Posts
45
Joined
5/21/2019
Location
Las Vegas, NV
US
Over the past few years I have been putting in major effort into training, riding, and racing and have picked up quite a bit of speed. For the 2020 season I thought just maybe I might be able to pick up some sponsors. The problem is I have never really had any experience with companies and representing them as well as the application process. If you guys could help me out that would be awesome! Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or advice!
During my time in the industry (4 years inside), I saw the deterioration of sponsorship. It went from a dedicated rider support rep whose job it was to comb through stacks of resumes individually, to then having a sales rep who would open up hookit, not even read a thing about any one rider and simply click “approve” on everyone who applied. The thinking is 30% off is a pretty good way to get someone to buy, where as if you are declined you will just go to the next company who will offer you some form of a deal....the money generated from hookit is factored in to overall sales goals, so it behooves everyone to get approved
Today’s sponsorship is an absolute joke compared to what it once was...I am sure there are still some companies out there doing it the right way, but I can assure you the “click to approve” method is becoming the new standard, if it hasn’t already
The Shop
I love the way they make it hard to become a dealer but if you are "Sponsored" You get close to dealer price.
1. Hookit is a scam, don’t even bother. You might get a great “deal”, but a lot of companies will just jack up shipping to make up for it, it’s a joke.
2. A well done resume is very helpful. I’m very far from a graphic designer, but I created mine in Word and overlayed text over pictures in a clean way. If you shoot me a PM with your email I’ll send you a copy of it just to pull some ideas from.
3. Go for smaller companies on their way up. I’ve gotten great support from companies like Viral and IRC Tire, and likely would never have gotten anything close from larger names like Dunlop or Oakley. There are some smaller companies out there that make fantastic products, and for me it’s easy to promote their stuff because I genuinely would recommend it to my closest friends.
4. Social media presence. Contrary to what many here will tell you, social media is a fantastic tool to help spread your message, and also find new people to ride with. I’ve made so many friends and ridden with some great people from connections I’ve made there, and having a strong presence is very attractive to sponsors. Keep in mind, content creation can be a fun and easy process! Most of my content is simple clips from my gopro that I wear while riding, nothing special but people enjoy seeing it and it’s easy for me to create.
5. Go in for the long haul. I always try to make it clear that this isn’t a year to year thing for me, I want to build a relationship long term. Support may start off small the first year, but you should see growth year after year as you build a relationship with them.
Also what software do you use to edit your videos?
I'm not very tech savvy. I recently bought a go pro and I have found that learning to edit for me has been like trying to learn another language.
If you want to check his stuff out:
Instagram / YouTube: @485Josh
3D printing stuff goes on my business account @3dpmoto
Tarz, I honestly just use Windows Movie Maker, it’s free and easy to use for basic stuff like what I do. I’ve made some decent edits with it, but there’s definitely better programs out there if you want to get really deep into it. Just keep in mind you’re not going to be an expert overnight, you’re going to have to make your first terrible edit in order to work toward your first great edit. I just enjoy playing around with it and post stuff I like, I’m not into playing the algorithms or trying to tailor my content for followers, I think it’s pretty easy to see when people do that and I feel like it’s counterproductive.
There are so many accounts out there with tons of followers that were bought with the intention of tricking sponsors into thinking their reach is farther than it is, and I think people are catching on. It does a sponsor a lot more good associating with someone who has legit followers and has a trusting relationship with them than it does to associate with someone who will post anything just to get free stuff, people don’t respond well to that in my opinion. Often their engagement will be hugely disproportionate to their follower numbers.
If a company sponsored a rider so as to use his images in their marketing program, there may be a little value in that!
Send resume directly to companies, most of them have a direct contact that you will need to talk to, so either call or send and email asking who to speak with. Good luck
Pit Row
One of the deals he had was 25% off a certain company. While at Loretta's this year we ran into the owner of the company and spent a few minutes talking with him. My kid told him he got a deal through Hookit and tanked him for helping us out. Guy asked me to email him so he could get us on a better deal and bumped my kid to a 50% deal.
Some companies on Hookit do jack up shipping and makes the product more expensive than it typically would cost online, but we've only run across that once and didn't reapply with that company. Heck, he's got a deal with Ogio and I just got him a 9800 sled that shipped for free.
Try to think outside the box. Businesses aren't always keen on paying cash for a sponsorship, but they might be able to help with other stuff. Examples:
A local butcher shop or deli might be able to offer lunch meats and cheeses to keep you hooked up with food for the track
A cleaning business could donate detergents and cleaners for keeping your bike clean
A local tire shop could change out your tires or give you access to their tire machine which saves time
A local car wash might give free car wash tokens
A small auto parts store might be able to donate fluids, truck/trailer accessories, tools, etc.
Your local Harley shop can typically order from PU or TR and might give you dealer cost + 5%
An equipment rental store might donate a couple year old generator, power washer, etc after they fully depreciate and they need to unload them
A camper/trailer sales store might let you pull around a used or demo trailer for a season
An independently owned gas station with 93 octane might give a 5 gallon per week gas allowance
A local beverage distribution business could donate a few cases of water and/or sports drinks per month
A medical supply store could help keep you stocked up on first aid items
These were just the first things that I could easily think of. But what I am getting at is try to think of all the other things that add expense to racing and find businesses that either use or sell those products. It's unconventional and maybe not ideal as someone handing you cash to go racing every weekend, but it will reduce your overall cost by helping you spend less.
Determine what you can do to help the company's business. (Hint: it's not just exposure.) What do you bring to the table?
You have to SHOW a company how you can help them. (Showing and telling are two different things.)
How do you do that? You need to find out what their needs are and use this as a foundation for your sponsorship and your proposal. While all these suggestions are great, you need to demonstrate to the company how you add value to their business. (Giving you a discount or free stuff isn't good for business unless you're supporting their needs and every company has different goals.)
Sponsorship is a business...it's not you getting free stuff. (That's everyone's first mistake.) You're an independent contractor trying to earn their business. The currency here is product or actual currency in exchange for your time helping the company's business. Take this approach to getting sponsorship(s) and you'll stand out from all the random resumes sent to marketing departments and team managers everywhere.
Pick up a copy of "Motorsports Marketing and Sponsorship" by Alex Striler. Most people won't and this give you an advantage.
Good luck
When you prepare your resume include ...... basic contact info.
Include your Name Address Phone Number
and last 3 years race results.
Businesses do not want to chase after you to get your basic needed information to give you a discount.
Start sending your race resume right after Loretta Lynns! We accept resumes from after LL to October 31st. So you have 3 months to line up the next years sponsorship.
Free stuff is hard to come by now days
On that same note, any Vital MX in the AZ area I will do a free exam and x rays...in 3 months lol. I just broke my legs on my rm250 so my wife (also dentist) is running the office. Let's just say she isnt a fan of motorcycles right about now hahaha.
For the Glendale SX, any privateer/pro I will be offering free exam/xrays and at cost dental procedures. Contact me around Glendale SX!
Unless I buy a lot of product. I got a big discount from Scott through hook it...if I bought 4 or more goggles at a time through them, it was cheaper (even though I had to pay shipping) than buying 4 pair through Rocky Mountain (even though I wouldn’t have had to pay shipping).
Hookit is easy...but shop around before you buy. Most of those companies aren’t doing you any favors with their discount.
As a general rule, I would work up a professional looking resume and that helps. Also talk to local dealers. A lot of dealers run support programs and put together nice packages that can help locals with oils, tires, grips, drivetrain parts etc and it adds up over the season. Good luck.
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