around in the sales industry about as often as actual sales are being made.

monumental swagGallup defines culture as “the attitudes that employees have about the environment in which they work.” Every organization defines and creates culture in different and unique ways, but most agree the key to a successful sales culture is engaging your employees and creating an environment that promotes and allows them to have success.

At Monumental Sports, we strive to create a culture within our sales department that displays our commitment to becoming the best at what we do through education, hard work, accountability and having fun! We keep employees engaged through team building events, sales contests, and consistently communicating expectations for success.

Create an identity

An important element of developing a solid culture is creating and communicating an identity as to what your team values and promotes.

At Monumental, we created an identity within our Inside Sales department to accomplish these goals known as the S.W.A.G. program. This program helps identify the culture and core pillars of what our program is built on and promotes: Success, Wisdom, Attitude and Growth. Through recruiting, daily management and tracking progress, we consistently communicate our expectations and use these characteristics to build our foundation. What do these four pillars mean?

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Brian Norman
Brian Norman

“Strong culture is at the core of every successful sales team. Culture is especially important for entry-level departments that feed the rest of the organization. Employees take pride in the culture and traditions they helped establish, and bring that with them as they move into senior level positions within the company. Strong culture is paramount in building a successful and sustainable sales and service team.” [/dropshadowbox]

Success – We will put employees in a position with the tools necessary to be successful. Success is defined differently for everyone – learning, selling, driving revenue, making money, getting promoted – we will work to find what your goals are and provide you with the necessary resources to accomplish your goals and be successful.

Wisdom – Learning never stops! We believe in continued education and development for all reps. We want our dedication and commitment to training and year-round development to be unrivaled in sports. Our focus and goal is to give employees the foundation of wisdom and knowledge to grow and build their career on. The focus is on career not a job.

Attitude – We help guide employees to understand what it takes to be successful by reinforcing the attitude and confidence needed to reach their full potentials. Our goal is to be the best in the business and expect nothing less.

Growth – The primary goal and motivation of our Inside Sales program is to give employees the opportunity, knowledge and tools needed to grow their careers and grow within Monumental Sports. We promote from within. Our success is defined by how many careers we can start and grow within our company. Over the past two years, we promoted 33 reps internally to senior level positions within Ticket Sales, Group Sales, Guest Services and Sponsorships.

What about you?

Every organization has different philosophies and principles that guide and dictate their culture, but the key is engage and lead your team to help establish what your guiding principles will be. In establishing the culture within our department, I followed the roadmap below to help achieve our identity.

  1. Create an identity
  2. Consistently communicate principles and expectations
  3. Follow through and live your brand

Every successful organization has an effective culture that helps drive big results. What will yours be?

Which comes first: Happiness or success?

kirk_wakefield 2013, Careers, Lead, Learn, Personal Development, Research, Sales Training, Sell, Sponsorships, Tickets , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Which comes first: Happiness or success?
by Shawn Achor – June 2013

What is the connection between happiness and sales?  Most salespeople tell me it’s an easy question:  “When I’m selling then I’m happy.”

How could so many salespeople possibly be wrong?

Undeniably, we feel happier after a sale, but that common answer is actually holding down our happiness and lowering our sales.

Researchers at Harvard, Yale and UPenn have been studying this issue now for two decades. We found predicting who will be a good salesperson is relatively easy.  We just look for optimism.

Optimists beat pessimists

When we ran the numbers, optimistic salespeople outsell their pessimistic counterparts by 37% cross-industry.  At MetLife, the top 10% of optimists were outselling the other 90% by another 90%! That’s huge, and here’s why.

Most professionals face daily setbacks, but the life of a salesman is, almost by definition, fraught with failure and rejection. In many businesses, only one in ten pitches leads to a sale, meaning that those salesmen experience rejection 90 percent of the time.  (That was also my dating rejection rate in high school.) This can get pretty demoralizing after a while, which helps to explain why there is such high turnover, stress, and depression.

But here’s where it gets interesting: it turns out if you wait until a sale to be happy, you’re following a broken formula for happiness and success.  We think:

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”curled” width=”375px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Wrong thinking

I will work hard, then I’ll be successful, then I’ll be happy. [/dropshadowbox]

But every time you were successful in the past, what happened? Your brain changed the goalpost of what success looks like.  If you hit your sales target last year, what did you do this year?  Raised it.  Happiness after a success (like a sale) is very short-lived.

