The keys to a great sports sales culture

Much of my background in sports business is in sales. I’ve only been with one team, but I’ve seen very different sales cultures and sales leaders in my time, both internally and externally. No person in our business will ever dispute that they want to create or be a part of a great “sales culture”. But what exactly does that mean? How is it defined, and how do we do it?

I realize what’s great to one may not be to another and the very definition of a great is subjective. However, in my 8+ years in the industry and learning from and talking to people about creating great sales culture, I’m going to take a shot at defining a great sports sales culture, and the keys to doing it. If you disagree, just let me know, I’d love to hear your feedback!

1. Results - Having a great culture is more than just the numbers you generate, however, to be perceived as a great culture I believe you need to produce at an elite level. In sports, this could vary depending on your inventory situation, your market and pricing, and your supply and demand dynamic. But trying to identify the standard for success for your team and having a track record of accomplishing all goals is a big plus.

2. Consistency - Proving you can accomplish your goals regardless of team performance and your market dynamics is saying something. Big free agent signings, moving into a new building, winning a title are all drivers of results, but they aren’t in our control. If you can show how you’ve managed to produce results in different campaigns its another way to show your success isn’t just a one time thing.

3. Process - The best cultures are about the system, not just the people. They are widely recognized as top performing sales teams regardless of who the players are. When someone leaves it’s “next one up”. It’s about creating a process that can be taught, trained, enhanced and executed each year. The variables may be different each year, but if you have a process that everyone buys into and believes in, you can do special things regardless of the external factors, and it’s sustainable over time.

4. People - It’s hard to do great things without great people. Winning sports sales cultures invest the time and energy in recruiting that enables them find the right people to fit the system. They spend the appropriate time onboarding and training and make sure the new hires know it’s about the system and the process, not just individual success. It’s not just the number, it’s the way we get to the number.

5. Career growth & development - If you recruit great people, invest in them and appreciate them. Winning sales cultures put their people before all else, even the numbers. They prioritize their people over reporting and administrative duties. They pass the recognition on to their team. They provide the resources and the tools needed for each team member to succeed. When they succeed they create opportunities for growth and encourage their team members to take on additional projects. The people know if they succeed, they’ll be taken care of, they trust in the system and believe in the process.

6. Legacy - If you’re operating a great sales culture, others will notice and recruit your people. It’s actually a great compliment. If your team members take on new jobs with new teams and grow their careers and achieve success, much of that can point back to the system they grew up in, and the people they learned from. A true sign of a great culture is not just that you hit your numbers consistently and have a process but you can point directly to the people you’ve developed that have gone on to bigger and better things.

7. Creativity, fun and accountability - To me, having a great culture also means having a sales team that people want to work for. I think teams can do that by creating an environment of excitement, fun and creativity. Coach your people to their numbers and hold them accountable but empower them to find new ways, encourage them to work on projects they’re passionate about, let them provide feedback and ways to improve the team and listen and be open to their suggestions. Make the work environment fun and unpredictable and they’ll reciprocate with hard work, engagement and results.

8. Tell your story - It’s hard to be perceived as a great culture if no one knows what you’re doing. Aim to do more than just hit your goals, try and be innovative. Become a student of the business, research, talk to people, find the next “new thing” and when you succeed then tell your story. Be out in front and let people know some of the things you’re doing and then share the knowledge with them. If you share your story with others and aim to help them you’ll be perceived as a leader in the industry and a culture that wants to be great.

9. Be approachable - I believe in a culture of openness, communication and trust, and think that’s the best way to create organic buy in from your team. Be out with your team, listen to their feedback, make them feel appreciated and respected. I feel the best sales cultural leaders are the ones saying let’s do this together, not you need to do it this way. Maintain that open door and mutual respect and your people will appreciate it.

I’m a firm believer that great culture comes down to people, process, results and your legacy. Hopefully by narrowing your focus to these areas, you too can create a winning sports sales culture!

-BH