My "EXPERT" advice to a FRIEND in your industry

Building connections is something that is really important to success in life. Over the past 2 years, I have built lots of connections with different people. Coming into college I was nervous about the usual college things, like making friends. It took only a few months that making friends in the college “SOCIAL” world were not the most important connections I would make in the pursuing months. The most important connections were the ones I would be making in the Sports Business world. These people were the ones who were going to help set me up for the future. THESE people were going to help me achieve success. But one question kept coming up, HOW WAS I GOING TO CONTINUE THESE CONNECTIONS. I think I finally figured it out after 2 years and in this post, I will explore what I mean by that.

I have observed many people in the past 2 years and one thing stayed constant: be as professional as you can when you are talking to people in the sports business world. This is a point that I feel I have not listened to. People like PEOPLE. What I mean by that is simply, people like meeting people that seem like a person and makes them feel like they are WANTED. When I go into a networking call and talk very properly and talk very very professionally, I have realized that person is very timid. I have also realized that I am less likely to have a GOOD connection with that person. Every call and interview I have been on; I have been myself. I was myself as a human and people like that. They can relate to it and feel like it isn’t a professional networking call, but more a friend-to-friend call. I am not sure about you, but I rather have 10 friends in the industry compared to 50 connections in the industry. Friends will look out for you and do things for you. Friends will talk to their coworkers about you and things that you will do, getting your name in the door.

Now this can get you in trouble though, so you should be careful. “Don’t be talkin like this, yo”, talk as if you were talking to your friend’s parents. If you talk casually with someone, they might be rubbed the wrong way. They might picture you wrong. You obviously have to feel them out before jumping into a friendly conversation.

Next time you are in a networking call with someone who you really want to work for or work with one day, think of them as a friend. Always remember these three things: Don’t be nervous to talk to anyone. Don’t be TO relax. Be prepared. If you do these things, you will have a great FRIEND in the INDUSTRY.