But flip around the formula and try to create happiness before the sale, and our success rates rise dramatically. (Want to know more about the effects? Watch this video on TED.com.)

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”curled” width=”450px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Right thinking

If I create happiness before the sale, then I’ll be more successful selling. [/dropshadowbox]

The Happiness Advantage

In The Happiness Advantage, I describe how positive brains have an unfair advantage over negative or neutral ones.   Positive employees:

  • have higher levels of productivity,
  • produce higher sales,
  • perform better in leadership positions, and
  • receive higher performance ratings and higher pay.

So how do we create happiness before success?

  1. Realize happiness only exists in the present, otherwise it will always be off in the future (never).
  2. Train your brain to become happier.
  3. Happiness is not only a choice, it is a work ethic:
    1. Write down 3 new things you’re grateful for each day for 21 days. This rewires your brain for optimism.
    2. Journal for 2 minutes each day about a positive experience. This is the fastest intervention for seeing the meaning embedded in your work.
    3. Write a 2 minute positive email or handwritten note to someone. This deepens social support, the greatest predictor of long term happiness. 

Evidence

One way to train your brain to become happier is to smile more.

At a group of hospitals in  post-Katrina Louisiana, we trained 11,000 employees to just smile and make eye contact in the hospital hallways.  Within 6 months, the number of unique patients rose and their likelihood to refer the hospital based on good care skyrocketed. 

At KPMG, I found that just teaching this concept (happiness first; success second) and practicing a positive habit can create greater happiness and job effectiveness 4 months later, in the middle of the worst tax season in recent history.

Happiness is a choice, but also an incredible advantage.  Do you want to see your true sales potential? See what you can do when your brain is set on positive!

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”650px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Chip MaxsonI can’t help but think back to some of the best sales people I’ve worked with and their attitude – pretty positive. I also can’t help but think of the people I’ve let go in the past year, all very pessimistic. Another interesting angle to look at would be the affect an optimistic person has on a potential client. Essentially, people like to buy from people they like and people like positive and friendly people. ~ Chip Maxon, Sr. Vice President, Business Operations, Sacramento RiverCats[/dropshadowbox]

Can social media make or break interview chances?

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Can social media make or break interview chances?
by Jeannette Salas – April 2013

Social Media, Networking, Common 1st Year Mistakes, and Tips for Success

Social media shows up in the most unusual places

Employers frequently search candidates on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linked In, and blogs to see what they find.  Maybe they find a cute picture of your dog (Griffie, above). Or maybe other things not so cute.

Some employers may say, “What you do outside of the organization is your own business.” But, at the end of the day, employers want great company representation 24/7/365.

The best way to find out what potential employers can see is to Google yourself.  How can you manage your social media and use it to your advantage? Don’t publish anything in social media you wouldn’t want your mother (or next employer) to read or see.

While running a minor league sports team, a few arena employees were tweeting opinions on our low attendance one night. Once received on others’ feeds, tweets can’t be erased. Their comments were out there for the world to see, including their boss (me), our fans and customers and most importantly, any future employers of theirs. These young employees underestimated the power of social media, almost lost their jobs and could have damaged chances for employment elsewhere.

Social media is the new extension of your resume.

In what is an already difficult job market, employers use social media to eliminate candidates, even those with great resumes. As a hiring manager, once I found candidates I wanted to interview, I first looked them up in four places: Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (images included). If anything at all gave me the sense they were unprofessional or wouldn’t represent our company well, they were eliminated immediately. While it’s cool to post fun pictures from your last vacation with your friends, think about who might see those pictures and how they may be construed.

Managing Social Media

  1. Make sure your profile picture is appropriate.  Microsoft Outlook pulls up your social media profile picture whenever an email is received directly from you.  Not sure a keg stand (or any other “party” picture) would get you in for an interview.    THINK PROFESSIONAL!
  2. Beware of content in personal blogs!  Everyone is subject to their own opinions BUT negative and/or inaccurate content can come back to haunt you. (See cancel culture circa 2021.)
  3. Social media outlets allow you to reach millions of people in seconds.  Use it to your advantage when searching for jobs/internships.  Let friends and family members know you are looking for a position.

