Group Sales Training Insert Team Logo (names of Teachers) Presented by: (names of Teachers) (Dates of training) (Location)

What you can expect to learn How to find the right group leader How to “paint the picture” and get the group leader excited How to increase your number of renewals How to increase your number of referrals Who to meet with face to face

Group Sales Targets Groups Sales Staff Churches Schools Youth Sports Misc. other groups Outside Sales Staff 1. Businesses

Pursuit of the Right Group Leader Steps to Selling a New Group: Find the right group leader Gather information Get the Leader excited 4. Marketing the Group 5. Make a Recommendation

Finding the Group Leader - Churches Congregation-wide fellowship event New Member Recruitment Home Group – Larger churches Choir – Children’s, Youth, Adult School Program Seniors Group Married/Couples Ministry Singles Group College Group

Finding the Group Leader - Churches Youth Group Vacation Bible School MOPS – (Mothers of Preschoolers) Mother’s Day Out program Knights of Columbus – Catholic Deacon’s Group Sports programs Volunteer Ministry Faculty/Staff Outing

Finding the Right Group Leader - Schools Potential Groups Entire District PTA/PTO Individual schools/classes Teachers & Faculty Student Clubs Student Council National Honor Society DECA/BPA Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) ROTC/JROTC Band Sports Teams Dad’s Club / Mother & Son group

Schools Reasons for an Event Community Night Family Night Field Trip – Night or day game Fundraiser (PTA, Athletics, etc.) Teacher Appreciation Student Incentives Perfect Attendance Character Awards Honor Roll On-Field Performance Choir - sing the National Anthem Dance & Cheer Teams ROTC & JROTC – Present Colors

Youth Sports & Camps Potential Groups League-Wide Event Individual Teams Any Youth Sport Local Tournaments Cheer/Dance/Gymnastics Squads Summer Day Camps School Day Cares Church Leagues

Youth Sports & Camps Why they do events? Fundraiser Team Banquet / Recognition On Field Performance End of season celebration Volunteer Appreciation ‘Something to do’ – In town for other event Field trip opportunity – Camps Others??

Cold Call Script SALESPERSON: “Hi, I’m the Group Accounts Manager for the Big City Kangaroos, my name is (your name). The reason I’m calling is I’m looking for the person who would plan group outings at your school.” SOMEBODY: “How do you mean?” SALESPERSON: “Well, who organizes group outings for your school or the PTA or the band or a sports team? It could just be a group activity or maybe a fundraiser. Who would handle those activities?” (if the person on the phone has no idea, ask for the biggest sports fan.)

Cold Call Script SALESPERSON: (WE’LL ASSUME YOU’VE BEEN CONNECTED TO THE YOUTH COORDINATOR) SALESPERSON: “Hello, I was connected to you as the person who coordinates group outings for ____. I’m the Group Accounts Manager for the Kangaroos. My name is (your name). I wanted to spend just a few minutes to learn more about the type of outings you do.” Q1. “Have you ever been to a Kangaroos game?” (THIS GIVES YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW FAMILIAR THEY ARE WITH THE TEAM. IF THEY’VE NEVER BEEN TO A GAME, GIVE THEM SOME HIGHLIGHTS)

Cold Call Script SALESPERSON: I’d like to ask you a few questions to better understand what type of group outings your organization usually does and see if there is something that might be exciting for your group to come to a Kangaroos game. Q2. Can you give me an idea of what type of events you have done in the past and what criteria is most important to you? (BE PREPARED TO OFFER SOME SUGGESTIONS)

Background Questions Q3. Tell me a little about that experience. What did you like and dislike about those experiences? What would you do to make the experience better? Q4. How many people attended? Did you include spouses and families? Would you consider that a good turnout? How many total members do you have? (THE PURPOSE IS TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROS AND CONS OF THEIR PAST OUTINGS AND THE SIZE. FILE THIS INFORMATION AWAY FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION)

Additional Questions Q5. What are the goals you like to accomplish with your outings? Q6. What time of year does your group prefer to do outings? Do you prefer weekdays or weekends? Do you want to focus on a big-time opponent or is cost the deciding factor? Our season runs from October to April. If you were going to do an outing with the Kangaroos, what time frame would fit best with your group?

