S3 Spotlight – BaylorS3E

How two brothers made it big in pro sports: Colin Faulkner, Chicago Cubs and Chris Faulkner, Denver Broncos

kirk_wakefield 2016, S3 Spotlight, Work ethic November 5, 2016October 31, 2018Broncos, character, Cubs, good mentors, Marlins, overcoming rejection, Rangers, Rockies, Stars, Success, work ethic 0 Comment

by Kirk Wakefield – November 2016

Note: In this re-release (first posted April 1, 2013), we congratulate Colin Faulkner, and the 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs, for catching up to brother Chris Faulkner, whose Denver Broncos won the 2016 Super Bowl.

S3 Board Member Spotlight

Brothers. Friends. Sports.

These three words bind Chris and Colin Faulkner together as one of the few sets of brothers in the business of sports.

Colin is the Vice President of Sales & Partnerships with the Chicago Cubs. Chris is Manager of Club Seat Sales and Service with the Denver Broncos. Each took different routes getting into their careers.

Overcoming rejection

Colin’s experience with Baylor’s call center and the Waco Wizards (surprise: a defunct hockey team) reinforced his desire to enter sports after graduating from Baylor (1998).

Part of Colin’s motivation today stems from his early days searching for an entry level position. The S3 program’s own, Dr. Darryl Lehnus, then Associate Athletic Director over sales & marketing, spurned Colin for an internship while Colin was working towards his undergraduate degree. Then following scores of applications, Colin’s resume eventually landed in the hands of Shawn McGee of the old Dallas Burn where Colin received his only offer. What happened to all those rejection letters? Fifteen years later they still have their own special place in Colin’s desk.

Colin went on to prove himself as an account executive with the then combined Texas Rangers/Dallas Stars group before moving to roles with the Stars as the Director of Ticket Sales (2002),Vice President of Ticket Sales (2004), Sr. Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service (2007), and Sr. VP of Marketing (2009). Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Colin was selected as the Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service with the Chicago Cubs (2010) before his recent promotion this spring to include corporate partnerships.

Operations, IT or Sales?

Chris started out with idea of working in operations or IT for a professional team after graduating from Baylor (2001). In his search, Chris quickly learned the lifeblood of an organization was in sales – and the best entry point. After beginning with the Colorado Rockies, Chris moved into a senior account executive position with the Texas Rangers (2003) before promotions to Group Sales manager (2005) and then Director of Ticket Sales (2007). Following, Chris moved west as the Director of Ticket Sales for the Colorado Crush (2008) before moving across town to sell premium seats for the Broncos (2009) to ultimately assume his current position as Manager of the department (2010).

Work ethic = Success

The brothers share beliefs about what leads to success. Working for good managers helps paves the way. They believe in working hard, having a good attitude and working smart. As Chris points out, sales is purely an effort-based position, “Put in the work and put in the hours.”

Mentors play a role in the success of anyone who moves up the ranks. Geoff Moore, Colin’s mentor, is quick to share his thoughts on Colin’s work ethic and attitude:

“Colin has true character. He is competitive, intelligent and curious. But, his most important quality is his optimism. He believes his hard work will make a difference. This combination of talent and work effort make him a great employee and leader.

Similarly, Andy Silverman, shared from his experiences with Chris:

Chris is a true professional at every level. From my many years working alongside Chris at the Texas Rangers, to his current role running Premium Sales at the Denver Broncos, Chris not only has my utmost respect but admiration as a true sales professional. I consider Chris a master of his craft and even more importantly a trusted friend and confidant.

Having a Brother in Sports

Chris and Colin get along, well, just like brothers. They benefit from each other’s experiences, frequently texting each other to share updates, bounce ideas off the other, and share in each other’s successes. Although Chris feels some pressure to keep up with his older brother, they don’t feel like they compete with each other since both have done well in their careers. Colin said that if he had the option to hire Chris to work for him, he probably wouldn’t because Chris is in such a good situation right now.

Two well-known brothers in sports are the Leiweke brothers, Tim and Tod, and the Yormark brothers, Brett and Michael. Give the Faulkner brothers a few years. When you see them on the front of Forbes magazine, remember you saw them featured first on the S3 Report!