Networking

When it comes to sports business careers, networking is king. Like everything else in life, it always comes down to relationships.

  1. Stay in touch. When you make a contact keep in touch. Forward your resume immediately after contact.  Make contact at least every 6 months and after career achievements like graduation, obtaining a certificate [e.g., HR Cert, Sales Cert, etc], or an award.
  2. Join professional organizations and relevant social media networking sites and groups on LinkedIn like the S3 Report,  Ticket Sales & Technology, or Ticket Sales Best Practices.
    • Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and professional in appearance.
    • These are great ways to connect with professionals that may be able to help you on your career path and offer insight, as well as search for positions.
    • Some groups and individuals frequently post open positions. Follow them.

Common First Year Mistakes

Mistakes entry-level employees tend to make during the first year of employment:

  1. Lack of communication: Afraid to ask questions or for help; don’t call in when out sick; no notification of being late.
  2. Staying out of spotlight: Make an IMPACT within the organization; get involved in committees, events, etc.; EVERYONE should know who you are or at least heard of you.
  3. Poor networking: Get to know employees in other departments.  This isn’t high school – don’t fall into a clique.  Attend all company events – GREAT networking opportunity!
  4. Not leading:  Don’t be scared to pitch ideas/take lead on projects. You bring a fresh thought process to the table – voice your ideas!  Volunteer to take the lead on a project to develop leadership and project management skills.
  5. Complaining: DO NOT complain. PERIOD!  Complaining is:
    1. unprofessional,
    2. unattractive, and
    3. unpromotable. People will not want to work with you or consider you for other positions within the organization. They will think of positions for you outside the organization.
  6. Inflexibility:  Adapting to change is important. Business can change at the drop of a hat.  Be open to new ways of completing tasks or approaching scenarios.  Flexibility helps you grow with and within an organization and seamlessly transition into another one.

 Tips for Success

  1. Continue learning. Stay abreast with the latest in your field.  Attend training, seminars, conferences, and certificate programs.
  2. Ask for help. Not sure? Ask for clarification and guidance. Then you’ll be able to help others who don’t know.
  3. Ask for feedback. Feedback lets you know how you are doing and where you are lacking.  This is essential for professional growth and development.
  4. Communicate. Make sure lines of communication are always clear and open.
  5. Create Raving Fans. A customer service based fundamental: All co-workers should enjoy working with you because your product is top quality and you are great to work with.  If people like working with you they are more willing to help and listen to you.
  6. Read self-help books. Start with How to Win Friends and Influence Others and Emotional Intelligence.  These are great books to help you continue growing both personally and professionally.
  7. Look to the future. Keep moving forward. Plan your career and move towards your ultimate goal.

Reinforcement from the Houston Astrosastros

I agree with all Jeannette points out. Two related thoughts to share:

Don’t underestimate the importance of a resume-appropriate email address. Stick with the traditional last name, first name (or some version of name). This format is simple and it works. An unprofessional address can mean the difference in a team contacting you regarding a job or passing you over for lack of professionalism.

In the interview, be sure to follow the lead of your interviewer. When you are informed at the beginning of the interview that this is going to be a quick phone screen (e.g., 10 minutes on Handshake), stick within that time frame. Everyone’s time is valuable. Sometimes you only have a short time span to sell yourself…PRACTICE THAT SKILL. It proves you can be clear, succinct and respectful of other people’s time. Consider it to be an extended elevator speech.

PS: That said, you need a 30-second elevator speech and a USP of eight words or less about who you are. Read m0re about branding you in our next article here.

~Jennifer Springs, HR, Houston Astros

 

 

 

 

How to get promoted in sports sales careers

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How to get promoted in sports sales careers
by Rob Zuer – April 2013

What is success?

“True success comes to an individual by self satisfaction in knowing that you gave everything to become the very best you are capable of.” John Wooden

Wooden’s definition of success is the simple answer to the question every single person asks in a first job in sports and the key to happiness in life.

