Interview With A Marketer: Neda Tabatabaie – Director, CRM & Research, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Have you ever wondered what skills the head of a marketing department looks for when hiring or where marketing leaders turn to for the latest industry trends?
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1. What is a regular day of work like in your position? If no regular days, what types of activities fill your week?
Every day is unique at MLSE. We are an internal service department, so depending on what is going on across the organization; our day can look very different. Our work tends to mirror our teams’ schedule, though. My team looks after our email marketing which includes all our communication to our Season Seat Holders; our CRM system, which is growing into an enterprise-wide system. We also take care of all our organization’s research needs. So depending on the day we could be working on service surveys to our Season Seat Holders, launching ticket sales for the start of a new season or working on a fan advisory for an upcoming concert or meeting with IT about the enhancement or the expansion of the CRM system.
There have been days that I’ve handed out bobble heads to the fans at the gates, helped put out 20,000 t-shirts on the seats at Air Canada Centre or helped MLSE Foundation raise funds or refurbish a facility. We have a great team at MLSE and everybody pitches in when extra help is needed.
Almost every day, I see the Raptor or Carlton walk by my office on their way to meet the fans. It never gets old!
2. Within the next few years, what skill(s) are you seeing an increased demand for within your Marketing department?
Data and analytics. Every day you see more and more about Big Data as it relates to marketing. Every marketing department is trying to get more on top of their organization’s data, gather it, analyze it and apply the learnings to the marketing, sales campaigns and service initiatives. This is especially a challenge since finding the right skill set is not easy. Not many traditional analysts think of marketing and not many marketers can analyze data. The roll that can sit between the two skill sets is becoming increasingly important.
3. Do you take part in any activities outside of work that help you manage stress?
I try to work out at least twice a week. It is also important to take time off and just leave everything behind for a few days; I especially find that necessary in the winter. Things really start to ramp up after Labour Day for us and by February, it really catches up with you. So a week off in February tends to help. My work environment also helps in relieving stress. I get energy from the fans that come to Air Canada Centre every night. The look on a kids face at their first game or when they see the Raptor or Carlton lifts any dark clouds. I love what I do and I appreciate how lucky I am to be able to contribute to our fans’ experience
4. What’s the strangest interview question you’ve ever asked? Why did you ask it?
I don’t think I have asked very strange questions in my interviews, at least nothing like “how many basketballs fit in this room?” Vision and Values is a huge part of MLSE and it is an area that we try to cover in our interviews which sometimes throws people off. Most candidates are ready to answer questions about their experience, skill set, five-year-plan and so on, but not everybody is expecting to be asked about the values that are important to them or that they would bring to their work environment or expect from their work environment. Ultimately your values are what’s going to carry you through the challenging times.
5. What tips can you offer passionate Marketers who want to take their career above and beyond the status quo?
Sharpen your skills and make sure that you are on top of the latest news and trends. Be proactive, take ownership of your work and run with it. Don’t wait for things to come to you, initiate and create your own opportunities. Bring new ideas to the table, but know that not every new idea is going to be executed, so don’t be disappointed and don’t give up. Be a solution provider for your clients, your teammates and the person that you report to. Never get complacent; this is a fast-moving industry in a fast-moving time…you never know everything. Be collaborative and a team player. Have a trusted and respected peer as a sounding board. Even better…build a professional peer group, a group where you can help each other grow and develop and where you can bounce ideas.
Let Neda know her responses were insightful by using the Facebook comments below (or personally via email at neda.tabatabaie at mlse dot com).