Eric Sudol’s 3 Lessons From a Career in Sports Sales

kirk_wakefield 2015, Luxury Suites & Premium Tickets, S3 Spotlight, Sell, Sponsorships April 2, 2015October 31, 2018career, Dallas Cowboys, how to succeed, NFL, premium sales, selling, sponsorship sales, VIP sales 0 Comment

by Brooks Byers – April 2015

S3 Board Member Spotlight: Eric Sudol, Dallas Cowboys

Eric Sudol, the Dallas Cowboys’ Senior Director of Corporate Partnership Sales & Service, has worked for the Cowboys organization for eight seasons. Mr. Sudol completed his undergraduate work at Cornell College, before earning joint masters degrees from Ohio University in Business Administration (MBA) and Sports Administration. After starting his career in corporate partnership sales for the Memphis Grizzlies, Mr. Sudol came to Dallas intrigued by the opportunity to sell suites for the new AT&T Stadium in 2007. Since joining the Cowboys, he has been promoted five times, moving from suite sales to Manager of Premium Sales, Director of Sales, Director of Sponsorship Sales, to his current position as Senior Director. As a member of the Baylor S3 Advisory Board, he enjoys sharing his experience and advice with students. Some of his key takeaways from his years in Memphis and Dallas include:

1. Discipline is the key to sales.

“The job is daunting. If you bat .300, then you’re in the Sales Hall of Fame,” says Mr. Sudol. “It’s tough to do this job if you’re not very disciplined in your approach.”

2. Sales and business acumen go hand-in-hand.

“You can’t go wrong with a first job in sales; if you want to be a leader in your company, then you have to understand what it takes to make money.” Mr. Sudol came to Dallas to learn a different aspect of his industry. He believes that his experience selling suites made him a better leader and manager because all areas of revenue generation are important and related.

3. Selling sponsorships lends itself to creativity.

“You can allow your entrepreneurial spirit to run in sponsorship. We’re always looking to innovate and create new ways to generate revenue. We want to be at the forefront and look to invent the next sponsorship category,” says Mr. Sudol.

Mr. Sudol is proud to be a part of the S3 program because its curriculum recognizes the importance of sales as an entry point to the sports industry and gives students hands-on experience in call centers to prepare them to excel in their careers.

S3 Alum Spotlight on Katy Gager

kirk_wakefield 2013, S3, S3 Spotlight, The S3 Program October 7, 2013November 2, 2018Baylor, college, degree, major, placement, Sales, sponsorship, sports, Success, university 0 Comment

by Justin Pipes – October 2013

Katy Gager (Baylor S3 ’08) is a Senior Account Executive at The Marketing Arm an agency based in Dallas, Texas. She represents and manages AT&T’s brand through corporate sponsorship of professional & collegiate sports properties in the Southeast Region.

Willing to move

Katy transferred to Baylor for the S3 program to begin her junior year. One of three transfers in the class, Katy was torn between UT and Baylor when deciding to transfer. Gager felt like Baylor was home and believed the S3 program gave her the best opportunity to start a successful career in sports. After moving halfway across the country from California, Gager experienced challenging projects through the curriculum from selling tickets for the Rangers (back in their losing days) to presenting sponsorship ideas for the AT&T Challenge.

Finding Her Niche

Gager quickly found she enjoyed the relationship focus in the field of sponsorship. All S3 majors are given a DISC assessment (DiSC Profile Website) to determine their own personal behavioral style and what types of careers are likely to fit them best. Katy has a high Steadiness trait, which “place[s] an emphasis on cooperating with others within existing circumstances to carry out the task <ref>DiSC Profile Steadiness Overview</ref>.” Being a high S and having a more conscientious, detail-oriented personality helped make Katy a great fit for contributing to an agency sponsorship team.

Gager started her career at The Marketing Arm (TMA) in Dallas working on the Insights and Analytics team. She had the opportunity to work with over 25 different accounts including AT&T, State Farm and Frito Lay conducting research for each brand related to their sponsorships with properties nationwide. After becoming an account executive for TMA, she was able to pull from her knowledge of the brands objectives and her research background to manage programs for AT&T that would yield results and drive sales.

