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Network Your Way to Sponsorship – It’s not ‘Cheesy’ (By Scott T.)
 What's your take on the idea of networking to land a sponsorship? If you're like most athletes around the country who spend all their time riding, competing, or practicing, the thought of networking may make you cringe.
I was talking to a ripping surfer at our local break a few weeks ago and I asked how he would find sponsors if SponsorHouse didn’t exist. I asked who he ‘networked’ with to get into his local shop or connect with other surfers for referrals to potential sponsors. His response was about what I expected: "What’s networking?" he said, "It seems 'cheesy,' going around to people to ask for help to find sponsors."
That’s when I told him how I started out. When I was seventeen, I made the rounds to every local business in my town to tell them all about my aspiring racing career as an amateur motocross racer. In doing so I also asked for donations for a new team I was starting. It was painful and most people could have cared less about my dreams to be a pro motocross rider, but it did make a huge difference since now people knew about my racing. It also helped me collect almost $1,000 to go racing.
This is an example from when I was a teenager, but the rules of the game are the same whether you’re looking for your first sponsor or negotiating a million dollar sponsorship deal. You need to pound the pavement and talk to everyone! For most athletes, there are many "safe" and "non-cheesy" -but still very effective- ways to network. And they involve people you already know.
You don't have to begin your efforts by cold-calling team managers at your favorite companies. Instead, start with the people who are already an important part of your life -people you're already comfortable with. Here are some examples: - Your family. Oddly enough, we often don't consider networking within our own families. Your parents know many people. Your uncles and aunts, cousins and grandparents know many people as well. They've all been in the work world for a while, probably went to school with some interesting people and have friends, you may not be aware of, who work at companies you want to get sponsored by. Start tapping into your family's network.
- Your friends. Your best friend knows people and his or her family members know people too. Your buddy's mom has a sister who knows people. Your high school friend, who just graduated college clear across the other side of the country, just started working for an action sports company and knows people. You get the idea.
- Photographers. If you’re like the next guy, you love pictures of yourself. Next time you’re at an event, talk with the photographers to see if they have any connections to people at companies.
- Local Shops. Are you a loyal customer at your local shop and head in there every week to buy new products? Next time, talk to the shop manager about whether they have a team and/or his view on sponsorship. You’ll either get an earful of info or they may have interest in sponsoring you themselves.
- SponsorHouse. This is the most obvious and easiest way for the MySpace generation of kids to log on and search the database of companies and submit their sponsorship applications. We are a great tool for connecting with companies for the first time and ‘opening the door’. The rest, however, is up to you. The computer will never replace the good old-fashioned relationship building process that will ultimately land you a major sponsorship deal when you turn pro.
The suggestion to "network" is nothing more than a fancy way of saying, "Talk to people" -and there are no rules stating that the people you talk to must be strangers. Start with the people you know and move out from there.
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