Bill Guertin: The Sports Sales Trainer the Pro’s Use – Work in Sports Podcast E133 - a podcast by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Want to Work in Sports? Of course you do! Bottom line: If you have sales skills, you'll go far. Bill Guertin is the guy who trains the sales staffs of pro teams around the nation, he knows what teams need and want on staff, and he joins us on this weeks podcast!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.As many of you know, we hosted a Sports Career Accelerator event a few months back in Atlanta. 2 days of intensive learning and exposure to top flight sports teams and orgs in the Atlanta region.But let me give you a little behind the scenes. Trust me, it relates to this week’s episode, this isn’t just a trip down memory lane.Day 1. Our first event like this, and to be honest, not exactly my comfort zone – I’m not always a small talk guy.But I was pretty relaxed because we had a guy on the ground in Atlanta doing all of our logistics and would be essentially shepherding all the guest speakers in place, navigating where we go at what time, Sign ins, swag bags… he had things covered.So I wake up morning of the event, get a good breakfast at my hotel, get changed up and walk to the event. It’s about 7:30am…things don’t start til 8:30. I’m relaxed and calm because the pressure is not on me.Then I get a text message. Our guy is not just sick… he’s out. Down and out. Like heading to a clinic because he hasn’t stopped vomiting for a few hours.I’ve been in a few pressure situations over my career, so I don’t exactly panic…but I also don’t feel I have everything I need to succeed which means I’m not exactly comfortable. And then an attendee shows up… early, very early.Hello Sean Grassi if you are listening.I’m now scrambling to get people checked in, hand out swag, give out badges… and it’s not the best start in the world.People are filing in, they are in the room we rented, but it’s deathly quiet in there. I’ scrambling in the front of the lobby….and the vibe is…shall I say, poor.Then I see Bill Guertin come around the corner, one of our guest speakers. He takes one look at me and says…here, I got this, and he walks into the room with our guests.Next thing I know I hear chatter, and laughing, and cavorting and cajoling. Bill came in and just started to own the room.I had a mentor once who said – leaders change the temperature of the room when they enter. Think about that for a second – the idea is, everyone can feel a leader when they enter. It’s a changing presence, an attention grabber.Bill has that, and more. Right then I thought, OK, this guy is good, he can control a room with ease…which isn’t easy. Then I started to listen in, then I started to check his resume, then I started to admire.Bill has worked with over 100 professional sports teams to help train their sales staff… from the Boston Celtics, to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Football teams, basketball, baseball, NASCAR, hockey – if you have a sports event and a sales staff, Bill is the guy to train them.And, lucky us, he’s our guest this week as we dig deeper into the role that comprises a huge percentage of sports employees.Here’s Bill Guertin – and stay tuned at the end of the show for a special offer from Bill’s company ISBIQuestions for Sales Trainer Bill Guertin:Listen to the episode for the answers!1: You’ve been in the sales game since 1992 – specifically in sports sales since 2004 – you are truly the expert in the field having worked with over 100 professional sports teams. I’ll make the first questions really simple…or complex in it’s simplicity, you decide… why sales? Why has sales been your calling?2: What I think I’m most impressed with about you, and there are many things, but I know how difficult it can be to get in with pro teams as an outside resource.

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