We don’t want or need the best salesperson. We want people striving every day to get better; people who feel deep satisfaction from more than revenue or commissions.

Positive Attitude

You will always have those around who can’t succeed or hate what they do.  Do not:

  • whine,
  • gossip,
  • talk negatively,
  • complain, or
  • get sucked into the herd.

They will drag you down. Do not associate with them.  Negativity spreads like a plague.  Keep a positive attitude about yourself and, more importantly, your organization.

Teamwork

Kelly Cheeseman
Kelly Cheeseman

How you work with others directly affects the perception of you as a future leader.

“The theme of this industry is teamwork. You need it on and off the field, court or ice. To be successful in all cases you need to have a great game plan, be a team player, and work hard to achieve the plan or goal,” emphasizes Kelly Cheeseman, Chief Operating Officer of AEG Worldwide.

P.J. Keene
P.J. Keene

P.J. Keene, Director of Group Sales for the Houston Astros, reminds us, “People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”  To have influence, P.J. explains, “We must lead by example, focus on more than just your numbers, and care about our team.” 

In helping others get better to achieve the team’s overall goals, you brand yourself as a potential leader with a bright future.  Being number one on the board is not the only thing that gets you promoted.

 Five Ways to Improve

Positive attitude and teamwork are fundamental to success in the business of sports. How can we make ourselves better? 

  1. Find a Mentor

Seek out and learn from those individuals who have been there and done that.  If you want to be a quarterback in the NFL, you watch Manning, Brady, or Montana.  You copy throwing motion & mechanics and learn all they did to get to where you want to be.  This is no different in the sportsbiz careers.  Find the stars of the industry and learn from them. 

  1. There Is Nobody To Blame But Yourself

Successful people take responsibility for everything that happens to them and by them.  Take responsibility for your actions. Do not blame others or the situation.  No one will feel sorry for you or listen to excuses about how life is unfair. 

  1. School Is Not Over

Never stop learning.  Read books on any topic that makes you better.  Invest time in things that will help you succeed.  And dare I say it? Turn off the TV & video games. Why waste so much time in areas unrelated to your goals? 

  1. Screw Up!

Failure is the best teacher.  Take risks. Make mistakes.  The story goes that Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he invented the light bulb.  When asked about this, he is quoted as saying, “I did not fail. I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” 

  1. Set Goals

Have your goals in front of you.  Place them on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, front door, back door, closet, anywhere you can see them.  Make them an obsession.  Do not give up on them.

Will the job be difficult?

Sure. Don’t give up or get discouraged. The results and money will come. Love the journey to the destination.

Where will your journey take you?

Failure
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison

You don’t have to have Haley Hosch to lead a tourism department, but it sure helps

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You don’t have to have Haley Hosch to lead a tourism department, but it sure helps
by Anna Merritt – April 2013

What’s it take to be a Tourism Manager?

Haley Hosch
Haley Hosch

During the annual Baylor S3 Board Meeting in her senior year, Haley Hosch was able to meet some of the representatives from the Orlando Magic. After a follow up meeting in Florida and graduation, she flew out to the Magic and started her career as an Inside Sales rep. After two months, she heard about a position focused on tourism. Haley switched over to continue selling in the tourism department and subsequently proved herself to rise to manager of the department.

Jamie Weinstein, Ticket Sales Manager for the Orlando Magic, says, “It’s great getting to work alongside Haley every day. She has an unbelievable sense of pride in what she does with her clients and has really grown the Tourism Department this past season.”

Haley says the best qualities to have in the mix of tourism and sports industries are patience, flexibility, and great relationship skills. When working with other big industries focused in Orlando, sometimes negotiations and deals don’t go as expected. Having the patience and the flexibility to work around these hurdles is imperative. Also, Haley points out that many of the people she works with are the same year after year. If you don’t care about those relationships, the next year’s negotiations could be tough.

Getting Here

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]joe andradeHaley is well-liked and highly respected by her colleagues at the Orlando Magic. She’s a passionate, collaborative leader that gets results. The Tourism Department continues to grow because she goes above and beyond for her clients. ~ Joe Andrade[/dropshadowbox]Starting a career is always a difficult task. At some point, we all need a mentor or some eye-opening advice. One of these mentors is a senior vice president who Haley says, “continually pushes me to think globally and strategically for the department and company.” His consistency as a great leader has influenced her career. Who doesn’t need someone like that? Another mentor is a leadership coach at the Magic who Haley gets to meet with to set personal and professional goals and strategically work toward achieving those goals with the support and guidance of someone with greater experience than herself.

