Crusaders

Nope.

 

I did. I encourage everyone to do so as well.

 

I would like to know something. What are your "selling points" to get people to become Wizards fans and buy tickets?

 

First off you don't have to sell season tickets to be a crusader. Yes that is one of the points of the organization, but nobody is going to kick you out if you don't, Hunt said so.

I am not taking to season ticket route, I am looking more at group sales. I am sure some of you go to church, well there is going to be another Christian Concert this year, get with your church and other local churches to organize the event. If you get 180 people that is eqivilent of 10 full package season tickets. There will also be a double header this year, see if you can get those same church groups to go again to that.

Yes, you are working for free, but you are also helping the cause. It is kind of like voting, if you don't choose to vote then you don't have the right to complain.

 

The way I look at it is that something is always better than nothing. The more people that hear there are hundreds of people signed up for one thing or another that have to do with soccer, the more they notice people getting involved and caring about the sport. Will it do the trick they want it to? Maybe not this time, but as long as organizations do things like this and stick with them, it will have some positive outcome (small or large).

I'd do it if I had time, but graduation, new job, moving are all hampering my ability to even come to the games let alone help pimp them.

 

Hey maybe it would be agood idea at the next meeting to maybe get all of the "Wizards fans" on the same page when it comes to game atmosphere.

 

So in other words you don't have a selling point. That is ok becuase I am sure that the marketing people for the Wizards don't either. What kopiteinkc said about the availablity of tickets is what has and will continue to kill the season tickets sales for this team. Getting out of the Head would be the best bet for this team.




Does Lamar come to every Crusader meeting? I have a few questions I would love to pick his brain with.

 

I signed up at the Christmas party last night. I don't have a selling point, other than my own love and passion for the game. I'm not going to hardsell anyone, but I'd feel guilty if I didn't at least try to do this. I love the Wizards, and I've got to do everything that I can do to make sure they're around for a good long time. As kopite said, every bit helps.

 

I agree every bit does help. I am happy that you guys have signed up and hopefully make a differance. I would love to chip in but I am way to busy with work. The thing is, the Wizards have too many things that work against them in the season ticket department.


I will ask this question again. So how do you go about selling tickets? Going around asking people to buy tickets for a team that has been so-so the last two years. It is going to be a hard sell unless you have promo things you can sway your potential customers with.

Last thing to all the people that are signed up maybe you can do some 114 pimping while you are at it.

 

I plan to keep my club level seats for date purposes, but I'll be joining you guys in the Cauldron for most of the games this year.

 

I completely see what you are getting at Spoon. The truth is that we have little information right now to sell upon. Thursday night we should be able to get both the schedule and the promotions information. Who can we sell to? Friends, relatives, neighbors, soccer teams, churches, civic organizations, places of employment, parks and recreations departments. The first major sell was to a resturaunt chain who bought 40 season tickets for employee give-aways and stuff. Suggest that to your places of employment, and don't forget to mention Lamar Hunt and the fact that this team makes the playoffs, won a championship, and has national team stars.

Bigsoccer is a great place to brainstorm. If anyone has any other ideas please chime in, only good things come from it.

 

So if we are going the corp. route my guess would be maybe the Wizards are looking into marketing to people above the age of 13?? I would hope so not that what they have been doing is bad but you can't depend on little kids to be your main draw.

 

Last major league team in KC to make the playoffs. Only sporting event you are stand up all game. If someone says they have been to a game before but it was boring. Then you ask them were they sat. Then you tell them that they should have sat in section 114 and why. This is a great opp. for the section to become bigger and the crowds to get bigger.


I might just have to find time to sign up.

 

That is fine I guess what I getting at is getting the head rocking and getting all of the die-hards on the same page. Even if it just for one or two chants a game.

 

Targeting families and soccer teams was great at one time. Then again, I teach at a school where the soccer coach is a fan, but doesnt have season tix b/c he can always get them free. Also, it's not like he ever takes his team or gets them to go to games as a treat or whatever. I would think that schools teams/groups are a good place to target.

Then, outside of that, I had a friend call me today to ask if I'd like to go to the Chiefs game. He had his firm's tkts and Arrowhead club passes or whatever they are, and did I want to go? OK, well, there again - his firm has tickets and he got them. So more businesses should have Wizard tix and be passing them out.

I moved here summer 2001 and knew about the Comets and didnt even know we had the Wizards until April 2002 when I was on a plane with them and became friends with Preki on that flight. Because I got to know some of the players, that increased my awareness and interest in the team and I have become a die-hard fan, though still not a season ticket holder... for one reason: I can get tickets for free. Either a friend will have an extra, or I run into one of the guys and they get me a few, or get this - the first time I ever attended I walked up to the tkt box and must have said the right thing, because my friend and I walked away with 2 free tickets. I understand they want those seats filled, but when a fan can get in for free (and on my tight budget, free is key), why sign up for season tkts or any other tkt deal? So that works against them.

