1st Half of my1st Season selling Hockey in Seattle…..

I’ve been working for the Thunderbirds now for 2 months, I feel like a very lucky guy at this point of my sales career.  What more could a guy ask for at the twilight of his career than to be selling one of his passions?  After all, isn’t that what sales and life is all about?  Most of us get to go to work and then AFTER hours concentrate on what we love to do and only dream about getting paid for it.   I accepted this job knowing full well I was starting from scratch again and would need to build it slowly and be very patient… and that’s where one my major weakness’ comes in.  I’m not the best in the patience department. It’s difficult for me to not see quick results.  However I’m making the calls, and making the calls, inviting friends, family and business owners out to see our product.  And our product is worth a look.  The more I learn about the WHL ( Western Hockey League) the more impressed I am.  A first class developmental league that gives young men who aspire to be NHL players the tools and knowledge to be not only great Hockey players, but great human beings as well..

Quick recap:  The players who play for the Seattle Thunderbirds and the WHL range in age from 16 – 20 years old.  These players are no strangers to travel as they’ve rode buses and cars all over Canada and the US in order to live their passion. The are not professionals , this is a Major Junior Hockey League.  The WHL is the # 1 feeder league into the NHL. So that fact alone speaks volumes on the quality of this league and why it’s an honor to play in it.  These players live with billet families who take them in as their own, feed them, house them, and become their surregate parents for 6 months during the season.  Most of the players still attend high school and then every day after school, they go to practise, then it’s homework time, etc.  just like a normal kid.  The difference is that they get to play in front of 5,000 screaming fans on game nights.  Which is a test of wills and maturity in its own right.

The league consists of 22 teams, with 17 of those based in Canada and one division of 5 US teams.

Seattle Thunderbirds, Everett Silvertips, Portland Winterhawks, Spokane Chiefs and the Tri-City Americans.

Each teams General Manager must scout and draft young hockey talent throughout North America in order to put a competetive team on the ice.  When they do find a diamond in the rough, that player is quickly drafted into the NHL and gone.  This process is very much like a college program in that the best of the best go pro quicker and the absolute need to keep filling the pipeline of players and young talent into the ranks is everything.  The fans of this league are die hard.  They realize ( for the most part) that these young men are working hard, trying to be discovered by that NHL scout.  However the fact is that our attendance is ( like the pros) driven by wins and losses.  And just like the pro’s our fans take ownership and hurt when we hurt, and celebrate when we celebrate.

There has not been too much celebration in Seattle the last few years. The wins have not come to regular, and the team decided to bring in a new Head Coach this season to turn the Thunderbird ship around.  Enter Steve Konowalchuck a former NHL player and assistant coach.   He played parts of 15 seasons in the NHL with the Washington Capitols and Colorado Avalanche starting in 1992 until his retirement in 2006.  After his retirement, Konowalchuk remained within the Avalanche organization and served as an assistant coach to Joe Sacco during the 2009–10 and 2010–11 season.^[1] In 2011, he was named head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.

It’s been an up and down first half of the season for us.  As of today, 1/7/12 our record is 16 – 20 – 0 – 1 . The zero represents overtime losses, and the 1 is for a shoot out loss.

They are all good teams in this league, and like baseball, any of them can beat another on a given day.  The talent is rich, exciting fast and able.  The really good teams in our division, Tri City, Kamloops, Portland, Vancouver, Spokane…. all have had recent success in the wins and loss category.  They seem to play with more confidence during crunch time and have figured out how to tie the mental and physical part together and win consistantly.   8 teams per division qualify for the post season and we currently hold the 7th position in the western conference, 3 points ahead of the Victoria Royals.

When a young team like Seattle is rebuilding, like any franchise the patience meter must remain high.  There is no doubt we have talented young players, just like the rest of the league does.  The difference is the confidence and belief that they can win every night.  Night in and night out consistancy is what seperates the men from the boys.  We have great nights when we can play with anyone, one of my first games as a employee of the team saw us shut out the Tri-City Americans behind the brilliance of Calvin Pickard, our goalie.  We were outshot but played a smart, hard game.  It was a sight to behold.  Then there’s games like last Wed’s game in Everett.  Everett comes into that contest winners of 6 of their first 36 games of the season.  They are in a major re-building project themselves.  And after scoring the first goal in the first period, we get smoked by them. Going down 5 – 2 to the worst team in the league was a big confidence stealer and you could see it again last night.

