The Major League Soccer National Sales Center is a sales training program run by MLS that recruits and trains individuals interested in starting their careers in ticket sales within the sport. Graduates of the center — which Forbes once described as a "bullpen of sales talent" — are made available for hire to all MLS clubs. Melanie Seiser is a graduate of the program and was a manager at the sales center for four years, from November 2013 to October 2017. During her time there, she shared the ins and outs of the program.
How does the program work?
I like to describe us as a college classroom combined with hands-on internship experience. The first couple of weeks in the program are classroom-based and focused on all things related to ticket sales. Once we've set the foundation, we move to implementation. Trainees make live phone calls on behalf of MLS clubs to real MLS clients. Phone calls are recorded so that we can later review them and fine-tune each individual's sales process. We truly believe that our learning model of "educate, execute, reinforce" is why trainees are able to learn a new skill set in a much shorter period of time than normal.
Where are you located?
We're based in Blaine, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities about 20 miles north of Minneapolis. Those accepted into the program are required to relocate to Blaine, where they will live on the campus of the sales center. They are here for a period of two to three months during their training.
What is the application process like?
We are always accepting applications and conducting interviews for future opportunities. We have three "classes" per year, which we call NSC Sessions. These start in January, June and September of each calendar year and average 20 to 25 trainees. Those interested in applying can email the center directly with their résumé and cover letter.
What do you look for in an applicant?
That's the million-dollar question, because there are so many different qualities that we seek out when speaking with candidates. For example, a bachelor's degree is required, but a specific academic focus is not. I have a degree in journalism and the director of the national sales center, Jeff Berryhill, has a degree in sociology. Neither of us thought ticket sales was the career path we would take while in our senior year of college — but both of us found a perfect fit.
Some characteristics we've found to be consistently advantageous to trainees are those that are often more intrinsic: a natural positivity, a competitive spirit, a confident nature and a commitment to learning. Something I've learned over the years is to always approach situations with a genuine curiosity. Everyone can teach you something; every situation can provide a new lesson. Curiosity and a desire to learn will propel you forward in any profession, but it's a particularly helpful mindset for sales.
Outside of lectures and sales conversations, how else do you conduct training at the sales center?
We've really focused our training around the concept of neuroplasticity. Without getting too scientific, neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adapt and change over time — which means that at any time, you do not have to settle for a mindset of, "Well, that's how I think" or "This is the way I've always been." Just as we can change our bodies physically through exercise, we can change our brains through mental training.
Two of the ways we do that are through improv training and meditation. We're partnered with a local theater, Brave New Workshop, that provides improvisational training to our trainees to help mold their minds to be more alert, receptive to change and open to all ideas by adopting the "yes, and" mentality. Once a week, we finish the day off with a yoga and meditation class as a group. Trainees all have memberships to our partner studio so they can practice on their own as needed.
What happens once trainees complete the program?
Ideally, they interview for and receive a full-time account executive position with an MLS club. We have very strict requirements for graduation, so you do have to earn the right to interview. Our rankings are based on a variety of metrics to provide us a holistic view of how each trainee is doing. We include things like revenue, effort, peer reviews, call evaluation scores, and manager reviews. We then compare the rankings of everyone in that particular session and the prior sessions to determine if trainees are ready to move into a full-time role. It can be a scary thing — to move to Minnesota without guarantee of a job afterward — but we've found that those who believe in themselves and are willing to take that risk are typically the type of people who fare very well in a sales role.
For more information about the Major League Soccer National Sales Center or to apply to the program, visit www.mlssoccer.com/nationalsalescenter. Follow the sales center on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.