How the San Antonio Spurs Grow Good People

How the San Antonio Spurs Grow Good People
by Laural Logan-Fain – April 2016

Defining Culture

Culture is defined as the customs, rituals, and values shared with the members of an organization. You can see it by watching the way people interact every day. Culture is ever evolving. Culture is not something you can necessarily control; but it is something about which you can be purposeful. Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “Company cultures are like country cultures. Never try to change one. Try, instead, to work with what you’ve got.” At Spurs Sports & Entertainment, we recognize that every employee plays a part in shaping our culture. Like any worthwhile venture, it takes consistent effort with all of us working together as a team to create a culture that is reflective of our values: Integrity, Caring, Success!

Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Biologist and educator Thomas Huxley noted, “The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man’s foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.”

When we hire at Spurs Sports & Entertainment, we actively seek people who are not only highly proficient in their roles, but also fit with our culture and reflect our corporate values. Many of our staff have grown up in the organization, starting out as interns or assistants, but over time have grown to become our managers, directors, and vice presidents. This is great for stability, but as with any company, our staff (especially our ever-growing Millennial population) are eager to climb the proverbial corporate ladder. However, as a relatively small organization with many long-tenured members, the ladder may seem to some more like a step stool with only a few rungs.

Changing the Conversation

Author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said, “Too many people spend more time planning how to get the job than on how to become productive and successful in that job.”

Like most organizations, we are mindful of increasing employee satisfaction and decreasing turnover rates. To accomplish this, we began to shift the conversation. Instead of focusing on promotion and ladder climbing, we emphasize continual personal growth and ongoing professional development. We implemented an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and began having career discovery (or as we lovingly call them “What do I want to be when I grow up?”) conversations with staff. As part of the IDP, staff also set short- and long-term goals and identify support they need to achieve their goals. The focus is on the whole person. We still talk about career paths and promotions, but the conversation has expanded to include “How can I grow personally? How can I develop professionally?”

Develop, Grow, Lead

As author and leadership guru John Maxwell states, “Success each day should be judged by the seeds sown, not the harvest reaped.”

In an effort to assist employee development we launched our corporate university, Spurs Sports & Entertainment University (SSEU). Our SSEU tagline reads: “Growing human capital is our number one priority.” Classes are offered during work hours, are hands-on, and cover a variety of topics. They are facilitated live by in-house experts to encourage the cultivation of ideas and relationships across departments. SSEU is supported at the highest level of the organization and every executive teaches a different course. Staff are invited to have breakfast with the president and discuss culture. They can learn about strategic planning, including the development of major vs. minor league sports, from an executive vice president.

We offer values based leadership courses that reinforce our corporate values and provide tools for staff to better handle conflict and work more effectively with one another. Our Leadership 101 series helps managers make the transition from being an individual contributor to an effective leader of people. Other course topics include game presentation, presentation skills, using data, creativity, writing skills, and much, much more. We also offer facilitated team building sessions for departments and cross-functional teams to help break down silos and build trust. Critical to having a successful culture is recognizing that employees are our greatest asset. Through SSEU, we continually invest in our human capital.

The Results

A year after launching the IDP and SSEU, our company culture survey reported increases in employee satisfaction. Employees identified that someone at work encourages their development (88%, up 15%); their manager takes time to talk with them about their professional goals (91%, up 10%); and they have a good understanding of their strengths and areas of improvement (82%, up 17%). Our culture continues to reflect our values of Integrity, Caring, Success, but it has evolved to include greater opportunities and support for staff to grow personally and develop professionally.

Pitch Perfect Alpha

What to do when you’re the new boss

What to do when you’re the new boss
by Matt Bowman – October 2013

Anyone in the sports business very long knows one may have to relocate to advance one’s career.  While certainly not a requirement, top executives have made a few stops in different cities in different sports and with different organizations throughout their career.  It can be an exciting but daunting task to ingratiate yourself with an entirely new team.

Such transitions are challenging for a sales leader, but also provide an awesome opportunity to build (or re-build) a sales team and place your stamp on that organization.

