Short and concise.
Periodically I post the long version.... since sponsorships is a frequently asked question. I guess its time to post the most recent version. This is very direct so, I doubt many will have the patience to read this all way through, let alone, think about it or follow it through.
Skiing Sponsorships.
Ask yourself these questions:
1. *Why do you feel you NEED a sponsor?
2. *What are your goals with sponsorship?
3. *What do you think you can do for a sponsor?
4. *What makes you more deserving of a sponsorship.
1. Ask yourself, why do I want a sponsor? If you are looking to impress your buddies by saying you're sponsored, forget it. Companies don't sponsor skiers to boost egos. If you're just looking for a deal on a pair of skis, get a job at a ski shop. Employee deals are easy to get because store patrons always want to know. What do you ride on?
Now, if your motivation for a sponsorship is that you are looking for a partner to help you achieve your skiing goals. Keep reading. Sponsorships can help by taking away some of the hassle associated with the financial and logistical mess that skiers can find themselves in and..... You want to make a difference in the products that a company offers, you're on the right track.
2. Goals: It's good to have goals. For example: I am going to enter and compete this season in both local and regional competitions. That is a goal. Without goals, it will be very hard for a sponsor to understand why you want a sponsorship other than to get free stuff. Showing that you have goals and have a plan on how to achieve them is very important. You have to have a plan. Companies aren't just going to see you out riding one day and hook you up with skis because you can rip it up the park or huck big, unless you all the sudden win a major competition and don't already have sponsors.
3. What you should do for your sponsor: Sponsorship is not a free ride. It's should be treated like a job. When you are sponsored, you are representing that company and all its products. When you are in public, you are generally expected to present yourself in a manner acceptable to that company. Think of ways to represent yourself so that your sponsor's products are demonstrated in the most positive light possible. For example, it might mean something as simple as stopping to talk to curious gapers slopeside. You have to represent first and foremost.
Consider also that a sponsorship is a two way street. They give you information on the product and then you should give feedback on the products performance. Companies rely on their team members to provide feedback on their products, that's where you can come in and make yourself more valuable to your sponsor.
4. Why do you deserve a sponsorship? Consider and think about things that potentially separate you from others. What about exposure? Have you been in films? Are you filmed regularly and have a portfolio of short edits? Have you been involved photo shoots with photographers? Do you post or submit your photos for regulary? Do you compete? What are your results? Today, most successful skiers not only shreds the park and big lines, but are also with film makers and photographers. You really need to get out there and make yourself known in order for companies to see a value and start throwing stuff at you.
*Remember: You are marketing yourself so that you can help a company market its product. What have you done that makes you a more vital candidate than someone else? Approach it like a job interview. There are hundreds of people looking for the sponsorship hookup. What makes you better than them? Sell yourself.
Now, after all of that, and you are still reading, do you still want to find a sponsorship?
*Have you chosen who you want to represent? Great! Lets begin with the basics.
*It is important to find out who in charge of new sponsorships. Here on NS you can find many screen names listed in orange. They are individuals related to various products tied to the ski industry. There are also team managers, you can also find them here on NS, they are also product representatives, they should be able to provide information regarding sponsorships.
*Get the correct spelling of their name and their position within the company. This is NOT the time to try and speak to them directly. It is likely that they have very limited time (if any) to spend on new recruits. Trying to get them on the phone will waste their time and yours especially if it is during the ski season. Repeatedly messaging or emailing a potential sponsor here on NS will likely only serve to agitate.
NOW - your portfolio, your resume, that right remember you are essentially applying for a position of representation for a particular company
1. Media - Get your comp results together (or just the highlights if you've been competing for a while) Compile press clippings, video edits, photographs of you in action along with a short concise biography and personal statistics.
2. Schedules - Put together a schedule of your ski season containing local, regional and bigger competitions. To get a company interested in you, a resume of competition results and accomplishments is always a good idea. The more the venues the more exposure you have.
3. Goals - Your portfolio is a proposal asking for you to be considered for a sponsorship. So, in your words, write about what you have done in the past and what you intend to do in the upcoming year. This is the time to express your goals and outline a plan for attaining them. For example: Along with past results, you should map out training, Freestyle skiing is athletic in nature, show what training you intend to do.
*The portfolio and proposal for sponsorship that you have now compiled is the key to achieving a sponsorship. Your written request for sponsorship is crucial unless you are so well known that your reputation proceeds you. Don't make the typical mistake of firing off an email along with youtube links saying how good you are and how much you want them to sponsor you. It will likely be filed or trashed, the same way as all the other unprofessional submissions that they receive.
Getting your email trashed might seem cold and harsh, but that is the reality. Take the time to make your portfolio and proposal, professional yet fun. This is the time you need make sure that you make a great first impression. Your proposal needs to be attention grabbing and informative or it won't get a second look! Sponsors look at your proposal as a request to be an ambassador for their products. The easiest way to get a request ignored is to write a letter asking for "sponsorship".
*Make sure every piece of written communication between you and a potential sponsor is spelled 100% correctly. Do I really need to say that? Seriously, read it over several times, have friends and family check it. A sponsor might view something simple like spelling as an indicator of your personality. For example, they might have the thought "Since you didn't even take the time to correct spelling errors..." Why should I have any confidence that you will spend the time to like learning the basics about their products. Why chance it? Use spell check.
* Here is something else to also consider. If you act like a jerk in public, mouthing off or kicking puppies, you will likely not be looked favorably on. Sure, there are lots of sponsored jerks out there, however they are the exception, not the rule. People need to respect you, and being a jerk on the trails, in public, or even on a message board, will likely not bode well. Sponsors would rather support the nice guy who finished third than the idiot who won.
In closing, don't get bummed if you don't get the hookup first year. Take the time to build your reputation.
