I have consulted and written about ticket sales for the past 20-plus years. I am excited about opportunities with AI and the increasing applications derived from creative and insightful business intelligence learnings. However, I would always tell you that the area that bears the most fruit and opportunity to improve revenue is understanding the human interaction in the ticket sales process. I firmly believe in the concepts presented here, and if we have had a conversation about ticket sales, you have heard me passionately espouse my belief in these concepts.

The experience factor — or rather, the lack of experience factor

I love inside sales programs — they’re a cost-efficient way to develop new sales talent. But if you take a hard look at the process, there is a hole. The programs usually start prior to the opening of the season. Thus we have a sales team that, for the most part, has not attended a game for the team it represents and in the building where the seats are being sold. If the prospect has never attended a game, you have someone describing an opportunity he or she has never experienced. While the sale might be completed, the level of satisfaction with the purchase is a big variable.

Depending on inventory, offer several seating locations during the first three games of the ticket plan being sold, and the buyer can make a permanent selection for a seat location during or........

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