If there was a list of suggestions while attending the BSM Summit, you could probably sum up the best advice with just two tips.
- Listen
- Don’t be shy.
It’s really that simple. But if you don’t want to take it from me, take it from Justin Craig, ESPN Radio’s Senior Director of Programming and Operations. He’s adamant about having great dialogue with colleagues at the BSM Summit over the course of the two-day event. He wants conversations with people he knows, and others he’s never met. That means that if you have interest in meeting a high-level executive with ESPN Radio, shoot your shot. Craig is telling you not to be shy around him.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Go up and say hello. But also, when possible, do your homework. Go through the different speakers that are going to be there and know what they’re about and where they’re from. Then set a list of priorities for yourself so that when you are there you can ask smart questions. Are people going to be looking for opportunities? Of course. That’s what this is all about. But more importantly, hear what’s said on the stage, and then go and try to meet that person off the stage. Don’t be shy. We want dialogue, because I’m going to learn much more from you coming up and saying hi to me, than you probably will from talking to me.”
Not only has Craig routinely attended every BSM Summit over the years, he’s also been featured as a speaker at the event since its inception. That will be the case again this year and it’s clear he’s excited. Like everyone else attending, Craig is going to NYC with an open mind and an eagerness to learn from others.
“To be honest, I’m really looking forward to this year, because we’ll actually get to see people again,” said Craig. “It’s about relationships. When Jason and I talked about this way back in the beginning, which wasn’t that long ago, it was kind of like the radio row for sports talk. It was a chance to get together with a bunch of colleagues that enjoy the process of networking and building relationships and just sharing ideas. Are we competitive with each other? Of course. But that’s the beauty of it, because if we all succeed, the industry succeeds. By being able to be together with a bunch of smart people in the same room, it allows us to be better.”
One thing you’ll quickly learn by attending the BSM Summit is that the most successful people in the building are usually the ones most eager to learn. Some might think it’s just the exact opposite, but the willingness to learn from everyone, not just a select few, is a major factor in reaching and staying at the top of the profession.
You can count Craig in that group. Sure, many people will want to introduce themselves and talk shop with him at the conference. Who wouldn’t want to learn from an ESPN Radio boss. But don’t expect it to be a one-way conversation.
“I’m much happier taking ideas from others,” said Craig. “I look at what I do and take ideas I’ve learned and morph them into what works for me. I learn so much just from sitting and doing my best to listen. What is the one thing we always charge the people that we work with to be better at? Listening. I want to make sure I’m the one sitting there listening and absorbing, and trying to process it so that I can use it. The people that are going to be up on the panels are incredibly successful and I just hope to be able to take what they’re saying and process it so I can use it myself.”
Craig will be speaking on the final panel of the final day at the BSM Summit. Essentially, Justin, Mark Chernoff, Scott Shapiro and Jason Barrett will close everything down with a big splash. The title of the panel is The Programmer’s MasterClass. The conversation will cover how and why shows succeed, what hosts and programmers can do to position themselves for future success, and what has to be done consistently to earn ratings.
This isn’t a panel you skip for an early dinner or drink. Getting Craig, Chernoff, Shapiro and Barrett on the same stage to have an in-depth discussion on programming only happens at the BSM Summit. We’ll all learn something from it. Craig is no different.
“It seems like Scotty and I have been doing this collectively for each of these Summit’s now,” laughed Craig. “I think JB must be looking at us and thinking we have to be on the same stage at the same time. Just to be able to sit and learn from Mark is tremendous. I had the enviable task of trying to match wits with him while I was in New York at 98.7. I truly plan on just listening. It’s kind of a cool thing to be sitting with both of those guys to talk about the industry that all three of us love. More importantly I’m curious what we’re all going to take away, which we’ll then incorporate into what we have to say to finish it all off.”
But what does Craig want to portray in one of the most anticipated panels of the entire event? The answer is more simple than you might think.
“Just be better people,” said Craig. “All of us need to be good people. Honestly it comes down to that. I just hope some of my experience over the course of years, will be translated by someone else out there, and they’ll look at it and say, ‘you know what, I haven’t thought of it that way.’ I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in the, how are we going to get a quarter hour? We need to step back and present more of a common sense approach, because the people that are listening to us, they don’t care about time spent. What they care about is compelling content. If it’s compelling, they’re going to come back the next time. I love approaching things in a common sense way, because truthfully, I’ve never had the book smarts to look at it any other way. The bottom line on a daily basis is what do our listeners think? Do they care about what we’re putting on coming out of those speakers? If the answer is yes, you’re in good shape. If the answer is no, then refocus and reshape it so that they will pay attention to what you have to say.”
You bought airfare, hotel and tickets to the BSM Summit. The least you can do for yourself is approach the people in the building you want to approach. As Craig said, it’s all about building relationships and there’s no better opportunity to do so than this event. Listen, learn and interact with others. That’s the secret of the BSM Summit.
Do your homework before you introduce yourself to the heavy hitters in the business. But don’t be shy. Go for it.
“Truthfully, when I go to a summit or conference, I’m more about meeting people I don’t get to see on a regular basis, because I love that aspect of it,” Craig said. “It’s the networking and the building of the relationships that are so important.”
Tyler McComas is a columnist for BSM and a sports radio talk show host in Norman, OK where he hosts afternoon drive for SportsTalk 1400. You can find him on Twitter @Tyler_McComas or you can email him at TylerMcComas08@yahoo.com.
