Whom are you targeting? What are you seeking? What do you have to offer?

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

You're pretty young, so I'm going to guess that you've never applied for a job. Ask your parents for a copy of their work resume because you are essentially applying for a marketing/PR job. Having been on the receiving end of, literally, thousands of sponsorship requests, this is what I would recommend. Of course, some companies may have different procedures in which some of these steps may not be relevant.

First step, find out the name of the person that makes the sponsorship decisions. Get the correct spelling of their name (this is very important), their phone (this could be difficult), mailing address and email.

Step two, write a professional resume as if you were applying for a real job with the company. Be clear and concise with your cover letter. In your bio, instead of listing work experience, highlight a handful of good race results over the last 2 seasons. Include things like current sponsors, occupation, athletic background, and maybe a couple of personal references. Limit it to just two pages, one for the cover letter and another for the resume/bio. Do not include DVDs, Newspaper clippings, powerpoint presentations or specific requests for money and/or product. Let the sponsor decide what they're willing to give you. Also, DO NOT write, "I love your product and have been using it for the past ten years". Even though this might be true, you have just given the sponsor every reason to not sponsor you. Why would they give you their product for free or at a discount when you already buy it and probably promote it as if you were sponsored?

Send this letter to the person via good 'ol US/Canadian mail. No need to send it certified or FedEx. It'll get there.

10-14 days later, follow up with one phone call to the person you've mailed the letter to. If you were unable to get a phone number then send one email. Simply, tell him/her that you're following up to the letter you sent and restate your interest in partnering with the company. If you get voicemail, leave a simple and clear voicemail, leave one return number.

Step four, wait. You are not the only person requesting sponsorship and these departments are usually understaffed. If there is interest from the company, you will most likely hear back from them within 4 weeks either by phone or email. Do not keep calling or emailing because you are only hurting your chances. One letter and one follow-up, maybe a second follow-up, but no more. If you don't hear back from them, don't take it personally. Just move on and repeat the process.

In conclusion, keep it simple, keep it professional and be patient. I hope that helps.

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

Thank you very much for your advice. It helps a lot. I'll try to do my best.

To put it another way you are not writing a sponsership endorsment letter. You are telling them why they should pick you to be a spokesperson.

One of the major things is using you-attitude. You don't want to write i can do this i can do that etc. You have to write to them saying you need this from a representive. this is why i can do it.

So instead of "I talk to many of my competitors at races" you need to write something like "You need someone who can be vocal for your products and explain the benefits of them." Then follow up by telling them how you can accomplish this for them.

Also you don't want to end with "i look forward to hearing from you soon" that sounds weak and it doesn't look like you are interested. End with something similar to "I will call next week to further talk about my qualifications as a representative for your product"

You have to ask for what you want don't end a wonderful letter about how you can benefit them with "okay call me sometime" etc.

Finally, reader benefits, reader benefits, reader benefits. If they can't benefit from you they wont care what you have to say. give them reasons why what you do will help. Feature's tell benefits sell. You can tell everything about how great of an athelete and spokesperson you are but with out benefits they wont care.

Anyways, if you have any more questions let me know i am taking a business class on this right now that almost mimics a course i had for wells fargo training.


Grant

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Grant
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Proudly sponsored by Desoto Sports
Please Support CAF every little bit helps http://raceforareason.kintera.org/grantreuter

I don't have any input as to your question, but I do have this advice: If you are a youngster and you plan to, or think you might, compete in a collegiate sport, make sure you check out all the rules before asking for / accepting anything. I think there are different rules as to what you can and cannot do to maintain amateur status. You just don't want to jepardize opportunities that may come later.

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"You're faster than you think!" --Nike

Dear sponsor,

Please send me money so I can do what I love all day and not have to get a real job.

Sincerely,

Triathlete

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

Write a Cover Letter, talk about yourself, your last season, your goals, why they should sponsor you.

