How To Connect With A Sports Team

Sports massage therapist Joana Brown has several suggestions for any readers of this magazine who may wish to become involved with a professional athletic organization. As she mentions, people often set goals and never see results because they forget to do one very important thing--they don't set goals strategically. Use the following keys to help you:

• Put it to paper. What organization(s) are you interested in contacting?

• Prioritize. Put your goals in numerical order.

• Break it down. Make each goal into smaller pieces to do first.

• Set deadlines. Give yourself a time frame, even if you have to readjust later.

• Begin. Take action; you must do something every day.

In addition, Brown has the following 10-step list to follow as a blueprint.

Step 1. The person you want to make contact with is the athletic trainer. This is the person who knows the heart and pulse of the team, the athletes and the management group. Often, the athletic trainer is the person who makes the final decisions on hiring a massage therapist.

Step 2. Introduce yourself, and ask the trainer if he has a few minutes for you to speak with him at this time. Or, would it be better to contact him at a later date? The trainer's office most likely is in the treatment area. Be aware that he may be dealing with an athlete's injury, and often may be trying to reach physicians or medical staff. In these circumstances, he may not be able to speak with you at that moment.

Step 3. Have a clear but short explanation of why you are calling. By being clear on the purpose of your call, you are letting the trainer know that you understand how valuable his time is.

Step 4. Be prepared to hear from the athletic trainer if he does have time, and can speak with you now. Use the short explanation of why you are calling, and ask him if he has anyone working with him at this time.

Step 5. If the answer is no, ask the trainer if you could make an appointment to personally meet with him, and go over in more detail your services and how this could fit into the organization to benefit the team. If the trainer says he already has a therapist on staff, ask him about the style or services offered by the therapist. You may find that your particular style of therapy could add to the one currently being provided.

Step 6. Ask the trainer that if it's all right with him, you would like to give the staff massage therapist a call. Sometimes, a therapist may be looking to hire more therapists, and you making the call introducing yourself shows good ethical respect. This could possibly lead up to a job for you, or referrals in the future.

Step 7. Once a meeting is scheduled, the most important item you need to have is a detailed list of the topics or questions you would like to cover. This will help you to be more focused if the conversation starts to drift. Bring in your business cards. If you have a marketing package, then have it presented in a professional binder. It may contain the following:

• A brochure listing your services, the conditions for which they might be used and their benefits;

• One to two news articles from well-known organizations using AMTA or medical research journals;

• Testimonials from other trainers, athletes or clients;

• Resume with special licensing listed;

• Extra business cards;

• A mission statement, if you have one.

Step 8. Have a business contract in mind to present. First-time organizations utilizing this type of service may not have made monetary compensations in their budget to bring you on board. You may want to look at the company's marketing plan, and ask for advertisement compensation. It would save you a lot, and give you a much broader exposure to a target audience, which could include television, radio, newspaper articles or banners in the arena.

Step 9. Begin to present your proposal. Be aware of the time you are speaking; three to five minutes allows you plenty of time for the first part of your presentation. Remember, you want to also gather information about the organization and what is important to the athletic trainer. So ask questions. In most cases, it will lead you into the next topic you would talk about.

Step 10. Locking in the contract. Once you and the athletic trainer have decided on the fine details of when you will provide the services, let him know you will be submitting in writing what was discussed. If you prefer to have a signed contract, let the athletic trainer know you will be putting one together. However, this doesn't have to be a signed contract between the two parties involved if it's not comfortable for you, but you should follow it up with a letter stating all the details you discussed. It will let the athletic trainer know your commitment, and remind him of both parties' expectations.

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