Payment and Promotion Questions Q7. When you do an outing, who usually pays for it? Do the members pay, does the organization pay or is the tab split? Q8. Is there a price range you would like to stay within to fit members’ budgets? Do you typically include the cost of food with the outing? Q9. When you do an outing, how do you promote it? Do you use email, flyers, newsletters? How would we get the word out and information in the hands of every single member of your organization?

Decision Making Questions Q10. How are decisions made for outings? Do you decide? Is there a committee? Do you have to present to anyone? How long does the decision making process take? (IF THERE ARE OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE DECISION, OFFER TO COME TO THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING AND PRESENT THE TEAM’S OPTIONS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS)

Asking for the Deposit - no schedule IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SCHEDULE YET, AND ARE PRIMARILY BUILDING A DATABASE, YOU CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS: Take a deposit – This works if the leader is really excited about the outing. SALESPERSON: “It’s been great talking to you and I appreciate your time. Our schedule comes out in about ___ month(s). But, you may want to do what other groups are doing. For a small deposit of ___ dollars, you can get on our Group Priority List, where your group would get first crack at our best games when the schedule comes out and before our group mailing. Would you be interested in doing that? Once we get the schedule, I’ll give you a call and we can work out something that is perfect for your group.

No Schedule, no deposit – Call back If the prospect doesn’t want to put down a deposit before knowing the schedule, that’s okay, you now have tremendous information to call them back as soon as the schedule is released. SALESPERSON No problem. Now that I know what you are looking for, I will mark down to call you as soon as the schedule comes out on ____. As a recap, I will send you an email summarizing our conversation that will also have my contact information.

Making the Recommendation You now have the information you need to make a recommendation. Your recommendation should have three key criteria: Pick a game date on the right day of the week and during the right time of year. Recommend ticket prices and amenities that fit with their goals. Let them know how you can help them promote the outing. Once they say yes, don’t forget to ask for referrals.

Making the Recommendation SALESPERSON: Based on what you’ve told me, I have a terrific idea for you. Here’s what we could do for you. You’re interested in bringing out the youth band in November. I would recommend our first Saturday night game in November. We play the Los Angeles Clippers. They’ve got two huge stars the kids will love in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. In fact, Griffin won the NBA’s Dunk Contest a couple years ago. Kids love him. We can arrange some good seats for the kids for $17/ticket. If you’d like, we can include a hotdog and soda coupon they can redeem at the concession stand for an additional $5. This way, the kids see a terrific opponent on a Saturday night, and if you’d like, can also get food and drink included. All for a terrific price. The kids will have a great time hanging out together. With 100 kids in your youth band, we can reserve seats for each of them with just a $100 deposit. Q11. Does this sound like an outing your group would enjoy?

Asking for the Order SALESPERSON: Terrific. I’m glad you think this will be fun. All we need to do to place your order and hold seats is put down a deposit of $100 (or 10% if it’s a larger order). I usually recommend being a bit conservative on the number of tickets so we don’t hold too many. The final payment is due (team policy) before the event. What credit card would you like to use for the deposit? OR (If others are involved in the decision) SALESPERSON: I understand that you have to check with a few people. Let me do this. I’ll send you an email with a summary of all the details of what we discussed. I can’t hold any seats until we receive a deposit. I can also include a few sample flyers we’ve made for other organizations so you can see what we can do. Would it be helpful if I joined you in presenting the options? This way, you don’t have to answer all the questions. I can make your life easier. When do you think you’ll talk to the other decision makers? Let’s schedule a time to talk via phone right after that meeting.

Handling Objections Pause – Don’t jump down the prospect’s throat in your haste to answer their objection. “How Do You Mean?” – Further explanation. Feel, Felt, Found

“It costs too much” PROSPECT: We don’t have enough money in the budget for another group outing.   SALESPERSON: “I can understand that, but I had a couple of other clients that had the same situation, and they found a different solution. They had their organization members paying a large part of the ticket price. I can help by providing marketing materials to you to get the word out. Our lowest price seats are $XX. Would your members be willing to pay that amount for a night out?