The last two seasons saw Seattle fold up after the Holidays and it cost them the playoffs. We are in for a tough test of wills for the second half of the season.

Last night we lost to Tri-City for the 19th straight time in their arena. This was our first Televised game in the big time this season, and we  were horribly outplayed, outhustled, outskated, outshot… well you get the picture.  It wasn’t pretty.  They were clearly better in ALL areas of the game. A chance to show the Seattle sports community that were back and that we CAN compete with anyone. ( Queue the sound of a car getting into a head on )

And tonite we try to bounce back at home vs the Spokane Chiefs another Divisional rival after dropping our 3rd straight game.  But there’s also the beauty.  New game… at home…. hope springs eternal, right?!?!?  Another pretty big test for the team and the learning continues.

And regardless of what happens tonight, tomorrow or for the rest of the season, I get to go out and talk Hockey all over town.  Because I don’t sell Wins and Losses.. I sell the experience, the drama, the crowd, the League….  well…. you get the picture.

Here’s a great clip of the youngsters as they are starting their careers.  Go to the 1:50 point of this clip to see it.

Branding… Marketing…… Hockey in Seattle… the first month.

After 30 years in sales, selling everything from Hand Knitting yarns, Baseball gloves, Branded clothing, promotional products and awards and finally working in the Daily Deal industry, I now find myself selling a product that I wish I’d been selling all along.

And I want to thank the Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Club for taking a chance on an old vet like me and letting me be a part of a very exciting and entertaining industry. It just feels right and natural for me to be here and I’m grateful for the experience.

I’ve been a sports fan my entire life, mostly baseball.  As a kid my dad brought me to see the Oakland Seals way back in 1969.  I’d never been to a Hockey game before, and after the 3rd period when everyone was getting up to leave, I asked my dad what they were doing, wasn’t there another period to go?  He smiled and explained to me it wasn’t quarters.. it was periods and there were only 3.  It was the beginning of a new sports experience for Tim Shaw, then 13 years old.  I prodded and begged, and I think we went to about 3 more games that season.  I quickly became a huge fan of not only the game, but of the team.  I started following them on the road, watching the box scores and as the team struggled and eventually were sold and moved to Cleveland, I struggled with them and mourned when they left.  However the game had a grip on me. After the team moved, I did not attend another Hockey game of any kind until last year.
I was working @ Living Social, and my job at the time was to launch the new Snohomish County territory for them.  My first order of business was to find the best entertainment, places to go, things to see, eat, see or hear in that area.  And my old Hockey roots came back and I set my sights on the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.

I was a bulldog with them,  I called at least ten times and finally, I’m sure the business manager was sick and tired of listening to my voice mails and called me back for a meeting.  To make a long story short, I signed them up with Living Social, attended about 4 games that season and my love for the sport was back. It was very exciting how the small town of Everett had bonded with their team, and how they branded their team within the community and how that community embraced them.  When my contract ended and the territory was launched, I found my attention kept creeping towards the WHL and their marketing, attendance figures, transactions, etc.  I was a huge fan again.  But I was also a veteran Sales and Marketing professional who at this stage in his career, was going to keep working but wanted to something he’s always wanted to do.  I live about 40 miles from Everett, so I called the Seattle Thunderbirds, who reside in Kent, WA and play at the brand new ShoWare Center.  And I offered my services to them and after a few meetings.. here I am. Trying to spread the word about this very affordable, quick and exciting entertainment venue, that many in my home town of Bellevue, WA don’t know about.

I have no rose-colored glasses on the task at hand.  This team has a great staff, sales force, PR and Marketing dept.  But selling Major Junior hockey in this town, or any town takes patience, consistency and care.