As far as eye-opening advice, Haley says some of the best advice she’s received is to “control the controllable.” There are many uncontrollable things in life, you can’t let those things take over and get you down. You can always control your attitude and outlook. One of her favorite quotes is, “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” What is your 90% going to be like?

Learned along the way

When talking to people interested in getting into the sports industry, and most other careers, Haley offers four pieces of advice.

  1. Double-up. Concentrate on doubling revenue on each of your accounts. In other words, focus on turning each small account into a bigger one.
  2. Surround yourself. Think about how you want to be perceived by your peers and leaders. The people you associate with will influence you, so surround yourself with successful, positive people.
  3. Step outside. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from tenured executives throughout your organization. In sales, it can be very easy to stay within your department bubble, but the sports industry is saturated with leaders and influencers that can help you throughout your career.
  4. Invest in yourself. Professional and personal balance is important. Take the time and resources to invest in both.

Practice? We talkin’ about practice?

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Practice? We talkin’ about practice?
by Bob Hamer – March 2013

“We talkin’ about practice, man.” ~Allen Iverson, May 7, 2002,

Allen Iverson, 37, was out of the NBA before the time he reached 34. Kobe Bryant (34) spends his off-season making 2000 shots a day. With a rebounder and one ball Kobe can make 500 shots an hour.1

Former NFL Coach Jon Gruden said it best, “You never stay the same. You either get better or you get worse.”

The greatest athletes in the world spend hours in practice, working on perfecting their craft. Whether the driving range, the baseball diamond, the field or the gym, one thing is for sure: If you want to be the best, you have to put in the practice time to get there. If you aren’t getting better, you’re getting worse. Why should it be different for those of us in sales?

Training

Every sport has a specific skill set required to play. There may be different styles and techniques, but there are specific skills required. In basketball there’s shooting. There may be 150 different ways to shoot a basketball, but no one can dispute that shooting is a skill required to play the game. Someone first needs to show you HOW to shoot. We call that training: Where to place your hands, how to set your feet, when and where to release the ball. After someone shows you how to do it, you practice on your own until you learn how to make shots. The more practice, the better the results.

Different styles are used in sales, but just like shooting a basketball, some skills all salespeople must have in order to play the game. These include:

  • Getting a prospect meeting,
  • Customizing a pitch to meet needs,
  • Presenting the proposal,
  • Asking for the sale, and
  • Getting a referral

Think of yourself as a sales athlete. Where do you need practice? How can you get better?

Barriers to Improvement

What’s ironic is we work in sports, so close to all of these athletes, and we watch them practice day after day. Yet some sales athletes don’t practice their own skills. Why?

Five barriers prevent us from practicing our skills, getting better, and achieving greater results.

1)      Entitlement – Because we’re out of the “training department” we think it’s OK to stop (we feel we’re above that).

2)      Complacency – We achieve some success early, get comfortable, and don’t see the need.

3)      Perception – Fear of our bosses or peers seeing us struggle and thinking differently about us.

4)      Self-UNawareness – We aren’t aware of skills holding us back and don’t know what to practice.

5)      Pleasure v. Pain – Practice isn’t always fun and we prefer activities such as contests or real calls.

Breaking down the wall

How do you break down these barriers?

1)      Attitude – It’s starts with you making a commitment to practicing your skills. Be intentional. When will you start?

2)      Have fun – Find other people who like to practice and make fun games out of it. Role Play “Fight club” for prizes.

3)      Be Vulnerable – Leave the title and sales numbers at the door. Be humble enough to admit you aren’t perfect and have room to grow.

4)      Stay Hungry – Don’t think you’ve “arrived.”Keep extending goals so you push to be the best.

5)      Get a coach/mentor – It’s tough to evaluate yourself in the game. Find someone you trust and ask them to help. Observation is the best way to identify gaps and create future practice material.

If Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan stopped practicing after their first championship, got comfortable with success and rested on laurels, we wouldn’t talk about them as two of the greatest athletes of all time. Make a commitment to practicing. If you do, years in the future we will be talking about you as one of the stars in the business of sports.

 

 

 

The Daniel Sport & Entertainment Leadership Summit

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The Daniel Sport & Entertainment Leadership Summit
by Kirk Wakefield – March 2013

First Ever

Managers and executives from professional sports met for the inaugural Daniel Sport & Entertainment Leadership Summit the third weekend in February in San Diego. We plan to host this event each year to encourage each other to be leaders in our homes, at work, and in our spheres of influence.[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”300px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ][slideshow_deploy id=’1443′][/dropshadowbox]

The summit is named after the Biblical character Daniel, who set himself apart from others in the culture by pursuing excellence, being a disciplined man of character, and being confident that God was with him daily. Ultimately Daniel used the “stage” given to him to have influence on his culture.

The idea for the summit sprung from a discussion among a group of executives led by Jeremy Walls and Jason Howard. ” We all had the same vision of encouraging each other in balancing personal and professional lives,” explained Walls. 

The summit included attendees from teams/leagues (New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Sacramento Rivercats, NBA, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns) and companies (Sports Sales Consulting, Fan Interactive, Exact Target), as well as faculty from supporting universities (Baylor, Mount Union, and Point Loma). Spouses present participated in a joint Saturday afternoon conference session.

The sessions were led by Mark Foreman, senior pastor at North Coast Calvary Chapel (“Transformed people. Transforming our world.”) and Ryan Pfeiffer, Director, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (San Diego). Some might recognize Mark Foreman as the father of Jon and Tim Foreman, leaders of the band Switchfoot. 

Top 10 Takeaways

The week after we asked the executives what stayed top-of-mind. We’ve boiled it down to the Top 10 Takeaways.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”550px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Top 10 Takeaways from the Daniel Conference

  1. Success in my personal life can actually make me better in your professional life. I have always thought of that in reverse and realize how wrong I have been.
  2. Change my thinking from ” I will invest into my career so I can provide for my family,” to “I will invest time and energy into my family and God will continue to bless my career.”
  3. Understand what Bob Briner means in his book, Roaring Lambs: Christians can and ought to be the movers and shakers of positive social change — ‘”roaring lambs.'”
  4. Proactively pursue carving out time with family and then apply this to those I lead, making sure they take time to disconnect from work. This may be one of the greatest witnesses of care and compassion to members of my team.
  5. There’s no plan B. God doesn’t have a special ops force he’s sending in. We’re it. We need to lead.
  6. Sabbath: God took a day to rest and reflect, we should too! If the King of the World can take a day off…so can I. I was very convicted regarding how important I think I am sometimes.
  7. The example of Daniel is “excellence in our personal lives bubbles up and carries over into professional lives.”
  8. Like Daniel, God has put you on a stage to change culture and influence lives, even years after you are gone.
  9. Believers should be more “invasive” into the world and less “retreating.” The church is the “locker room” where we prepare; “the game” is the day-to-day living out of our faith.
  10. Realize “you are” the salt and the light of the earth. We should be “shoveling the salt out as fast as we can!”[/dropshadowbox]

Join Us

Are you interested in becoming a better/more intentional father, husband, and executive? Invitations for next year’s summit are open to managers, directors, and executives in professional sports and executives in agencies and companies serving professional sports.  We will announce next year’s Daniel Sports & Entertainment Leadership Summit in the S3 Report and also post in the S3 Report LinkedIn group. If you want to make certain you receive a personal invitation, click here to sign-up!

 

How to look good at the interview

kirk_wakefield Careers, Learn, Personal Development , , , , 2 Comments
How to look good at the interview
by Jeannette Salas – March 2013

We’ve reviewed what you need to do to get the first interview and the office interview. Now we need to get down to the really important things:  How you, your resume, and your cover letter should look.  Then maybe someday you can drive that convertible.

What do I wear to an interview?

Alicia Nevins
Alicia Nevins

Think old school. You have one time to make a first impression, as they say. Since key accounts for pro teams are corporate, dress like you belong. Cover up any visible tattoos. No facial jewelry or excessive ear jewelry (ladies).