“Too Far” PROSPECT: Your arena is too far away. I’m not sure our members will drive that far.   SALESPERSON: “How do you mean?” PROSPECT: (Clarifies the objection) SALESPERSON: I can understand that. Keep in mind we’re not talking about coming on a weekday when people have to work the next day or traffic is rugged. We can focus on a Saturday evening game and include food in the package so they don’t have to worry about stopping for dinner on the way. How far have you traveled for other group outings in the past?

Group Renewal Steps Phone call – Three weeks before the selling season starts. ‘Early bird’ personal letter. Letter from the salesperson to renewing groups two weeks before the official group renewal offer. Phone call follow up – Gentle reminder about the early bird letter. Preferred Buyer Mailing – This is the full scale mailing to past group buyers. Mailing follow up – Call a day or two after the Preferred buyer mailing to secure a deposit for next season.

Renewal Group Call Script The purpose of each renewal call is to: Thank the customer for their group outing last season Verify the group leader and info Get any feedback from last season Promote their preferred buyer status Build a sense of urgency Collect referrals SALES MANAGER NOTES The sales staff needs to understand the importance of renewals in groups. It’s much easier to get existing groups to renew then it is to find new groups. Renewal calls have to be timed in conjunction with mailings and emails to maximize success.

Renewal Call Introduction “Hello, I’m the Group Account Manager with the Big City Kangaroos, this is (your name). It’s great to talk to you again. I wanted to say thank you again for bringing a group out to the arena last year and let you know we’ve begun taking deposits for next season. Q1. How did you and your group enjoy the game last year?” POSITIVE RESPONSE “Terrific! That is what we like to hear. What did people like most about the outing?” (LISTEN FOR FEEDBACK THAT CAN HELP YOU IN THE RECOMMENDATION PHASE)

Renewal Call Introduction NEGATIVE RESPONSE “I’m sorry to hear that. What was it that didn’t go as well as you wanted? OR How can we make it better for this coming season? (LISTEN FOR FEEDBACK. THIS FEEDBACK WILL HELP YOU IN THE RECOMMENDATION PHASE)

Renewal Information “Well, I appreciate the feedback. I think we can make this coming season even better for you. (IF THEY HAVE MAJOR ISSUES, ADDRESS THEM ON THE SPOT) “By now, you should have received our information on next year’s group outings for the Kangaroos. Because you are a preferred buyer, I wanted to make sure we got you taken care of for next year before group tickets went on sale to our wait list.” “Before we get into details, let me make sure our information is updated.” Q2. “Will you be the group coordinator for this event next season?” (IF YES, CONFIRM ADDRESS, PHONE AND EMAIL ADDRESS IS STILL THE SAME)

Renewal Information (IF THEY WILL NOT BE THE GROUP LEADER THE NEXT YEAR. FIND OUT THE NAME AND CONTACT OF WHO WILL BE) “Would you be willing to make an introduction for me to the new leader? You could do it via phone or send them an email and copy me on it.” (IF THEY WILL BE THE GROUP LEADER AGAIN) Q3. “Is there anything else you would like to do differently for this year’s outing that would make it better?” (ASK THIS IF YOU DIDN’T GET FEEDBACK ON THE OPENING QUESTION. IF YOU DID GET GOOD FEEDBACK, IGNORE THIS QUESTION)

Confirming the Outing Q4. Last year, your event was on (day of week and date) against (opponent). Do you want a big-time opponent again on a weekend/(weekday) or would you prefer something else? Q5. Last year, you had ___ people come to the game and sat in the ______ (insert seating area here). Was that the right number of people for you? Is there an opportunity for more people to participate this coming year?