Most of my early calls were to contacts I’ve made through out my career, and ask each time when the last time ( if ever ) they’ve been out to see our team.  Some have, once or twice, but most have not.  So my first job is getting them out here for the first time to witness for themselves what goes on.   I have so much to learn here about the psychology of selling this experience. A casual observer will tell you it’s all about the W’s and L’s. However I am NOT selling Wins and Losses.  I am a Hockey Entertainment Consultant, and I work in the Fan relationship management center.  Specifically my job is to call on Corporations, clubs, schools, etc and be a pied piper of our brand.  Suite sales, group ticket offers, etc.

let me ask this:

In today’s economy, is it more important or less important to spend quality time with your best clients and prospects?

Is it more important, or less important today to really recognize your top employees.

How valuable is it to your business to get your top clients and prospects into a neutral environment in a relaxed atmosphere where you can spend quality time with them outside of their offices?

This type of entertainment is a 3 hour window where your competitors are NOT there, and their spam filters are really down.  The excitement of the crowd, the energy in the building, sharing and bonding with them, a moment in time where you both can remember the experience later. Hmm…..  good stuff.

Plus one of the major things I like about this challenge is that I’m not asking my clients and friends to go spend $200.00 a person to attend  a sporting event.  You can rent a 12 person suite from me on a Tuesday night watching world class Hockey for as little as $ 360.00.   And let me say that in sales and life, success is based on perception.  perceived value of a corporate suite at one of the arena’s or stadiums in this town is worth two to four times that amount.  My point is, you don’t have to have the big bucks to look like you have the big bucks and KNOW how to get the job done.

So my first month on the job, is like the first month in any job.  learning, listening, asking questions.   Seeing what works, what doesn’t and why.

When the horn sounds, and the lights are turned way down…. and when the announcer says ”  GET READY FOR SOME HOCKEY!!!”   And these young men take the ice to the sounds of 5,000 people cheering for them, it STILL gives me a chill down my spine.  And if gives me a chill down my spine, imagine what it must do for them down on the ice.

This is a worthwhile cause worthy of my 110% each and every day.  I want to make a difference here, and help put more fannies in these seats.

If you live in the Seattle area, and have NOT attended a game, you owe it to yourself to do so.  There is no better sporting venue in town that gives you what we can give you.

email me for information on how we can make your next corporate event of group outing one to remember with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

timshaw@seattlethunderbirds.com

next post will have our team hit the half way mark of the season, we’ll discuss the team, league and team attendance, and I’ll get deeper into my observations of my new challenge

The following video is showing our yearly teddy bear toss for charity, once a season, after the T-Birds score their first goal of the game, fans have brought teddy bears to toss on the ice to be given to local charities.  It’s a great fun, feel good evening and a great experience.   This year’s sponsor is Fred Meyer, and this season’s Teddy Bear toss is scheduled for Jan 28, 2012 vs the Portland Winterhawks.

Career and Life Cycles

 It’s been some time since my last blog post.

Job, life, things to do had made me busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest. And as the job and the things that were getting thrown at me kept coming at an ever-increasing pace, I had to step back and think this crap over.

I turned 55 this year… ( My GAWD)  and this sneaks up on you, I’ll tell ya.  It was yesterday that I was smoking weed in the grove at Del Valle High School in California as a clueless kid.  The clueless kid part is still around, however the rest of the stuff has gone through some big changes.  However I’m proud to say I’ve been able to maintain my immaturity to a sophomoric level that would amaze most people. Now most birthday’s have come and gone without much thought or reflection, but 55… (My GAWD) is not one of them. 55 is ….. well, let’s put it this way.  Remember when we were in High School?  How old 30 seemed? We just couldn’t imagine what things would be like when we were that … well….. OLD. So, 30, 40, and yes even 50 passed me by with not much of a whimper….. But 55…. (My GAWD),  that’s the year my mind and body is trying to tell me that I should be done.  Retire, travel, be wise, be comforting…. be a mentor or some crap…  Then I look at the bank account and say ”  not enough dude, not enough.”  And wonder how the hell I’m going to make that 5 -10 million it now takes to retire in S T Y L E…

And when my mind goes there, and the daily crap of having a J.O.B. comes up you wonder really….”How the hell am I going to do this?”  Well, stop wondering, because the blueprint is not that hard.  Maybe the 5 – 10 mil is out of reach, maybe not.  Now part of being 55 ( My GAWD)…. years old is that by now I’ve developed quite an intolerance for BS and what just doesn’t work for me.

