"Should I work in ticket sales?"

This is a question I get asked often and it’s one that is very hard to answer. The answer always depends on the person asking the question.  

Like any career decision, there are pros and cons to consider before deciding if a career in ticket sales is right for you.

This exercise will provide you insight into the industry, both positive and negative, and help you decide for yourself if this career path feels right for you.

Let’s Start with the Positive Aspects of Ticket Sales

1: More opportunities for entry-level positions.  Typically, there are more openings in ticket sales than any other department in the sports industry making it easier to get your foot in the door.

Since the Ticket Sales Department is the leading revenue-generating department in team sports, there will always be a focus on building large, competent staff to maximize that revenue potential.

2: Higher or unlimited income potential.  For the most part, you will find that the level of effort you put into your job will directly impact the amount of money you can earn. Most positions will offer a small salary with an opportunity for unlimited commissions.

3: Workday flexibility.  Anyone with good time management skills can effectively choose how to spend their workday. Workdays can be broken down into making calls on the phone, prospecting for new business on your computer or meetings outside the office spent engaging new or existing clients.  

As long as you are meeting goals and expectations for your role within the department, you will have the freedom to schedule your time appropriately.

4: Customer interaction.  If you like meeting new people, developing relationships with complete strangers or talking to people about something you are passionate about, this could be a great career for you.  

Engaging with existing customers and prospects over the phone, email, text or in face-to-face meetings is an everyday occurrence.  

If you enjoy that type of interaction and are able to quickly build rapport and establish trust with people, you could be really successful in this industry.

5: Community Pride.  Most sports teams on any level are a source of community pride for the cities and towns where they play.  Being part of that and having an opportunity to impact someone’s game day experience in a positive way can be very fulfilling.

There are Some Challenges to Consider Too

1: What have you done for me lately? High- or unlimited-income potential comes with a high level of accountability, pressure, and stress at times. 

Sales reps have sales and revenue goals to meet each season. Those goals impact the overall revenue goals of the department so even if one or two people are not meeting expectations, it can have a negative impact on the department as a whole. 

You are only as good as your last sale and there is constant pressure to make the next one.

2: Irregular income.  Everyone experiences ebbs and flows in their sales cycle. Sometimes it’s because of the time of year and the inventory you’re selling. Sometimes it’s because you’ve had a great month of sales followed by a less than terrific month of sales. 

Regardless, most of your income will be tied to commissions and bonuses so your monthly income might fluctuate considerably based on certain variables.

3: Inconsistent or longer work hours.  When you work in sports, selling tickets is only part of the job description. You will also be at the games, matches or events you are responsible for selling. 

Working a sporting event is different than attending the event as a fan. 

While you get access to every game, you are there as an employee and will likely have game day responsibilities that might include things like working a season ticket sales table, visiting clients in their seats or entertaining clients during games. 

Some weeks are longer than others and it can greatly impact your family time, especially for people who have children. It is critical that you establish a really good work-life balance or one or the other could suffer because of the demands.

4: No passion = no success. All of the best salespeople I have ever worked with had a great passion for sales and/or the product they were selling. 

If you aren’t excited about the product you are selling, your prospects and clients aren’t going to be excited about it either.  If you don’t truly enjoy the grind of sales, the thrill of the chase or the adrenalin rush that comes with making a sale, you likely won’t find this to be a long-term career for you.

So Are You a Match for a Career in Ticket Sales?

There are certainly a lot of other things to consider but this initial list should get you thinking about a career in ticket sales and whether it is a good match for you.

I want to leave you with a little advice.  

There are thousands of people waiting for an opportunity to begin a career in ticket sales. If you get the opportunity, don’t blow it! 

Be the hardest working person on the sales floor. Put in the time, ask a lot of questions, take advantage of any sales training being offered, find a mentor to help you along the way and be a leader on your team.  

If you do those things, you will find this to be a very rewarding career for years to come.

Greg Hylton is the Indianapolis Colts VP of Premium Seating and a Mentor for our Sports Sales and Marketing online course