Podcast Interview Transcript:
Shane Hunt:
Hello, my name is Shane Hunt, and welcome to this episode of the Marketing Insights Podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by my guest, Mackenzie Foos. Mackenzie is the director of business operations for the Memphis Hustle, professional basketball team, the NBA's G-League team for the Memphis Grizzlies. So Mackenzie, welcome to the podcast.
Mackenzie Foos:
Thanks for having me.
Shane Hunt:
Mackenzie, let's start with this. What does it mean or what is your role as director of business operations for the Memphis Hustle?
Mackenzie Foos:
Sure. So essentially the Memphis Hustle is the minor league team for the Memphis Grizzlies Organization, so it's a development team. As the director of business operations, I'm essentially responsible for the overall business strategy, so overseeing the day-to-day business operations of the team, which includes everything from ticket sales and corporate partnerships, to community, as well as game presentations. And so along with my team, we pretty much control everything that happens behind the scenes that the fans in the stands don't see, but everything that takes place to get those people there.
Shane Hunt:
So Mackenzie, that sounds great. And I know a lot of the students that are listening today are interested potentially in a career in professional sports. And I know that you started your career in professional sports in sales. Can you talk a little bit about that, about your first sales position in professional sports and maybe something that you really enjoyed and maybe something that was more challenging than you thought?
Mackenzie Foos:
Sure. So I started as a group sales account executive with the Grizzlies back in 2011. My job was to basically reach out to different groups, and that could be church groups, that could be school groups, that could be a number of different organizations, and try and get them to come out and have an experience as a group at a Grizzlies game. Of the things that I enjoyed the most was being able to see those groups come out and to have a great time. So if that was somebody celebrating their birthday or whether that was a school coming out and seeing the national anthem, seeing the look on their faces was really what drew me to this career and something that I really enjoyed.
On the challenging side though, I think just understanding how different people are and the different motivations people have for buying, whether that's on the group sales side of things or just on the season ticket sales side. So you really have to get to know people on a personal level and really understand what motivates them to come out to a game and really get to know everybody on an individual basis. It's just something that I didn't expect coming into it, but as I went through my career and was able to form those relationships, it's something that was very special and something I encourage my reps to do now.
Shane Hunt:
So Mackenzie, you obviously hire salespeople, and as you've moved forward in your career, can you talk a little bit about how sales has helped you as you have moved forward and become an executive, and obviously have a far greater business reach than just sales. But how has your time as a salesperson starting in sales benefited you in your current role?
Mackenzie Foos:
Sure. So whether they realize it or not, everybody is in sales essentially, and so you really have to be able to sell yourself and make yourself stand out, especially when I'm looking for new sales reps. A lot of the things that I'm looking for are people that have been in leadership roles or through internships or even part-time jobs, somebody that's just showing that willingness to put themselves out there. That's something I've been able to do throughout my career that I feel has gotten me to where I'm at now. Taking chances and being comfortable, being uncomfortable, if you will, it's something that is really important that's gotten me, again, to where I'm at. It's something that I try and pay forward to those that work for me and work alongside me.
Shane Hunt:
So Mackenzie, one final question for you, and thank you for your time today. One final question. What advice would you have for a college student that's listening to this that's considering a career in sales and specifically a career in sales in the sports industry? What advice would you have for them?
Mackenzie Foos:
There's quite a bit of advice. I think some of the most important things would just make sure that you're passionate about it and you're getting into it for the right reasons. You have to be passionate about what you're selling, and if you don't enjoy it, your prospect or your client, nobody is going to want to buy something from you that you don't believe in. So make sure that you're really passionate about the product, but also the process. It's not easy. It's going to take a lot of grit and perseverance. You have to have that unwavering desire to succeed and the mental toughness to really keep going when it gets hard.
Again, that means being willing to do what it takes and try new things even if you fail. I feel like I'm better professional now because of some of the things that I've failed at in the past, and being able to learn from those mistakes is really important. So just be open to learning, make sure that you put yourself out there, and make sure that you come in with the best attitude possible because skills can be taught but attitude is something that you have to have internally, and your attitude is really what controls your day-to-day and your mindset and how successful that you are at the end of the day in this industry.
Shane Hunt:
Mackenzie, I couldn't agree with that more, and thank you so much for sharing that and sharing that with all the students and instructors who listen to this podcast. We wish you all the best. I think the part that you said about the mental toughness is so true. It's so difficult to simulate for students, for any of us, when I was first in sales. It's difficult to simulate the idea that the majority of the time you're getting told no. When you're asking somebody to come to a professional basketball game or whatever product you're selling, it really is difficult at first, don't you think, Mackenzie, to overcome that rejection?
Mackenzie Foos:
Absolutely. That's one of the toughest things, and a lot of people aren't able to do that and aren't able to get through that. And so that's why having that mental toughness and that right mindset is crucial.
Shane Hunt:
Well, Mackenzie, thank you so much for joining us here. Thank you to everyone who's listening to this episode of the Marketing Insights Podcast, and I look forward to visiting with everyone again very soon. Take care.
