by Kirk Wakefield – November 2013 How do you know the difference between a sales rep who’s going to make it and those who won’t? Research tell us that one way is to look at whether they’re learners or lookers. What do learners look like? Learners are the sales reps who focus on mastering new situations,…Continue Reading Learners or lookers: How to tell if sales reps will earn or burn!
by Kirk Wakefield – August 2013 Brands highly prioritize social media engagement when partnering with sports properties. But who are these social media fans? Who are we reaching with the team’s social media? Earlier this year we sampled registered users from a professional franchise (N = 469). The chart below displays the results of a…Continue Reading How would you describe your social media fans to sponsors?
by Kirk Wakefield – July 2013 Preparation is the key to selling efficiency Preparation is on anyone’s top 10 list of what makes successful salespeople. Successful preparation is based on asking the customer the right questions. Knowing the right questions is one thing. But knowing the right answers can lead to more sales and more…Continue Reading 3 basic questions you should ask premium seat buyers
by Anne Rivers – June 2013 How to break into a mature market The giants of athletic gear (Nike, Adidas and Reebok) traditionally dominated the sports merchandising brand space through partnerships with sports franchises and collegiate athletics. In mature, lucrative industries like this, the question for others is always the same: How do you break into a market…Continue Reading Under Armour – The Underdog Story of Sports Merchandise
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…Continue Reading Which comes first: Happiness or success?
by Kirk Wakefield – May 2013 My favorite is AT&T Park. You don’t have to love baseball to love going there. And that really is the business issue: How do you build or maintain a park that attracts people who don’t really care about baseball? The Cubs aren’t spending $500 million in renovations because baseball…Continue Reading What makes a great ballpark?
by Kirk Wakefield – March 2013 Who started dynamic pricing anyway? Following deregulation in the early ’80s American Airlines initiated dynamic ticket pricing to deal with new low cost competitors. Extra points if anyone remembers People Express. People Express offered a simplified fare structure and was first to charge an extra fee for each checked…Continue Reading Dynamic parking? Who will be first?
by Matt Briggs – March 2013 Newcastle United fans have their say on club’s Twitter use Newcastle United supporters – a passionate bunch. Digital communications is now the front line of fan engagement for football clubs. The Premier League is a world wide brand and online means messages instantly disseminate around the globe. Just look at…Continue Reading How NOT to run a team Twitter account
by Anne Rivers – January 2013 Whose brand is bigger? Knicks or Nets? What happens to teams as they move cities? Do people miss the Seattle SuperSonics? The LA Rams? How about moving the Nets from New Jersey to Brooklyn? Some New Jersey residents may miss the Nets, but the general public and basketball fans…Continue Reading The Nets move to Brooklyn: Brand boon or bust?
by Kirk Wakefield – January 2013 What makes a passionate fan? A passionate fan devotes heart, mind, body, and soul to the team. The consequences of a passionate fan base are increased ticket, media, merchandise and sponsorship revenue to the team. But what are the antecedents to fan passion? What causes fans to be passionate?…Continue Reading What drives fan passion?