The Long Game: Cultivating Professional Relationships in the Racquets Industry
The modern racquets industry is defined by its tight-knit nature and rapid diversification, encompassing tennis, pickleball, and padel. For young professionals entering or building their careers—defined as those with less than 20 years of industry experience—cultivating deep, genuine professional relationships is not merely helpful, it is critical to long-term success.
Embracing the Long-Term View
A common challenge professionals face today is the desire for instant gratification. When approaching professional relationships, it is essential to adopt a long-term mindset and focus on authenticity rather than immediate gain.
Relationships must be approached with the understanding that they must be real and genuine, and professionals should not seek anything immediate. Focusing solely on transactional exchanges—"what can I get out of this"—may pay the bills next week, but a deeper relationship will pay your bills for the rest of your career. Professionals should instead focus on the "how": How can I provide value long term?
Playing the "long game" is a powerful strategy. Oftentimes, current successes are the result of seeds planted two or three years prior. If professionals embrace this mindset, they alleviate desperation, making their interactions more organic and effective.
A core component of this approach is being a solid stand-up person. This includes being respectful, responsive, and focusing on helping others.
Strategy and Investment in Connections
Events, seminars, and conferences serve as the "spark" or "catalyst" for building connections, but the real work starts after the event is over.
When a meaningful contact is made, follow-up is necessary, but professionals should avoid immediate, frantic attempts to "close a deal". Instead, send a follow-up message or email within a few days to thank the person for their time and energy. These are the two most precious commodities and acknowledging them is important.
Patience is key; relationships require a "little bit of runway" to build. If a professional has a goal and a long-term plan, it is much easier to decide on subsequent moves.
Conferences and industry events represent an investment, not just of money, but crucially, of time and energy—resources that, once lost, are gone forever. To strategically choose which events to attend, ask yourself three questions:
Will this help me grow personally?
Will it strengthen the mission (e.g., to elevate other professionals)?
Will it give me the chance to invest in relationships that matter?
If the answer is not a "resounding yes to all three," then the professional should consider skipping the event.
Depth Versus Diversification
While it is crucial to diversify connections across different facets of the industry—including tennis, pickleball, padel, club operations, and General Managers (GMs)—because the future belongs to racquets, depth always wins.
Intensifying focus is a way to build wealth (monetarily or intellectually), while diversification is a good way to protect wealth. For a young professional, determining whether to seek broad connections or dive into deep ones depends on their long-term goals. If a clear goal exists, focusing on a deeper level is recommended.
Practical Application and Outreach
In the interconnected racquets industry, awareness equals abundance. Professionals may be the best coaches in the world, but if no one knows who they are, their skill set is irrelevant. Professionals need to share their experiences and stories to attract opportunities rather than constantly chasing them.
Social media, particularly LinkedIn, is a powerful tool for building credibility, visibility, and accessibility.
Be Visible: Share stories, personal successes, and even struggles. Posts should focus on advancing the industry conversation rather than just feeding the ego.
Focus on Conversation: A post should be the start of a relationship, not the end. Use DMs (direct messages) for personal conversation and provide a "safe space" for others to reach out.
Maintain Professionalism: Social media profiles are tightly monitored by search firms and potential employers. Many potential employers monitor all social media activity as a component of their background checks, confirming that nothing is truly private. It is vital to maintain authenticity while exercising common sense around professionalism.
Direct Outreach Strategies
Many young professionals are hesitant to reach out to seasoned directors or GMs due to shyness, lack of confidence, or fear of results. However, most seasoned professionals are willing to invest in the next generation and genuinely want to help.
When reaching out, whether through an email or cold DM, the message should be:
Short.
Respectful.
Specific and Actionable.
An effective example of outreach includes expressing admiration for the leader's work and requesting a brief 10-minute call to learn from their experience. This strategy is often successful because people enjoy being asked to talk about themselves.
If an outreach attempt is ignored or met with a negative response, professionals are advised not to take it personally, as the person may simply be busy. Furthermore, rejection can serve as motivation. If the person does not respond positively, one can simply say, "Woo, dodged a bullet there".
Ultimately, for the racquets industry to survive and thrive, the community must continue to help pave the way forward for the next generation. By focusing on long-term value, genuine connections, and professional outreach, young professionals can ensure they are investing in the foundation of their career.