Name: Sean Cummings
School: University of Massachusetts
Major: Sports Management
Years Out of College: 0-2
Title: Season Ticket Account Executive
Company: Boston Bruins
First
Steps
"Upon graduation, I immediately moved
from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Cleveland, Ohio and worked
with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 6 months. I was then
offered a promotion with our new hockey team, which is
owned by Dan Gilbert. Dan owns both the Cavs and the Lake
Erie Monsters who I now work for as a Sales Consultant. I
realized that I wanted a full-time role where I could show
what I was capable of doing and have been fortunate enough
to have been given this opportunity."
From Then to
Now
"I got from my major to this by
attending the NBA Job Fair in Chicago, Illinois last March,
2006. At this fair, I had a few different job offers from
teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State
Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. This was the best
opportunity for me in terms of the training I would and did
receive in addition to the organizational growth
opportunities available to me."
The Boston Bruins of the NHL decided to completely
revamp their sales staff by creating a Ticket Sales
Representative team. This move created an opening on their
senior level sales staff with the position being a Season
Ticket Account Executive. By utilizing contacts I had
established through successful networking and by building
relationships, I was given an interview and offered a
position to work under the new Director of Sales, Leigh
Castergine. Working for the Bruins has been a big step in
terms of where I am looking to go in the field of
sports.
Challenges
Faced
"I have faced challenges including selling inventory
to companies that is not perfect for entertaining clients.
The best way to offset the objection to these locations is
informing the buyer of the value in the location. Also, I
am currently selling minor league hockey, which has been
going well, but a lot of people start of saying they are
not interested because it's not the NHL. The key to
overcoming this objection is talking with them about our
ownership group and letting them know the team will be run
like a major league team."
With the Red Sox most recently capturing the 2007 World
Series crown, an undefeated football team in the New
England Patriots and the sudden rebirth of Celtic Pride,
this has been a challenging transition for myself.
However, while it is challenging to compete with three
outstanding franchises, this has presented a great
opportunity to further enhance my sales skills and the task
of selling out this arena. Without the solid training I
received early on in my career and the leadership of my
current Director, it would be much more difficult to
successfully accomplish our goals.
My Experience
"I make anywhere from 80 to 100 calls
per day to individuals and businesses, trying to identify
their needs here and then doing my best to fulfill them by
offering a package that fits their budget constraints. The
most excitement is making a sale because you did something
right and helped get someone into a package that they will
find beneficial. I'd say my energy and passion for this job
would inspire others because it is contagious when you are
doing well and people feed off your energy. Anything can
happen; you've just got to put in the effort."