S3 Model

Eric Fernandez, Senior Vice President of MEDIALINK LLC, says,

“Katy is a great example of an S3 student who seized the opportunities presented to her. While the S3 program prepared her for entering the sports marketing business, her work ethic, positive “can do” attitude and natural curiosity have contributed to her professional growth and advancement. She’s achieved quite a bit in a short time and continually is a model representative of the S3 program.”

High praise also comes from Travis Dillon, Vice President of Activation and Property Management at The Marketing Arm.

“Katy is one of our rising stars at TMA. She has been an integral part of our national college football program the past 2 years with AT&T and ESPN College GameDay and is quickly establishing herself as a leader on the team. In addition, her insights and analytics background make her a valuable strategic asset to the team since day one.”

This work ethic, “can do” attitude and natural curiosity led to a recent promotion to Senior Account Executive.

Three Tips from Katy

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”425px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Approach to Networking: Sports is a small industry. No matter where you are or have been, your name and personal brand will come up again with come up again. Continue to build your personal brand equity.
Be a Problem Solver: Look for different areas of your client’s business and your business to solve problems all across the board. Be known as someone who finds solutions.
Have a Great Attitude: Be a team player with a positive attitude when approaching all projects, including that those aren’t exactly your favorite.[/dropshadowbox]

S3 Leadership Spotlight: Dave Nottoli @GM

kirk_wakefield 2013, Digital Strategy, Integrity, Lead, Relate, S3 Spotlight July 1, 2013November 2, 2018activation, Cadillac, digital marketing, GM, leadership, Manchester United, ManU, sponsorships 0 Comment

by Blake Cargill – July 2013

Dave Notolli, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager at General Motors, has worked for GM for over 30 years. A graduate of Purdue University, Notolli has enjoyed the automotive business from the moment he became a part of it. The automotive business has a unique, challenging aspect to it because of the competition and fast paced environment.

Managing the Escalade brand

Pinned as the first brand manager of GM, Notolli was given the difficult task of promoting the Escalade in the early 1990’s. This proved to be a challenging time for Notolli as he learned different roles and responsibilities.

The goal was to establish Escalade as its own brand. In order to do this, Nottoli said, “I had to try to change the mentality of the company and think of each car line as an individual brand.” Notolli was extremely successful, and the Escalade remains as a leader in the premium SUV category today.

Sponsorships fuel global expansion

Internationally, GM signed a record deal (Reuters estimates the seven-year deal at between $60-70 million a year) as title sponsor of Manchester United. Chevrolet is looking to make a huge push internationally, as its jersey sponsorship with ManU begins in 2014.

Chevrolet is the fastest growing brand in the world right now. Nottoli stated, “It is very important to be a global brand and get global recognition given where markets are growing.”

Regarded as one of the most popular and recognizable soccer teams in the world, Manchester United reaches over 650 million fans worldwide. This new sponsorship is an excellent gateway into growth and sustainability worldwide.

Digital marketing

What marketing methods seem to be working best now for GM? Notolli pointed towards two fundamental changes related to digital marketing:

Product: Equipping cars with technology and digital components to reach a younger crowd.
Promotion: GM’s most successful dealerships effectively use digital marketing and promotions and individual GM brands activate through sports & entertainment sponsorships integrated with social media (see Cadillac inset).

Leadership qualities

Notolli believes team goals always take priority over individual goals. This philosophy contributes to the development of teamwork and collaboration within the GM organization. However, Nottoli believes first and foremost, “We must show integrity in everything we do, being honest and open.”

Nottoli is known for his consistent ethical and moral values as a leader. Ken Mussmann, Chevrolet Field Manager adds, “There are three things about Dave that come to mind when I think about his leadership: First, he is trustworthy. Second, he has an intimate knowledge of the business. And, third, he really cares about the people that work for and with him.”

Stephen Flynn, Chevrolet Marketing Manager believes, “Dave’s work ethic and decision making are always based on his moral compass. Do the right thing, be honest with others, and act with total integrity.”

Differentiating GM from its many competitors is not an easy task. Nottoli regards having great products, customer service, and marketing as the three contributors to making GM stand out among the crowd. Nottoli believes in his product. He put it best when he said, “What’s good for GM is good for America.”

