Getting Sponsored Part II
Preparation
First and foremost you must know precisely what it is that you are looking to gain from a sponsorship deal. This is long before you ever approach a potential sponsor. Are you looking for money or product or both? I have had much more success with proposals that let a company know exactly what I want and exactly what I will do for them to make this a worthwhile expenditure for them. Remember that a company’s advertising budget is not endless and sponsorship money is limited. You will want to get your proposal submitted by mid-winter.
One technique I have used is to offer larger companies the opportunity to prove myself to them over the first year. I did everything that I normally would to promote them and let them know that when the year is up I would allow them to assess my actual worth to the company. I am sure to send them quarterly updates about my progress and the usual thank you gift at the end of the fishing year. This not only demonstrates what you can do for them but also your willingness to sacrifice a year for their support. Remember that you are aiming for long term sponsorships and not just a one time deal. You do have to have confidence in what you are able to do for them and also that they aren’t going to just “use” you.
Once you are clear on what you are able to give and receive in return, it’s homework time. You need to start calling a few companies. The internet is a great place to start for this. You want to get the name of the person at that particular company who is in charge of their sponsorship designations. This is who you will address your proposal to. Some companies will have a sponsorship department and others will have only public relations people to talk with. Once you have this name and have talked to this person, you are ready to prepare your proposal. It is best to speak with this person to query their interest in your offer. Writing a proposal can be time consuming. You don’t want to be spending your valuable time writing a proposal for a company that could have easily told you from the start that they weren’t interested, for whatever reason.
The
Proposal
This is the point where a computer is going to be your best friend. You want your proposal to look professional. Start by making a personal letterhead to send your proposal on. Be sure to include your contact information on this letterhead.
Your proposal can take two forms. One is a hard copy (paper) and the second is a CD copy. I have had much success in putting proposals on CD. Not only can you put your entire proposal onto a well labelled CD but you can also include a folder of photos to be viewed at their discretion. I also add another section of video clips of seminars I have done, days on the water, news clips I have been in and any tournament coverage I have. Be sure to put no more than four main folders on the CD to keep it clean and easy to access. This can really impress them. Be sure to ask the contact you talked to at the company which form they would prefer. Many prefer paper copies but I always send a CD along for them.
Proposal Format
One of the toughest parts of writing a proposal is making it look professional. Once you have the name of the company, your letterhead and a person to send the proposal to – you are ready to go. Try to keep the paper copy of this proposal under 10 pages. Here is a proven format that I have used over the years:
1. Put the date on the right hand side leaving one space under your letterhead.
2. Under the date, and on the left hand side, write the company’s name and mailing address
3. Under the address write “Dear “X”/what department they are in:”
4. Under who you are sending the proposal to write “re: Sponsorship Request”
5. Under this put in a simple introduction. I usually use “We at Blitzcreek Pro Fishing would like to make a request to begin a sponsorship with “X” this year.
This
will essentially sum up the formalities of the letter to the company that you
are addressing. It is now up to you to convince them that you are the guy/team
that they want to sponsor. I would suggest following a format similar to this:
1. What We Do - In this section you are going to introduce yourself and highlight your main purpose. Are you a tournament fishing team? A guiding company? A retailer? Include how many years you have been participating in this venture. You are going to want to put your web page in this section for them to peruse at their leisure. Make sure to let them know immediately where you plan to promote their company including where you plan to display their name/logo. Lastly, make sure they are aware of any events that you are currently involved with that would get their name in the public without delay.
2. In The Past – In this section you are going to let this company know all about the great and wonderful things you have done while involved in this sport. Be sure not to go overboard by making yourself sound egotistical. This is where the detailed record of your promotional past is going to come into play. Let them know everything big that you have done over the last couple of years. Don’t waste their time with small details of events over the last decade. Remember that this is supposed to be to the point and effective, not time consuming and boring.
3. In The Future – This section can be a little tricky. Absolutely do not add in anything that “may” take place. There is no room for that. If there is an article about you being written, tournaments that you have already signed up for, events that have been booked such as seminars and trade shows that you will be working and any kids events you will be part of should make up the bulk of this area.
4. References – You don’t want to list references here as you would in a resume. Simply mention that more newspaper clippings and media coverage can be made available on request. You don’t want to include so many reference pieces in your proposal to make it look like a novel. Select only the best two or three pieces and include photo copies of them.
5. The Company’s Role – This should be the smallest section of your proposal. You have now let the company know who you are, what you do and how much publicity you receive. Start this paragraph with something similar to "We would like to promote “X” as one of our biggest supporters. Thank you!! Our request:” In this small section you are going list the package that you wish to receive in return for working with/for the company.
6. Promotional Items – All you want to do here is list the items that you would like to receive in addition to the sponsorship package that you requested. Such things as stickers, banners and product info are the norm. Study and know their product line inside and out. Don’t feel that it is necessary to ask for clothing. If the company has this for you they will provide it. What you should request is the embroidery file of their logo. You can have a local embroiderer add it to clothing that you already have. Most large companies will supply these for you.
7. Your closing should mention that you look forward to talking to them further. Remember this is a proposal only and is subject to change. Thank them for considering your proposal and for taking the time to read it. Finally type your name and title and leave enough room to sign the hard copy once printed.
8. The final pages of your proposal should be comprised of a few pictures that may help their decision. For example if you are looking for a sponsorship from an aluminum polishing company – send them a photo of your aluminum boat. Photocopies of media coverage are also a plus and should be put in this section.
Remember not to take any rejections to heart. If you submit your proposals early in the year and they are well written, you have done all that you can do. Keep up the publicity work, learn from the failures, submit more proposals and keep enjoying your days on the water. After all, that’s what it’s all about.
Chris works as a full time fishing guide during the summer months and has been providing chartered fishing trips on the Kawartha Chain of lakes since 1990. With the help of his business partner he also does seminars and runs many kid’s fishing events throughout the year. Chris is also a freelance writer published in several different media. Check out his web page at www.blitzcreek.com.
Copyright © 2004 Chris Hockley
It is illegal to reproduce or distribute this work in any manner or medium without written permission of the author, Chris Hockley c/o Blitzcreek Pro Fishing 522 Muirfield St Oshawa Ont, chris@blitzcreek.com