Another thing that happens in business communities is that they have tickets to an event but people are so busy that by the end of the night, no one has time or energy to go - unless they really love or know the sport. Sure, Royals tickets in the summer get snapped up. In the winter, those Chiefs tix go. But in the summer, when the Wiz compete agst the Royals (like that is even a fair fight, puuuleaze!), the Royals are the better known team and ppl will go even if their season is crappy (uh, again, I say...puuuuleaze!). It's like - the Wizards who? It's those soccer moms with the kids who will say, oh yes to the tickets and think: family night! It's the guys who say, Royals tix - beer with boys or bring a date. It's just the mentality of KCers. The teams of name are Chiefs and Royals... then Comets and Wizards.

The Crusader idea is great. It's like spreading the faith and good news to those not in the know. The Wizards are a good team, the games are fun, it's non-stop action unlike football or baseball. These guys really work their tails off and deserve to have a big fan base here in KC. But for them to get fans - they need to be put more directly in the public eye where they can be seen and the sport needs to be promoted more. Like I said - the Comets had a big billboard on I-35 that I saw last year and that's how I knew they were here. I had never heard of the Wizards and likely would still be without that knowledge had it not been for that fateful flight.

I say your biggest crusaders need to be the athletes who want to encourage more people to come. Once someone comes and enjoys themselves, it's easy to convince them to come again. So get those boys out there meeting and greeting and getting in the public eye - putting a positive buzz in people's ears and really talking up the sport. Fans will encourage friends to come. It's just like church: friends and family day. Have a theme night like a 2 for 1. For every ticket, bring a friend for free (or realistically 1/2 price) to show them what it's all about.

Does this all make sense? Anyhow, I wish I worked in a bigger community where I could drum up more interest, but unfortunately I work with many older ladies (ie: school teachers) who dont really care about athletic social nights. My students, however, are sold on the idea of going. So whoever said the dreaded words of talking up "soccer moms" was right.

Well, best of luck to all the Crusaders. Go get 'em!

 

I agree that targeting companies is a good idea. A company might buy 100 season tickets but only use 10...thats the down side. The buying part is good but the other half of seeing the results in the stands will not be seen.

-Soccer teams is a good idea but we need to look at their age. U6 would actually be a good idea...talk to their parents tell them how cheap it is and make it a team thing. Granted they more than likely wouldn't buy season tickets unless their rich. Other than U6, target high school teams...watching the Wizards has actually improved my game as far as tactical knoweldge and if high schoolers knew that, they would definatly go. Any other age group is really not worth it. When kids are 9 and 10 they really wouldn't be aware of the Wizards because they dont watch metrosports, read the paper, etc.

ummmm I don't have any new ideas but I suggest if you have a friend who you could make a fan, take them to some PR event and meet some players. ALWAYS WORKS.

 

I know of a few companies that use season seats they bought as rewards for employees.. It really helps the workers feel better about the place when they have extras like that. That is one selling point that should be obvious to a company. Sometimes it just a random drawing or in some cases "Sales Person of the Week", etc.
Companies big and small do this quite often.
Hit as many as possible!
Especially the pubs! lol..

 

I work for a major corporation, and I know that somewhere in the district there are office season tix, since my boss gave me a pair this past summer. He had a pair, doesn't like soccer and passed them on to me because he knew I did. I gave the tix to my brother and his boss because I knew they would go, but hadn't been exposed to professional soccer.

I fall into that grey area of a dedicated fan and non-season ticket holder. I didn't by season tix. in 2000, I did in 2001 (mainly because I thought demand would be higher after the championship, but also because of the US-Costa Rica game, us woman's game, free autographed ball) and didn't in 2002 because it became apparent to me in 2001 that I could get into at least half the games for free. And I did just that in 2002. Between tix given to me at work, to comp. tix from my buddy at SoccerMasters (thanks Britt!) to Cauldron folks with extras, or even people in the ticket line selling discounted tix or even giving them away, I went to every game and think I paid for about 6 or 8 games. I would need an amazing reason to buy season tix. (like a new stadium). And the lack of such a reason has stopped me from buying season tickets this year, because I know I can get into a lot more games for free this year, too.

 

I base that on the fact that not too long ago, I was an 8 year old. Granted the team has probably (or hopefully) grown since them in promoting their team but I still don't see a way how most kids can really go to the Wizards games like everybody wants them to, and that would be every game. Sure they go every once in a while on maybe a team outing or because they got cheap tickets, but unless they really do know the players etc. they wont be as compelled to go.

Chris and Nick and all those going around the stadium after the game is a very good thing and it will get the fans to know the players. Thats a good thing, and they will wan't to come if they know some players.