Write a Resume with sections like: Proposal/Objective(including what you can do for them) '06 results(w links) '05 Results (w links) '07 Schedule References



Send them an initial email asking if they are accepting sponsorship proposals or race resumes and who to send them too...thats how you know who to address the cover letter to....sometimes you can just email the company your resume and photos if they want them....some companies do not want you to call them (Zipp for example)

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Ruble Triathlon Coaching Average of 30 coached PR's per year
Florida Triathlon Camps Train in North Americas winter training destination
Ruble Racing Events Midwest Triathlon Racing
Ruble Timing Midwest Event Timing

Dear Future Sponsor,

People cant stop looking at me. They are obsessed! I'm so young and stylish, and best of all, I'm really fast! Everyone stops to look at my bike, and people are always interested in talking with me after I finish.

I have many accomplishments and only expect to build upon them. I usually win my age group, which gives me that extra spotlight at the awards ceremony.

I am most proud of my aero position on the bike, which has been approved by 90% of Slowtwitch readers. You should see me slice through the wind.

With your support I'm going to get your name out there. I love your company and products and only hope that there is a future partnership between us.

Thank you,

Aerojunkie2

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Fortitudine Vincimus

OK, so far everyone on this thread has it backwards. It is NOT about YOU. Its about THEM.

Its not a resume, its a proposal. In the proposal, you need to show what you will do for the company. Show how you offer various channel to deliver on their product and company branding. Show them what you will do to extend the reach of their brand. Show the Director of marketing, how you will help him/her do his job, execute on corporate and product marketing strategy and make him/her successful in reaching the company's goals. Quantify up front what the benefits are. This will help them decide why they want to put $1 in your bucket vs $1 in Norman Stadler's bucket (pick your token competition here, don't say who your competion is, but imply why the channel you offer is great...)

Then present why you are qualified to do so.

That will cover it. You're not applying for a job, you are asking the company to part with materials and dollars in exchange for service from you. They have to decide that these materials/$$$ are well allocated. Applying for a job is different.

Dev

Hey don't even read mine shesh...

Grant

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Grant
----------------------------------------------------
Proudly sponsored by Desoto Sports
Please Support CAF every little bit helps http://raceforareason.kintera.org/grantreuter

"you are asking the company to part with materials and dollars in exchange for service from you."

Isn't that the definition of a job?

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

http://216.17.32.141/art.asp?1=7&2=56&3=21&pg=1

Check out this link. It should help you draft a good letter.

Good post Shawn!

You would think that the advice of a respected person that actually works in the field would be enough to close the thread. Unfortunately that hasn't happen, but I would like to thank you for the positive contributions you bring to the Forum.

Thanks, Paulo. I love your posts!!!!

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

No, a job implies more. Nothing in sponsorship says that you are part of the company. You are just an agent that provides marketing services for the company. Company employees are entitled to far greater benefits.

Agreed, but the process is still the same. Whether I am applying for sponsorship or applying for a job, I am going to follow the same steps, which includes the part you mention about making yourself of value to the company ("you need to show what you will do for the company. Show how you offer various channel to deliver on their product and company branding. Show them what you will do to extend the reach of their brand. Show the Director of marketing, how you will help him/her do his job, execute on corporate and product marketing strategy and make him/her successful in reaching the company's goals. Quantify up front what the benefits are."). What you describe (as 'not applying for a job') is exactly what people do to get marketing jobs...at least, that's how I get mine. Either way, it's the same thing.

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

Shawn, they only area were I defer from what you are saying in the resume part. To me that is a small part, at least when I evaluate anything like this. In resumes people invariably talk about how great they are rather than how they will help the company. While the latter comes out in an interview, in many cases for sponsorship, you never get to a face to face inteview, so it is better to throw it into a proposal up front.

In general the decision maker wants to know what the person/partner/agent/reseller/VAR can do to make my company more successful :-). What the person has done (resume) in the past is simply a screening tool, an indicator of future capabilities, but it does not tell me that the person "gets it" (ie. My brand or product positioning etc...). For what it is worth, I do product marketing in a technology company, so like you I had to articulate the benefits that I brought to the company etc, but did not have to get into that until I got to the face to face interview :-)

Also pretty close to prostitution...

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