Looking back on my experiences as the new Sales Manager (OKC Thunder) and now Vice President at the Dallas Stars, I’ve noticed some commonalities that might help other sales leader joining a new team.

Take your time, but don’t take too much time

Your first few weeks of the new job are exciting! If you’re like me, you want to start making an impact immediately.  It’s easy, however, to try to take on too much too quickly without having a good enough understanding of how your team operates or the nuances involved with every personality and process.

Key #1: Focus on your people. Let them know you are there to help them succeed. You are not there to flip the business on its head right off the bat.  You plan to lead them, but only until you have an understanding of how the business is operating from all angles.

That said, you were hired you for a reason.  You’ll need to provide feedback on solutions to the team’s issues soon after you start in your new role.  This brings me to my next point . . .

Focus on metrics

After meeting the sales staff the next stop is with your business analytics team, which may be in ticket operations with some teams.  Here, it is imperative to start gaining an understanding of the team’s sales performance over time.

Key #2: Get a grip on historical sales performance. How many season tickets are sold for the year?  How many group tickets and suite rentals?  What are the trends over the last three seasons for each?  Is the season ticket and group sales business growing or shrinking annually?

Key #3: Get a grip on staff performance. Who are the top performing sales representatives in each category?  Who makes the most phone calls and sets the most appointments?  Which reps are best at selling season tickets versus groups versus premium inventory?

SWOT detective

Meet with the staff again. Ask what they feel are their strengths and weaknesses.  Ask what obstacles they face in doing their job at maximum level.

Key #4: Network internally. Visit with department heads of non-sales divisions to introduce yourself.  Stop by the marketing office and sponsorship team to ask them about their major priorities and challenges.  The challenges of these two revenue-generating divisions will be similar to the ones you will face now and in the future.

Of course, on-ice, on-court, on-field performance is an obvious strength or weakness.  But other issues may emerge, such as poor customer service or lack of clarity in external communications.

Focus on your own staff’s business processes, from basic to complex: What does the sales process look like?  What happens when a sale is made?  Who processes the order?  Are there any areas of inconsistency or inefficiency?

Through this detective work the team culture – how everyone views their jobs, the organization and  leadership–will materialize.  As a new leader you can help shape culture.

Clearly present your solutions at the right time

After a couple of weeks in a new position, start to take action.

Key #5: Clarity. The best way to gain respect and support is to present your findings clearly.  First, present the hard data on sales trends and team performance. Second, present the reasons you’ve found behind the trends: inefficiencies, inconsistencies, or lack of processes.   Finally, be prepared to share your own experiences that demonstrate best thoughts on solutions.

Around the horn

Those are my steps and keys to success as the new boss of an NHL team. Here are a few thoughts from two other new Vice Presidents of Ticket Sales & Service in MLB and the NBA:

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Listen. Care. Act.

Jason Howard
Jason Howard

astros logoThe natural instinct may be to come in with what you think are the best practice systems, training, and framework. The reality is your success will only go as far as your people and their mindsets in wanting to understand and execute implementation plans. Hiring in from the outside and implementing new sales structures can be tough, but that’s not what I’m referencing. More importantly, we must APPRECIATE the mindset of the inherited staff.

When starting in Houston, one of the first things we committed to as a leadership team is a familiar quote  several mentors have shared:

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” 

Some truths to grasp and manage:

  1. Any change – especially leadership – is a difficult thing.
  2. Understand and appreciate why things were being done the way they were when we arrived.
  3. Find out how every staff member feels about their part in the organization. This was the very first thing we needed our focus on.

Once we learned peoples’ mindsets we could meet them where they were. Let them know we appreciated how hard they had worked to get to that point. THEN we knew our transparency on how we could best move forward as a team would be met with more acceptance. Why? Because they felt they were heard first.

Slowing down a little at the beginning allowed us to run much faster as we all got on the same page. Ultimately that approach allows best practices to be uploaded and executed more quickly and effectively.[/dropshadowbox]

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Prepare. Get personal.

timberwolves logo

Corey Breton
Corey Breton

One of the first things I did when I learned that I was fortunate enough to land the VP position with the Timberwolves and Lynx was to reach out to my new direct reports.

