It can be challenging building a project car, whether you’re a professional motorsports driver or weekend enthusiast—and honestly, it can be very expensive. One way to alleviate this stress is to look for sponsorship, but don’t think it comes any easier. The process of acquiring sponsors requires you to be professional and respectful, no matter how good you are at networking and selling yourself.
The best way to get sponsored is to be professional and not treat companies like a source of free parts. Before contacting a brand, do research on them to see if your car will be a good fit, and then show them that you know and care about their products. After contacting them, don’t send endless follow-up emails.
A sponsorship occurs when a manufacturer agrees to give you parts when they believe you can successfully help market and advertise their brand, whether it be through displaying at car shows, magazine features, worth of mouth (like social media) or by posting on forums. If you’ve come here to find shortcuts on how to get companies to give you freebies, then look elsewhere; you’ve come to the wrong place.
You need to understand that this game is 50 percent luck and 110 percent hard work; however, we do have some tips that will hopefully help teach what you need to know in order to be sponsored:
1. Network
The best way to land a sponsorship is to network, network and network some more. In case you missed that: network! This is essential in any industry because industry people talk, and they all know each other.
2. Be Patient
Take your time developing these relationships, much like you would a significant other. It’s not something that happens overnight; this lifestyle, if you’re serious about it, requires dedication. Impressing one company can potentially open many more doors down the road; conversely, burn one bridge and you risk losing out on any opportunities. Don’t force your way in; instead, be friendly and respectful because you never know who you’ll meet or where things may lead.
3. Form
Genuine Relationships.
With that being said, it’s good to make a few friends before even thinking a sponsorship is a done deal. Being serious means you’re in this for the long haul, and friends are always helpful when the going gets tough.
4. Be Professional.
When it comes down to it, be ready to talk business. Know when to draw the line between friendship and professionalism; regardless of your connection, companies need to justify why they should be sponsoring you. Rocking stickers isn’t a good enough reason.
5. Treat It Like a Job Application.
Look at presenting a sponsorship proposal just like a job resumé; sell yourself, make them say “yes"! Understand that they see hundreds of proposals (if not more), and yours needs to stand out over everyone else’s. Keep it short, avoid a novel and highlight what you alone can offer—a little bit about yourself, your car’s spec sheet, any awards and media exposure you can get—make them want you! Know which parts you’re interested in and explain how they’ll benefit by helping you.
6. Show Them You're Serious
A good proposal doesn’t just say what you’ve done but will also mention more specific, direct benefits to be gained. Remember what we said earlier about being serious? Spend a little money on using premium copy paper to print your proposal—maybe even have it bound while you’re at it. If you’re providing photos (which we highly recommend), make sure they’re in color. Making it as visually appealing as it is factually appealing.
7. Be Gracious and Respectful
Don’t forget to include your contact info so they’re able to contact you, and if they do, be gracious for the time they’re giving you; this is also one of those instances where it’s good to understand the concept of “don’t contact us, we’ll contact you”.
Ultimately, you will probably hear “no” a lot (if you even get a response); don’t let that discourage you. Where one company might not be looking for the qualities you have, another might. Keep doing your research on other companies or ways you can improve upon yourself to make your pitch more desirable. In the end, if you want to get sponsored, don’t even think about getting sponsored. The most important thing is that you focus on building your car the way you want it. Your own uniqueness and dedication is what will be your key to attracting companies, not your ability to spam them. It may just be a personal superstition, but I believe you will never get what you want, especially if you’re trying to force it.
Sponsorship is the name of the game, whether you’re a rookie, a veteran or an expert, and everyone has to play. The more you talk to people and learn how they got sponsored, the more you’ll see how much time, effort and luck was required to get where they are now. Use these varying perspectives as tools and tips to help you get to where you want to be.
"Sponsorships are amazing opportunities that help you connect with the automotive industry. Sure the sponsored products are great, but there’s such a satisfying feeling when you are representing someone other than yourself. You feel like your part of the 'in' crowd and it’s addicting; it makes you even more willing to want to help them as much as they are helping you."