Six Keys to Making the Sale Your recommendation must include (assuming you don’t have a schedule yet): Estimated # of tickets/seating area Preferred day of the week Desired month during the season Seat location preference/price point Desired Fan Experience, if any Preferred opponent (if specified)

Recommendation “This is terrific. Because you are a preferred buyer from this past season, I can reserve your spot before we put group tickets on sale to our waiting list. I want to make sure you get what you want. Based on what you’ve told me, here’s what I recommend.” (MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON TIMEFRAME, SEATING AREA, # OF TIX) As soon as we have our schedule, I will call you and we’ll finalize the details so you can get exactly what you want. All we’ll need to do to reserve your spot is get a small deposit of $100. Q6. Do you want to use the credit card we have on file for the deposit?

Building Urgency PROSPECT “I have to talk to our committee/group/members etc.” SALESPERSON “No problem, I understand. I will send you a follow-up email summarizing everything we just talked about. Q7. When do you think you’ll talk to the others?

Action Steps I understand the process. Keep in mind that you have preferred buyer status because you came out last year. You’ll want to make sure to take advantage of that to get the best seats to the game you want. Also, final payment isn’t due for a while. Is there anything I can do to help you speed up the decision-making process so you don’t fall behind any new buyers? “Terrific. You’ll get that email from me in a little while and I will follow up with you on (agreed upon date and time)”

Touch Plan - Step 1 If they have purchased, send a thank you/confirmation email at the end of the day (excel invoice/receipt) - This must include: Number of tickets/hospitality area they reserved Where the tickets/hospitality will be located What is included with their ticket/hospitality area, including menu The amount due The due date All your contact info Any materials they need to promote the event Thank the customer for their order

Touch Plan – Step 2 Between when they reserve and their payment due date, there needs to be contact with the customer every 2-3 weeks Use CRM to set reminders when you make the sale You can send an email with a highlight from early in the season You can call the customer to see how their marketing/order taking process is going and offer any assistance (this is also a good time to add to the number of tickets they have reserved) You can send a personal note just saying you wanted to check in

Touch Plan – Step 3 These Steps Below Done by the Ticket Office Mail payment invoice for those not set up on auto-pay This will be sent two weeks prior to their payment deadline Mail tickets Only send the tickets when they are paid in full Include hat or food vouchers, maps, details, business card, how to reach you on game day, etc.

Touch Plan – Step 4 Day of the game Greet the group at their seats Make sure everything is going well Give them a business card with your cell number in case they have any needs during the game Use the seat visit as an opportunity to get referrals from others in attendance with the group

Touch Plan – Step 5 Day after the game Send your customer a hand written, personalized thank you note. Email any pictures you might have of the group. Group Survey – Goal is to send out a group survey the next day.

Touch Plan – Step 6 Two weeks after the game Call the customer about returning to another game Recommend another game or group product that might work for them Get referrals!  Contact them every 2 months to continue to build the relationship and get more referrals

Referrals Specific Other groups like theirs Work place Family members Neighbors Introduction Email Phone Communication Staying informed

Asking for Referrals “By the way, a lot of my business comes from referrals. Can you help me connect with three or four other departments/organizations like yours that you think would enjoy some of our outings?” “Do you plan events or participate with other groups like youth sports, church groups, office happy hours, etc?” (MAKE SUGGESTIONS AND CONTINUE TO HELP THEM THINK UNTIL THEY GIVE YOU TWO OR THREE NAMES AND NUMBERS)

Face to Face Meetings Who to meet with: Larger groups Groups with potential to lead to larger groups Referral Opportunities Prestige Meetings

Preparation for Each Day Setting up your daily schedule: Plan 70 calls that you are going to make tomorrow, at the end of the day today. Things to think about before planning your calls: Type of Group Who is the decision maker? What time is the best to reach the DM?

How To Dedicate Your Time Schedule your day…. Set up your day in blocks of time (Make it a routine) - Cold Calls Renewal Calls Lead Research Group Types Example: 8:00 – 8:30 School Principals 8:30 – 11:30 Churches 1:00 – 4:00 Youth Sports 4:00 – 5:20 PTA Parents 5:20 Set up and prepare tomorrow

How To Dedicate Your Time When making phone calls: Turn off email notifications to avoid distraction Do not allow outside factors to throw off your concentration Use CRM to stay on track Concentrate on one group type at a time so you are prepared to answer questions and overcome objections