The big game is coming, your company has tickets, follow these 5 rules to land the big deal and avoid a possibly embarrassing situation. Sports is the ultimate ice-breaker. It’s in the board room, the break room, the corner office, and the warehouse. The universal appeal of sports leads companies to spend over $20 billion a year on tickets and suites to live events to get valuable face time with customers and prospects. When used correctly, tickets are a terrific business asset. When used incorrectly, however, they can unintentionally insult a customer and actually do more harm than good to your business. Follow these five easy rules to get the most out of your tickets:

The earlier the better

Executives have busy schedules and they know when the big games are. Inviting a guest to a big event has more clout when done early.

Never invite a big customer at the last minute unless they ask first.

The quality of the game matches the guest

Not every game is created equal. Taking an important customer to a Tuesday game against the cellar dwellers sends the wrong message. Unless it’s their hometown team or they ask, you’ll be doing more harm than good.

Send something memorable

Make the memory last and avoid the common mistake of giving away memorable paraphernalia at the event. Your goal is to get the keepsake into the customers hands where they will keep it for the long term.