CEO CORNER | Yes, I have a real job

People often say to me, “Wow! You have such a fun job!”

In fact, to this day, my two boys, now 22 and 24 years old, still do not believe I have a “real job.” That could not be further from the truth. I am the managing director/CEO of The Players Centre for Performing Arts. When running a theater, the public, and apparently my children, often get the wrong impression that my job is all about glitz and glamour from the stage, and all I do is attend parties in the lobby.

Excuse the pun, but it's all an act. Running a theater is actually running an “arts business.”

Established in 1930, The Players Centre for Performing Arts is Sarasota's first and oldest performing arts organization - and the second oldest in Florida. For more than four generations, we have built on the inspirations of the incredible talent of our community. Today, patrons worldwide join us, as we serve a diverse audience of more than 75,000 with more than 290 performances each year.

The only way to continue this success is to operate like a true corporation. Our 'widget' is a production. We are essentially building widgets on stage. My product is a performance. The strategy I follow to sell my widget is rather simple. It can be accomplished in three steps and can apply to any organization.

Step One: Create an experience for your customer.

In the theater, creating an experience has to begin from the minute a patron calls the box office or visits our website to purchase a ticket.

That experience has to carry through to our parking lot, our lobby, finding a seat and the curtain rising. Every company needs to create an experience for customers to continue to come back.

Take a moment and think about places you patronize, such as a grocery store, a restaurant, a salon, or even a favorite theater (wink). You keep going back to that same establishment because of a good experience.

It is your job as the CEO to figure out what triggers a great experience. Talk to your customers. Ask them what they like about your organization. Ask them for feedback so they have an even greater experience. Then walk around your business and try to look at it as if you are looking at it for the first time. Is there trash in the parking lot? Does the place need new paint? I try to look at The Players as if I am stepping off the monorail at Disney World for the first time. I want to create that excitement and experience for my patrons, too.

Step two: Follow a three-tier marketing approach.

I have had many lunches with other CEOs to explain the three-tier marketing concept we follow. Think of marketing in three layers or tiers that compel a customer into action.

The bottom layer (tier three) is the subtle or subliminal advertising that puts the initial thought of your business in the minds of a customer. Examples include: a radio ad, a poster in a window, a marquee or signage in front of your business, or advertising flashing up on a monitor at the airport. These types of ads put the thought of your business in a customer's head, but rarely do they compel the customer to pick up the phone and call or jump in the car to drive over to buy a product.

The next layer, tier two, is a trigger for a patron or customer to remember tier three. This could be an informational ad in a magazine a customer sees while waiting in a doctor's office or waiting for their oil to be changed at the car dealer. In the case of my theater, a patron might think, “Oh I heard about this show on the radio the other day or read that on the marquee driving by.” Tier two is the second time a customer thinks about your business. Examples of tier two marketing pieces are magazine ads, newspaper ads, mailers, brochures and web banners.

Tier one is what I refer to as the “call to action” tier. What is it going to take to compel a patron to pick up the phone to purchase a ticket or click the “buy ticket” button on our website? It's a take action ad. Examples of tier one are ads that create an urgency to act for the customer. For the theater, it could be a TV commercial, Facebook post or newspaper ad that is not simply informational but includes the words “tickets selling fast” or “limited seating.”

Step three: Build a team.

As a CEO, you can't do it all. However, you should be able to know how to do it all and be willing to do it all right alongside of your team if necessary.

Even I have rubber boots under my desk in case a toilet overflows. I love football and often relate my staff to a football team. It's not about the quarterback. It takes the team to win the game. So engage your staff on ideas to better your organization. Find out what their triggers are so they will give 150% to the organization. Recognize them when they are doing a great job.

In my situation, I am limited in financial rewards, so I have to come up with other ways to show appreciation for jobs well done. I highly recommend an annual staff retreat away from the organization. Our staff retreats usually include an hour or two of discussion on a motivational book we have all read and then we go to some type of team building adventure such as TreeUmph, Adventure Island or Busch Gardens. Remember, your team is your greatest asset. They make you look good.

These three steps have helped me transform the theater into a successful “arts business.” I hope they help you, too. See you at the theater!

Michelle Bianchi Pingel is the managing director and CEO of The Players Centre for Performing Arts in Sarasota.

CEO Corner is a quarterly column written by members of the Gulf Coast CEO Forum. Learn more about the group at: gulfcoastceoforum.com