Before we jump into the three ways industry experience can help launch your sports career, it’s a good idea to first understand why employers want you to have industry experience.

Employers don’t want to spend the time, the money, or the energy to train you for certain aspects of the job. Some things just need to be learned in a real-world environment, not on the employer’s dime.

Employers also recognize that if you’ve been able to gain experience through an internship, or a part-time job, or even volunteering, this shows solid evidence that you’re willing to take action, a critical trait that employers love.

Your experience shows proof to employers that you’re a go-getter and that you’re truly passionate about your sports career. Employers also understand human nature: If you’re action-oriented before you have the job, the odds of you becoming an action-taking employee are very good.

The reverse is also true. If you can’t demonstrate on your resume that you’re action-oriented, then employers will perceive you as unmotivated, or just not that serious about your sports career.

Below are three ways sports industry experience can help launch your sports career:

1. Networking

Sports industry experience, even in a voluntary environment, gives you an excellent opportunity to network—directly—with employers. This type of networking is far more effective than online social networking, or even live networking events where everyone is trading business cards.

Working directly with sports executives and/or sports sponsors will put you in prime position to make a name for yourself and establish a good, hardworking reputation with a variety of prospective employers.

2. Test Drive Different Jobs

Gaining industry experience gives you the opportunity to try out different types of jobs in a variety of business segments. This is where you can learn a lot about yourself.

You might realize after working as an intern for your favorite Major League Baseball team, that going to games and working 15-hour days isn’t exactly as wonderful as you thought it was.

On the other hand, an internship with your favorite sneaker manufacturer might help you discover that selling something you love—during regular work hours, no less—is the type of career you could become passionate about.

Self-discovery is key because this will help you narrow your career focus and enable you to determine exactly where you want to go.

3. Build Your Portfolio

Gaining sports industry experience also allows you the opportunity to build a professional portfolio. Your portfolio may be the most important marketing tool you’ll create during this phase of your career launch.

Most students or career-changers (i.e. your competitors), won’t have a portfolio. That’s good news. You, on the other hand, will have one because in a a future blog post I’m going to show you a simple way to make one, regardless of the job you’re after.

I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to have a portfolio. Don’t let the word “portfolio” throw you off. It’s just a simple collection of photos and testimonials that highlight your experiences and your talent. However, when done right, it can be the most powerful and influential weapon you can bring to the interview.

Photo: by Chris McKinney

About Chris McKinney

Chris McKinney is the president of SPORTS LAUNCH™, a career services firm dedicated to helping college students and career-changers launch sports careers. Chris' new book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps can be found on www.SportsLaunch.net.

Web | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | More Posts (29)

Sports marketing has evolved over the last few decades. It used to consist simply of a television commercial, a signboard at a televised event, or maybe a player endorsement with a chosen player wearing a company logo on a shirt.  Today, sports marketing is far more innovative and sophisticated. Sponsors want returns for their investment and are getting savvier in that pursuit. Red Bull, by generating new and unconventional ideas, is one brand that has changed the sports marketing landscape.

The drink, created in 1987 and derived from Thai ingredients, is sold in those distinctive slim blue-silver cans we all know so well. Available in over 72 countries, Red Bull has become one of the most popular energy drinks in the world. Owned by the Austrian Red Bull Gmbh company, it is also one of the most recognizable brands. 

Much of Red Bull’s success comes down to the company’s sports marketing strategy. The strategy is aggressive and transcends simple sponsorship – Red Bull wants to own teams and events. The company has a huge focus on brand management and ownership allows it to completely control how its brand is associated with that sport. The drink claims to improve some of the most important attributes of successful sports people – fast reactions, concentration and endurance. In that respect, the brand values of Red Bull are closely aligned with many sports.

In 2006, in an article appearing in the Washington Post, Red Bull CEO and founder Dietrich Mateschitz estimated spending $300M on sports sponsorships:

“or about a third of his company’s annual marketing expenditures”.

Referring to the Red Bull official website five years later, you’ll see that the company now owns an impressively long list of events.

Many of these events consist of a World Series in extreme sports. These sports have always offered great brand marketing opportunities to sponsors, but Red Bull is doing more than other sponsors. Red Bull has created new unique sports properties ostensibly to sell more of its product.

