How many times have we heard the saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." This tried and true philosophy has special applicability in the sports industry. It is probably only second to the film industry in terms of importance. It cannot be stated enough that establishing a network is a critical element of your career path.
But you already knew that networking was important right? We thought so. But, how is it done...? You could go out and buy a tuxedo/gown, a Lamborghini, and get your pearly whites bleached - and subsequently crash the Superbowl championship party. Or, alternativly, you can spend some time and energy in finding out who are the industry's leaders. Then plan out ways on how to meet and greet them.
One of the best ways to find out who the best contacts are is by becoming a member at JobsInSports.com. As a member, you will have instant access to contact information for the leaders in the industry. We supply you fax, telephone, and contact information which is updated on a weekly basis, and growing all the time... This information will save you countless hours of endless searching, dead-ends, and frustration.
After you find out who the leaders are, find out; What functions they attend? Where do they eat? What organizations are they involved in? Be careful not to become a "stalker" though, use your common sense here. If making contact with them proves too difficult then look at the next best solution. Find out who their assistants are and make sure they know who you are. An assistant in your corner is highly desirable, as it makes meeting the big guys easier!
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Networking is advertising. As such, a single contact usually will not be enough to get your message across. Generally speaking you will need to have between 5-7 meetings or "encounters" before the person takes note of who you are. Make sure that you change the flavor of your advertising each of these times, but don't change the dish. Coming at someone with the same speech every time is stale. Make them interested in what you have to say. Change things up and don't force your message. Strive to present yourself in a natural light. This makes your networking efforts appear to be conversational. And conversation is a whole lot easier to swallow than a hard and fast pitch.
