Having a strong network personally and professionally brings great value to all athletes. Building your network while you’re an athlete can help increase your visibility and bring new business opportunities. Long term, having a reliable network can set you up for success when you’re seeking a career after your playing days come to an end.
If you’re looking to expand your network, especially when it comes time to finding new partnerships to build NIL earnings, here are 9 ways to grow your inner circle:
How to Build an NIL Network
Start early. You don’t need to be on your college campus to start growing your NIL network. Take advantage of time at home to connect with local businesses while making them aware of your intent to provide promotional or marketing services in exchange for NIL.
Make cold calls. Cold calling or cold emailing means reaching out to people you don’t know. It might feel scary, awkward, or intimidating to reach out to somebody you don’t know, especially if they’re really good at what they do. In my experience people have been really willing to help answer my questions, or point me in the direction of people who are seeking job seekers. A quick tip: always be respectful and follow up with people who get back to you in a timely manner.
Try an internship. Internships provide athletes with a ton of opportunities to meet people outside of their normal social group. Besides learning new skills, you’ll be exposed to whole new set of professional contacts.
Join LinkedIn. If you don’t have an account yet, sign up asap. This professional site is a great portal to help you find a job, but it can also be used to reach out to business leaders directly, to start a conversation, and pitch your unique value proposition.
Create an online presence. Even if you have a ton of followers on Ticktock or Instagram, some employers might want to see an old school website. Create a website that features your portfolio that you can send to potential partners.
Use college resources. NIL is still very new, yet many schools have resources to help connect athletes with brands. If your school isn’t equipped to help, see if administrators have connections at other schools. The world of athletics is small and there are so many folks willing to help athletes.
Talk to professors. It’s likely that your professor has taught some really successful people. Sometimes alumni email their schools with job opportunities which means they’re interested in engaging with students from their alma mater. Alumni can help introduce you to decision makers in the NIL.
Join a networking group. Many colleges have clubs our groups you can join to expand your network on and off campus. For NIL purposes, find clubs that feature or host external business leaders. Networking with peers is great, but to get NIL dollars in your pocket you’ll need to find and connect with decision makers in business.
Be patient. If you’re a mid-size school athlete, building a network will take time. The more hours you put in, the faster your network will grow. Also don’t get discouraged if your NIL earnings aren’t what you thought they’d be. Playing the long game, both in sports and life typically has a great success rate