Firstly, there is the Red Bull Crushed Ice Series, which, according to the description on the home page, is “a combination of ice hockey, downhill skating and boardercross!”. There is also the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour, which, in 2010, encompassed “three continents, six countries, nearly 200,000 spectators and more than 1,000 jumps”; the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series – “high diving at its most death-defying”; and the Red Bull Air Race.  The latter event has been in existence for 8 years, debuted in New York in 2010 and last September it won an IBC Award for Broadcasting Excellence. The Air Race will take this year off, but if you go to the website you can still take part in a new virtual Red Bull Air Race.

Other Red Bull events range from an extreme sailing series to surf, motor sport and other sports tournaments.

Red Bull also owns an array of sports teams from Red Bull Brasil, a soccer team in Brazil, to EC Red Bull Salzburg, a member of the Austrian Hockey League in its home market. The ownerships most people associate with Red Bull would probably be Red Bull Racing – the Formula One (F1) Team that celebrated victories in the drivers and constructors’ championships in 2010, Scuderia Toro Rosso – an Italian team in F1, Team Red Bull – a team that competes in NASCAR and, lastly, the New York Red Bulls – a soccer team that competes in the Major Soccer League.

In 2009 Red Bull also stepped into player endorsement representing a new strategic direction by the company. A deal with Chicago Bears kick returner Kevin Hester was announced and Red Bull also signed the New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush. Hester fans can even watch a video of Hester going through a Red Bull high performance program on the website.  Red Bull is now associated with a long list of athletes: bikers, skiers, riders and drivers.  Featured athletes on its site include the French international soccer star, Thierry Henry, who plays for the New York Red Bulls in New Jersey, skateboarder Ryan Sheckler and Minnesotan skier Lindsey Vonn.

The company does have its critics – some are opposed to complete team ownership. For them, sponsors and large corporate brands should only provide funds to sports or endorse a few players. Other critics would go further by claiming that Red Bull has upset stakeholders, such as fans, by not being cognizant or sensitive to certain issues. For instance, when Red Bull purchased the SV Salzburg soccer team in Austria, Red Bull changed the team’s violet and white colors to the colors of the energy drink (red, yellow, and blue).

Red Bull, with its reputation for innovation and creativity is, however, widely considered to be one of the smarter sports sponsors around. Its sports marketing strategy has achieved so much more than just creating widespread global exposure for its brand.  The company’s success to date and its global sales (according to the official website “In 2009 some 3.906 billion cans of Red Bull Energy Drink were consumed world-wide”) would suggest that the strategy has actually transformed the brand. If this strategy continues, I expect Red Bull, like its slogan, will continue to ‘give wings’ to a successful future.

(Photo by Nick Laham – Getty Images –)

About Chris Conway

Chris is a strategic programs analyst at the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) focusing on, amongst other things, sponsorship research, analytics and acquisition. He holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Business (AGSM). Chris took part in the school’s exchange program by completing a semester at Stern business school, NYU where he studied sports marketing and sports economics. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Web | Twitter | LinkedIn | More Posts (24)

There are many types of pitches. Some pitches are for raising money for a new company. Other pitches are designed to pique the interest of a book publisher or a movie producer.

The pitch I’m going to help you with is designed to get you in front of the person who has the power to hire you, specifically in the Sports Industry.

We’ll call this pitch, the “First Pitch,” because it will be the first pitch you’ll make to the Hire Authority.

The primary goal of the First Pitch is to establish a connection. Making a connection is a lot different that just making contact. A connection with someone is more personal, more meaningful and much more memorable. (Please note: The First Pitch is not designed to land you a job on the spot. Think of it as the “first step” toward getting an interview.)

Below are the 3 Keys to a Killer Pitch: 

Be Relevant

At this point, you’ve targeted the companies you want to work for and have identified the Hire Authority at each company. Now you just need to make a connection.

To make a connection, you have to be relevant to the Hire Authority. Relevant, in this case, can be categorized in two ways: 1) You’re relevant because you can make their job easier; and 2) You’re relevant because you make them feel good about themselves.

Relevant is NOT you asking for a job. The minute they feel you’re about to ask, “Are you hiring?” is the minute your pitch goes down the toilet. (Note: asking for a job is the Final Pitch, which I will cover another time.)

