Ron Goch
The Telios Group
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Cubs or World Champion White Sox?

August 30th 2006

Q. Since you’re a Chicago native, I have to ask – Cubs or White Sox?

A. I was born on the north side and that’s where my loyalties remain. I’m one of those die-hard Cub fans, which I guess also makes me an internal optimist!

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Use of PDAs

August 28th 2006

Q. More and more people are carrying hand-held computer/phone devices and I was curious to know if you use one, and if you recommend one over another?
 
A. I’ve used a Blackberry since 2003 and it’ been a terrific investment.  Since I don’t have a great deal of experience with too many other PDAs, I’m not in a position to provide thoughts or feedback on the various PDAs available today.  I recommend you check out Consumer Reports and determine what’s best for you.
 
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Sharing Half-time Entertainment Expenses

August 18th 2006

Q. What are your thoughts on collaborating half-time entertainment expenses with other college athletic departments and/or professional sports teams?

A. I like the idea and have done this on a number of occasions. It’s a great way to negotiate a packaged price with the half-time performers (note: not all will provide a discount), and share expenses or trade agreements on airline tickets, overnight accommodations, meals and ground transportation.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Advertising on Hotel Keys

August 17th 2006

Q. I’ve received promotional material for advertising on hotel keys. Do you feel this is good advertising for a sports team?

A. I’ve received my share of hotel keys with advertisements on them. Very few have included sports team advertisements. The Colonial Athletic Association has done a nice job of including this advertising inventory in its partnership agreement with the Richmond Marriott, which is the host hotel for the annual CAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. It’s a great way to advertise the tournament to its guest, and compliments the hotel window and floor decals, and other hotel assets that promote the basketball tournament.

Unless you have a trade agreement with a hotel, I wouldn’t recommend investing money in the hotel room key advertising. It does tie in well with hotels that are the host hotel for sports tournaments and similar events, but not the best use of advertising dollars if your objective is to sell tickets to regular-season sporting events. There are other ways you could tap into hotels as a way to advertise your home schedule and opportunities to purchase tickets.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Inspirational Story for the Day

August 16th 2006

Q. I’m looking for something inspiring and hoping you could send an inspiring quote or thought for today.  What is one of the most inspiring short stories or quotes you’ve read that could share?
 

A. Here’s a short story a friend sent to me by email that I really enjoyed and I hope you do as well:
 

Never Underestimate the Power of Your Actions
 

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.  His name was Kyle.  It looked like he was carrying all of his books.  I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd.”
 

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
 

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.  They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.  His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about 10 feet from him.  He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.  My heart went out to him.  So I jogged over to him, and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
 

As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks.  They really should get lives.”  He looked at me and said, “Hey thanks!”  There was a big smile on his face.  It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
 

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.  As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.  He said he had gone to private school before now.
 

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.  We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.  He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.  I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.  He said yes.
 

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
 

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.  I stopped him and said, “Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!”  He just laughed and handed me half the books.
 

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.  When we were seniors, we began to think about college.  Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke.  I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.  He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
 

Kyle was valedictorian of our class.  I teased him all the time about being a nerd.  He had to prepare a speech for graduation.  I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak on Graduation day.
 

I saw Kyle.   He looked great.  He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.  He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.   He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
 

Boy, sometimes I was jealous.  Today was one of those days.  I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So, I smacked him on the back and said, “Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!”  He looked at me with one of those looks e really grateful one) and smiled.  “Thanks,” he said.
 

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.  Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends…I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.
 

I am going to tell you a story.”   I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.   He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
 

He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.  He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile!  “Thankfully, I was saved.  My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.”
 

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.  I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.  Not until that moment did I realize its depth.  Never underestimate the power of your actions.  With one small gesture you can change a person’s life – for better or for worse.
 

God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way.  Look for God in others.
 

You now have two choices, you can: 1) Pass this on to your friends or 2) Delete it and act like it didn’t touch your heart.
 

As you can see, I took choice number 1.
 

“Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.”  There is no beginning or end…yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  Today is a gift.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Titans Mascot Sacks Saints Quarterback

August 15th 2006

Q. Did you see or read about the Tennessee Titans mascot running into a Saints player? If so, what are your thoughts on this game ops snafu?

