Recently a friend of ours called to say he found a company that was supplying a data base for sponsorship. No, not for free. I finally found the time to call and find out what the deal was. To my surprise a lovely lady named Andrea told me just about everything I wanted to know, or so I thought. A package arrived two days later that had me smiling for six straight hours. I still haven’t read it all, but I need to share this with as many of you as possible right now! I am suppossed to be printing tomorrow but I thought this was good enough to wait another day.

IEG, Inc. has been in business for 15 years and have proven to be the industry leader when it comes to finding and identifying sponsorship. They can show you many ways to get your share. Unfortunately there are only two workshops left in this season so if you can, try to catch one of them. Indianapolis on August 21st at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis and in Washington D.C. on September 11 at the JW Marriott Hotel. My advice is call ASAP (312) 789-6488 or 944-1727. Reservations are necessary.

As most of you, my readers, are just starting out and wondering which way to go, outside the industry is where it’s at. Call IEG and order the Complete Guide to Sponsorship. It will get you started and does so in a very informative, easy to read format. Not all of the information is going to pertain to you, at least not at this moment, however down the road you may find it very useful if you expand into the event (promotion, end of our sport, as some of us are thinking about).

As in so many other kinds of educational material, you need to take what you can use now and put it to work. It’s August which means the companies that do advertising, or sponsorship packages are now working on their 1997 budgets. That means you have little time to waste. This book defines the differences between advertising and sponsorship. Yes, there is a difference and you can use the same information for any sponsor you are trying to get involved with.

The next step is to send for the IEG Sponsorship Source Book. It contains tons of information on the movers and shakers in the advertising business and information on the companies themselves. What I really like about this book is that it lists each advertising agency, who they sponsor. If you think you want to have an agent represent you there’s one in there, and probably in your back yard. The advantage here is having someone else looking for sponsorship for you. Let’s face it, if you had to go to court you would not represent yourself, so why not give the proposal over to someone who is in the business. One that knows the right direction and above all who to talk too.

Last but not least, is the IEG Sponsordex, an 1800 name index that gives you the contacts and where to find them. It is not cheap, however when you consider that it works out to 50¢ a name, the investment is well worth it. If you are thinking about a team effort or are looking for just the right sponsor, this investment may be the one you have to make. Granted it’s a large piece of change, (say three sets of race tires), however if you land a sponsor, the money instantly becomes a “great” investment. The IEG Sposordex is available on a disk for easy access and comes with a sample copy of a proposal form.
***note*** Please keep in mind that if you spend your hard earned money on any of these fine sponsorship tools, that it’s your money. Let your buddy get his own. You know which buddy I’m talking about. “The borrower.” And while you’re at it, DON’T CALL ME AND EXPECT ME TO COPY IT FOR YOU EITHER! The folks at IEG are straight up and when you give your word you stick with it.

Signing up for the IEG Sponsorship Report is another way to find out what is happening during the year. It keeps tabs on all the sponsorship dollars in the industry including those that go to different sources including charities, festivals, rock tours, sporting festivals, motorsports events, etc. If you study this kind of business activity, this monthly report is a must. As a subscriber you also have many advantages when it comes to the costs associated with dealing with IEG. All reports, and informative projects are discounted for subscribers.

Another aspect, and one that should not be overlooked, is the IEG Legal Guide to Sponsorship. This is very important especially if you land a big corporate sponsor. You must protect your investment and all the effort that you put into it. Those of you close to me know exactly what I’m talking about when I say: “Trust no one. You will get ripped off.” For you newer riders who have never been in the business world, let me explain with a few mistakes that I have made and more recently a couple of you have.

Years ago in a far, far, far away place (while I was a Yacht Broker), a friend came to me and asked me to design a marina for a wealthy man. I told him no, there was no way that we would be protected. He told me not to worry, we were covered and we would build and run the marina. (A WARNING - “not to worry”). So, I sat down for two weeks and put together a plan covering every nut and bolt, piling, electrical line, a store, and a management plan. It looked great and was warmly accepted by our wealthy client. Two weeks later we were told it was a no go, change of plans and all that. I smelled a rat at this point knowing who we were dealing with. The fact that when the prospectus was returned it had been taken apart and put back together. Several pages in the wrong order was the first clue. No doubt someone had copied it. Someone who either could not count or read the numbers at the bottom of the page.