Below are four ways to become Relevant:

• Ask to interview THEM for your blog, newsletter, or special report

• Let them know you just read an article about their team (or client) and it sparked an idea you’d like to share

• Establish a new media clipping service and give them a free subscription, but had a few questions first

• Let them know you have an affinity for their [charity] and would like to help out (read: volunteer)

Be Authentic

In other words, be yourself. Since you’re pursuing your “dream career,” I’m going to assume that you will automatically be PASSIONATE about what you’re doing. Passion sells. Passion wins people over.

However, the biggest mistake people make is that they are passionate about the wrong thing. They’re passionate about the team, the players, and sports in general. (Who cares?)

Everyone’s passionate about sports. But not everyone is truly passionate about the specific job duties surrounding the position you are pursuing (with the exception of you, of course). Your passion for the actual job is one of the things that can set you apart from the competition. But the passion must be real. You must be authentic!

Below are a few ways to communicate you’re Authentic:

• Demonstrate how the Sports Industry [insert specific job here] plays a big role in your life by subscribing to industry rags and blogs

• Show your commitment thru memberships w/ Sports Industry associations (e.g. Sports Executives Association)

• Start your own Sports Industry organization on campus or online

• Don’t say things like, “I’m a people person,” or “I love the Patriots” (that doesn’t mean anything; it’s just noise)

Be Confident

It’s a proven fact that people are drawn to individuals who are self-confident. Employers will hire the super-confident over the kinda-confident every single time.

However, don’t confuse confidence with being cocky or arrogant. As a matter of fact, arrogance will have the complete opposite affect. It’s a thin line. The difference? Cocky people care about themselves. Confident people care about others.

Below are ways you can achieve complete confidence:

• Do your homework about the Hire Authorities

• Do your homework on the targeted companies

• Do something in the sports industry worth bragging about

• Develop a First Pitch you fully believe in

• Practice delivering your pitch without sounding canned

When your homework is done and you know you’re out-worked the competition and you believe in who you are and where you’re going –- and can articulate that –- you will be unstoppable.

CHRIS’ KEYS

• Be very clear from the start

• Never imply you need a job

• When you make a connection, stay connected

About Chris McKinney

Chris McKinney is the president of SPORTS LAUNCH™, a career services firm dedicated to helping college students and career-changers launch sports careers. Chris' new book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps can be found on www.SportsLaunch.net.

Web | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | More Posts (29)

Most everyone loves tip sheets. They’re easy to read, they don’t take more than a few moments to complete, and most often, they’re fun to read. If you’re an athlete embarking on your post-pro career or any other sports-related executive, a tip sheet, or a series of tip sheets, is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Here’s a tip sheet on how to write your own tip sheet. You can easily write a simple tip sheet to post on your website, blog, or social media sites.

1. Use a highly specific topic to center your tip sheet around. “Top 10 Tips on How to Lose 10 Pounds” is better than “How to Lose Weight.”

2.  Determine the purpose of the tip sheet. What do you want to use it for? To gather names? Market to prospective customers? To educate your current clients? A clear purpose will help you keep focused on the subject matter.

3.  Keep your tip sheet consistent with the tone of your website and blog. If your writing is serious, don’t try humor in a tip sheet. If your website has a casual tone, don’t write a deadly serious tip sheet.

4. Create short, bulleted lists that appeal to media. Print publications and t.v. stations love short bulleted lists because they’re ready-made and don’t require editing.

5.  Keep your tip sheet to no more than 12 items. More than that and you’ll lose your readers quickly.

6.  Use numerals instead of spelling out numbers in your headline. Example: Use 10 Tips for… not Ten Tips for…

7.  Write for humans, not for the search engines. Your readers are human and although keywords are important, don’t stuff your tip sheet with non-essential keywords.

8.  Use verbs in your tips. Action words tell your readers exactly what to do, eg: “Invest in gold with these 7 hot tips” or “Develop your business model by leveraging expert advice.”

9.  Write a series of tip sheets on one topic. Example: Motivation – 5 Tips to Stay Motivated When you Work Alone, 10 Tips to Revive Yourself on Emotional “Dip” Days, 7 Ways to Motivate other Self-Bossers.”

10. Publicize your books or reports with complementary tip sheets. Tip sheets are perfect instruments to draw attention to items you sell. It doesn’t give away all your information; it simply provides a “teaser” to make your readers thirsty for more.

If you’ve never written a tip sheet, use the tips above to sharpen your writing skills, gain public exposure, and establish yourself as an expert.