Bill Boyce NBA D-League Executive of the Year

kirk_wakefield 2013, About S3, Integrity, Lead, S3, S3 Spotlight, Work ethic June 13, 2013October 18, 2018awards, Creative sponsorships, D-league, Donnie Nelson, innovation, Legends, NBA, outstanding, Veracruz 0 Comment

Bill Boyce has been a great friend and leader in the Baylor S3 community since the launch of the the Dallas Mavericks D-league team in Frisco. The Baylor S3 program selected Bill as one of our Chevrolet S3 Outstanding Board Members in 2012. We’re excited for him and certainly agree the League made an excellent selection!

Below is the press release from the NBA.

TEXAS LEGENDS PRESIDENT BILL BOYCE NAMED

2013 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE TEAM EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

NEW YORK, June 12, 2013 – Texas Legends President Bill Boyce was today named the 2013 NBA Development League Team Executive of the Year, it was announced by NBA D-League President Dan Reed. The NBA Development League Team Executive of the Year is determined by peer voting and teams are not allowed to vote for themselves.

“On behalf of the NBA D-League, I’m pleased to honor Bill Boyce with the Team Executive of the Year Award in recognition of the Legends’ impressive season in Frisco,” said Reed. “Bill’s energetic and creative leadership in all areas of the business – ranging from innovative marketing partnerships, outstanding in-game entertainment, and deep community outreach in the Frisco area – has helped shaped the organization into one of the best in the league.”

Under Boyce’s leadership, the Legends entered into an historic marketing partnership with the state of Veracruz, Mexico, that was highlighted by “Veracruz Incomparable” being prominently featured on the front of the Legends jersey. The new multi-year agreement makes the historic state of Veracruz the first non-team city to have its name and slogan prominently featured on the jersey of a professional sports team. As presenting partner of the Legends, the team’s home arena is now called the “Veracruz Court at Dr Pepper Arena” with the Veracruz logo displayed on center court. Additionally, Veracruz receives significant in-arena signage and television exposure throughout the Legends’ market through the team’s family of local television networks.

Boyce also was recognized for the team’s strong community presence, including its extensive local TV rights deals, which ensure that all Legends games are broadcast locally through a state-of-the-art, mobile production trailer. In addition, he also helped create innovative theme jersey nights to benefit local charities and entertaining game presentations, which have set new standards for the NBA D-League.

“It is a great honor to be named NBA Development League Executive of the Year,” said Boyce. “This award doesn’t represent one individual but the entire Legends family, including our players, coaches, business team, and, of course, our dedicated owners – Donnie Nelson, Evan Wyly, Sonny Xiao, and Eduardo Najera.”

Previous winners of the award are David Higdon (Bakersfield, 2012), Bert Garcia (Rio Grande Valley Vipers, 2011) and Jon Jennings (Maine Red Claws, 2010).

NBA Development League

The NBA Development League is the NBA’s official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 17 teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises, the league offers professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Thirty percent of players in the NBA at the end of the 2012-13 season boasted NBA D-League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on nbadleague.com

# # #

How did the S3 Report grow over 400% in 4 months?

kirk_wakefield 2013, Digital Strategy, Lead, Learn, Networking, Relate, S3 Spotlight, Social Media, The S3 Program June 12, 2013November 2, 2018blog, digital leadership, growth, influencers, major leagues, MLS, NBA, NFL, social media 0 Comment

by Kirk Wakefield – June 2013

Thanks to you, the growth in readership and membership at the S3 Report has been exceptional. Let’s start with who we are and then how we’ve grown.

Who are we?

The S3 Report launched in January 2013 with a following of no more than 75 members of our S3 Board and staff who write for us. Within four months, we had 300 registered members (up 400%). Starting from scratch in January (visits = 0), where has your support taken us?

4,506 unique visitors, 7,174 total visits, and 37,625 page views since January 1.
1,792 unique visitors since May 1:
- 67% new visitors
- Over 98% stay on the site for 3 minutes and view over 5 articles each visit.
Now over 400 registered members representing exec’s from:
- Over 60 major league teams
- NFL, NBA, and MLS league offices
- Over 30 NCAA athletic departments
- Over 50 corporations/agencies

How did we get here? You.