Prior to physically arriving in Minneapolis, I spent two hours in conversations with each direct report, along with sending them two books explaining my leadership philosophy and process.  This helped us become acclimated with each other much quicker, allowing for a more seamless transition.

As Matt and Jason pointed out, your people are your most valuable resource. They must be treated as such.

When I officially arrived in Minneapolis, one of the first things I focused on was sitting down with each of the staffs to tell them my personal story.  I didn’t speak about my work experience. Instead I spoke about my personal upbringing and the core values I stand for. I shared my personal hedgehog concept with them, allowing them to understand my motives, desires, and drivers.

My hope was to break down barriers. For them to see me as more than just a new guy in a suit. To see me as a human being with similar interests and aspirations.

Once I shared, I asked each member of the departments to (1) submit their personal definitions of the core values I provided, and (2) their personal answers to the hedgehog concept questions I asked.  With a unique perspective from each one, I had personal talking points about each individual in a short amount of time.  Overall, I believe this process helped me earn their trust and credibility, along with helping us gain valuable information about how to motivate and drive each individual to be successful. [/dropshadowbox]

What are your thoughts? How have you adjusted in your new leadership positions?

Let us know what you think. Click on the Tweet button below and let us know: @CMB711,@Matt_Bowman14, and @BaylorS3 (#newleader)


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Market (Sell) Like a Rock Star!

Market (Sell) Like a Rock Star!
by Lynn Wittenburg – August 2013

I got this headline “Market Like a Rock Star” in an email after I read the book Radical Marketing. They were trying to sell me a book about the Grateful Dead. No sale, but it caught my attention.

What if I really did market like a rock star? What would that look like? Here are four ways I’ve come up with so far. Feel free to tweet more to the list (@lynnwitt) or comment below.

1. Rock stars have larger than life personalities.

Most rock stars (think Ozzy & cats, Bon Jovi & hair, Madonna & sex) have VERY large personalities. Some trait or characteristic they exploit to the fullest becomes their trademark.

We can do that in sales & marketing. Figure out the one thing you can hang your hat on and roll it out big time. Go with the largest “personality” your company has. For you personally, what one thing do you want customers and colleagues to know you by? Don’t hope they catch it. Make it central to who you are and what you communicate.

2. Rock stars are considered crazy.

You hear about it all the time. Rock stars are nuts. Troubled. Deemed crazy. And in this case, usually they are. :-)

But in marketing, we can be crazy in a good way. We can dare to do things that people deem unconventional. I watched an old video of Steve Jobs. The commercial at the end of the video is what sticks with me. Look at people like Jobs that the world called “crazy” and look at what they accomplished because they didn’t listen to the World.

3. Rock stars love what they do.

In Radical Marketing, the Grateful Dead talk about their passion for their music. They grew bigger than life but it was always about making music.

Do you love what you do in sales & marketing? Because if you don’t love it, how can you expect your customers to love it. Passion is contagious.

4. Rock stars dress the part.  

Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin

When it comes to attire, rock stars GO BIG or GO HOME! When you are a rock star your “outfit” is as much of your personality as you are.

I attended an Aerosmith concert and Led Zeppelin opened for them. Those dudes STILL have the outfits, the beards and the long hair long long after they hit 60 years old.

When it comes to marketing your product, what is the packaging? How are you presenting it? Are you putting your best foot forward and giving your audience something to remember you by?

What about you?

Well, that’s it. I don’t want to be a ROCK STAR but I’d like to market like one. If you’re going to be a rock star in sales & marketing, what other tips do you suggest? Click the tweet button below and let me know (@lynnwitt)!


Photo cover thanks to KennySun. Led Zeppelin picture thanks to Jonathan Bayer.

 

The Sales Commandments According to This Disciple

The Sales Commandments According to This Disciple
by Carson Heady – April 2013

Sales is a psychology; a profitable sport by which we engage clients, build relationships and seek the perfect balance for the holy sales trinity: customer, company and you.  Without all of these entities in mind, the transaction and stability suffers.

