Mjolitor 68

I think I have a sponsor interview lined up so I have a list of what I want & how much it will cost

they dont know much about racing so I plan on starting by telling them how much a prof bicycle racing team annual budget is then go karts, then NASCAR just to give them a clue, then I'll show them how small my budget is compared to NASCAR

Any tips from the veterans ?

Should I use powerpoint, bring my crew chief, bring the car, bring photos, video ?

I plan on getting some marketing assistance from NASCAR & Grand AM to help put things in perspective

Thanks

rbl

If you were soliciting me I would want to know why I should sponsor you, instead of your competitor, and what my return will be for my $$. What do I get out of the sponsorship? There needs to be a profitable, not charitable, reason to sponsor you. Be it market exposure, good will towards my business or products that are actually tangible and not a pie in the sky thing. NASCAR is huge exposure for example and mostly for national based companies.

What a bicycle team or others do is meaningless. If you need to justify your budget by comparison, then do it with a competitors budget. You may want to rethink the comparative strategy. A sponsor seldom if ever gets their monies worth so I wouldn't try to do a fancy pitch. I'd focus on what is in it for them as best you can .... including track perks. Your crew chief would probably be an asset.

Olitho

I agree with what RBL said.

I does not matter what the other teams charge, except that if you are charging a lot less, they may think there is something wrong with your pitch. They will ask themselves why you are so cheap.

As far as relative rates to sponsor others, that is not material. You need to tell them what is in it for them. RBL captured it perfectly.

Follow-up and let us know how it went.

AU N EGL

Wrong approach. the approach is WHAT RACE WILL DO FOR THEM?? How will they benefitt ( be specific in exposure to their clients )

I have not do car racing but use to run Pro Cycling teams and spent many hours in promotional meetings with big name potential sponsors.

and now the term is Parnters, not sponsors.

Good Luck

63Corvette

Hire Danika Patrick to drive your car

wtknght1

One of the approaches I used to get some help was the fact that I have (and will) make it to the runoffs - i.e. TV TIME!!!!!!!! Whatever is on your car will get some air time - advertising.

If you've already done the runoffs and gotten some air time, then you could bring the Speedchannel coverage of that and show how much air time you got.

The bottom line though is what can you do for them...and not the other way around. If you can show that advertising for them will bring in "X" amount of $$, then you'll get some help.

The other thing you can do (for possible tire/brake/wheel sponsorship) is to continuously beat the "contract" drivers who are running those products. My goal for any race is to be the highest finisher on whatever brand of tire I'm using at the time. After that, try to be the highest finishing brand/make of car. If you finish first in class, on Kumho tires, in a Corvette for instance, you just might have somebody come up to you and offer you some help!!!!!!!
If you can't win the races, then run consistently with some screamin' fast lap times.

In 2003 and part of 2004, I was always the highest finisher on Hoosier tires - the runoffs included...every single race! But, I couldn't get them to offer a full-time sponsorship contract??!?!!? So I began searching for the best tires and began running Kumhos.

After the 2005 Sebring race, Kumho came thru and offered a tire deal. I didn't win the race, but ran down Dave Roush (Kumho contract driver) at the end of the race and was obviously quicker. I've been running Kumhos ever since and they have been fantastic - in both performance and their generosity.

Good luck!!!!!

John Shiels

who is watching you race and prove it with reliable data then they will see what it may do for them. Also who else in the series is sponsoring other cars.

wtknght1

Oh, forgot one thing - The best sponsorship in the world is a rich relative.

Anybody know any????????

Lancer033

I'm willing to put myself up for adoption