First, we started with influencers. Executives from leading teams in every league and among major sports advertisers from the Baylor S3 Advisory Board provided the foundation as our writers.

Second, more influencers like you joined the community via social media. With the help of the first 75 influencers and their followers, traffic was generated primarily through Twitter referrals. Over half of our traffic (51.3%) comes from referrals via social media and other websites, with another 16% from search traffic and 30% direct traffic to the site.

Breaking down the referrals with Google Analytics, we can see how most new visitors get here:

54% Twitter
17% Facebook
16% LinkedIn
4% Team Sports Marketing
4% www.Baylor.edu

Bottom line? Keep on posting! As we all know from our careers in sales and marketing, referrals from friends are the most trusted source of information.

Content is _______

We get tired of hearing it, but the King is not dead. And, no, we don’t mean Elvis.

Excluding articles from the editor, what are our most popular posts so far?

Rank

Article

Author

Organization

Which comes first: Happiness or success?

Shawn Achor

GoodThinkInc

No more cold calls: 3 steps to making informed calls & increasing close rates

Flavil Hampsten

Bobcats

The Sales Commandments According to This Disciple

Carson Heady

T-Mobile

Sales Training: How to Handle Objections

Sean Ream

MLS

How to get promoted in sports sales careers

Rob Zuer

Rockets

How to manage the new generation of sellers

Murray Cohn

NBA

Executing successful sales events: Three teams who are doing it right

Corey Breton

Hawks

So you want a job in pro sports?

Charles Johnson

Sixers

Part 2: Managing the next generation of sellers

Murray Cohn

NBA

Practice? We talkin’ about practice?

Bob Hamer

Suns

S3 Board Member Spotlight: Kelly Cheeseman, AEG Worldwide

Jerry Ruiz

S3 Editorial Staff

Social media in the NFL: Strategy and tools

Nick Schenk

Texans

Here’s a method to turn sponsorship assets into answers

Bill Glenn

The Marketing Arm

How to look good at the interview

Jeannette Salas

Texans

S3 Alumni Spotlight: Taylor Bergstrom, Texas Rangers

Jennifer MacIntyre

S3 Editorial Staff

I’ve got the golden ticket!

Ken Troupe

KT SportsMarketing

Ticketing technology: How can we reduce barriers for renewals?

Chris Faulkner

Broncos

Just trust me

Lolly Daskal

Lead From Within

Are you investing enough time into training? The 3 elements of good programs

Drew Ribarchak

Blue Jackets

Evolution of analytics in sports: What’s next?

Aaron LeValley

LA Kings/AEG

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”400px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]If you missed any of these, the good news is our archives are always open. If you haven’t yet joined our community, the best news is it’s free. Just click here![/dropshadowbox]

Three ways to revitalize your franchise’s brand: Leadership Q&A with Kelly Roddy

kirk_wakefield 2013, Lead, S3 Spotlight June 1, 2013November 2, 2018advertising budgets, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, franchises, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Kings, NFL teams, perceptions, Philadelphia Eagles, sports trends, trends 0 Comment

by Travis Martin – June 2013

Kelly Roddy is President of Schlotzsky’s, a founding partner of the S3 Report.

Leadership Challenge: Revitalizing the brand

S3 Report: Since assuming leadership at Schlotzsky’s, what has been your greatest challenge as a leader?

Kelly Roddy: After joining Schlotzsky’s in December 2007, it was clear the brand needed a makeover. Just like every sports franchise, restaurant franchises must evaluate where the brand stands in the minds of those in their respective markets.

S3 Report: What was the issue?

Kelly Roddy: Our research showed that we were no longer relevant with our customers and we needed a new look. Relevance is an important brand asset that influences overall brand value.

We are an established, well-known brand in our markets, but it was time for a change. I knew as a leader I had to guide Schlotzsky’s through a brand make over, but there were multiple challenges. I had to figure out how to quickly lay out the plan and then how to get a franchise system of more than 350 restaurants to embrace the idea.

When we began the economy was struggling and convincing our franchise partners to invest dollars into re-image was a difficult task.

S3 Report: How did you tackle the challenge?

