What I Learned at JMSM’s 21st Annual Conference

The more I attend sports conferences, the more I notice that the most popular question among students is: “What advice can you give an individual who aspires to work in the sports industry?”

For this year’s John Molson Sports Marketing conference, I thought I would share with you the major points that were frequently highlighted by the guest speakers. This year’s conference had several executives, both male and female, from four professional sports leagues:NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA. As much as these four leagues may be different, their work ethic is still the same. Each league has its own values but the fundamentals are all the same, which is pretty interesting.

Here are the 10 major tips highlighted by the speakers:

• Do not overlook any opportunity.

By now, this tip has become more common, but I will still underline its importance. Opportunity is key; it is the chance for you to learn something new or to go in depth in your expertise. Either or, never overlook any opportunity that comes your way. You might start doing something completely different than your study program or work to wind up somewhere unexpected. Secondly, opportunities from different areas will help round out your skill set. Remember to have anopen mind toward anything you pursue.

• Recognize the opportunity and act on it.

Opportunities will almost never come to your door knocking. You have to recognize it and act on it because no one else will do it for you. Be curious and question things: perhaps that local business owner or that marketing agency down the street needs a helping hand. You have to go out there and sell yourself. Learn about what strengths you bring to the table and offer to help them. This not only makes you more resilient, but helps you create a reputation for yourself. This reputation will either work with or against you depending on how you use it. . Employ it to your advantage. Along the way, you will be able to create strong relationships with people that will help lift you up.

• Digital fan experience is more important than ever.

We live in a digital world. This is probably no news to you but being in tune with the digital world is very important nowadays. You have to be knowledgeable on industry trends, the latest reports, and the most recent tools in the world of sports tech and data analytics. When you stay on top of your game, you will stay inspired to take on any projects and be creative.

• Stay agile & adaptable!

You have to be as swift as possible. The sports industry can be an unpredictable industry. I think this is a reality that many aspiring sports business professionals appreciate. Two consecutive days arenever the same at the front office or in the games. You have to be adaptable to keep up with sudden changes. One day, you might think that you have found an effective method to increase fan engagement, for example, until your competitors devise a stronger plan. Being adaptable in such situations helps you keep check of your competition. This is how you win!

• Your team is a reflection of your market.

Every city has a uniquely different market. Your team at work should represent the unique features of the city and ultimately your customers/fans. If the city is diverse, it is crucial that the staff becomes a reflection of it in order to best serve the customer demographic.

• Be willing to learn anything.

You must come out of your shell and get people to know you. You must be willing to learn how to do different tasks. You have to stay versatile. Do not wait on your boss to tell you what to do. Uplift your game and take initiative to learn. Always put yourself in the perspective where you want to do things differently. Put yourself in different positions to see things through different lenses instead of only seeing it through your own.

• Know how to negotiate.

Negotiation has several components to it, and they all have to be executed orderly:

• Prior to negotiating a deal, a job offer or anything that requires you to negotiate, you have to do your due diligence and research.’
• You have to know whom you will be dealing with. Get all the information you will need. You must understand the difference between a ‘need’ and a ‘want.’
• You have to understand that you never want to pay for a want; you should always pay for a need. This will help you analyze the deal prior to discussing it with the other party.
• Next, you must listen. When you and the other party are discussing the deal, let the other person speak first, let them empty their tank of information and just listen carefully. Never speak first because you will run out of information at the end, and you will not have strong leverage over the other party. You have to focus on what you need to get out of that deal. So listen first. Never put yourself in a spot where you absolutely have no choice but to pick up whatever is left in front of you.

• Your brand has to stand up for something, so as you!

You have to be as ethical and as authentic as possible, and so does your brand. We see this vividly with the NFL now — the league is gradually losing its fans because it failed to stand for something when it had several opportunities to do so. Many people have said it. The NFL will never be the same, if it doesn’t stand up for a social cause. On the other end, we look at the NBA and how Adam Silver and the league have stood up for LGBT rights when it came to hosting the All-star Fame in Charlotte. They showed the world that the NBA is a league that has values that it stands with the people. You have to have your own values and standards as a person. Values that you live by and your brand has to be a reflection of you. People appreciate it when a brand’s concern isn’t only about money, and that they actually care about people’s rights.

• Relationships are key! It’s never a one-sided transaction.

Play close attention to the people you work with: your clients, your mates or acquaintances. In a niche field like sports, you should treat everyone with respect. You never know when a specific relationship might prove to be beneficial in the future.

• Stay in your lane

I left this one for last because it is so important, and I think that everyone can relate to this point. Let me put this simply: If you spend all of your energy being envious of someone else’s accomplishments,you won’t have enough energy to create your own path. Do not focus on what other people have accomplished in their career so far, but rather, be grateful you can be in their company. Keep working hard toward your own goals!

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