About Michelle Hill

Michelle Hill, the Strong Copy Quarterback for Winning Proof, is a sports and fitness copywriter. My mission is to help pro athletes, coaches, and sports agents increase their success score in their entrepreneurial endeavors with my writing expertise and creative turn of mind.I write website content, client letters, media pitch letters, sponsorship proposals, and brochures for sports-related companies. www.winningproof.com

Web | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | More Posts (64)

“It’s plenty of money. When you hit a certain point, enough’s enough. It’s just a matter of where you’re comfortable, where you’re happy, where your family’s the most comfortable, what team gives you the best chance to win. At this point, it’s about trying to win championships. That’s really the No. 1 thing for me. I think this team gives me the best chance to do that. That’s really it.” – Cliff Lee, 12/15/2010

Earlier this week, baseball’s most sought after free agent pitcher, Cliff Lee, signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. All the speculation was that he would go with either the New York Yankees (who offered him a deal worth $150 million) or the Texas Rangers. Instead, Lee accepted a $120 million deal that will keep him in Philly for the next five years. “It feels great to land back here in Philadelphia,” Lee said at a news conference at Citizens Bank Park.

Lee pitched for the Phillies during the second half of the 2008-09 season, leading them to the World Series, where they would ultimately lose to the Yankees. After the ’09 postseason ended, the Phillies decided they would not re-sign Lee. He was shocked and saddened, almost in tears when he appeared on TV a day later. Philadelphia fans were upset as well. Lee was beloved by the fan base from the moment he arrived. Not only was he a workhorse on the mound, but he had a good personality, no-nonsense attitude, and an unquestionable desire to win. Even though the Phillies would sign Roy Halladay (arguably baseball’s best pitcher) later in the offseason, fans still mourned the loss of Lee… until Monday night.

The Phillies seemed to come out of nowhere in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, but that might not have been the case. At the news conference on Wednesday, Lee said, “I never wanted to leave here in the first place.” For me, Lee’s signing with the Phillies reinforced two valuable business concepts. They are:

Relationships mean everything (It’s not all about the money).

One of the biggest reasons Cliff Lee returned to Philadelphia was because of the positive relationships he developed here in 2009. In his half season with the Phillies, Lee formed a close bond with a lot of the players, coaches, and Phillies staff, many of whom were unhappy with Lee’s departure. They wanted him back as much as he wanted to be back. Lee also developed a great relationship with Philadelphia fans. When Lee nonchalantly caught a sky-high pop up during Game 1 of the World Series, the entire stadium (and Phillies fans around the world) erupted with joy. Lee has a swagger Philadelphians love. And he’s a winner. Fans have always wanted Lee to be a part of this staff, and you’ll see that this year when he pitches. Finally, this year during the playoffs, Lee was vocal about the fact that Yankees fans harassed and spit on his wife. Even though Lee says the incident had no impact on his decision, who would want to pitch in front of fans who once showed hatred towards him and his family?

All of these factored into Lee’s decision to come back to Philadelphia and reinforce a valuable aspect of business. Relationships mean a lot. People want to do business and work with others they get along with and trust. That’s why developing a sound network is so important. Even though Lee was offered $30 million more by the Yankees, his positive relationships with the Phillies organization and fans, mixed with his negative relationship with Yankees fans, led him to do business with the Phils. Similarly, any business deal can be affected by positive and negative relationships. People like doing business with friends.

Surround yourself with people and situations that allow you to thrive.

Another major reason Cliff Lee returned to Philly was because of the starting rotation the team had already assembled. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels are all high-quality pitchers. By adding himself into the rotation, Lee was giving the Phillies one of the best starting rotations of all time. Who wouldn’t want to pitch with other great pitchers, who in turn give him the best chance to win? Who wouldn’t want some of the pressure taken off of them if they could? Also, by pitching in Philadelphia as opposed to New York, Lee would be playing in front of a crowd that already was in love with him, as opposed to a crowd he’d already had some negative experiences with. More than that, even, he’d be pitching for baseball’s most elite team in baseball’s biggest media market, with a less-than-great pitching staff around him, and a ton of pressure.

