While your agent should be the one in charge of looking for your sponsors, you might be in a position where you do not have the required level to have an agent but still want to try and find smaller sponsors that could provide equipment or small quantities of money to support your career. In any case, when approaching any potential sponsor, remember to strive for professionalism and present yourself as worthy of sponsorship. The idea is to approach it as the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship.
You can just write a letter/email following these steps:
- Introduction
Introduce yourself, what you do, where you play, and why you seek sponsorship.
- Show your potential
Describe your reach and audience (don’t forget your social media followers!). If you had sponsors in the past, explain what they got from the deal. Use numbers!
- Talk about them
You should taylor all your letters to each specific sponsor. Show that you have done your homework and that you have researched about that company. Explain why what they do goes hand in hand with your image and how your audiences overlap.
- Deliver the sell
Ask for sponsorship while highlighting the benefits for the company. Put on the table all the possible packages and state that you would be happy to go over the specifics with them.
- Call to action
Ask them to get in touch with you. Explain how they can get in contact with you. The best option is to give both, your email, and your phone number. Finally, don’t forget to thank them for their time.