Pro Staff Question - After Qualifying For Sponsorship What Steps Are Next To Keep It

Dennis "The Fishin Professor" Bryant's Answer

Kit,

It looks to me, as though you've got all the RIGHT QUESTIONS to start off with!

Now, lets see if I can help you with some of the RIGHT ANSWERS!

Here, I believe I might be able to give you the view from both sides of the table!

Advice From Both Sides Of The Bass Fishing Tournament Table

You see I've already spent twenty-two plus years of my life, as a tournament angler!

As a fishing lure manufacturer, I've also been a sponsor for a number of tournament anglers for about another twenty years!

The first thing for you to do IMHO is to get the right attitude set before you even start looking!

Get one thing straight right off the bat!

A sponsor owes you absolutely nothing!

He or She pays you ( in tournament entry fees, equipment, lures, boats, tackle, vehicles, travel fees, etc.) just for doing something for them!

Basically, by accepting a sponsorship, you become a contracted employee of the company!

Finding A Local Bass Fishing Tournament Sponsor

ASK!

It's almost, actually that simple!

Build your fishing and personal resume as you seem to have already started!

Put it all down on paper.

Add a recent photograph.

Keep It Short, make it Simple!

Then hit the bricks!

Don't waste their time or your own by mailing your resume or calling them!

For local sponsors (and that's where we all started out) visit them personally!

If the person you need to talk to isn't present when you arrive, make an appointment with him/her!

But keep it strictly personal and on a one-on-one basis!

ASK THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM!

That carries a lot more weight than walking in and asking for the world in return for nothing!

VISIT THEM!

USE THEIR PRODUCTS!

TALK TO THEM!

GET THEM TO KNOW YOU ~ 'ONE-ON-ONE'!

Go out personally and visit your local bait or sporting goods stores, marinas, car & boat dealers, marine mechanics, custom boat-cover makers, etc.!

Keeping A Local Bass Fishing Tourney Sponsor

Sometimes this is easy to do especially if you've already established a relationship with them.

If you haven't, it may be a very short-lived relationship!

Keep one thought in the back of your mind! ~ The sponsor is looking for a way to advance his/her business, period!

If they can do that by sponsoring you with products, entry fees, exposure or whatever ~ it becomes an even trade!

Being willing to go that extra yard for a local sponsor is sometimes the only difference between a long-term relationship and a very short-term one.

Responsibilities Toward Your Newly Found Tournament Sponsor

You automatically become a PR man and a rolling billboard for all of your sponsors when you accept their offer of sponsorship.

Your actions will always speak much louder to a sponsor than your words ever will!

You will be required to maintain a professional appearance, attitude and decorum before you hit the ramp, while fishing, at the weigh-in and even after the fishing day is done!

REMEMBER, you are now representing their brand and everything you do will help or hurt that brand.

A sponsor may also require that you use only his or her products in certain aspects of your fishing.

He or she may sometimes require that you field-test or evaluate their products for them.

They may also require use of your personal time & services, as a sales-representative at local shows, parades, etc.!

In some instances, you may even be required to teach the proper use of their product(s) to the public.

REMEMBER:

You'll never get something for nothing!

The more you can offer a sponsor to advance that sponsor's business, the more they'll be willing to give you as your sponsor!

There are a lot of local and national sponsors that could care less about your personal short-term acomplishments as long as you continue to perform your agreed upon responsibilities to them well enough to meet their ongoing public-relations needs!

If You Lose Your Professional Attitude Or Personal Mindset

I've got to be very blunt now!

Because, to be any other way, would be counter-productive to your future!

If you ever get to the point that you begin to believe that your sponsors owe you something, just so that you can "continue doing your thing, your way" ~ you'll loose those sponsors in a heartbeat!

I'm afraid that it just doesn't work that way!

If it ever does seem to you it should be that way don't look for any further help from your sponsors, pay your own way!

Your sponsors won't & can't afford to continue as such if you are or become unwilling to support their products and/or services.

You've now learned both sides of the story!

What you do with that knowlege is totally up to you!

If you want it to work for you, you've got to work for it!

Best of luck in your search for sponsors!

Good Fishin'!

Dennis Bryant
The Fishin' Professor!

Leo Watson's Answer

Hello Kit, thank you for writing in to Bass On Hook.

This can be a very in depth subject.

Beginning Your Search For A Local Tournament Sponsor

To start with keep any newspaper clippings that you have concerning your success.

As far as approaching your first sponsor the standard approach is “this is what I've accomplished” and most people think that they are owed sponsorship because of their accomplishments.

To me this is totally wrong.

The approach I use is that I am offering them a service.

I can be used to market or promote a product and that will increase their sales and exposure for their product.

This approach does indeed work and has for me for years.

Think before you speak.

Know what your going to say before you speak.

If you have to pause for an answer this can be taken that either you are unprepared to answer the question or that you are not knowledgeable enough to answer the question.

Each agreement I have with the individual sponsors varies greatly.

There is really no standard contract that I work under.

The requirements vary with each company.

The fishing thing may not be as important as you think.

I have some that require personal appearances, trade shows, certain tournaments that they want you to fish etc.

My best advice to you, is take the time to prepare before you approach your first sponsor.

Have all your answers before they ask you the questions.

How To Approach Manufacturers In The Tackle Industry

In my opinion, the tackle industry sponsors are fairly easy.

Remember to make it appear that you are offering them a service because that is exactly what you are doing.

Offer them the chance to test prototypes before they come to market and give them HONEST feedback.

This is very important information they need to fine tune their products.

This is better than telling them that their product is great when it really still needs some work.

I have the opportunity to test products many months before the public actually sees the product.

It does cost a significant amount of money to produce a new product and the sponsors rely on your honest feedback to determine when the product is ready to be brought to the public.

Here is a website with a few well known tackle manufacturers for you to research and see if any are in your area.

Sometimes your local tackle store can provide you with the contact info for the major manufacturers also.

Conduct Yourself Professionally When Representing Your Sponsor

Another thing to remember is that when you do have sponsors you have a responsibility to represent them in a professional way and you have to conduct yourself the same way.

To be successful at this will take some time.

It will seem like a difficult adjustment at first, but with time it will ease.

Take this very seriously.

You are about to take a big step.

I wish you luck with attracting sponsors.

Start of with some of your locally manufacturing companies and work on polishing you delivery.

This will only come with time and confidence.

You may fail at first until you fine tune your approach by learning from your mistakes.

As you gain sponsors your confidence will increase and you will learn from your mistakes and yes you will make some.

You have to come off as knowledgeable, confident and good with the public.

I hope this has helped you gain a little insight into what goes on with the responsibility of having sponsors.

Make sure you are ready to take this step.

Remember every thing in the fishing business is not what you see on television.

The business side is much different.

As always if you have any more questions just forward them through this fine web site.

Thank you,

Leo Watson

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