We are naturally more productive and effective in situations that are comfortable for us. When there are less nerves involved and when things feel more natural for us, we are more able to focus and more confident. Lee’s decision was partially driven by the fact that he’s happier in Philadelphia and believes that the Phillies give him the best chance to succeed personally and to win a championship. Similarly, we’re likely going to choose situations that allow us to be the best we can be personally, and succeed the most. It’s just the way it is. Businesses and business people make devisions like that all of the time.

What do you think about Lee’s decision to come back to Philadelphia? Have you seen the comparisons of Cliff Lee to Lebron James (Cliff Lee-bronJames)? Do you think there are ANY similarities? Personally, I’m a Phillies fan and could not be happier about Lee coming back to the team. Spring training can’t come soon enough!

###

Image by artolog

Image by pvsbond

About Sam Taggart

Sam is a Creative Strategist for VaynerMedia, a social media agency based in New York City. Sam previously worked as an Account Executive for the New York Jets as well as the New Jersey Nets and spent time working with former NBA player Jalen Rose as well as NFL safety Kerry Rhodes. He now focuses on creative strategy across VaynerMedia's portfolio. You can follow Sam at http://twitter.com/gosam & visit VaynerMedia at http://www.vaynermedia.com.

Web | Twitter | LinkedIn | More Posts (49)

It is the third week of the Overtime Post, and both Lewis and I are on the road this week. Ironically, he went from the east coast to the west, and I’m going from the west to the east. Twitter is great, but nothing beats real hi-fives, fist pumps, and sharing stories in person. If you’re in New York for the week, I’d love to meet you, just shoot me a mail, and don’t get left behind in the offline networking shift!

I took Virgin America for the first time and they have this neat feature of being able to chat with other passengers on the plane according to seat number. Much props to them for trying to make the flight experience more social. It could be a cool tool for networking in the future. I’m literally writing this on a plane so I’m going to keep it short.

This week’s posts:

Monday:

Top 4 Ways to Utilize Social Media to Grow Your Fan Base

Ash tops off a great series with a wrap up post to growing your fan base through social media. I don’t usually do this, but I bookmarked it for the future.You should do the same. They are simple tips, yet we can often get caught in the midst of all the glamour of the latest social network or cool new features. These steps are the core.

Read the full post.

Wednesday:

The Minnesota Vikings PR Soap Opera

Say what you will about Brett Favre and the Vikings but they keep things interesting. And we all thought they were just going to play football and win a super bowl this year.

Read the full post.

Thursday:

Interview with Retired NFL Player Levar Fisher on Business and Family

Levar seems like a great guy and this interview provided a deep look at how to balance life and travel. It’s a must read for anybody who travels and works, and still wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home (which, I imagine to be a lot of you).

Read the full post.

Friday:

Incorporating Social Media into Televised Sports

I am definitely one of those junkies that gets over excited on Twitter during sports games. Just a heads up in April, May, and June for those kind people that follow me (Hint, playoffs).

Read the full post.

Friday Bonus:

Interview with Boston Celtics’ Peter Stringer on Social Media

Shaq and Nate Robinson’s contributions on social media have been a real pleasant treat for Boston Celtics fans. And here’s an unpleasant trick from them.

Read the full post.

The Links:

Kevin Love Records First 30-30 Game since the ’80s

It really makes you wonder if Kevin Love needs to work on his networking skills or send his coach a promotional dvd of his game, because he’s averaging less than 30 minutes a game.

NHL All Star Game to Include Schoolyard Fantasy Draft

I’ve been saying for years that All Star games are a snore. It’s just not entertaining and fans in recent years have made a mockery of the silly voting system. While this is not such a big deal, I love that Brendan Shanahan is injecting creativity back into the game. Now if only he could get accountable reffing going…

Facebook Set to Enter into Email

What does this mean? It means that Facebook is changing everything again. But no, really, it’s something to keep in mind, especially those who work in engagement for their respective teams.

###

Image by fergusonphotography

About Sam Chan

Sam is the community manager of Sports Networker and the Sports Executive Association. He is passionate in all things sports, mobile, and social media. His dream is for the Vancouver Canucks to win a Stanley Cup in his lifetime, although so far, its looking kind of bleak. In the past, he worked with BlackBerry and helped relaunch their Business-to-Business network. With his experience there, he can probably help you change your ringtone, maybe. When he finds time (never), he also writes infrequently at his personal blog. If you would like to talk sports, write a guest post for us, or argue about why iPhone > BlackBerry, you can find him on Twitter, Facebook or email.

