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In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser tackles a critical issue facing sports marketers: how to bring back fans who came once — but never returned.

With 85% of single-game buyers not returning the following season, teams are leaving massive revenue on the table. Jeremy breaks down a proven, cost-effective solution: the “We Miss You” email strategy — a personalized outreach approach that leverages existing data to re-engage past buyers.

Forget the generic newsletter blast. This strategy is all about 1:1 connection: short, simple, text-based emails that feel like they’re written just for them. Jeremy shares tips, templates, and timing advice to help you set up a campaign that feels authentic and drives results.

Whether you're in-season or planning ahead, this episode gives you a repeatable, high-ROI tactic you can launch fast.

Top Takeaways

• 85% of single-game buyers don’t come back — but they’re still your warmest leads.
• Personal > Polished: A personal email that looks like it came from a rep gets opened. A newsletter? Often ignored.
• No fancy graphics required: Keep it plain text, use their name, and mention the game they attended.
• Timing is key: Don’t wait until they forget — follow up when the memory is still fresh.
• Set up audience segments: Group buyers by game, seat type, or date for stronger messaging.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 – Why Single Game Buyers Don’t Return
• 03:40 – Personalization Beats Automation
• 06:15 – What to Include in a ‘We Miss You’ Email
• 09:10 – Segmenting Your List for Better Results
• 11:55 – How to Set This Up Quickly (Even Without a CRM)

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In this episode of The Sports Marketing Machine, host Jeremy Neisser explores one of the most underrated tools in sports marketing: service recovery. Mistakes at games are bound to happen — a missed giveaway, a ticketing issue, a long concession line — but how your team responds can turn frustration into fierce loyalty.

Jeremy shares memorable examples from companies like 1-800-FLOWERS and Disney, illustrating how proactive, empowered customer service can create “wow” moments that stick. You'll walk away with real strategies to help your team not just fix problems, but build fans for life.

✅ Key Takeaways:

• Mistakes are inevitable — recovery is optional.
  Great brands aren’t perfect. They’re prepared.
• Fans remember how you made them feel.
  Especially when things didn’t go right.
• Your frontline staff is your brand.
  Empower them with tools, autonomy, and encouragement to turn tough moments into memorable ones.
• Service recovery is a marketing opportunity.
  A fan who had a problem and a great resolution will tell more people than one who had a smooth experience.
• Train for the unexpected.
  Small gestures in high-stress moments = lifetime loyalty.

💬 Sound Bites:

• “You won’t just fix the problem — you’ll be building a fan for life.”
• “Recovery is where loyalty is born.”

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: Why Recovery Moments Matter
02:47 – Real-Life Examples (1-800-FLOWERS, Disney, and more)
06:10 – Fan Service Playbook: How to Train, Empower & Respond

If you found this episode valuable, share it with your team or drop a quick review on Apple or Spotify.
🎧 Subscribe, rate, and help more marketers learn how to turn mishaps into marketing gold.

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In this episode of The Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser breaks down how sports teams can turn end-of-season fan surveys into a powerful tool for driving next season’s ticket sales and improving game day experience. Instead of sending out generic surveys that lead nowhere, Jeremy walks through five key categories every fan survey should cover — from ticket access to promotional impact — and explains how to structure questions for actionable insights.

He also reveals how dynamic dashboards (like Power BI) transform raw survey responses into strategic clarity by tying fan feedback directly to buyer behavior. Whether you're sending your first survey or looking to overhaul your current one, this episode helps teams ask smarter questions and make smarter decisions.

✅ Top Takeaways:

• Generic Surveys Waste Time: If your survey questions aren’t connected to outcomes, they’re not helping you improve.
• Targeted & Segmented = Actionable: Separate your ticket plan holders from single-game buyers for more accurate insights.
• Dynamic Dashboards > Static Reports: Interactive reporting helps teams spot patterns and pivot faster.
• Ask the Right Questions in 5 Categories:
  • Experience: "Rate your overall game day from 1–10."
  • Ticket Access: "How easy was it to buy or access your tickets?"
  • Promotions: "Did a theme night influence your decision to attend?"
  • Intent: "How likely are you to come back next season?"
  • Demographics: Age, Zip, Family status — all crucial for targeting.
• Use Surveys to Shape Strategy — Not Just Summarize the Season: Align fan feedback with ticketing data to guide promotions, pricing, and messaging for next year.

🧠 Key Insights:

• Fans who found ticketing confusing are less likely to return — use conditional logic to uncover friction points.
• Promotions matter — asking which themes drove attendance helps teams double down on what works.
• Knowing if fans have kids, their age range, and location can directly shape outreach and offers.
• Connecting survey sentiment to actual buyer behavior unlocks more strategic marketing and retention plays.

🗣️ Sound Bites:

• “If you don’t segment your responses, you’ll miss the most important patterns.”
• “Don’t ask a question unless you plan to act on the answer.”
• “Dynamic surveys + sales data = a goldmine of strategy.”

⏱️ Chapters:

• 00:00 – Intro: Why Surveys Are a Hidden Power Tool
• 03:08 – The 5 Essential Survey Question Buckets
• 05:53 – Static vs. Dynamic: Why Dashboards Matter
• 09:13 – Sample Survey Questions You Should Be Asking
• 12:03 – Final Thoughts & How to Use Surveys to Guide Strategy

📬 Looking to level up your fan survey process?

We now offer a full-service solution for teams: from survey setup to dynamic reporting dashboards that tie fan feedback directly to outcomes.
📅 Schedule a demo to see how it works.

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help more teams grow their fan base and sell more tickets!

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