I’ve made a huge life decision… that I will NOT do something that I cannot find the passion for.  I will NOT spend the better part of my life doing something I do not LOVE.

And heres the rub….  Passion is a fleeting bird.   It’s easy to dive into something only to have the momentum die a quick and unnoticed death.  In today’s business world things change so fast, policy changes, and rightfully so, if you can’t keep up, you get left behind.  You have to adapt and keep the fire baby, easy to say, not so easy to do.

So, along that line I made the decision about 3 months ago to change my career, I left my job at Living Social to contemplate being…. here it comes… get ready..  55 (My GAWD)…

So, I found myself really wondering what the hell I was going to get into at this point in my sales and marketing career.  I know what I WANTED to do, I’ve always wanted to work in sports somehow.  I scanned everything I could find in that area, and it seemed way out of touch, out of reality. I called one of my previous contacts in my last job without any success.  I posted my resume on Monster.com and other sites.

I got job offers from Insurance companies, car dealers, manufacturing companies.  Various things that would earn OK, but when I thought of doing the job, It was a long and huge  Y A W N…. which made me think that I may be in trouble here.  Is there anything that is within reach for me at this age that I’ll go into with the passion and drive and commitment that I personally HAVE to have to perform at the level I’m used to performing at?   And I kept coming back to the sports thing. So I took a chance.

Before I tell you about that chance, let me say that when I was a kid, my dad took me to my first Ice Hockey game in Oakland, CA.  As a lifelong baseball fan, baseball was the all and end all for me as far as sports goes.  I couldn’t imagine any other sport getting that grip on me. Until my first Seals game in 1971…  Holy Crap… I was hooked, fast, furious, action.  Hard hitting aggressive athletes.. As I grew up I went to a few games, but my teenage years became a blur, I went into the service and stopped following hockey.  The Seals were sold and moved to… Cleveland  fergawdsakes!!  And I lost the sport for quite a long time.  Then last year I did some business with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL.  I went to about 5 games and, WOW… the passion was back.  I’d forgotten how fun, what entertainment, how exciting watching Ice Hockey can be.  My winter sport had been the NBA, but when the Sonics were stolen from us, my passion for Pro Sports and their ways and the pattern I’d been seeing just was a turn off.  But this was different, this was Major Jr. Hockey, the last step towards turning pro for 16 – 20-year-old NHL wanna be’s. And it’s good hockey, these are the best of the best at their ages who have left home, for many, for the first time, and experience what this life is about.  Long bus rides, going to High School in a strange town, living with people they do not know.  Not an easy life for these boys.  But, they’re living their dreams, and there is something very magical about that concept, something that is very appealing to us all.  So you have to admire them, you have to support them.  And by god, I wanted to support them somehow and get in on that passion that they have when they take the ice in front of 5,000 screaming Ice Hockey fans.

And after a career in sales, in advertising, and in marketing, I just told myself that I have to go for what I want and do my best to make it happen.  If it doesn’t work out… fine, but I owed it to myself to go down swinging and not sitting on the damn bench. So I asked myself once again… ” what do YOU want to do?”  If you had ONE job opportunity today, right now, what would you jump on?

And I kept coming back to the WHL and the local Team, the Seattle Thunderbirds. I started paying attention to both of them, watching the attendance figures, watching the local coverage, the W’s and the L’s.  Wondering the whole time, where I might fit in, how could I posture my years of experience to help and do something I’d always wanted to do. So, one day, after scanning Craig’s list for…. J.O.B.S… yawn……   I just grabbed the phone, called down there and one thing led to another and by GAWD….. I’m now working for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, selling Season tickets, Group tickets and being the Sales and Marketing guy for a sports team that I’ve really wanted to do for some time.  Ice Hockey is a great sport and I’m going to be the damn pied piper of Hockey in the Puget Sound.  It’s not going to get me to that 5 Mil I was talking about anytime soon, however, it will put a huge smile on my face that’s worth 5 million to me.  And I’m going to be the BEST damn rep they’ve ever laid their eyes on, and you can’t put a price tag on any of that.