Web | More Posts (18)

1. Network, Network, Network

Have you heard the adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” Well, in sports, it’s more like “who knows you” or “who is familiar with your work“. The key to getting your first sports job (or any job) is networking. You need to get out there in front of the decision makers who have the power to hire you, whether that’s the head of the sales department, box office or the general manager.

Attending networking functions is a great idea. Most teams and leagues either run their own career fair or attend sports related fairs every year. For example, job seekers interested in a career in Minor League Baseball should attend the annual PBEO Conference (the same “Winter Meetings” where players are traded and the Rule V draft are held ever year) and network with as many people as possible.

2. Get Ready to Sell

Sales is the most important aspect of a front office. One of the first things you must know about working in sports is that you’re always selling, even if you don’t work in the sales department. Although you might work in marketing, public relations or events, you will be called to sell tickets-or perhaps even sponsorships-from time to time. You’re always selling the value of attending a game at your stadium/arena so the concept of selling tangible goods like tickets really isn’t that different from selling the experience itself.

3. Be Comfortable Wearing Many Hats

Get ready to wear many different hats throughout the day-it’s true of the sports industry and especially in minor league sports. One day you might be driving to the airport to pick up the newest addition to your roster and the next day you might be dressing up as the mascot. Understand that all sports organizations do this to some degree. It’s more prevalent in minor league sports where staffs are small and “to do” lists are long but it occurs in major league sports at times as well.

4. Be a Sponge

Be a sponge. Soak up as much information you possibly can about the sports industry itself and especially about the team or league where you’d like to work. Ask for informational interviews to learn about the positions which interest you the most. The employee you’re talking to was probably in your shoes not too long ago. A little information can be a powerful think, especially as you try to position yourself as the best candidate for a position in the midst of an already crowded and extremely competitive job market.

5. ‘You Are the Team’

For all intents and purposes, this adage is especially true of the sports industry. A fan might only encounter one team employee during a game. It is therefore necessary that all employees represent the team and provide excellent customer service at all times-it is the single most important responsibility you have as an employee. If a customer asks you for help and you can’t help them, find someone who can. This may be your only chance to impact this customer all night–and often times the smallest interactions can leave the greatest impact on a customer and their overall enjoyment that night. The higher you rise in an organization, the more visible you are.

6. Love What You Do

Working in the sports industry is often a labor of love. There are millions of people out there that love sports but only a select few among them work in the industry. You have to be passionate about sports and really love what you do to stay in the sports industry. You will be asked to sacrifice your time on weekends and holidays. If you’re interested in working a traditional 9-to-5 schedule, the sports industry is definitely not for you. There are always college students and recent graduates salivating at the chance to work in the sports industry (and often work for free).

7. You’re Not Going to Be Able to Watch the Games

One of the biggest misconceptions about the sports industry is that employees have the opportunity to watch the games themselves. This is absolutely not the case. In baseball, for example, you might catch an inning or two while you move around the stadium but you will never have the opportunity to sit down and watch the game.

The game itself is your primary chance to interact with your clients which is why watching the game is something you will almost never do.

8. Be Ready to Climb the Ladder

As with athletes, sports employees will often start at the lowest levels of the minors and work their way up the ladder in their respective sports. It’s common for employees to move from one position to a more senior position in the span of several seasons.

Employees will often climb the minor league ladder as athletes do, especially if they work in sales, public relations or broadcasting. Employees have tremendous growth potential in the sports industry if they work hard and tirelessly and build relationships constantly.

9. Be Innovative

Creativity rules in the sports industry. Every year, teams gain exposure due to wacky and off-the-wall promotions, especially in the minor leagues. Sometimes the best sponsorship ideas come from a wild idea someone offers at the end of a meeting. That’s just how it happens sometimes.

If you enjoy coming up with creative solutions to problems and thinking outside-the-box, you’ll enjoy working in the sports industry.

10. Have Fun

Although sports is a business, it is also a fun business. You meet a lot of great people and gain valuable experience by working in the sports industry-experience that really transcends the sports industry itself.

Think about it: where else can you dress up like a mascot or dance with the Blues Brothers on the top of a dugout? Sports is a unique industry and can be fun if you give it a chance.

I’d love to hear the story of how you landed your first sports job. Please let me know in the comments below!

