WHAT IS A SPONSORSHIP? (Part Two)
author: Leon Botha
Those of you who read Part One of this four part series will probably by now have a few ideas of your own – like some readers, you may or may not, agree with what I wrote so far?
In South Africa you have the protection of one of (they say) the best Constitutions in the world – yea, and we also had the best police force, the best sewerage systems, the best electricity supplier, the best roads, a great and on paper profitable railway system, some of the best education systems (although that wass slightly one-sided), not a frightening unemployment figure, we had Iscor, Krygkor, Velindaba, Pelindaba and even Gerotek – now we have a great tax system that collects from the honest to hand to the crooks and potholes in every possible system and road!
What the hell, where was I going.....?
Oh yes the constitution – you are therefore absolutely welcome to differ from what I have said, although I hardly said anything so far, or you may say something on what I am going to say in this article and the following ones. You may even like the Brave Heart of 2010 who is still hiding behind the anonymous way we do things in rallies, say what you have to say under the non-de-plume “Asshole de Luxe” or better still work with me and lets see if we can change things somewhat?
The “Pie in the sky” phrase for now: “Lets work together and improve things, rather than sit back to criticise and handicap?”
You see, apart from being an idiot, I also still believe in the Tooth Fairie and her Godfather Santa Clause!
OFFERING WHAT YOU HAVE...
One of, if not the most important thing for sponsorship is to know exactly how much money you will need to be able to do what you are about to offer (promise) the potential sponsor in exchange for his money or product.
Before I continue, let me make it clear that if you have two sponsors, they will almost definitely have two different expectations or viewpoints of what they want? That is why, what I am about to tell you is not cast in stone – but will hopefully give you some guidance?
To be able to offer specific promised value to a sponsor you need to know all about the sport you are participating in. (Lets only talk rallying).
You need to tell them about the Control, the media exposure, spectator numbers, venues, the spectators and try to link the latter with their target market.
It will sure as hell do no good to tell them about the incredible roads you like to drive on in Timbuktu – it will do nothing for a product like suntan lotions to say you are going to perform in a black township!
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Be patient it may be better to listen sometimes!
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Think carefully before you make statements. Don’t say that there are 30 000 spectators on an event if you know that 450 would be a much closer guess. I once had a look at a proposal in which it was stated that we get 45 000 spectators on average per event! Luckily the fraud could maybe have been scaled down pro-rata as the money asked for was on par for events with about 500 spectators!
Do not simply mention all the TV hours and repeat shows without saying that you will not actually feature for more than ten seconds after a huge accident while they airlift you from the scene. A sponsor who expects TV coverage on every event while paying for a classified advert in the local newspaper is also not worthwhile and you will probably never satisfy him?
I will get back to the myth of TV coverage you all are going on about...
Do not offer your car for display purposes when you are not sure you will be able to make it, due to lack of time, funds or when you know that your car needs to be prepared during that time.
The rule is simple – do not obtain a sponsorship based on lies even if they are based on your bona fide beliefs.
When you ask for too little money – your application is a lie and it is a lie that will bite you on your way to the end of the year.
You need to make provision for every possible situation and you then need to drive within the boundaries of those promises.
If you have made provision for one extra body and you write a car off during the first event – you have filled your quota of damage before you have begun. If you did not make provision for more damage you will not be able to offer the maximum attack you promised and thus have based what you promised on a lie or at least a bit of a truth twister.
If you have promised a competitive attack for 8 events – you need to at least go for that, even if you have to steal your grandma’s Kruger coins. At least if you are in jail you do have an excuse.
One of my few (despite the rumours) navigators, the late Terry McPhail and yours truly were almost physically thrown out of the offices of the CEO of a certain vehicle component manufacturer during our second visit after our first meeting went off very well!
Why?
In this sport as in all spheres of life, you will discover many reasons for the unexpected to happen. I for instance seemed to have made at least one life-long enemy who could never wait to say or do something to handicap whatever I did, and sadly the sport suffered, but gladly so did he! You may be lucky and avoid this wonderful type of experience, but you must also remember that some people make it their life task to give you grief. So live with it! Luckily many other people do see through them as well!