“Psychologically, we know, ‘As I think, so I am.’ In the same way, we act like we dress! ” explains Alicia Nevins. “Taking pride in our professional appearance correlates with the importance we place on our careers, those we work with, and the respect we receive in return.”

Other tips:

Women

  1. Always wear a suit: Nothing bright or distracting. Clean and pressed.
  2. Skirts: No shorter than 3 in above knee. Not excessively tight. See how high skirt goes up when you sit down. Beware of slits!
  3. Tops: No low-cut blouses. No tank tops or spaghetti straps. Nothing sheer.
  4. Shoes: Close-toed or peep toe, no open toe sandals. Clean and simple. Not bright colored or glittery. No platform shoes. Weather appropriate: Cold outside – no open toed sandals.
  5. Makeup: Casual and mild. No smoky eyes.
  6. Hair: Neat and styled. No wild colors.
  7. Nails: Cleaned and trimmed. No bright colors.
  8. Perfume/Lotion: Don’t shower in it.

Men

  1. Always wear a suit: Nothing bright or distracting. Clean and pressed.
  2. Shoes: Clean and polished.
  3. Hair: Neatly trimmed and short. No wild colors.
  4. Facial hair: Clean shaven is BEST but if not keep it trimmed and short.
  5. Nails: Cleaned and trimmed.
  6. Cologne: Don’t shower in it.

How should the resume and cover letter look?

Resumes

  1. Presentation:  Not necessary to follow cookie-cutter resume format. Word offers various templates.
  2. Formatting: Make sure formatting is uniform! Make sure everything is aligned (dates, titles, etc.). Bolded words should be in same category (title, company name, etc.)
  3. Personal Info:  Include contact info – address, phone & email. No photos. Email address needs to be professional.

Emails 
No → datsexxygurl@yahoo.com
Yes → smalone_12@yahoo.com

  1. Objective:  Optional. Be careful—it can restrict you to a particular position when you may qualify for another in the organization. If you have one, make sure it addresses the right organization, position, etc (e.g. applying for position in NFL but objective states NBA)
  2. Course Section: List courses relevant to the position
  3. Accomplishments
    No → “I developed and executed customer focus…”
    Yes →”Reduced budget to actual variance from 11% to 3.5%.”
  4. Experience: Include dates – month/year. Make sure it is up-to-date (current job). Make sure dates are in order (recent position first). Don’t write “I ….” when listing accomplishments.
  5. Use bullet points.
  6. Quantify : Show results/accomplishments not duties . Show NUMBERS whenever possible.
  7. Length: 2 page maximum.
  8. Review:  Check spelling (spell-check), punctuation, and correct word usage. Have a qualified individual (relative, friend, professor) review and critique resume.

Cover letters

A Manager’s View

Matt Kalister
Matt Kalister

It’s no lie: A first impression can make or break chances of getting hired.

As a leadership team we see potential hires throughout the year. We look for candidates that present themselves well because they will be trusted to meet with key decision makers in our marketplace. Many of these will dismiss you in the first 10 seconds if you are not dressed appropriately.

A suit is key along with a white dress shirt and simple tie. We understand young adults don’t have the means to have high end wardrobes, but a simple suit (that fits) along with a dress shirt and tie is all you need. If you want to be taken seriously in an interview setting then dress and act like it.

We see hundreds of resumes each year. Concise, well-formatted resumes on one page stand out. Save topics for the interview. Keep the cover letter to the point. Make sure you present why you would be a great fit for that specific team and position.’

  1. No blanket cover letters – HR professionals can tell.
  2. Recipe for trashcan: Leave the previous desired employer’s name, location, or position in the letter.
  3. Address to the appropriate person (hiring manager, recruiter, etc.) when possible.
  4. Don’t repeat resume in paragraph form. Mention things not seen on resume related to desired position.
  5. IF applying to a sports team – don’t talk about your family’s history with sports. Tell what you can do for them. What value do you bring to the organization? What sets YOU apart?
  6. Review:  Same as above.

