tqj3 Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 If anyone has a question or two (don't get nuts) about sponsor proposals, PM me and I'll be glad to answer them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted July 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2004 By the way, I will have to cut this offer off pretty soon, so anyone with questions should ask them now. (Some of you are getting nuts, wanting a critique of your package. Just a few questions each, please.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt15 Posted July 25, 2004 Report Share Posted July 25, 2004 why is that nuts??? all they want is an "experts" opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTR73 Posted July 25, 2004 Report Share Posted July 25, 2004 Hey TGI3 Do you have any sample proposals that you are willing to show so i can kinda see the way you go about getting them through proposals. Also What do you race?? and where When do i need to start sending proposals out???? We do have four feature wins this year if any sponsors are out there wanting to find a good car to sponsor.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted July 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2004 Colt- It's nuts because I'm not willing to spend several hours working on someone's proposal for nothing, but I am willing to answer a few questions if someone is having trouble getting started. TTR73- Most people don't want their proposals shown to others, particularly not those who are in competition with them for sponsorship. I no longer race, I just do public relations work and proposal work for drivers who realize they need to be active in getting their name out and professional in presenting themselves to potential sponsors. As I noted last week in another post, companies tend to set their budgets in September and October, so your material should be in their hands pretty quickly, particularly as it's usually a two-part process: meeting with them to find out what they are planning, and meeting again to show them how they can use you and your racing team to reach their goals. I'm aware you are a good driver and have four feature wins, but is anyone who doesn't come to Thunder Hill aware of you? That's one of the keys. (We did have a driver elect not to talk to the media when he had the chance last week. Some drivers are shy, but the ones who want to go to the big show have to get over it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoom Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 What exactly is contained in a sponsor proposal. Is it written in the general format of a business plan? What is the format? Can you answer that without going broke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted July 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Zoom- I'm already broke from trying to work with racers who don't want to pay for anything that doesn't make the car go faster, but I'll try. A proposal normally contains an introduction to you and your team, a concise explanation of where you race, the demographics of auto racing in a short format, photos of you and your car, and a few general examples of how association with a racing team can benefit a business. You'll want to ask for a meeting with a company honcho and/or their marketing and advertising people, the purpose of which is to learn more about the company and what its plans and goals are. (This can be done with an attached letter, or you may alter each proposal slightly.) Your goal is to get a second meeting, at which you will present your proposal to help them reach their goals through use of you and your team. Be realistic. You aren't going to send a proposal and have someone send you back a check, and no one is going to pay what it costs to race your car until you reach a level at which the benefit to them exceeds the cost of racing the car. In other words, below at least something like ARCA or ASA you will just be trying to get help with your racing expenses, not pay them. Despite that, you have to treat a $5,000.00 sponsor like a five million dollar sponsor and do a good job for them. Painting their name on the car isn't enough. Yes, you might find someone who's nuts for racing and will pay more than it's worth, but there aren't many of those guys out there. There are, however, many businesses looking for an edge that will help them move more widgets or whatever, or improve company morale, or help entertain customers in a new and exciting way. Go get 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted July 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 As it got pretty quiet after my last post, I assume everyone is busily working on their proposals. Let me know if you get stuck and need help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobby74 Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 TQJ, Hey come by my pit this weekend I need HELP and would even be intrested in a hiring for your services. I need all the help I can get in this subject. Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildRacer5 Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 should you provide the potential marketing partner ( I prefer that instead of Sponsor) a budget to let them know the projection of how there money will be spent? Kinda like business do with investors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted July 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 WildRacer5- Does a magazine or newspaper provide an advertiser with a budget of how their money will be spent? Nope, they just sell them the ad space. Keep in mind, they aren't investing in your team, they are hiring you to help them accomplish some goal: selling more widgets, getting their name in front of a lot of people a lot of times, improving company morale through association with a popular sport, or whatever. They don't care how much it costs to run your car, either. All they want to know is what they are getting for their money, and is association with your racing team the best buy. You're selling a product (your driver) and a service (your racing team, and its ability to help them reach their goals). They don't care what you do with your money once it becomes yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct-flo Posted July 29, 2004 Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 tq, may I ask what your success ratio is. Also- would I recognize anyone that you have helped to secure a sponsor. Thanks TomH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted July 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 Good questions, Tom, but without easy answers. Most people in Austin are aware that I've done PR work for Tavo Hellmund, Casey Smith, and both H. E. and Bubba Naumann, among