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Ron Goch
The Telios Group
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Do You Write Your Own Blog Posts?

September 29th 2006

Q. Do you personally respond and post to all your blogs, or do you have an assistant or staff member who assists you with each of your blogs?
 

A. Yes, I write and post each of the blogs you read here as well as each of our four other blogs.
 

I enjoy the opportunity to answer questions, provide information and exchange thoughts, ideas and best practices others have shared with me.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Recommend a Blog

September 28th 2006

Q. I’m starting a business and wondering if you think a blog is worthwhile for someone who’s just getting his business going?
 

A. Blogs, along with podcasts, have become very popular and they’ve proven helpful for entrepreneurs establishing credibility in the marketplace, and also provide a forum for customers and prospective customers to get to know you. Blogs have also proven to be a great resource for readers.
 

So I’d encourage you to develop a blog. You can post in writing or simply podcast each of your blogs from virtually any where in the world. Choose to do what works best for you and your schedule, and simply have a conversation with your readers via the blog posts. Enjoy your experience!
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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What Do You Enjoy Most?

September 27th 2006

Q. What do enjoy most about what you do?
 

A. I enjoy the people I have the pleasure of working with each and every day.  I enjoy meeting people; working with people; and helping people any way I can.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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New Book Recommendation

September 26th 2006

Q. It’s been a while since you’ve made a book recommendation.  Is there a book or two you’d recommend for professional development?
 

A. I just started reading a new book, “The Power of Kindness,” how to conquer the business world with kindness, by Thaler and Koval.  Jay Leno wrote the forward.
 

I’m also reading two other books: “The Invisible Employee” and “Our Iceberg is Melting.”  Both are business books you may want to check out.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Seeking Hospital Sponsorship

September 25th 2006

Q. We’ve been looking to sign a hospital sponsorship for quite some time and have been unable to interest the hospitals in our area to invest in a sports sponsorship package.  Do you have any ideas for how we could crack this category and net a sponsorship?
 

A. I can provide you with some thoughts and ideas, but I always recommend you ask the prospective corporate partner questions that will lead you to the information you’ve requested.  They know their needs and you know what you can offer to meet their goals and objectives.
 

One area or strategy you may want to explore is the fact there’s been a shortage of nurses across the country the last several years, and hospitals, medical centers and other health care facilities are implementing recruitment, retention and appreciation programs.
 

Hospitals have been aggressively advertising for nurses and colleges have been equally aggressive in its recruitment.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Importance of a Mascot

September 22nd 2006

Q. How important is it for a college athletics department or a sports team to have a mascot?
 
A. I believe every college athletics department and sports team should invest in a mascot. This is not only important for engaging and entertaining fans at sporting events throughout a sports season, but also for creating and maintaining a year-round consistent visibility and awareness for a sports team or athletics department.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Sports Administration versus MBA

September 21st 2006

Q. Do you recommend to students who would like to work in the sports business obtain their masters in sports administration and management or work towards an MBA degree?
 
A. Great question and I’m not sure I can provide a clear-cut answer. I believe a master’s in sports administration and management, or an MBA are equally beneficial in the sports business.
 
I also believe it’s equally important to compliment the classroom teachings with the practical experience a student receives from an internship – or multiple internships – that makes the difference in preparing a student for a successful career in the sports business.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Web Site Coordinator

September 20th 2006

Q. Unlike professional sports teams, not all college athletic programs can afford to have a full-time web site coordinator. What one or two things could a college athletics department easily implement to make an impact on its bottom line?
 
A. First, ensure you’re maximizing the sales of your sponsorship inventory available on your web site. Second, maximize online ticket and merchandise sales.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Surveys, Focus Groups & Town Hall Meetings

September 19th 2006

Q. Do you recommend most sports teams send a survey, conduct focus groups, or host town hall meetings to gather feedback from its season ticket holders?
 
A. I recommend all three be conducted on an annual basis following each sport’s season; not just one of the three. Additionally, I’d include former season ticket holders to determine reasons for not renewing, as well as group leaders to gather feedback on their group event experiences.
 
You could also include mini plan holders and ask how they enjoyed their experiences as mini plan holders and determine what would motivate them to increase from a mini plan to a full season ticket plan.
 
Finally, consider sharing surveys, distributing evaluation forms, and hosting get-togethers with your corporate partners to receive feedback from each on an annual basis.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Staff Cross-Training

September 18th 2006

Q. I’d like to cross-train our staff so each person has knowledge and an appreciation for areas outside of their primary responsibilities. What do you think of this idea and do you feel it’s worth the effort and time of each staff member?
 
A. I like it and think this is a great idea. I’d like to see more businesses implement this business strategy for the reasons you’ve shared.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Midnight Madness

September 15th 2006

Q. Are any college programs still successfully hosting Midnight Madness or are there other successful basketball tip-off events you’d recommend for fans?
 
