Pitch Lab Helps Miami Marlins Solve Major League Sales Challenges

Every baseball team understands the importance of home-field advantage.

But it’s not just about the fans, teams also need the support of their local community to succeed – something that Derek Jeter has been improving over the past couple years. 

Pitch Lab stepped in to help, bringing the communication and presentation skills the Miami Marlins’ sales team needs to turn it around. The result:

100% of Miami Marlins survey respondents said the Pitch Lab workshop gave them the tools to feel more confident and in control of the room.

Foul Team History 

Previous team ownership had a bad habit of undercutting and undermining the local community, leaving the team with a toxic reputation. It also left them ranking last in the league for franchise value as well as local revenue. 

Under the guidance of CEO and co-owner Derek Jeter, the organization is on a mission to win back local businesses to secure corporate partners. Corporate sponsorship is a must for making an impact in free agency and keeping good players for the long haul, integral elements for building a brighter financial future for the franchise.   

But it’s tough to win anything with a dark cloud of broken promises and resentful community members looming over you.

 

Pitch Lab Makes a Relief Appearance

After discovering Pitch Lab at ALSD 2019 in Chicago, Travis Apple, VP of Ticket Sales & Service, called in Jay Mays and Daniel Reskin from the bullpen to help Marlins gain back their home-field advantage.

Travis asked Pitch Lab to help equip his team with stronger communication and presentation skills to improve confidence, engagement and swagger in the face of adversity. 

Thus, a customized workshop for the Miami Marlins’ sales team of 60 was born.

Pitch Lab’s Approach 

To provide the most value during our time together, Pitch Lab leveraged its proven, three-pronged approach:

1 - Learn: 

Through a half-dozen learning modules, Pitch Lab broke down the comedy techniques the pros use on-stage to provide the Marlins with a ton of actionable takeaways to improve their corporate presentations.

Fan favorite techniques included: why breaking the 4th wall will make you a more engaging presenter, the role authenticity plays in building trust and how to tell a more captivating story.

2 - Practice: 

The workshop was fully interactive featuring both Comedy Karaoke and improvisation exercises. 

First attendees got to take the stage, delivering jokes from famous, one-liner comedians like Steven Wright, Demetri Martin and Rita Rudner, to not only address stage fright but also learn the power of dramatic pause — to build tension and truly be heard. 

Then the team worked on their improvisation skills through mirroring and one-word stories. These exercises drove home the importance of active listening, identifying non-verbal communication cues and then pivoting presentation topics based on a prospect’s needs.

3 - Reflect: 

At the end of each module we discussed how the lesson ties back to the Miami Marlins’ goals of being more authentic, engaging and confident in front of prospects – to build stronger connections, win more deals and retain clients longer. 

What The Marlins Said About Pitch Lab

100% of Miami Marlins survey respondents said the Pitch Lab workshop gave them the tools to feel more confident and in control of the room.

“Exciting, applicable and insightful” were just a few of the terms Miami Marlins attendees said about the workshop. 

“It’s great to get a different approach to sales other than your typical ‘sales’ training,” another added. 

“It was different, interactive, fun, and funny. Helped see some new angles to approach sales overall from the people who speak in front of crowds for a living.”

Others appreciated the hands-on approach, which is a far cry from dry sales lectures from a talking head behind a podium. 

“It was engaging, made me laugh and hit key issues I was having.”

It also brought home a few lessons that really stuck, like “You are the differentiator,” and “It’s not about perfection, it’s about connection.” 

How Pitch Lab Can Help Your Team Knock It Out of the Park

Our clients are smart people who do amazing work but want help presenting their ideas better.

To solve this challenge, Pitch Lab produces custom workshops that break down the comedy techniques the pros use on stage to help your client-facing team build stronger relationships, differentiate from the competition and win more deals.  

How will we approach a workshop for your team? Let’s chat!