How To Get In Front Of The Right People At The Right Time

This summer, I had the incredible honor of moderating a panel called Entrepreneurship After the Game for MLB All-Star Weekend.

A few months prior, I also had the opportunity of meeting Los Angeles Lakers call-up Andre Ingram who’s story was an inspiration to everyone after finally getting his NBA shot after playing 10 years in the G-League.

Things have slowly begun to happen for me as I’ve been constantly trying to get into the Sports & Entertainment industry.

Over the past year or so I’ve been able to meet some incredible people, many of whom I still keep in touch with, as well as attend some amazing events.

This led me to wonder how I was able to do these things in such a short amount of time.

Granted, I’m not sitting courtside at the Lakers games or rubbing elbows with Jerry Jones in his box suite, but I definitely feel like I’ve been able to be in the right place at the right time to get in front of the right people who can help me.

One opportunity always leads to the next and as they say you never know who you might meet at any given moment.

Here are the four main reasons why I think I’ve been able to get in front of the right people at the right time.

How To Put Yourself In Front Of The Right People

1. Put yourself in a position to succeed- What I mean by this is that before you do anything you have to figure out what you want and what it takes to get there. Reverse engineer why you want to meet someone or what is being in the same room as them going to do for you and your goals. Do your homework upfront and read about the top people in the field you want to get into. Know their background, their story and what they did to get to that point. This will help you in ways you won't even realize.
2. Never say “No” to any opportunity- This is something that is hard for people to do when you’re just trying to get your feet under you and figure things out, but when you’re starting out, you have to take advantage of every chance that you get. Whether that’s attending a networking event or taking a meeting at 11 pm at night. Do it all. As I said previously you never know where one opportunity may lead and what one person can do to change the trajectory of your professional career.
3. Provide value upfront and don’t expect anything- Everything starts with giving before you ask. That's just life 101. Nobody ever owes you anything so don't expect anything in return. I don't care what you want to do for a living unless you plan on giving first. This can be anything from time, effort, attention, energy, money, a connection, or any type of value that someone else might need. This not only lets people know that you actually provide value and service to others, it also encourages people to think of you when they meet people who might need what you do or provide. Giving value first keeps you in other people's minds and that leads to deeper connections and more relationships over time.
4. Have faith that the process will take care of itself- This should really be first because you have to believe that the right people will come into your life at the right time. Everything has to start with a belief or faith in the process at hand. Trust that you're doing the right things (if you are doing things) that will help you reach whatever it is that you want to achieve. The people who are meant to help you will help you when you least expect it. Control what you can control and let the cards fall as they may.

You Need People & People Need You

At the end of the day, you have to be a person that people want to meet and be around.

You have to be more interesting than interested.

Everyone thinks it's about who you know not what you know and while there's a lot of truth to that, it's more about who wants to know you.

Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and introduce your work to the world. You never know who will love what you're doing and what kind of support you might get.

This all goes back to your personal brand and the perception that you give you everytime that you step into a room, every time you post something online or every time that you interact with someone on the street.

Your personal brand matters because you need people and relationships in this world.

Every business, every craft, every single thing you do is predicated on connecting with people and getting their attention.

That is the end game and that is all that matters.

Be a person that people like, and want to know and watch how you'll be placed in situations that you never even thought you'd be in.

Malcolm Lemmons is an athlete turned entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He focuses on helping athletes brand themselves to prepare for life after sports. To check out more from Malcolm, visit his website at www.malcolmlemmons.com or connect with him on Twitter & Instagram.