Submitting online

  1. Make sure the document you are attaching is in fact your most up-to-date resume.  A slip of the finger can cause you to attach a private or other document in error.
  2. Make sure you list your professional experience on the online application.  DO NOT write “See Resume.”

Social Media

We cover social media (tip: employees WILL check), networking, and common first-year mistakes here!

What does your Twitter and LinkedIn say about your personal brand?

kirk_wakefield Careers, Personal Development, Relate, Social Media , , , , , , , , 0 Comment
What does your Twitter and LinkedIn say about your personal brand?
by Ken Troupe – March 2013

Last month we talked about the importance of laying the foundation for your personal brand.  Now let’s turn to the tools of the trade to communicate your personal brand online.

Twitter

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Twitter allows for another channel of communication with your customers outside phone calls, email, direct mail, or face-to-face meetings.Secondly, it gives the opportunity to build your personal brand by

Brandon Steffek
Brandon Steffek

sharing relevant and exclusive content others normally would not have access to.[/dropshadowbox]If you are not on Twitter, start today. Why? Because Twitter is the greatest customer service tool since the hand shake.  A few rules and tips:

Rule #1. Twitter is a business tool.   Twitter is not a place for you to give life updates on your kids, friends, and hot sports opinions…….leave that kind of stuff on Facebook (more on that later).

Rule #2. Don’t Tweet original content.  At first you have no voice.  You need to develop followers. How?

  • Get started by following people that do have something to say and start to retweet them.
  • Find interesting articles relevant to your job or sports business niche and retweet them.
  • Take part in sports business Twitter chats like #social4tixsales, #sbchat, #sportsprchat, among others.

Within these Twitter chats you can begin to develop your voice by taking part in the conversation.  You are answering questions and engaging one-on-one with other sports industry pros.  Too many treat Twitter as a monologue instead of a dialogue. There is a difference.

  • Commit to being active on Twitter.  Nothing kills your personal brand faster than a Twitter account with zero activity.

LinkedIn

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Trent Nielsen
Trent Nielsen

When I look at a Twitter or LinkedIn page for someone in the sports industry, I may have a desire to learn more about their reach. However I’m also using the page as a window into their professional conduct. If you’re looking at a page that isn’t completely built out, has basic grammatical errors or even immature content, it’s typically a direct reflection of how that person goes about day-to-day life. I gravitate towards those who take their social media branding as seriously as their resumes and direct interpersonal communication.[/dropshadowbox]LinkedIn may be the number one social media site for learning how to do your job better and proving to others you know what you are doing. LinkedIn is so big we could do an all-day seminar, but I’ll hit the highlights.

Your profile

If someone Googles your name, your LinkedIn profile shows up near the top. What does your profile say about you?

  1. Is it complete?
  2. A complete summary section?
  3. List all your past jobs and a little detail of what you did?
  4. Are you using the “skills and expertise” section?
  5. Any recommendations?
  6. Updated contact information?
  7. A professional looking photo?

Groups

With your profile ready, head to the “Groups” section. Join industry specific groups like “Ticket Sales Best Practices,” “Ticket Sales & Technology,” or “Sports Marketing 2.0,” among others.  Within these groups you start to build your brand.

Watch the conversations and start to take part.   Avoid offering wild or opinionated comments at first.  Keep early interaction pretty vanilla. Once you have a little “street cred,” spread your wings to engage and offer divergent opinions.

Career Insight

LinkedIn is a great place to seek advice from people with a job you’d like to have one day.  Ask their advice. You will be surprised how open some sports industry vets are if you just ask.

Facebook

Here’s the thing about our old social media friend Facebook: Facebook is great. A great place to stay in touch with friends and family. To read and comments on all those cute kids’ photos, updates on meals, and whatever else in on their minds. I love it. But, I really don’t think it is essential part of building your “professional” personal brand.

Facebook is, however, a place to quickly undo all your personal branding efforts.

My advice? Especially for young people entering or wanting to enter this business? Keep it clean and simple.  No need posting photos drunk at parties or posts using bad language.  Good rule of thumb: If your mom would not approve, odds are other adults won’t either. And these other adults are hiring managers or work in human resources.

Start Now!

Developing your personal brand means so much more. But if you take just one thing away from this:

Your Personal Brand is Important!

Start developing yours today.