A. I haven’t heard of too many teams hosting Midnight Madness-type events.  Washington has a Midnight Madness event they will host featuring its men’s and women’s basketball programs following a volleyball match, and a number of colleges are planning to host Morning Madness as well.  Both college and professional basketball teams have also had success hosting tip-off luncheons, similar to football team’s annual kick-off luncheons.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Commission for Sales Executives

September 14th 2006

Q. Do you believe college athletics should offer a commission incentive for those staff selling tickets and sponsorships?
 
A. Yes, I believe college athletics would benefit from offering its sales executives a base pay and commissions on ticket and sponsorship sales.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Quality Half-time Entertainment

September 13th 2006

Q. Do you recommend teams invest in quality half-time entertainment to entertain fans, but also to increase ticket sales?
 
A. I believe a mix of quality half-time entertainment along with utilizing half-times for local group performances – dance groups, cheer teams and others who perform and purchase tickets – is a great way to entertain fans while also increasing ticket sales.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Take on the WNBA Championship

September 12th 2006

Q. As someone who has spoken out for girls and women’s sports, what was your take on the WNBA Championship?

A. Overall, it was a great game and event for the WNBA, which celebrated its 10th year this past season.

It was a great comeback win for the Detroit Shock against the defending Champion Monarchs, and it was great to see a packed arena with over 19,000 fans and a national television audience watching the Championship game.

I was happy for Katie Smith and the fact she was able to win her first championship as a player. Katie was an excellent student-athlete in college and has been a terrific professional player who has represented the WNBA with a lot of class.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Single-Game Ticket Buyer Follow-Up

September 11th 2006

Q. What do you recommend for turning single-game ticket buyers into repeat ticket buyers?


A. First, have a game plan in place to capture the names and contact information from both cash and credit card ticket buyers.  Once you capture the names and contact information, follow up by phone the next business day after each event to thank each of the single-event ticket buyers for attending your event; ask each how they enjoyed their experience; and offer them the opportunity to return to one or multiple events this season with a special bounce-back offer.
 
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Downward Trend of Season Ticket Sales

September 8th 2006

Q. We have been on a downward trend with overall season tickets the last few years and I’m curious to know what sports teams who are losing are doing to maintain a majority of its season ticket holders, or is it common to have a low percentage of renewals when teams are losing?

A. One trend I see in college and professional sports teams that renew at a low percentage is most simply send an annual renewal invoice and “hope” its season ticket holders renew at a high percentage.

Many of these sports organizations send a letter to its season ticket holders that open with “Dear Season Ticket Holder” and don’t personalize the letter by using the season ticket holder’s name.

Most sports organizations experiencing low renewal percentages do not have a plan for having its account executives maintain regularly contact with its season ticket holders. Not during the season, nor during the off-season.

Whether you’re winning or losing, you’ll be in a much better position to renew at a high percentage if your account executives and/or customer service representatives maintain consistent year-round communication with your season ticket holders.

It’s awfully difficult to provide excellent customer service and address your season ticket holders needs if the only contact they have with you and your organization is a renewal invoice and no human contact.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Best Practice for Asking for Referrals

September 7th 2006

Q. What have you found to be the best way to ask for referrals?

A. I learned long ago that one of the best ways to receive referrals is to give referrals. If you can be a person who enjoys connecting people, you’ll naturally find people connecting you with others.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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Make Winning a Habit

September 6th 2006

Q. What has your summer reading consisted of and are there some books you’d recommend as must reads?

A. My summer reading has included more books than I have time to list, but one book I’d highly recommend for those who’d like to improve their sales or sales skills would be “Make Winning a Habit” by Rick Page.

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group 

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ESPN’s Eight Camera Angles

September 5th 2006

Q. What did you think of ESPN’s Monday night telecast of the Miami-Florida State football game last night where ESPN televised from eight different camera angles on ESPN2, and the traditional telecast on ESPN?
 

A. I like the fact ESPN tried something new – something that has never been done before – and I’ll be interested to hear what fans thought of each telecast.
 

I watched a majority of the game and enjoyed the traditional telecast.  I don’t usually watch the entire game, though, because I’m usually working on my computer while listening to the game and look up from time-to-time to catch a good play or replay.

The eight camera angles were a bit much for me.  I don’t know if I’m just old school; prefer a simple presentation; or if I’m ready to admit I’m getting old and need the full screen view…but I enjoyed the traditional full-screen telecast.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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Leadership Resource Recommendations

September 4th 2006

Q. I’d like to improve my leadership skills and I’d appreciate you providing me with leads to resources you’d recommend for an up and coming leader?
 

A. Author John Maxwell has written a number of books on leadership and also has a complimentary eNewsletter – Leadership Wired – that you may enjoy.  You can check out John’s web site for more information.
 

I’ve read two of John’s leadership books – The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day – and they’re both pretty good reads.
 

If you’re looking for a sports specific leadership book, you may want to check out Sports Leaders & Success by Investor’s Business Daily.
 

Two other books I’ve enjoyed on the subject of leadership are: Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute and The Serving Leader by Jennings and Stahl-Wert.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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