Not only the first three rules of successful real estate investing; great location also applies to the enjoyment of a patron’s live performance experience – why else do we offer subscribers the best seats in the house?
As we spoke last time about not finding, but creating, the committed subscriber through consistently inviting them to subscribe to the largest series available for sale, we can also create the committed subscriber through the seating sections that we sell.
Here’s my biggest pet peeve when selling seating sections – it goes along with my loathing for the phrase, “Subscribe to only 4 shows for as little as…” I call it the liquidation sale. You know what I’m talking about – when we do an absolutely brilliant job at bringing the season to life, building the excitement and value for all the productions and the joy of experiencing these live productions. And then the auction starts.
“Well, Mrs. Jones, you can sit in Section A for $300, or Section B for just $150, but really the best deal is Section C, it will only cost you $99…” or, “Subscribe to only 4 shows for as little as $99.”
So much for building value for the product or the experience.
We must never lose sight of our overall goal, which is to create a committed, long-term subscriber. We must remember that to create that subscriber, it is critical to build an incredible experience for them. The better that experience, the more likely the patron will sign up the following year to have that experience again. No matter how amazing a performance was, if a patron couldn’t see part of it because their seats were off to the side, or they felt detached from the performance because their seats were so far back, they will remember those things as part of their overall experience, and that takes away from the brilliance of what happened on stage.
Paradigm Telesales has recently re-focused our callers on the importance of the subscriber’s overall experience which includes seating, and that re-focus is paying off. We work with an organization wherein all the series for sale feature the same productions; the series are only differentiated by the day of the week of the performances – the only difference in price for any of these series is the actual seating section that a patron chooses. So, on this campaign, the subscription average is a true indicator of the seating sections sold by the callers. This year, we have seen a $30 increase in the overall subscription average compared to last year. Although the $4 increase experienced on the renewal subscription average can be explained by the $5 price increase across all seating sections, it certainly does not entirely account for the increase in the new subscription average – from $140 last year, to $193 this year, a $53 increase! Paradigm is confident that when renewal season rolls around next year, our client will see the positive effect that selling the best seating section has on their renewal rate.
Financially, sure. But is the best financial deal going to assure that a patron has the best possible experience? For some; maybe. But for most, I believe they are looking at many factors besides price. The best deal is going to be the one which gives the patron the best overall experience at the performance. That means the best sight lines – where they can see the entire stage and not have to crane their neck, or miss out on aspects of the production because they cannot see to the far side of stage left. It could mean seats that are close enough that they can lose themselves in the moment happening on stage; they can see the dancers’ facial expressions at the ballet, or appreciate the nuances of the dramatic scene unfolding in front of them at the theatre… without having to put a ‘crick’ in their neck like when their kids want to sit in the front row at the movies. If there’s one thing I don’t like about sitting too close at the ballet – it’s hearing the sound of the ballerinas landing on their pointe shoes – it ruins the moment for me. I like to sit midway through the orchestra level or in the first balcony front and centre – where you can still see the emotion and the small details in the dancers’ movements, but you can’t hear the reality that is the sheer physical effort and energy that goes into making the ballet performance seem effortless.
It means seats that are easily accessible – I love sitting in the orchestra section of a venue – right at street level, you walk in and are whisked away quickly to your seats when you arrive just before curtain. It means easy access to the front of house at intermission and a quick exit when the performance is over – all very important parts of a good live performance experience for me.
What I’m trying to say is, in most cases, it’s not good enough to just get someone into the venue, no matter where, for the productions – unless we are just concerned about right now, and filling the venue for the current season. But if our goal is to foster relationships with our patrons, so that they come back again and again, year after year, evolving into that evermore elusive ‘committed subscriber’, then we must consider the entire live performance experience and adjust our sales and marketing strategies across the board - in telesales, box office, print, and other media, accordingly.