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Rob Kristiniak
Rob Kristiniak

As a sales person you always need to be working on your craft and being innovative. Sometimes that will involve doing things outside of your comfort zone. At the end of the day it’s the innovation and creativity that separates you from the rest of the pack.[/dropshadowbox]That said, there are certain fundamentals we must ingrain in each and every leg of the sales process; without them, our process is defunct and the results will tell that story.  Remember: results do not define us, but they do not lie.  If there is a breakdown in your process, your results will be broken, too.

  1. BE PROACTIVE AND THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.  A major area of opportunity of many salespeople is their predisposition of wanting to follow the leaders or be like others; fit in, follow the beaten path.  But why be like everyone else?  That makes one average.  Blaze your own trail.  Stand out.  Reach out for more customers; do not just accept the low-hanging, less challenging fruit.  Don’t get me wrong: you pick up every bit of fruit you can find – small or big.  Nevertheless, always think of innovative ways to put yourself in front of new clients.  Like a billboard on a busy freeway, be where your customers are looking and show them why you’re the one they need to pay attention to.  Doing so puts you in position to guide the process.  Not doing so puts the customer in control and your paycheck and career are in their hands.
  2. LISTEN.  Salespeople often ask me how to overcome certain objections, but they fail to realize that if they had set the right foundation they would be using the customers’ own words in the presentation, the close and any necessary overcomes.  Your words and philosophies pale in comparison in the customers’ minds to their own; listen and learn their language so you can speak it.  Find out what you need to know from the customer so you can diagnose their situation; where do the gaps lie?  How can you plug those gaps?  How are you going to make them realize that jettisoning their comfortable, familiar ways of doing business and going with you is going to be better?  You can’t get there unless your ears perk up and you get them doing the talking.[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]
    Linday Beale
    Lindsay Beale

    The most important part of the sales process is to put the customer first by listening. If you ask the right questions they will lead you down a path allowing you to make a recommendation based on what your product can offer them. As you follow-up you that let them know your call is to help them accomplish their goals, not just sell a seat location.[/dropshadowbox]

  3. REACT.  React to everything, and know when to use your information.  You can be the smartest person in the room – great.  However, if you are simply unloading jargon and facts on your potential client, are you showing them why your way of doing business is better?  Knowledge is power, but knowing when and how to use it is even more effective.  Improve your pitch, but perfect your reaction.  If you role play, don’t practice improbable scenarios; get used to setting the right foundation and knowing how to react to every objection your client throws at you.  See objections before they happen and address potential hitches before your customer even can.  You will see many customers, but only a few themes; master those themes and there’s no slipping one by your goalie.
  4. FOLLOW UP.  Unfortunately, no matter how effective a closer you are, the sale will not always happen on your timetable.  Don’t get me wrong: you need to do everything you can to build trust and determine why specifically the customer is not doing business today.  But if they leave the table for a viable reason, you must have an organized, prompt and thorough follow up process in place.  Customers will “browse” or “do research” and finally get tired enough to do business and pay more elsewhere if you do not stay front and center in their universe.  Follow up within 24 hours to a week and reignite the lead.  You cannot win them all, but you can nurture them all to as close to completion as possible.  That’s your job.  If you can look back on every transaction and know you did everything you could to earn the business, you did your job.  Congratulations.
  5. MASTER THE GAME.  There are ups and downs; when you’re up, ride the wave.  When you’re down, make sure you behave – according to process, that is.  You may get the shanks in your golf game or your baseball hitting suffers, but do you drastically change your swing to get back to desired results?  Of course not.  You have to envelop yourself in the process.  You also must learn the playing field – how can you make money where you currently are not?  What best practices are others using?  Steal them shamelessly; those who execute best are the best.

Finally, refresh and recharge often.  You need to make sure you are the person you were on interview day.  Play for the love of the game, the adoration of the crowd and the benefit of the customer and you will be victorious.