###

Image by cambra_barcelona

Image by avlxyz

Image by plastanka

About Brendan Wilhide

Brendan Wilhide runs Sportsin140.com, a site that covers sports and social media. He is currently co-authoring a textbook on social media for the sports industry. Follow him on Twitter: @BrendanWilhide and @Sportsin140.

Web | More Posts (7)

Tweetups have been one of the true successes of Twitter. Meeting new sports fans through social media is great, but nothing compares to the networking and bonding that occurs in face to face events. Embracing both social media and face to face relationships, the San Francisco Giants hosted the first tweetup for Major League Baseball earlier this season.

This wednesday, they are hosting another tweetup, called “Tweetup Happy Hour”. I am going to be there as well and would love to meet with you as well!

Via the Giants Official Website:

The special event ticket package includes a ticket to the game in one of the official Tweetup sections of the ballpark (most of which are in section 140… 140 characters… we know, we’re clever), plus a pre-game Tweetup in Scoreboard Plaza from 5:15pm-7pm, one complimentary drink at the pre-game party, and various Twitter promotions throughout the game. The pregame Tweetup will feature a DJ, cash bar, some Giants giveaways, and as a bonus, the first 250 fans to arrive to the party will receive the t-shirt from our first Tweetup. Make sure to follow @SFGiants on Twitter, and use the #SFGTweetup hastag during the event!

On top of that, you’ll get to meet members of the Giants Front Office Staff (including their social media team), local media, technology rockstars and the @SFGiants Community.

Tickets are $19.00 and can be purchased at SFGiants.com/SpecialEvents

See you tomorrow!

###

About Lewis Howes

Web | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | More Posts (187)

Imagine a site where users could send friends messages, customize personal profiles, network through online chats, and have the ability to stay in contact with those whom they may not be able to see on a daily basis. No, I am not talking about Facebook, but rather the new and upcoming networking site for coaches, performance specialists, and sport professionals called CoachBook.

CoachBook is a powerful networking site that enables users to have the ability to connect with other coaches. Those who become members of the site have the ability to leave comments on as many profiles as they wish, invite friends, join groups, reply to discussions in forums, create a personal profile, and dive into a list of job postings from around the country.  Anyone can sign up on CoachBook—it’s easy and free. CoachBook encourages members to create a profile that allows them to promote not only themselves, but also their website, products, services, or company.

CoachBook was created by Bill Vasko, a long-time college football and baseball coach who currently serves as the head softball coach and strength coordinator at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia.  Since its inception in October 2008, CoachBook has gained over 2500 members, all of which were primarily through word of mouth. What started out as a hobby for Vasko, has grown and developed into the largest social network strictly for those in the coaching profession.

One of the best features of CoachBook is the ability to connect with others within the industry. Whether a basketball coach seeking to find the best offense to attack a 1-3-1 defense, a football coach trying out different plays within the spread offense, or a coach looking to improve the strength and conditioning of their athletes, CoachBook allows you to connect with others who may have just the answer to those questions. The site has a wide array of groups that its members can join that include: football coaches, strength & conditioning coaches, nutrition, athletic directors, softball news, and kid’s fitness, just to name a few.  CoachBook targets coaches of all sports at all levels.  In addition to sport coaches, it also attracts a large number of performance specialists and other professionals who train and work with athletes on a daily basis.

CoachBook is currently in the beginning stages of something that could eventually revolutionize the way coaches learn and interact with one another. Certainly the site has numerous features that could instantly make it a productive tool, but CoachBook is looking to make even bigger strides in the future. New features planned include live broadcasts and interviews, interactive video clinics, and vlogs. CoachBook is also looking to bring in top name coaches within the industry to join in the expansion of this amazing resource.

CoachBook is looking to expand but it needs your help. First things first, if you know of any coaches that want to get involved with the site, whether it be posting instructional videos, writing blogs on specific sports, or other creative means within the site, CoachBook highly encourages the ideas as they are seeking individuals who would like to get involved and interact with other coaches. CoachBook makes it easy to invite your coaching friends by allowing you to import contacts from your email address book to send your friends a personalized email.

Also, with the rapid growth of the site CoachBook is looking to expand its staff in order to give its viewers the most up-to-date and best available content to coaches on the web. If you know anyone who would possibly be interested, whether as a coach or prospective CoachBook employee, please contact me at mattgriffinclark@gmail.com.

