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Why would you want to spend a small fortune producing hundreds of these when probably 75% of the material would be irrelevant? Most likely your expensive proposals will up in that circular file, as I mentioned. In reality, a few proposals tailored specifically to a company’s needs would not only be a wiser choice but also a better use of your time and money. This is not to say that you shouldn’t have the material ready, because it is important, but only when presented at the right time. Secondly, I want to make it clear that these thoughts are geared towards attracting corporate America. For sportsman racers who are targeting smaller companies, some of this will apply and some won’t.
PROPOSALS
Congratulations, you have secured your first meeting. This is no small accomplishment because the road to your meeting has more than likely been littered with frustration, disappointment and thoughts of giving up; everyone feels this way from time to time and the reasons are varied. I’ll give you a couple of examples where things totally out of your control will make you nuts. Remember how I talked in my first installment about my golf buddy who is with the Atlanta Falcons? At one time he was the global marketing director for Home Depot, a company I pursued for many years. Initially I was rebuffed because they had just gotten involved in the Olympics. After that, they got involved in NASCAR and I was once again rejected. Finally, after years of trying, I got in and generated some interest, but shortly thereafter Arthur Blank, one of the founders of Home Depot, bought the Falcons and took my friend with him. So today I have Falcons tickets but no Home Depot sponsorship. Additionally, after working on Cingular Wireless for two years (they are another Atlanta-based company, which reiterates what I was saying about angles and using advantages you have) I finally convinced them to come to the Atlanta race and see for themselves what I had been talking about. After following up with them for months and getting excited based on their interest, two weeks before the race I called them about ticket needs and was greeted with the worst possible news; the two people that I had been working with were no longer with the company. Now you can see why I say congratulations on getting your meeting.
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Preparing for your first meeting Okay. You’ve got your meeting. So what do you do, what do you bring, what do you say? Here is something that I am sure will amaze most people reading this. For the last 10 years the only thing I have brought to a first meeting is a notebook and something to write with. Another potential death move can be assuming that you know what direction a company is headed and what they are trying to accomplish with their marketing plan. My approach is to just ask questions and let them direct where the meeting is going. They will, if asked, tell you what you need to know about the product they are interested in selling or the customer they are trying to reach. Do not try to guess beforehand what you think their goals are and what their sales direction is. Why? Well, a lot of time can be spent preparing a strategy for your meeting. If you do this based on guesswork and tell a potential sponsor how you are going to sell more toasters for them only to find out they are phasing out their toaster program and concentrating on selling more coffee pots, then you have probably blown your opportunity. Your meeting will be brief and you probably won’t get a second chance. I have heard countless stories of people spending their whole meeting talking about things that the company has already tried, or have already decided to try a different approach on. Once again, this is an opportunity lost. A couple of people have told me that they will look unprepared if they show up for a meeting as I described, but my reply to them is that they will have a much better chance of getting a second meeting this way than by chancing the risk of presentation suicide if the direction is wrong. I think most companies will appreciate you wanting to ask questions and learn about what they want and need, rather than showing up assuming you know. Like I have said before, it works for me.
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Click to visit our sponsor's website Once you have succeeded on generating a more formal meeting You have now listened and succeeded in gathering enough information so that you can go home and figure out how you are going to use drag racing to help this company reach their goals. While plotting your next move keep in mind that nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to happen overnight. At the corporate level you will rarely find one person who is going to make the decision needed that will allow your program to go forward, so be prepared for the long haul. Most programs will touch several different departments in the company and they will all have to buy into the program before it moves forward. The key is to find that one person who really believes in you and your program. Keep in mind that it may not be the person you started with, so pay attention. Sometimes someone will come out the blue who has a background that includes either an involvement in drag racing or just an interest in the sport as a fan. Remember that you are not selling an accepted form of sport such as football, baseball, or basketball, or the accepted form of motorsports for that matter, with NASCAR being the best example. Along the trail the person you are dealing with is going to have to overcome objections, disinterest and a variety of other reasons internally that will make the average person give up. You will need an ally who has a belief in your program and is willing to fight for it, so like I said, keep your eyes and your ears open for this person because you will need him. If and when you do find him, the next key is building a relationship with him and riding him for all he is worth. I mean that in a good way, almost all of these programs will happen because of the relationship you have built. I don’t care how good your plan is - if the company doesn’t feel comfortable with you and feel that you would be a good representative for them you are going to struggle. Your program might happen but chances are it will happen with someone else.
Another obstacle you will have to overcome is perception, and it can be a killer. Once an interest is generated you will have to overcome the fact that you are not John Force. It is very likely that once a company has become interested in our sport they will want to take the easy road and associate themselves with a team that has had a lot of success. While on one hand you can’t blame them, they need to realize that you too can build an empire if you are given the proper tools. It goes back to the old saying that you need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get that experience. It’s a very tricky, catch 22 position. a d v e r t i s e m e n t
Click to visit our sponsor's website
ADVICE
The last thing I want to suggest and it might be the single best thing you will get out of all this is this: Once you have succeeded in acquiring your sponsorship, whether it’s your first or the sponsorship that takes your program to another level, please find someone in your class you trust. I wish I had done that more than you can imagine. Find someone who has a good reputation and a good track record and ask them for help and direction. I consider myself pretty smart but the mistakes I made initially when getting into Top Fuel were disastrous and most could have been prevented. They were made because I did not know any better. The people you surround yourself with are very important and are a very large reflection on you. The learning curve is very steep and racing is hard enough without initially digging yourself a big hole. If you can avoid the pitfalls you will be so far ahead in the long run that it will amaze you when you look back and see what you have accomplished. In the next and last installment I will chronicle my own 16-month sponsorship odyssey. The ups and downs, the false starts, the frustrations along the way and finally the joys of seeing something that you have worked so hard on and put so much time in on finally come to fruition. And because of the many mistakes I have made along the way and the realization that after 11 years in the sport that most of them could have been avoided if someone had offered their help, I am offering help if anyone would like it, stop by at the track, or email me at BobsBlogCP@aol.com.
What’s your take? Drop us a line at comppluseditor@aol.com.
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Surviving the bumpy road
Sponsorship hunting is extremely difficult. The odds are stacked against you from the beginning. You must be prepared to overcome the initial negative response you will most likely receive. Most of the negatives comments you receive are going to be impulsive, not backed up by any facts. The person you are dealing with is being sought after and pulled at by more people than you can imagine, every sport, venue, or attraction that needs money to help it achieve its goal is in line and probably in front of you, and it will be much easier for him not to add anything else to his plate. 
© Competitionplus 2005
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