Players should consider several factors, not just the salary.
Players should take into consideration few things before choosing the right offer:
• Team information, on and off the field
• League strength
• Whether the team participates in international cup/competitions
• What will be the role of the player in the team
• What level of exposure can the player expect with his team
• The chances of advancing with the team, potential career growth
Only an expert can fully answer these questions. This is why it is important to have an agency which has the strength and international network to understand the overall picture. The best deals are not always the ones with the highest offers. Offers need to be evaluated according to a number of complicated factors.
What type of agent is the right one?
There are hundreds and maybe even thousands of agents around the world. Some are specialized and have a FIVB, NBA, FIBA or FIFA agent license. Some don´t have anything which technically makes their activities illegal. Bottom line: An agent needs a license to represent players in the market without exception. In order for an agent to represent players in the rest of the world, he needs a license.
Only a few agencies are certified. This gives the player the widest possible opportunities for their talent.
If you are still without and agent and want to promote yourself (sports CV) you can do on our sports platform Trophy14: https://www.trophy14.com/
Most agents act as individuals, emphasizing their ability to establish a closer personal relationship with clients compared to larger agencies. A single representative simply has no time or resources, not to mention multilingual skills, local traditions, legal differences between countries, etc. It is very hard to focus on the actual market on a global scale to secure the best contracts. It all depends on which sport are we talking about. Football and basketball have a bigger market than volleyball or handball in which even individual agents can be very successful.
Indeed, many individual agents try to circumvent this problem either by limiting the player’s promotion to the area of the world with which he is most comfortable with, or by concluding fee-sharing teams with other agents. But in the case of a split fee, each cooperating agent has less incentive (less fee) to negotiate on behalf of the shared player compared to the non-shared player for whom he receives a full commission. Players split between two or more agents are too often placed at the “bottom of the list” in terms of available contracts. The problem is exacerbated only if a third agent is invited on board and the fee is divided in three ways. When “middle men” are involved, communication slows down, the process slows down and the chances of a lucrative contract are reduced. It can be seen how problematic the agent’s individual approach can be.
In addition, individual agents cannot work around the clock and promote their players just like a large agency with a global approach. If this individual agent becomes ill, retires, or worse, the question appears: “What now?” This situation can be very frustrating. On the contrary, in a large agency player does not suffer from the level of interference, where things can continue to work as usual in case one agent becomes unavailable.
For all these and other reasons, we feel that a large global agency has numerous and different benefits for players over what an individual agent can offer.
Importance of a proven record
The agency is very competitive. Very few agents last longer than a few years. Due to this competition for players, many agents tell players what they want to hear, instead of giving them a balanced view of how the business works and how a good agent can help plan a long and fulfilling career.
Players need an agency with a history of international success, an agency that is looking for a long-term career in an ambitious but realistic way. Each player must decide whether he wants to work in a large agency or work with a single agent and have as many personal contacts as possible.