A. I did read about the Titans mascot running into a Saints quarterback with a golf cart last weekend. These incidents can be avoided with excellent staff communication and by ensuring that all on-field promotions conclude before players step on the field. It’s great to have your mascot entertain fans when the ball isn’t in play, but there’s a place and time, and the playing field should be off limits to mascots and the event promotions staff once the players have exited the locker room and head for the field.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Sample Mini Season Ticket Packages

August 14th 2006

Q. Could you please provide some samples of mini season ticket packages?

A. The Seattle Sonics, who are celebrating its 40-year anniversary with a variety of events during the 2006-07 season, have a variety of mini season ticket plans this season.

The Sonics are offering a 22-game package, a 10-game weekend package, a 10-game marquee package, a 10-game all-star package, a six-game “Hometown Heroes package” and a 40th anniversary package that includes four games for $40.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Become Better in Sales

August 11th 2006

Q. What can a first-year salesperson do to become a better sales person?

A. There are many ways to improve in sales, but a few important techniques to improve your sales are to ask good questions and become a great listener.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Getting Past Gatekeepers

August 10th 2006

Q. I’m struggling to get one particular appointment with a prospective buyer, or specifically a returned call, and I’m not sure my messages are getting to the decision maker. What do you recommend?

A. I like the advice I once read by Todd Benadum: “If you’re making telemarketing calls and having trouble getting past the receptionist, then the next time you call that company go up or down one number on the last digit of the general phone number to reach someone else who might be more helpful. Every time I’ve tried it people other than the receptionist have been more than helpful.”

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Research, Prepare and Practice

August 9th 2006

Q. I get nervous easily when giving presentations, also, just before and during sales appointments with prospects. What recommendations do you have to make me more comfortable with presenting?

A. If you research, prepare and practice thoroughly, you should feel knowledgeable and comfortable and you’re presentations should feel fairly natural.

Golfer Fred Couples says, “When you’re prepared, you’re more confident. When you have a strategy, you’re more comfortable.”

The more you practice, the more comfortable you should feel with the delivery of your presentations.

Arthur Ashe once said, “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation,”

The focus on sales meetings with prospects should be on pre-meeting research and getting to know as much as possible about your prospect and their organization versus developing a prepared presentation.

Once in the meeting with a prospective buyer, smile, ask questions, listen and gain more information that will determine the prospects needs and possible solutions you could provide.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Time for a Change

August 8th 2006

Q. What do you recommend if I enjoy selling, but I just don’t feel I’m in the right situation, the right place, or the right organization?

A. It sounds like you need to make a change.

Read this short story from Byron White: “Recently, I heard the top salesperson of an organization make the statement, ‘I can’t endorse this product any longer.’ A visiting consultant replied, ‘Then it’s time for you to go find a product or service you can endorse.’ Within one week, the Number 1 salesperson for that organization left the company. Was that the right choice? Yes. When you don’t believe in your product or service, you’re being dishonest with your prospects and customers when you present the benefits and value of what you sell to them. Talk about internal turmoil! If you don’t believe in your product or service, and don’t have faith that it will accomplish what you say it will – then ‘It’s time for you to go.’”

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Can Selling Be Learned?

August 7th 2006

Q. Some say people are either born to be in sales or they’re not. What do you think? Can selling be learned?

A. Yes, selling can be learned. As Steve Bostic once said, “There’s no magic to it, and you don’t need a lot of natural talent. What you need is a disciplined, organized approach to selling. If you have that, you’ll outperform the great salesman who doesn’t understand the process every time. Selling can definitely be learned.”

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Scripting Sporting Events

August 4th 2006

Q. I’ve heard people in event presentation say that each of our sporting events should be scripted much like a play. What are your thoughts?

A. I’m a big believer in not only scripting athletic events, but also practicing introductions and the event presentation so that come game day, everything flows naturally and the event doesn’t have the look and feel of a scripted event, but more spontaneous and fan engaging.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Touch-points: The New Buzzword in Sports

August 3rd 2006

Q. Touch-point is the new buzzword in sports. What are your thoughts on touch-points and what’s an appropriate number of touch-points with season ticket holders during a 12-month calendar year?
 

A. Touch-points is critical to any sports organization maintaining a high season ticket holder and group leader retention year-after-year. At a minimum, you should make contact with your season ticket holders at least once per quarter in calendar year.  You can build upon these touch-points each year until your customer service executives are in regular contact with your shareholders.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Giveaways to Pack the Place

August 2nd 2006

Q. What giveaways would you recommend to pack the place for a basketball or football game?

A. I don’t believe giveaways “pack” athletic arenas and stadiums. The best strategy to create arena and stadium sellouts is hiring and training a ticket sales team.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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