We held tight to the rule, “Make new friends, but keep the old.” We didn’t stray far from our roots, so we stayed true to the product that brought us success. And through our planned program, our makeover paid off. We began with three very basic steps; easy in concept, not so easy in practice.

1. Pay attention to consumer trends

It’s crucial to understand consumer needs and trends and be willing to make changes to meet those needs and get ahead of the trends. This can be a struggle for a national company, particularly a franchise system, but it allows for an opportunity to build relationships with consumers and establish a level of trust with them that you’re building your business with the consumer in mind.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”650px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]S3 Report: True. Sports teams must pay attention to trends like these:

Digital in-game experience: More fans are accessing second and third screens while attending or watching sporting events.
Gamification: the attention span of consumers continues to shorten, so sports and entertainment providers must find ways to incorporate game mechanics into their websites and social media (See related examples, such as the LA Kings, here: sports trends.)
Augmented reality/fan engagement: Teams (e.g., the Eagles) are among those adding features such as highlights, previews, player messages and stats to fans using smartphones to scan tickets. (See this Mashable article for other examples.)[/dropshadowbox]

2. Develop a clear brand strategy

While going through massive changes, it’s imperative to maintain the core of your business, but change enough for consumers to take notice.

We knew our product wasn’t the issue; it was the perception of the product. We needed to change our look and freshen up our restaurants while staying true to what our guests keep coming back for – our food.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”650px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

S3 Report: Perception is reality, so in the same way teams should track customer perceptions of their brands to evaluate the need for revitalization.

[/dropshadowbox]

3. Spend wisely

Rebranding is a major company decision. It becomes an even bigger decision with a struggling economy. Spending wisely is important, because the last thing you want to do is nothing at all. We knew we had to invest so we could emerge from the recession a stronger, refreshed brand, which is exactly what we did.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”curled” width=”650px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

S3 Report: That strategy confirms what we know from the historical evidence during downturns.

Firms that budget marketing as a percent of sales during downturns follow a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sales go down and marketing goes down; because marketing is down, then sales go down more…and the cycle keeps going. In contrast, firms that invest boldly (and wisely) in marketing during downturns far outdistance themselves from competitors who have all cut budgets.[/dropshadowbox]

Conclusion

S3 Report: As you look back, what were the major changes you made to the franchises?

Kelly Roddy: Re-branding is never easy, recession or not. But, a franchise does not have to be a casualty of its own making or even its own inertia.

Our re-image ensured our franchise partners thrived, just as teams want their fans, sponsorship partners and the community to thrive.

Through innovative new menu items such as fresh-made salads and Cinnabons and a new service model in which we delivered food to tables, we changed more than just our look. We changed the perception of Schlotzsky’s.

Sports franchises must do the same. In fact, you might start by adding one of our Cinnabon, Carvel, Seattle’s Best or Auntie Anne’s brands at Focus Brands to your menu mix!

It was a tremendous challenge that required dedication not only from me, but the leadership in our brand and the entire franchise system. Through research and strategic planning, we updated the Schlotzsky’s brand and became a relevant, in-demand franchise.

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

kirk_wakefield Careers, Learn, Personal Development, S3, S3 Spotlight, The S3 Program April 1, 2013November 2, 2018double accounts, flexibility, hard work, invest in self, mentors, Orlando Magic, patience, positive attitude, relationships 0 Comment

by Anna Merritt – April 2013

What’s it take to be a Tourism Manager?

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” ]Haley 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.

Double-up. Concentrate on doubling revenue on each of your accounts. In other words, focus on turning each small account into a bigger one.
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.
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.
Invest in yourself. Professional and personal balance is important. Take the time and resources to invest in both.

The AT&T Challenge: Innovative teaching tool brings ideas to life for brands and teams

kirk_wakefield S3 Spotlight, Sell, Sponsorships, The S3 Program March 1, 2013November 2, 2018activation, brands, corporate, leverage, MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, partnerships, selling, sponsorships 0 Comment

by Darryl Lehnus – March 2013

The AT&T Challenge: The Beginning

The AT&T Challenge is the brainchild of Eric Fernandez (BU ’94), then Director of Corporate Partnerships for AT&T. Working in collaboration with Eric and AT&T’s partnership with the Dallas Mavericks, the Sports Sponsorship & Sales (S3) students developed sponsorship activation strategies in a team competition to see who could be the most creative and effective in reaching partnership objectives.