others. Hellmund races in the NASCAR West Series, Smith in ASA and Bubba Naumann at tracks around Florida and Alabama. I've also worked with several motorcycle racers and two motorcycle tracks. How successful the effort is generally depends on two things: how serious you are about it, and how long you keep doing it. Racers just don't want to believe that they have to do anything but race, and occasionally win. When it comes to sponsors, companies should be eager to give them money to paint the company name on the side of their car. It doesn't work that way. Companies aren't looking for "exposure," they're trying to sell something, and if you can help, great. Besides, how much "exposure" is there on a car running an asphalt track in Central Texas? It helps if a racer has a name, and not just in racing circles. Do only bicycle racers know who Lance Armstrong is? Despite that, and the example of NASCAR and its sponsors, who are still writing the book on how to market racers, and thus market product, most short track drivers and teams are still waiting for the media to do a story on them, and for a top team to call and offer them a ride. After all, they've won two local track championships! The problem is that even the folks in their home town have never heard of them. I think we've been pretty successful. Hellmund, Smith and Naumann have in common that we worked together for a long time, and that's what it takes. I still work for Hellmund and sometimes for Bubba, and may well do so again. Though Casey isn't still a client of mine, he does still have PR people working for him. In all three examples, I was sometimes part of developing the sponsor package, and sometimes not. (Some drivers and teams are VERY secretive about how they go about things.) Through it, I've had the chance to see dozens of proposals, and sometimes find out why they did or didn't work. While I'm reluctant to show someone someone else's proposal, I can always take advantage of knowing what they did. In any case, doing a proposal isn't a solitary effort. I have to work with the driver and team, and some can be remarkably stubborn. They want to believe they can send out a package, not even a very good package, and get a check back. So, if I tell someone how to do something, and they ignore it, and instead fill the proposal with information on how much it costs to race their car (which is like trying to sell newspaper ads by telling people how much it costs to publish the newspaper), who's at fault if it doesn't work? Some clients don't stay with it nearly long enough (it usually takes three to six months just to get a good feature story on a driver, and name recognition is important), and want to cut corners on sponsor search because "they're just competing against other racers." Wrong. You're competing against every ad salesman and charity fundraiser out there, and some of them are very good. Look at it this way, Tom: how many Central Texas drivers are now racing outside the state? Not many, and at least three of them worked with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct-flo Posted July 29, 2004 Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 thanks could you pm me with an idea on what it may cost to review and rewrite a proposal of mine. TomH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted July 29, 2004 Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 Get paid to sit and type about racing on a computer 3-4 nights/weeks........what a novel idea! And to think I do it for the love of the sport! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct-flo Posted July 29, 2004 Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted July 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 Reb- You obviously have another job that pays the bills. I do this for a living. TQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 TQ, it's actually more like I Have to have a real to pay the bills, because I don't get paid for all I do! LMAO Otherwise I'd starve, be homeless and/or a burden on taxpayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct-flo Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 rebel, have you written anything concerning the Allison Legacys in Texas? TomH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 Tom, In all honesty, I know very little about the Legacy series. I think I've seen them twice this year at HMP during my trips there. Unfortunately for you guys, I think very few people outside your group, know much about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct-flo Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 maybe if someone did a story on the Allison Legacy Series in Texas, people would learn about the series. Thanks TomH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 Point taken!! Counterpoint. LOL I used to have a Legacy contact that sent me stuff all the time. I think there was some commotion or conflict or something that happened during that time and the info stopped coming. Now nothing ever gets sent out(that I know of). I'm sure Christine would be glad to include any info to the RAT Traxx if she got it. I, personally, am spread pretty thin already, what with a real job, conflicting touring series dates, and covering both dirt and pavement racing. I may a multiple personality, but that doesn't mean I can be in different places at the same time. LMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 Reb, I thought you did a pretty good write up on a race for the Legacy's in a race at SAS last year. Don't remember which though. James beat me in a pretty close finish. Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direct-flo Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 I remember that Mel, both of you ran door to door the last lap or so... Who do I send any and all info concerning the Allison Legacy Series to. Maybe a lead off would include the LoneStar Legacys and the director Mr. Bob Riley. Alot of people do not know just how much Mr. Riley has been involved with racing in the area. Many a good story can be told about this man. If you could sit and chat with Mr. Riley over tea, you would get to know the series, the plan, and most of all - the man. Thank you Tom H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted August 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 We're into August, so everyone should have their proposals ready in the next few weeks. The problem for most racing teams is that, at this point in the season, when the information needs to be out for next year, they are heavily involved in the points chase or whatever, and are short of both time and money. But you still need to get the information out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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