Since I was four years old, I have been around a tennis court, dragged to my mom’s (former Division 1 coach for Tennessee Tech) private lessons and clinics when we couldn’t get a babysitter, to playing in those clinics for free as an example. By age 12, I was assisting my mom in coaching tennis to kids younger than me. I continue to teach and play tennis at the collegiate level, and it has become more than a sport to me- it’s a lifestyle. The problem as a tennis pro teaching lessons and clinic is, “How do I get you to play again, and again, so I can make more money?”. I use sales tactics learned from years of working with clients on and off the court to keep them coming back to take lessons from me, a 21-year-old college kid who plays division 3 tennis. I sell them the tennis lifestyle.
When giving my first lesson to a student or client, I try to identify their need, whether it is trying to improve, trying to just get good exercise, or just wanting to have fun. Usually, I can determine this from their past in tennis and if they are preparing for any kind of tournament or league play, and of course their age, as most people below 30 are going to want more competitive lessons and people above 30 are going to want less competitive lessons and are more there for the social aspect like golf. Once I determine this I cater the lesson to their preference with engaging drills, and overall try to find where I think as a coach they can improve on. In the end we do a drill to work on what they need to improve and they come away with a better serve, tweaked backhand, or stronger forehand, and that success makes them want more. They have entered the tennis lifestyle.
From then on, my sales objective is to develop a growing trust relationship with my student in order to keep them as a regular weekly lesson. This involves keeping them learning new ways to improve their game and satisfy their need in tennis. Doing so guarantees me a steady income through lessons and even more so this same process is done with multiple other students in the same week, building a chain of trusting relationships, all addicted to the tennis lifestyle because of need satisfaction.
huisjenla24 
yoderew24 
francesallen
I really love how you integrated tennis, a sport that has nothing to do with sales, with sales. It shows how you can do something to help others like giving them lessons but also integrate it into your sales method so you keep them coming back
This is so cool! I really like how you were selling a lifestyle and not just simply a service. You made it personal to each customer. I thought it was smart how you are able to sell your lessons also through targeting specific age demographics in how you make it personal to each customer.
This is great Ben! I like how you’ve related something that has been part of your life for so long to sales. Relationships are so important for sales, seems like you and the students are both benefitting from your lessons!