Sponsorship??? so you want sponsorship are you up to it????

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Sponsorship

So You Want To Be Sponsored?

Well its not that easy you have to ask yourself a few questions. First, I'm willing to put in the time and effort it requires to be sponsored? The days of companies sending you free stuff and in return you put a simple logo on your shirt and a sticker on your boat are long gone.

With the recent downturn in the economy and the general competition amongst anglers looking for sponsorship in the fishing industry, it's not that simple anymore. Companies want a return on their investment and that is exactly what you become the moment you accept that sponsorship. You're an investment that a company has made with the hopes of a return.

What do they want in return, you ask? They want to know that when they give you 50 dollars in product that they are going to get that money back; whether it is in sales of their products to other fishermen, or maybe you get their product into a new tackle or sporting goods store. With their product in these new outlets will enough sales be generated to get those 50 dollars and even possibly more on their investment in sponsoring you?

How Do I Generate Sales For a Company?

Well first and foremost you have to be out there on the water making

yourself visible. You need to speak with the anglers in your bass club or at your local fishing hole and tell them about the product that you're representing. Show them the colors and styles of baits that they carry and how these have helped you catch more fish. You can speak with people while on the water. While you're fishing down the bank and come across another boat engage them in a conversation and say How's the fishing. When they say, Bad, reply, I do Pro-Staff work for Company X and I have been fish with these colors and their style bait and it has been successful for me today. This is the time to give them a few and let them try them out. After all you are there to sell products for your sponsor and maybe that fishermen will have the same luck using your sponsor's bait. Ideally, you have just made a impression on that fishermen and the next time they are at a store, or

Online looking for more tackle they will remember those baits you gave them and how they worked and place an order. Now you have just increased the sales to the company that sponsors you.

Another avenue of approach on selling your Sponsor's products is to get a booth at a local tackle show. Set up some baits, with different colors and rigs.  Take the time to explain to people how they work and the ways to fish with them. Tell people the success that you have had with Company X's products and why you feel they are a better choice over Company B's products. Try to contact your sponsor to receive free giveaways for you to hand out and have people take home and try for themselves. 

Know Your Products

There are million and one companies out there that sell tackle. You and I both know this. You have to know the company that you're representing and where they are located. Where you can get their products, what other baits they have. What colors work for you in your area? Why would I buy a bubble gum pink senko from a recommendation of a guy in Washington? How does he know my local bodies of water, how does he know what I fish for and what the fish like in my area?  For the most part there are a lot of lures that will work across the country and have great success no matter where they are thrown. If you can articulate to a show attendee or some one on the lake, that your sponsor's products work and the colors they produce with catch fish and have caught fish for you, people will be more apt to buy them. You can stand at a boat show or on the water and when someone asks you Do they make a watermelon green pepper? You need to say YES, they do and they also do custom colors, if you can't find what you're looking for. You have to know the products inside and out. Otherwise you are going to stand there and look like you have no idea what your talking about leading people to believe that your are unsure of the product.  People are less likely to buy something on the recommendation of someone who is unsure of the product they are representing.  I always try to represent a company that I use and believe in. It's easier that way if already know a product and use it everyday it's easier to remember what they offer, what colors work, and where to get the products. When you take on a sponsor, you have to learn their product line up, the names of their baits, as well as, the colors they offer, this takes time and there is a learning curve. During this time you can't properly represent that company and sell their products until you know enough about them to tell people what works and what doesn't and where to get them because you yourself are still learning.

The Internet

The Internet is a great way to meet new people and to help you promote your Sponsors.  Social media groups, like Facebook and MySpace, allow you meet and interact with people and fishermen with the same interests. Through these interactions you can introduce your sponsor's products to people who may have never heard or seen their products. These groups also allow you to keep in touch with your personal friends.  If you are going to use these sites to promote your sponsors, make sure you keep you pages clean and professional.  Don't have pictures of you doing keg stands and joking around with your friends.  It's just not professional no one is going to take advice or the recommendations on a product from someone with that online profile.

There are also various forums on the Internet. These forums allow you to post results from tournaments and your everyday outings. You can tell about the weather you encountered while on the water and what baits you used to catch the fish and what was successful for you. You can also give recommendations to others on questions they may have from their outings.  Even with the ease of the Internet it all takes time and you have to be committed to taking the time to keep these sites and forums updated.

You can also build a website. Websites are cheap and easy to build. With a website you can post results, and do product reviews on your sponsor's products. You can present a history of yourself, allowing sponsors and potential sponsors, a chance to get to know more about you. You can also post your plans for the upcoming season. A personal website allows you the control keep people updated on what going on with you and your sponsors. A website can be a great added benefit in promotion of your sponsors. 

Things to Remember

Just putting the logo on your shirt, truck, and boat aren't enough anymore. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort. You have to realize that 50 dollars in product your sponsor gave you is now 50 dollars that you no longer have to spend on baits.  Looking at this investment they made in you carefully so you can invest what time and money wisely into other things like a tournament entry fee or gas to get there.

When Looking for Sponsors

When looking for sponsors you have to do your homework. Go with companies you know and companies you have used. It's not enough to go on to the Internet, get on Face book and MySpace or the Company's websites to get contact info, and send along a resume asking for sponsorship. You have to realize companies get hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes for sponsorship every year. You have to make sure your resume sets you apart from the other anglers looking for sponsorship. You need to show a company how you plan to increase their sales in your area, and how exactly you're going to do that. How many tournaments you're going to fish and how much exposure that is going to bring their company. Don't be afraid to lay it right out for them, how are they going to benefit and get their return on investment by sponsoring you.

Always Remember

Sponsorship is a business, and the companies that sponsor you are in it to make money for their business also. You have to treat each interaction with sponsors and while on the water or at a show interacting with other fishermen professional and businesslike.  This is not saying to act like a robot you can still use your human side, but always remember that you're representing your sponsors and everything you do not only reflects on you but them as well.

I hope everyone finds this informative and aids people in determining if they want a sponsor,  and if so,  some ways to help them in both getting and retaining them.