Quote Originally Posted by tracy
Ok. So now I've got a little more experience on getting sponsors. I'll tell you a little more about what I think.

obviously...it's hard to get noticed. So you have to be different and a pioneer and well rounded all at the same time. Altho my Evo is pretty quick, no one will put it on the cover of their magazine because it's silver and the interior is stock. The engine has mad work done but in their eyes...it's still mundane (that's a word I have heard over and over )

If you are trying to get sponsored, it takes a lot of time and persisitance. I am on the phone 5 hours a day talking to people about our cars. It's almost a full time job. You have to think of it this way....these people that you are trying to get to sponsor you hear from a million people a day just like you. They get busy, they travel, they forget about you...unless you bug the crap out of them You have to do it in a civilized way, but you have to constantly follow up so that one day finally when you call, they will remember you.

When I go somewhere I am constantly talking about our cars and what we do. You never know who is who. It's called networking. At first it feels kind of strange to constantly be talking about yourself, but if you don't do it...who will? Every person I talk to at every race or event...I ask them for a card and give them mine. I write on the card where I met them. Then when I get home I immediately e-mail them and tell them how nice it was to meet them at the place I wrote on the card (this way even tho they might not remember you, they still kow that theywere at this particular event so they must have met you there). Then they are on my mailing list! Every place that we go we take pics and vid of our cars being there. I send out probably 200 e-mails a day to people in the industry...even if they aren't my sponsors. This way they know that we are out there doing our thing and marketing for ourselves.

You always have to dress decent when you are at these events. If you want to be sponsored you have to realize that you are basically trying to get yourself employed by this company. You want to be part of their marketing team and that means you have to be presentable. You have to have confidence and you have to act like you know what you are doing. No one likes a noob

You also have to have a kick ass package (pics, full color, examples of logo placement, and price packages help. Also, events that you have attended and events that you plan on attending this season along with any awards or accomplishments or time slips, etc.) and you have to have your package in the form of a PDF and printed out. Most companies like to see your package via e-mail at first, but then they usually want a hard copy. So be prepared.

Like I already said, you are trying to get thses companies to hire you. You have to pick the things out about yourself that are marketable. Don't expect them to do it for you. Everyone has something. We have several things that we pitch (and this is going to be waaaaaaaaay different for most people). We have had a shop for 5 years so we use that as our pitch. We state that we are self sustaining and can sell the companies products. The 2 matching cars don't hurt. We also have the big thing of me being a woman

In the end, there are a lot of variables that all have to come together at the same time. Being in the right place at the right time, being marketable, being persistant and staying in touch with the right people that you meet out and about.
Couldn't have said it better! Welcome to the game.