employees. Teams that provide this service to their corporate premium clients will likely see a stronger partnership between the team and client that could result in greater client retention. The other responsibility noticeably lacking completely from the list is database management. Maybe this responsibility is inherent to the job and just not explicit in the posting, but as Bill Dorsey, Chairman of the ALSD, recently commented, “If I were teaching kids about sports and premium seating, it would be all about customer relationship management and database management.� Job Responsibilities Listed for Premium Seat Sales Positions Job Responsibility
n
Percent of Listings
Develop relationships with clients Work game-day events Make outbound sales calls Make sales presentations Renewals Develop sales plans Manage suite inventory Generate sales reports Attend networking events Customer relationship management Conduct research Obtain referrals Utilize consultative sales techniques Sales force management Fulfillment Upsell Give facility tours Evaluation (return on objectives) Interact with suite administrator
73 64 63 62 50 49 47 47 45 42 29 28 27 23 20 11 7 5 3
61.9% 54.2% 53.4% 52.5% 42.4% 41.5% 39.8% 39.8% 38.1% 35.6% 24.5% 23.7% 22.9% 19.5% 16.9% 9.3% 5.9% 4.2% 2.5%
Transferrable Skills Ten transferrable skills were also examined, of which four were identified in at least half of the postings: communication skills, computer skills, willingness to work long hours, and organizational skills. The vast majority of the postings listed communication skills as part of the job expectation. Often cited as a skill lacking in the Millennial generation of employees, the development of effective communication skills is imperative for anyone in premium sales. The only difference between entry and non-entry-level job postings for transferrable skills was bilingualism. All 11 positions listing bilingualism were for entry-level jobs. Most of these skills can be obtained by candidates coming from other areas in the sport industry or even outside of sports. Types of Transferrable Skills Sought for Premium Seat Sales Positions Transferrable Skill
n
Percent of Listings
Communication skills Computer skills Willingness to work long hours Organizational skills Strong work ethic Positive attitude Team player Creativity Bilingual Personable
99 75 65 61 52 42 40 37 11 8
83.9% 63.6% 55.1% 51.7% 44.1% 35.6% 33.9% 31.4% 9.3% 6.8%
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