In the crowded world of ticketing agencies, it can be a struggle to close the deal with new customers. Having a background as a ticketing agency as well, we're happy to share our insights and tips that we have gathered over the years.
Know the event organiser Of course, this is quite basic, but sometimes we don't take the time to really do our research. Yes, your prospect will be happy to share with you their background and how they've evolved. But you'll make a much better first impression if you already know all about them. So, don't just check their website but also subscribe to their newsletter and updates. If you read they're going through major changes, it might be the perfect opportunity to call them up again. For the same reason, you should check their blog. We can guarantee they'll be impressed and glad someone took the time to check it all.
Pick the best time As you well know, the weeks leading to their biggest event are crazy. Of course, they won't be interested in changing their ticketing partner then. What you can do, is call them a month or 2 upfront, just wishing them good luck and that you hope everything goes very well. You can check when they'll be thinking of the next edition and if you might call them then. Don't call them in the weeks following the event neither, they'll be detoxing. Give them the time to do a proper evaluation.
Talk to the right people If you're talking to the 'first line' you can perhaps create an ambassador for your solution within the organisation but they'll never have the power or budget to take the real decisions. We believe you should invest in both relationships. Aim for the decisionmaker first. Check if you have shared connections that can introduce you. This might be an ex-colleague, friend or happy client. If you have issues getting through, connect to the other people in the organisation. Convince them and, very important, give them the right tools to convince their bosses (check number 8 for more insights on that).
Sell your expertise You know you're not the only ticketing agency out there. Some offer very low budget or even free solutions. So you need to make a difference. Take a good look at your offering. It should exist of a clear value for their money like a broad range of features, interesting marketing offerings and a solid support team. But what you can definitely bring to the table is your expertise and guidance. Ask your marketing and customer success responsible to work together with you on this. Make a list of the most common issues and how you can handle them, create an onboarding program and make useful tutorials. Ask your marketer to turn all this information in ready-to-use and good-looking info sheets that you can send over or give to your prospects.
Offer different options Your proposition should contain three different options that vary in price and value. If you only give one, chances are the decisionmakers will go 'shopping', looking for other solutions. With three options they can decide what fits their budget and needs. Don't worry, if they believe in the extra value, they will definitely sign up for the priciest option.
Focus less on price and more on ROI Coorrelated to the point above, explain what that extra value stands for. We've established you'll be able to guide them with your expertise, features and benefits. But make the specific calculations. How much time and resources will they save by partnering up with your ticketing agency? Point out the actual business results and outcomes.
Protect your business When you offer extended guidance and advice but the ticket sales turns out to be a disaster, a fee-per-ticket price model can cut you deep. So introduce 'a guaranteed amount of tickets'. This way, you'll surely get paid for the services you deliver. In return, you can provide the organiser with an interesting discount, if they guarantee a high number of tickets.
Close the deal Your proposition should contain three different options that vary in price and value. If you only give one, chances are the decisionmakers will go 'shopping', looking for other solutions. With three options they can decide what fits their budget and needs. Don't worry, if they believe in the extra value, they will definitely sign up for the priciest option.
Photo: unsplash
