Having grown up as just about the only girl with lots of guy friends, it was always helpful to have some clue about what was happening on ESPN. Jen Mueller, a broadcaster for Root Sports in Seattle, has made sports her life and is committed to helping other women improve their sports vocabulary with Talk Sporty To Me. Here’s what Jen, the “conversation planner,” had to say about her venture and what’s coming up.
SSP: How did you come up with this concept?
JM: I was asked by a group of accomplished business women whose male counterparts who were taking clients to sporting events. They were losing money and couldn’t figure out how to get in the game. As I was working through this with them, I got the idea. I realized that it wasn’t just this group of people. Sports can be very overwhelming and I wanted to take that out of the equation. Sports isn’t about knowing all the stats and scores but about the passion.
SSP: How does it work?
JM: I offer interactive workshops to get rid of your anxiety, upping your confidence, and giving you tools to get you talking right away. The activities are designed to get you practicing. I interject stories of my own mistakes or things I’ve seen. As much as my job is about sports, it’s really about the relationships. I can’t do my job if the athletes don’t like me or trust me. Just like any business, you want to work with people that you know, like and trust.
(Talk Sporty to Me also has greeting cards with not-so-girly themes that can be sent to guys or gals. In fact, Jen sends them to athletes at the end of the season.)
SSP: What’s the number one request?
JM: Where and how to jump in. There’s a 5-step checklist that takes 5 minutes that will give you enough to start a conversation.
SSP: What’s the biggest impact you’ve had on a client or an attendee to one of your events?
JM: It’s really a confidence factor for most women. Giving them permission to get in there. One woman was able to get a job because she was able to talk soccer with a professor.
SSP: What’s your vision for Talk Sporty to Me?
JM: I want to help as many people as I can across the country with events, workbooks, and other packages. Empowering them to start talking.
SSP: What is men’s reaction to your company?
JM: Usually that “I already know about sports and only women need this.” Women are more likely to ask for help but where men get caught up is small talk. They don’t see the value of it. While they can control what happens at a board meeting, they can’t control who they sit next to on a plane, and it could be your next million dollar client. We take you through how to progress a conversation from sports to business. We teach you how to talk WITH someone, not AT them. Sometimes we forget that there’s a human element and that connection is key to making anything successful.
Jen is also hosting an event, Get Your Business on Course, where she’ll be sharing how to use her conversation expertise on the golf course for business. (Shi Shi Putter is a sponsor). It’s at the Harbor Club in Bellevue, Washington on July 27th. To register or for more information, go to Get Your Business On Course.
Images courtesy of Talk Sporty to Me.