Since 2007, S3 students have had the privilege of working with a variety of sports properties including the Dallas Stars, San Antonio Spurs, San Diego Padres, AT&T Cotton Bowl, Baylor Athletics, and this year’s partner Circuit of the Americas. Tom Hughes (S3 Board Member, Director of Sponsorship Marketing & Promotions, Reliant Energy) helped grow the program while at AT&T. Eric continues to lead the way in developing the process.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”500px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

We’re constantly looking for fresh, innovative ideas. As a marketer, it’s easy to fall into a “tunnel vision trap” because you live and breath your brand every day.

The S3 students provide a unique point-of-view unconfined to traditional “corporate” thinking and challenges us to be more creative.

Relevantly connecting with 18-24 year olds is a priority for any brand.What better way to do this than a group of college students providing their points-of-view on what’s interesting and meaningful to them? The students’ ideas are creative, compelling and provide insight into how best to connect with them. [/dropshadowbox]

The Process

The AT&T Challenge is real world immersion for students. The structure and process is basic to how sponsorships work. AT&T, currently under the leadership of Bill Moseley, selects a current or prospective sports property partnership relationship. The steps mirror industry practices:

Sponsor goals: AT&T presents the objectives and goals of their marketing strategy and how the sponsorship fits within that strategy.
Property assets: The sports property identifies the resources, inventory, and assets available in packaging the partnership.
Probing/exploration: Representing the property, students ask questions and explore creative opportunities for the partnership.
Preparation: With the goals and asset inventory available, S3 student teams create unique customized partnership proposals. Over the next six weeks, students participate in conference calls (assisted, of course, by AT&T) with the sponsor & property with clarifying questions and applications to ensure package elements are available and can be delivered.
Presentation: Student teams compete to see which of their partnership proposals best meets the needs of the partners.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”300px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Baylor University continues to provide the finest sports marketing experiences for its students of any university I have seen. The AT&T Challenge was a tremendous opportunity to see Baylor’s students articulate a sports sponsorship and to see the young talent that ultimately could work for an NHL team like the Dallas Stars.[/dropshadowbox]

S3 students know they will face the evaluations of a panel of national leaders in the sponsorship field. The pillar of strength in this process is the ever-present Eric Fernandez. Eric interacts with our students during the process to review, advise, and critique each team’s ideas and concepts.

The panel includes five members:

Dan Migala, Property Consulting Group and Editor of The Migala Report,
Eric Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Medialink
Travis Dillon, Vice President of Activation & Property Management, The Marketing Arm, the agency of AT&T,
The sponsorship partner from the property, and
Bill Moseley, Innovative Marketing Communications Director, AT&T.

Bill Moseley ultimately decides if the proposals meet the AT&T objectives. A productive outcome of this project is the proposed ideas, concepts, and promotions are frequently implemented by AT&T and the various properties.

“The AT&T Challenge is mutually beneficial to all involved,” explains Moseley. “Students get experience and develop needed skills. The innovative ideas from these outstanding young people is a value-add to our partners. And, like most of us who’ve had someone help us, we love giving back to help the careers of these students.”

Always looking for more

Students in the S3 program participate in ticket sales projects each year, generating revenue up to $25,000 for teams and events such as the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, FC Dallas, Mastercard Colonial, Valero Texas Open, Houston Shell Open, and the Alamo Bowl. Students call from our AT&T 24-seat call center and students in the S3 CRM-track manage the database tracking calls and notes through Microsoft Dynamics.

The S3 program is expanding opportunities to engage in more activities like the AT&T Challenge. S3 students operate in agency teams as part of the new S3 Sponsorship Incubator (SI). In two weeks time, SI teams present creative activation approaches suited to the needs of a partnership. You can join Pizza Hut and the Houston Dynamo, the first two clients of the new SI service, by contacting me by email or calling 254.710.6189.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”550px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

The S3 program is grateful to AT&T for their trust and investment of time into the preparation of the next generation of sports sponsorship leaders. In particular, we honor in memory the contributions, friendship, and the life of Jason Simpson to the S3 program. Jason passed away December 18, 2012.

