Spurs Sales Team Train Sports Sales Students

A Spurs Sports & Entertainment sales team met with students January 29-30 at the Aloft Hotel as part of the Sport Sales class in the Sport Management program. The sales team not only gave students an in-depth sales training, but also gave them insight into the entire Spurs brand.

“This program was designed to provide hands-on sales experience to sport management students at Texas A&M, said assistant professor Dr. Natasha Brison. “The sport industry is about who you know and who knows you, and this project provided our students with access to one of the best sport franchises in the country.”

The Spurs Sports & Entertainment sales team, led by Inside Sales Manager Anthony Horton and Sr. Account Executive of Group Sales Nancy Gonzalez, conducted a series of breakout sessions in sales development. They focused on different areas of sales performance including: interview skills, live coaching, product knowledge, role-play, and sales pitching.

“They had a positive overall experience and walked away from the workshop ready to sell,” said Dr. Brison. “Selling is a part of life so each class allows the students to develop skills in public speaking, business etiquette, time management, and customer service.”

During the course of the weekend, students learned different tactics on how to sell ticket packages by branching out to create partnerships with potential customers. This included a full understanding of the Spurs brand.

“It is really important to treat everyone like family,” said Horton. “We strive to provide the highest quality sports and entertainment experience.”

Following a discussion on brand loyalty, students were briefed on all of the Spurs Sports & Entertainment affiliates including: The San Antonio Rampage (AHL), The San Antonio Stars (WNBA) and The Austin Toros (D-League Basketball).

“In this kind of job, you want to be able to offer something for everyone,” said Horton. “Once that trust has been made, you can establish so much more.”

The sales team also highlighted the importance of community involvement within the sales process by showing how to serve consumers in additional ways. The Silver and Black Give Back is a public charity owned by The Spurs that supports youth in the San Antonio community.

“This is a real-world project with real-world implications,” said Dr. Brison. “As long as there are sport organizations, there will be a need for smart, creative and proficient sales professionals.”