Manager, Group Sales
THE OPPORTUNITY
Group sales is really just about inviting people out to have a good time. And, what better place to have a good time than in a brand-new stadium with a team that’s fun to watch and on the rise?
It’s not often you get to step in a prime situation and make it better. That’s what our Group Sales Manager gets to do for the Florence Flamingos.
The Flamingos opened a brand-new stadium in the summer of 2022 and in 2023 the Flamingos saw a massive increase in attendance, selling out more than half our games. We still think there is room to grow in group sales. There are hundreds of group prospects in our market that are interested and just need a phone call, an email and some relationship building to get us to completely sold out.
The ideal candidate would have some experience working in sports, as an intern, part-timer or even a full-time position. However, experience isn’t critical. What we really want is energy and enthusiasm.
THE DETAILS
You’ll be taught by Steve DeLay, author of The Ultimate Toolkit to Sell the Last Seat in the House and a veteran of more than 30 years in the sports business. You’ll learn the art of finding group prospects, asking the right questions and helping those groups have a good time at our games. In the office, Mitchell Lister, team president who has more than 10 years of ticket sales experience will be coaching and guiding you every step of the way.
No calling single game buyers. No telemarketing. We want you out of the office regularly making 5-7 face-to-face appointments a week as well as calls, emails and texts to prospects and existing group clients.
WHY IS THIS JOB COOL?
THE BRAND
The Flamingos are one of the fastest growing brands in all sports. The team’s name and logo were launched at the end of the 2021 season and we are the only team in the country in any sport at any level with pink as our primary color, which has led to merchandise sales throughout the entire United States and all around the world. Within two weeks of launch, the team sold merchandise in all 50 states and 9 countries. Even today, nearly 90% of the team’s merchandise sales come from outside of the state of South Carolina.
THE STADIUM
The Flamingos also opened a brand-new 1,500 seat stadium in May 2022, Carolina Bank Field which is the centerpiece of a brand-new sports complex in Florence, surrounded by five other baseball fields and a world class track facility. The team controls the facility 365 days of the year and works hand-in-hand with the city of Florence to bring concerts, baseball tournaments and special events to the stadium. You can check out the photos here. https://florenceflamingos.com/stadium/new-florence-baseball-stadium/
THE LEAGUE
The Coastal Plain League is made up of 14 teams in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The rosters are made up of mainly Division I and II college players looking to get drafted by Major League Baseball teams. Consider the CPL the same age/talent level as Single A baseball or Rookie League baseball. In its’ 28-year history, the league has had nearly 1500 players drafted and more than 100 make it to the Major Leagues including future Hall of Famers Justin Verlander and Russell Wilson (NFL) and other Major League stars like Kevin Youkilis and Ryan Zimmerman.
We play 25 home games and 25 road games from Memorial Day to August 1. Even better, we rarely have back-to-back games and never have a homestand like in Minor League baseball.
THE OWNERSHIP
The Flamingos were purchased in October 2020 by 30+ year sports industry veteran Steve DeLay - author of The Ultimate Toolkit to Sell the Last Seat in the House and The Ultimate Toolkit, Sponsorships – and Brandon Raphael, who himself is also a 25 year veteran of the sports industry and President of our wildly popular sister team, the Macon Bacon in the CPL. DeLay is the Managing Partner, focused on the revenue side of the business while Raphael works hand-in-hand with the team President on all day-to-day business operations. They have more than 50 years of combined experience to help a team President continue the growth of the team and the brand.
The Flamingos and Macon Bacon are the top two teams are the top teams in the Coastal Plain League in attendance, game experience and brand visibility and we’ve built an internal rivalry amongst each other to continue to grow, develop and improve.
THE ATTENDANCE
In our first year at Carolina Bank Field, we sold out 13 of our 25 home games. We’ve increased ticket revenue more than 10x since taking over the team and increased sellouts from 1 to 13 with room for more. There is plenty of room to grow in group ticket sales and premium hospitality sales.
THE UPSIDE
We know this isn’t a job someone will spend the next ten years doing. Do this well and we’ll help you get your next step forward in your career. It might be with us in a senior leadership role or it might be with another solid organization that knows The Ultimate Toolkit.
HOW MUCH?
If you’ve read this far, let’s get to the important stuff.
The base salary is between $28,000 - $30,000 based on experience. Florence is a pretty inexpensive place to live so that salary allows you to live pretty well and take weekend trips to Myrtle Beach which is only an hour away. Your big upside is on commissions. You’ll earn 4% of everything you sell which could add another $3,000-$5,000.
To apply, click on this link and submit your resume and a dazzling cover letter on why we should consider you. Steve, Brandon, and Mitchell Lister, Team President, are easy to find on the internet so special attention will be paid to people who reach out directly to pursue the opportunity.
