Understanding Sales Methods and Strategies

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Understanding Sales Methods and Strategies

• Georgia CTAE Resource Network
• Written by Krystin Glover and Caleb Allred

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Sales

• The process of determining customer needs and
  wants through planned personalized communication
  intended to influence purchase decisions and
  ensure satisfaction.

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Examples of Sales Activities in Sports and
Entertainment

• Selling group tickets to a play
• Negotiating an event contract with a facility or
  venue
• Soliciting donations from alumni to fund
  scholarship opportunities
• Selling and event sponsorship package

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Sales Methods

• Feature-benefit selling
• Full menu marketing
• E-Commerce
• Direct Mail

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Feature-Benefit Selling

• Product features are the basic, physical, and
  extended characteristics of an item
• Sports teams selling club seating
• Customer benefits are the advantages or personal
  satisfaction he/she will get from a good or
  service
• Comfort, convenience, and space are benefits of
  club seating

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Feature-Benefit Selling continued

• Selling process involves matching specific
  product attributes to a customers needs and
  wants
• Companies may purchase club seats to entertain
  clients

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Full Menu Marketing

• The selling of a variety of products or services
  that meet virtually any customer needs and/or
  wants
• Sales professional for a minor league sports team
  meets with a company to offer sponsorship with
  benefits
• Season tickets, group tickets, VIP tickets, free
  parking, etc.

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E-Commerce

• The buying and selling of goods and services on
  the internet
• Disney fans may go online and purchase DVDs,
  toys, trinkets, etc.

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Direct Mail

• Conducted exclusively by mail
• Usually sent to large numbers of prospective
  customers soliciting orders
• In order to be effective, approach must be
• Targeted
• Personal
• Measurable
• Testable
• Flexible

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Direct Mail continued

• Examples of direct mail sales
• Ticket brochures
• Pocket schedules and team posters
• Solicitation (sales) letters
• Many others

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Effectiveness demonstrated

• Under the guidance of sports marketing guru Jon
  Spoelestra, the New Jersey Nets basketball team
  sent rubber chickens wearing tank tops featuring
  a message to season ticket holders who had not
  renewed for the upcoming season. The tank top
  read Youre about to fowl out! However, you can
  avoid the bench and keep on playing. Just read
  the attached. Included in the package was a
  renewal letter. The result was a 93 renewal
  rate, up from an average of 80 in the years
  before.