tampa bay buccaneers

Ben Milsom can pinpoint the moment he knew he would make it in sales, and it was his first contract. It was 2001 and he was 22, working in entry-level sales for the floundering Tampa Bay Lightning and getting $13,000 a year, commissions and no benefits for his trouble.

He had met the president of the Florida region for a large pharmaceutical company, and on the phone, the executive told Milsom if he could get to his office in Orlando within 120 minutes he’d sign a suite contract.

“So, I literally had two hours in I-4 traffic to get over to Orlando, and he signed the contract on my back, and I had my first suite deal,” Milsom recounted. “Since [then] I have had the confidence I was going to be able to sell and do this for a living.”

Milsom hopscotched among big-league teams, with stints in Indiana and Sacramento (he still refuses to give up his California mobile number).

“I was there for two years, and I have been here for nine years, and I worry if I switch anything the world is going to forget about me,” he said laughing.

That’s unlikely given he oversees most revenue business for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, steering them to solid financial footing despite spotty on-field results.

The team has ranked first in internal NFL surveys of customer service four out of the last five years, he said, a necessity with a disappointing team and sizzling afternoon sun making life sticky for fans.

Down the road, he sees the Bucs mimicking the Miami Dolphins and adding a roof over Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

“They have nailed it,” Milsom said of the Dolphins’ stadium renovations, including the roof covering. “It’s just the message, ‘We understand how bad it is down here, but we want to make it as comfortable as possible for you.’”

— Daniel Kaplan