Three months later at a boat show in Miami, this guy walks on to the 60 footer I was working and tells me he is the new marina manager at the same place I had worked up the plans for. We started talking and as I listened, I realized he was using my plans to oversee construction. He also told me about management and marketing strategies that were also mine. I was annoyed, but you can’t say I was that confident that I would end up with the project to start with. I knew the marina owner was a low life before we started.

A few weeks later I get a call from the marina owner. He wants me to take over the project and bring it up to speed, it seems that the manager he hired was skimming the contractors. I told him to put the marina where the sun don’t shine. Yes, I’m cool, but also still poor. Lesson learned, “Don’t trust anyone.” Keep it legal. Think of it as having $250,000 in your pocket and having someone pick it. If you are fortunate enough to get a sponsor you have to remember that keeping him happy is a full time job. There are a lot of dogs out there. Read on.

On a more recent note: one of our riders put together a package with a major corporation including facts, figures and who to verify them with. The prospective sponsor was thrilled with the riders and the fine effort they had put forth, so he made some calls, after all he has to answer to someone else.

While doing his homework he spoke to a person in high authority with one of the sanctioning bodies. After getting verification on all the facts regarding TV coverage and what the sanctioning body had to offer, it was suggested that he consider sponsoring a factory team instead of those no name privateers. The response: the gentleman, a marketing vice president, hung up the phone completely baffled and is no longer interested in doing any motorcycle roadracing sponsorship. In doing some homework I find that this is not the first time this has happened to one of you. Seems like a definate pattern is developing here. I quickly called four riders who are involved in huge packages for next season and told them to be on the lookout for snipers.

Now I know this is going to cause some of you think about a riot or a lynching. True it inspires rage, and yours truly is no exception. But, we have to grin and bear it for now. There is no other place for us to go (at least for now). I encourage you to protect yourself completely. Spend some time with a lawyer and make sure you have an agreement with all parties with the understanding that this is your sponsor prospect and not one to be shared with others. This includes your fellow racer “friends” who will skunk you in a minute if they think they would be a better sponsor candidate than you are. It happens every day.

I have been saying for years that once we get some good TV coverage we should be able to attract more outside sponsors. Well, it’s here and if you want to get in on some of the “big bucks” you need to use the coverage to your advantage. Every advertising and marketing manager knows that if it’s not on TV, you’re wasting their time. This is the best coverage of our racing that we have had to date, and if we can get the announcers to squeeze more of you into the coverage, we will be able to sell ourselves a lot easier. In their defense it’s hard to produce an hour of coverage and cover everybody, but sponsorship needs have to be addressed much like NASCAR does. Let’s face it, companies like Proctor and Gamble® like to have their names mentioned and often. It sells product. Granted our body work is small compared to the cars, however we have a huge advantage on our side. Everyone you talk to, loves the attitudes of our racers and the fantastic ability they possess. Personalities are what built NASCAR and we need to direct some of our energies to getting our racers out in the public eye. A tip: practice your public speaking, engage your brain first then your mouth.

In a side trip to our little sponsorship hunt. Keep in mind that when you deal with a potential sponsor you should know who they give charity dollars to. It helps when you can tell them that you would like to stop by their favorite childrens hospital and visit on your way to or from a track. Sign autographs, give out some posters, do some public relations work, show your sponsor in a good light.

Nothing draws the local media out like a high profile person making a charity stop, or a racer getting hurt at a track. Those kinds of stories are what they live for. If you have ever tried to get the local media out to your track you know what I’m talking about. A person getting injured or worse is big news. You winning a race is not. I think it has something to do with their egos. You need to remember that they are not sports oriented. They are looking for dirt to keep the six o’clock news interesting.

In sales you capitilize on these obstacles, no not the part about getting hurt. Use them to your advantage. Turn a negative into a positive. Find your niche and use all the tools at your disposal to incorporate your racing effort into sponsorship. And remember, once you get that sponsorship - do whatever is necessary to keep it. Start today by calling IEG. They are in the business and know all the answers. And don’t forget to tell them that I sent you.

I would like all of you to pass this article on to all your friends, (this one you can copy), you must start right now and move quickly. Remember, when you step up to play with the “big dogs” the costs increase, however the rewards are greater. You will be much faster on the track when you take the weight of being a one man show off of your back.

I have also received calls from friends of ours in the aftermarket industry and it’s time to start thinking about sending them rèsumès. Keep them short and informative. Remember to let them know what you have to offer.

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