Last night, we kicked off our deep dive into the more detailed aspects of building a name, image and likeness practice. To do that, we brought on Vantage Management Group’s Sammy Spina, who’s built a thriving marketing and endorsements practice in addition to his NFL agent business. From the first minute, Sammy was straight “fire,” as the kids say. We’ve gotten good feedback from those who signed up.

Here are a few highlights (and keep in mind, this all came from the first class, with three to go).

• If you don’t have contacts, you better have time. This one is pretty self-explanatory. 
• Recruiting relationships are like real relationships – at some point, there has to be face-to-face contact. Managing the time you spend in your client’s town vs. where you live/office is part of what Sammy discussed Tuesday night. 
• Look up the players on a school’s roster and research social media followings. If a player already has 10,000 followers, it gives you something to sell to local businesses. This one is also pretty self-explanatory. The trick is, these are often the biggest and best players. Maybe you can find a diamond in the rough, however, if you do a little research.
• When you attend your client’s appearance, you tend to meet other people who want to make deals. That’s why it’s important to start locally. This is an easy way to prospect, which is the hardest part of any business.
• Get to Indy. It’s crucial from a networking standpoint. Also pretty self-explanatory. I would previously have recommended the Senior Bowl over the combine, but access in Mobile has been drastically reduced in recent years. Access was always a little restricted at the combine, but the overwhelming number of people connected with the game gives Indy the nod.
• It’s not about who you know. It’s about who knows you. I thought this was a great way to explain the value of always being on offense when it comes to meeting people and introducing yourself to strangers. 
• A player’s foundation is a great way to meet business owners and people interested in being around the game. If you’re on the younger side, volunteer. If you’re a little more established, make a donation. But whatever you do, get there, and once you get there, meet as many people as you can. 
• Be responsive. Be a 24-7 communicator. Fifty calls plus a couple Zooms in one day is not unusual. Fifty! I would add that maybe those 50 calls are 30 texts, 15 DMs and five calls, but you get the picture. You must be responsive.
• Let being told “no” motivate you. Find a competitor to that company who will say “yes.” Nothing wrong with drawing motivation from such a situation. 
• At some point, company CEOs have money, fame and success. But they don’t have access. Your client can provide them something they can’t get anywhere else.
• If you can help it, never schedule an event or appearance the night before a game or the night after a loss. Obviously, this can be tricky, but be sensitive to the game schedule and other external factors. 

Want in? Remember, there are still three sessions of one hour left (and last night’s session went 90 minutes, so you won’t get cheated), and the topics for the remaining classes are making your campaigns memorable, what to look for in agreements and building a sustainable business on NIL alone. We’ll meet tonight at 8 p.m. ET, then again Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, same time. And don’t forget, everyone who registers gets videos for all four sessions. I don’t know anyone else who is doing this with a person of Sammy’s caliber, especially for $100 plus tax. 

Consider joining us. You won’t regret it.