Wie erfragt man ein Sponsoring oder besser, wie sollte man es nicht machen. Darüber berichtet heute die Website Paintball.com, wir haben den Artikel für Euch.
Now some of you may have called and asked for a sponsorship of some kind. You want to hear the most common answer when I say „sure what do you guys want?“
A : Lots of free stuff!!!
B : Free paint!!!
C : Our entry fee paid!!!
D : Uh…umm…uh… I don't know…
The answer is not A , nor is it C , nor is it B … yup the answer 99.99% of the time is D !!! Can you believe that? The most common answer is D !!!
My rant is this… some of you don't know how to ask a person for a sponsorship. Answer D just drives me up the wall. In fact some of you don't even know what it means to get sponsored. And it's frustrating. It frustrates me cuz I'm the guy that gets tons of phone calls, paper mail, and emails asking for „sponsorship“ and the problem is you don't even know what „sponsorship“ means!
To be sponsored is a business deal where the Sponsor gives the Sponseree money, deals, or anything else so that the Sponsor makes that money back and some. There… to the point that is all that it means or is.
Now, please read what I have prepared for you all and take it to heart. Please copy and paste my words of wisdom to all the paintball messageboards everywhere. This is free advice that could raise you and your team some money! So please, no more emails or phone calls or letters unless they are professional!!! If you do send an email or letter, please leave contact information (like an email address or phone number.) Even still, emails and paper mail usually will end up in the garbage so a face to face is the best way to approach a potential sponsor.
You want to be specific with what you want. Don't be broad cuz your request for sponsorship will just go in the garbage.
IE Local business: like car dealerships and restaurants- approach these guys with a monetary amount like your entry fees. If entry fees are $150 per event each month then ask them for $150 per event. Just make sure that you bust your butt advertising for them in return so you can renew that sponsorship the following year. If they decline, go onto the next business. KEY POINT, YOU ARE OUT THERE TO MAKE THEM MONEY.
Paintball Stores- don't ask for anything right off the bat, you will look like moochers and will be detested for it. Instead help them out first. Send business their way… be at the store and offer to clean the bathroom or take out the garbage, vacuum, sweep, dust, whatever… make your team a presence that shows that you care about that store. Become friends with the owner, bring them something to eat. Very quickly, you will find that they will hook you up with discounts (deep discounts) for helping out and caring.
Paintball field- once again, don't ask for anything right off the bat or you will be detested as a moocher. Instead play and support that field as much as possible. Just help out with reffing, picking up garbage, offering to do maintenance, clean up, clean rental guns and masks, and just show the owners that you care. Become friends with the owners and you will also see discounts.
Paintball stores and fields are wierd in the business sense. Not too many will pay outright for help but will sure as hell barter whatever they can for help. Doesn't cost out of direct pocket for you or the owners.
Trust me, it is much easier to „hook up“ a friend that shows that they care for the business than it is to hook up a stranger that all of a sudden emails right out of the blue.
Out of paintball businesses- hit them up for money and be specific to how much you need, not want. If you need $3000 a month to support a team then ask for $3000. If you only need $150 a month then ask for $150 and back up why you need those amounts.
Keep this in mind, if you can help your sponsors make 10 times the amount of what they gave, you are sure to get money. Be ready to back up, with facts, how you will do this… not „uh well… uh… well… uh… what do you want us to do… uh…“
There are so many ways that you can get money if you just work at it…. unfortunately too many of you fail by not getting off your lazy butts to do anything for it or by not even trying. And some of you just down right just piss off the business owners from ever wanting to ever help a team out. So plan your strategy smartly and then execute it. Don't waste business owners' time and energy for the rest of us. Nothing is worse than a phone calling asking for sponsorship and not knowing what you want.