[/dropshadowbox]

S3 Board Member Spotlight: Kelly Cheeseman, AEG Worldwide

kirk_wakefield About S3, Careers, Lead, S3, S3 Spotlight, The S3 Program, Work ethic February 10, 2013November 2, 2018advice, AEG, career path, good mentors, LA Kings, mentors, NHL, sales careers, Success, work ethic 1 Comment

by Jerry Ruiz – February 2013

Congratulations to S3 Board Members in their new positions: Kelly Cheeseman, Chief Operating Officer of AEG Worldwide, and Chris McGowan, President of the Portland Trailblazers.

This is a story about the value of good mentors.

Kelly Cheeseman started his career as the Manager of Marketing at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes before coming to the LA Kings/AEG in 2001 as an Account Executive in ticket sales. In short order, Kelly advanced to Senior Sales Executive and then to the Manager of Ticket Sales. By 2005, Kelly was the Director of Sales & Service. Three years later, he was promoted to Vice President, Sales & Service, followed by a move up to Senior Vice President in 2012. When Chris McGowan left the COO position at AEG Worldwide to become the President & CEO of the Portland Trailblazers, Kelly was, as always, prepared to step in.

“Kelly has the best work ethic of any sports executive I have ever seen,” said Chris McGowan. From his experience, beginning in 1996 at AEG, McGowan sees the COO position at AEG as a true privilege. Having worked alongside Cheeseman for over a decade, Chris said what’s obvious to everyone is that, “Kelly is extremely passionate about the sports industry and dedicates a lot of time and energy into learning every aspect of the business.” Kelly would say he’s been helped by seeing it modeled by his mentor, Chris McGowan.

Giving back

In turn, Kelly has always taken the time to mentor others. Two graduates of the inaugural Baylor S3 class in 2006, Todd Pollock and Brett Christenson, began in ticket sales at the LA Kings/AEG. Cheeseman took the two under his wings and helped them get off to a good start within the industry.

“Kelly has been a great mentor. Aside from his knowledge and business-savvy mentality, he has always been a great leader with his staff, whom he cares about greatly. His willingness to develop skill sets and train his staff makes him one of the best executives in the sports world today,” said Pollock, currently General Manager of Sales & Service at Temple University.

Under Cheeseman’s mentorship, Pollock moved from inside sales to account executive to Manager of Sales & Service for the LA Kings in less than two years, before becoming Manager, Ticketing & Suites, at the San Francisco 49ers. Cheeseman, like his mentor McGowan, share the qualities of all good mentors.

Christenson landed at FC Dallas in corporate sales, before completing his MBA and moving into corporate business intelligence and database analytics.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-bottom-right” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Qualities of Good Mentors:

genuine concern for your best interest
willingness to share what they know to help you get ahead
willingness to be available to you when you need help—not just at their convenience
ability to identify your needs or deficiencies and to develop strategies for overcoming such obstacles to your success
respectfulness, trustworthiness, honesty and supportiveness

Source: Achieve Solutions [/dropshadowbox]

Learned along the way

Looking back at his career, the biggest challenges came during the two NHL work stoppage. Facing such obstacles out of your control, Cheeseman says, “will truly test your ability to maintain good relationships with customers and challenge your mental strength.”

When asked about some of the best career tips he’s ever received, Cheeseman recalled words shared by McGowan that stuck with him:

Hard work can never be beat.
There are no shortcuts.
Always look for ways to be innovative.
Don’t get stuck in a rut.

What is Cheeseman’s advice to others wanting to succeed in sales management in this business?

Hire a great team properly organized to work together. Focus on the structure.
Develop a measurable business plan you can review against key performance indicators.
Hire an analytics team to support your staff.

Of course, it always helps to have a positive mindset. “Clients and co-workers really enjoy working with Kelly because he has a great personality,” McGowan added.

Thanks

The students in the Baylor S3 program look forward to continued success stories from those fortunate enough to work with Mr. Cheeseman and Mr. McGowan. Thanks for giving back!

← Previous