You Worked Where?
One summer when I was in college I had an internship in the ticket office for the Denver Broncos. The job mostly consisted of making 80-100 cold calls each day, trying to sell premium season tickets to business owners and individuals. Despite the fact that I ended up being pretty successful in my short time, the experience was similar to living in the dorms in college - something I’m really glad I did, and that I never want to do again. I was only there for three months, yet I learned a tremendous amount that has served me for the rest of my career.
I learned resiliency, and how to adopt the mindset that each “no” got me one step closer to another “yes.” It’s pretty demoralizing to hear “no” over and over again. To get hung up on, yelled at, and mocked while trying to do your job. Initially it was hard, especially because I understood why the people on the other end of the phone line were upset. Pretty quickly I realized that I needed to have a little more fun and levity and let those “no’s” roll off like water on a duck’s back. I’d try to come up with clever responses to catch people off guard. I’d try to come up with clever responses to catch people off guard. As I stressed less, the strategy started to work - opening the door for more sales opportunities.
Me: “Hi this is Anthony Lambatos with the Denver Broncos”
Prospect: (Sarcastically) “Oh ya, what position do you play?”
Me: “I play tight end, but that’s not why I’m calling today!”
Prospect: (Laughing)“Ok, why are you calling today”
I also learned that sometimes you have to manufacture demand. We were allowed to offer tours if people were interested and one of my counterparts was notorious for having tours book and then not show up. One day I listened into one of his calls. It began with: “Hi this is Sean with the Denver Broncos, would you like to come in for a tour of our premium seating? I’m available anytime this week!” I realized that to get him off the phone, the uninterested party would simply throw out a time and hang up. Despite the fact that I was sitting at a desk all day with no appointments, when I did have someone that was interested, I would look at my blank calendar and say “This week is pretty booked up for me, but I could get you in at 10am on Tuesday or Thursday at 3pm.” All of a sudden people were rearranging their schedules, thinking they might miss out on a limited opportunity.
One of the things I love about hospitality is that in addition to a place where someone can have a 20+ year career, we also have opportunities for high school students to have their first job. I really do believe that everyone should work in the hospitality industry at some point. It gives you a greater appreciation for everything that goes into serving a meal, the logistics of preparing a room or event, and the nuances of customer service and interacting with the public.
When I talk to recent college grads, I encourage them to just start working in a field that interests them. I stress the importance of experience and learning what certain jobs entail. Many are looking for the “perfect” job that aligns with their career goals and while that is admirable, most of the people I know didn’t have a direct career path to where they are today. Do you remember your first job? Or a random place that you worked? How did those experiences shape who you are today? What lessons did you learn? I encourage you to reflect on your career path today and give a little credit to some of the unexpected stops along the way.