###

About Matt Clark

Matt Clark is currently an intern for Sports Networker, studying sport management and public relations at York College of Pennsylvania. He has an extreme passion for learning about new trends in social media and technology and how it is revolutionizing sports. He has contributed as sports editor for the York College newspaper, been an event manager for collegiate sporting events, intramural supervisor, contributor to the sports information department, and executive board member on the Sport Management Student Association. Matt is heading into his third season as part of the game-day entertainment with the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. Connect with him on Twitter @mattgclark

More Posts (8)

There was once a member in a Chapter who sold computer equipment. Just before joining the organization, he had sold dozens of computers to a local school system. Apparently, the state legislature had earmarked a billion dollars for school systems to upgrade their computer equipment and this particular member had come across an opportunity to tap into a small piece of these allocated funds.

After joining, this individual was eager to use the contacts in the organization to identify more school systems that he could sell upgraded computers. As these opportunities represented major transactions for him, each week he focused his infomercials on seeking contacts and inroads into local school systems.

Although articulately said, nothing came from his requests. The problem was that no one had legitimate contacts into school systems (partially because most Chapter members did not have school-aged children). After a year of trying, the member stood at the Chapter meeting when it was his time to speak and proceeded to resign his membership, stating that he had just not gotten any referrals.

This announcement troubled much of the Chapter. This individual was a good member. He had consistent attendance. He got a respectable amount of great referrals. And he was well liked. Several people expressed their feelings.

With regret a member said, “I am sorry to hear that you are leaving the group – you will be missed. I wish you could have got you some referrals, but I just don’t know anyone in a school system and I don’t know anyone that needs 50 computers. I would have loved to have used you – you just bought a new printer last week.”

Others echoed this sentiment and indicated where they thought about using their fellow member.  “I would have loved to have got a replacement monitor from you”… “we would have liked to purchased our two new computers from you.”

The resigning computer salesperson was stunned.  Momentarily, he was silenced, when he was able to speak he instinctively replied, “I could have sold you any of that. In fact, a good part of my business is selling a single computer or an individual peripheral, like printers and monitors.”

The story has a happy ending, however. The member did not leave the Chapter. He did, however, stop focusing entirely on selling computers to school systems and did quite well asking for and getting referrals for a computer here and a printer there.

The moral of the story is that you should not get so caught up asking for that referral that will make your month (or year), that you forget that most of your success in business is achieved by making lots of relatively small sales. In fact, from week to week there are three general categories of referrals you should be seeking, graded as A, B or C.

• Grade A: This is the referral you realistically hope for when you have an opportunity to daydream about your business. That is to say that it is entirely possible that you could receive a referral like this, but they do not come around everyday and you certainly should not pin the existence of your business on them. From time to time, you should ask for these types of referrals as it is not beyond the realm of possibility that you would get one and so it is important that you let your network know that you would be interested.

• Grade B: These referrals represent the types of business and clients that you generally see from day to day and week to week in your business. A great majority of the time, you should be asking for referrals that fit in this classification.

• Grade C: These referrals represent the bear minimum type of business that you are willing to accept. In essence, when you ask for these types of referrals you are saying to your fellow members “although I am not going to build my business long term on these types of clients, I am willing to work with them as a means of establishing a relationship and hoping that it leads to more and better business down the road.” Like the Grade A referral, this should not be the focus of your periodic request for referrals. You should remind your fellow members, however, from time to time about these potential opportunities that you seek.

Although there is nothing wrong with asking for those once-in-a-lifetime referral opportunities, you need to make these requests sparingly (and the same holds true for those referrals you are willing to work for, but not overly eager to have).  Remember, success in requesting referrals is as simple as A,B,C.

Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections and is the author of Foundational Networking: Building Know, Like And Trust To Create A Lifetime Of Extraordinary Success and Linked Working: Generating Success On The World’s Largest Professional Networking Website.
For more information go to www.frankagin.com.

###

Image by izzymunchted

Image by supagroova

About Frank Agin

Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections, an organization that empowers entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals to become more successful through networking and developing stronger business relationships. He is the author of a book entitled Foundational Networking: Creating Know, Like & Trust For A Lifetime of Extraordinary Success, and the co-author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success of the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website, which is one of the first books to set forth a strategy for being successful with social media websites.

Web | More Posts (3)