chris kosmala of comcast-spectacor on the dsmsports podcast recap

Snippets from Episode 8 of the Digital Snippets from Episode 8 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcastand Social Media Sports Podcast

Episode 8 featured Manager of CRM & Technology for Comcast-Spectacor, Chris Kosmala.

Kosmala discussed what a CRM is, how it can be used to benefit sales & service in sports, and more.

What follows is a collection of snippets from the podcast. For the full episode, visit DSMSports.net

@njh287 DSMSports.net


Chris's career path - UC Irvine undergrad, majored in Psychology [business mgmt minor] --> Got involved in athletic department at UCI & helped in sports marketing

--> Got recommended to go to grad school at Ohio U to get his MBA and MSA while also working there; While at OhioU, did an internship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

--> Went to LSU Sports Properties as an account executive working mostly in corporate sponsorship and also networked/helped with the New Orleans Saints on data collection initiatives and season ticket sales

--> Went from LSU/Saints to Comcast-Spectacor working for Comcast-Spectacor and Fan1 Marketing working on CRM, email marketing, and more



"In the last five years, the [CRM/Database Marketing] industry has changed so much, but in a lot of ways it hasn't...There was a time when teams didn't collect any data...

You can see a broad spectrum where people fall...some organizations do a great job of database marketing and collecting data points; others aren't [doing anything] and aren't looking to increase their head count [of season ticket holders, for example]."



CRM= customer relationship management

It's basically your database of anyone who is a customer, was a customer, or people and businesses you hope will become customers. Within that database, you can organize [all your customer profiles and purchase histories].



"20-25 years ago, you were probably lucky if you knew the name of fans that bought single game tickets two years ago; [people] weren't concerned about non-season ticket holders. Recently...now teams are offering [multi-game plans] and the industry has evolved to gain more traction in CRM and database marketing..."



“[You need to be] a truly smart organization and as efficient as you can be...we're telling [our sales reps] which 60-80 calls today will have the highest conversion rate."



Not everyone who walks in the door can go from single game buyer to multi-game buyer to full season on the glass row...Not all customers are created equal.

Sales reps must know the more information they put in; the more they know [and use it] the better it is for [the relationship].



"We get 120 data points for every ticket purchaser...We take the five most important to us and train our sales reps on exactly what they mean."



We answer two questions: Are they interested in [this team's] tickets? Second, do they have the resources available to purchase these tickets [or ticket plan]?

Their lead scoring source: Turnkey Sports and Entertainment [can provide data service, predictive modeling, lead scoring, and more]



This episode's Helpful Tool: Tagboard [see tagboard.com]:

Tagboard is a social search and display tool — powered by the hashtag. It curates posts [that use the selected hash tag] in an organized, user-friendly manner. It takes posts from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Vine, Google Plus, and App.net

It is a freemium tool and, with paid options, offers access to data regarding hash tag use on the various social platforms.Great tool to try to monitor a busy hash tag, display fan hash tags anywhere, and use as an online hub for both live/temporary hash tags and standing brand/team hash tags.



We implement CRM in such a way to make sure we're maximizing our sales reps' efforts...They know each day exactly what calls they need to make [qualified leads, based on data and activity].



The phone is still definitely the way most of the revenue is driven...you need to be utilizing a lot of different [other] tactics, too, but we find over and over that the phone is still the primary revenue generator.

[cites example of failures in digital; i.e. profiling not being smart enough to adapt]



Data collection efforts expanding with clients into more revenue areas: personalized concessions offerings, face-to-face meetings on game days with reps, loyalty programs, season ticket holder cards tracking purchase history across the board [merchandise, concessions, tickets]

- Try to get as much information and talking points to have relevant conversations and to help fans

** Cites great example of rep emailing family with gluten-free children about new gluten free concessions offerings**



A lot of people don't understand the value and benefits of CRM usage...we have examples with clients, with conversion/close rates, facts & figures that show that when you're smart about what you're offering and selling to the right person, it works...

Some holdouts [not utilizing database marketing] remain, but they are becoming fewer. There is the growing knowledge that, if done correctly, it does work.



We never promise you'll make 'x' more dollars or sell 'x' more tickets, but, if we give you a walk-through of what we do, how we help sales reps and managers [operate] more efficiently [and make more sales]...that is usually where we get buy-in.

We're here to make the sales manager [and staff] more accountable in how they spend their day.



The best sponsorships leverage fan data to enhance the fan experience [on game days and beyond].



This episode's Shareable Stat:

A properly crafted blog/post/story headline can increase traffic up to 500%



Future of CRM thoughts from Chris:

A lot of agencies are helping to implement, administer, and consult; some are trying to take it in-house, but it generally costs less and [there is] more guidance for organizations to work with a company like Comcast-Spectacor.



Best sports biz tip Chris has to share:

The power of networking; volunteer with teams or at events, be active on social media with other sports biz professionals, you're always building your brand



CRM can benefit ALL teams and sports; whether it's a bump over a [sales or attendance or fan base] plateau or a big increase in ticket sales.

cites NBA as example giving all teams data-based insights to inform best practices



Team's most valuable fans and how they are identified through data:

Depends on definition of value - wealthy season ticket holder with glass seats in year 2 vs. elderly couple with decades-old nosebleed season ticket holders vs. game-attendee who constantly spreads teams gospel in the community.

It's a tough question if you don't know how to frame it. A lot of teams get caught up trying to quantify their fans too much."



Louisiana BBQ, Philly Cheesesteak, or In-N-Out Burger? -

All are great, but soft spot for In-N-Out; southern BBQ is a close second



Philly team most likely to next win a major pro sports championship [college or pro]:

Phillies or Flyers



Social Media All-Star to Follow:

@TheMigalaReport, http://migalareport.com/

“Dan Migala is one of the most brilliant sports business minds I've ever had the privilege of meeting."


http://migalareport.com/


Where to find Chris and Comcast-Spectacor on social media:

@ChrisKosmala on Twitter and Linkedin.com/ChrisKosmala on LinkedIn

Comcast-Spectacor: http://comcast-spectacor.com/



Thanks so much to Chris Kosmala for sharing his time and knowledge on the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast!

Listen to the podcast and get more info and content at DSMSports.net (And subscribe in iTunes). You can also follow me on Twitter @njh287


chris kosmala of comcast-spectacor on the dsmsports podcast recap

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collection of snippets