In most types of sport you will find that your popularity seems to wane as you achieve success. When "they" say that you are not a team player you must know you have arrived as they need to give instructions to allow their favourites win.
When you receive second-hand parts while those you don’t even see as competition run on brand new stuff, then you must know that the time has arrived to do everything possible to move on! Unfortunately in South Africa we operate in a very small community and "moving on" is almost impossible except if you are the receiver of major benefits in life!
While handling the negative side, let's talk about it.
You need to remember that you do have rights and you actually deliver the goods.
If you keep to your side of the bargain, you have the right to claim performance from the other side – no matter if the other side is a mighty manufacturer, a sponsor, the media, MSA, or whoever. All you need to be able to prove is that you are right!
Obviously one will do everything to avoid any unpleasantness and try not to get involved in legal dramas or hire someone to shoot someone or something to that effect. It is not good for the sport – but on the other hand the fact that you hold back will almost always allow the real culprit (the one who actually broke the agreement or promise) to shoot his mouth off anyway normally behind your back!
When you lack the agreed funds for, for instance marketing due to a cut from the sponsor - please do not believe that he will blame himself for a lack of publicity. You will be the culprit and unfortunately you can not fight well while standing on your knees with your eyes closed!
It is therefore important to put what you agree on in writing and it is also important if not vital to the success of the sponsorship that both parties stick to the agreement.
In 99% of sponsorships it is never necessary to even lift an eyebrow let alone threaten, to get what you were supposed to receive, in return for your professional services. But when you are done in – you need to ask for what you were promised! In most cases you will be able to negotiate, but in those instances where people think they can change their side of the bargain at random, stick to your guns - you will not get further sponsorship from them anyway!
The words “professional services” are of utmost importance – you need to be professional and you need to render professional services, but at the same time you may expect the same.
I almost forgot to tell you why Terry and I were almost thrown out of the offices?
A certain “rally driver” took R80K from the mentioned sponsor for a rally season's sponsorship before we completed our negatiations.
Does not sound much but in the 80’s that was enough to run the Air Force for a week?
So what was the problem?
Nothing much, except that this champion did not have a rally car and there was no chance that he would be able to get one (Class A mind you) and run it for a season. Luckily he realised that and spend the money on something else and stayed away from the rally scene for awhile!
As far as I know this company have never gone back into rallying and I do not blame them.
If a sponsor can only afford to give you, say half of the sponsorship you requested – make sure that you agree that you will do half of what you offered initially and the rest, if it happens will be a bonus!
The most important aspect of the whole deal is that both parties are clear as to what they have offered and what they are expected to contribute.
If you promise publicity – and you don’t do anything about it, you have not been honest. Don’t run around screaming at the TV cameramen, the organisers and in general everyone else but yourself! You are to blame!
Let me tell you why, so you can be pissed with me as well!
If your record shows that you do get TV coverage on every rally you can actually promise coverage and you don’t have to say that the most you got was 31 seconds at a time. It suffices to say, “I have received some good TV coverage on every rally, except one during the past 12 events. With your sponsorship I should be able to up the time as well as frequency (even if I have to bribe ....DON’T SAY THAT!) ...
It will always be good to say, “although I can not guarantee it, I see no reason why I should not get coverage as I did on 11 from 12 events over the past two seasons...”
Small budgets and lower class cars battle to get coverage – but you must draw the sponsor's attention to the publicity the sport receives in general.
Carry on about the TV hours and the number of centimeter columns appeared in the printed media, the radio time and then most of all – you need to find a way to get your sponsor some additional publicity or at least a method to add value to their customers’ experience with their company.
Be very careful not to patronise!
At least while you negotiate your potential sponsor is the hero, not you, he is the Einstein and the bigger the company (no matter what you personally think) the more important Mr Sponsor will be. He is the most important link in the chain. No matter what he tells you, in the end he makes the decision albeit with a bit of input from a 2IC who will probably be dominated by the former.
It is always good to know something about the person you are going to see. The more you know about his interests and what he backs and likes, the better for you.
It is fatal to state that sponsoring “show horse jumping” is a waste of time and money, while you sit looking at a picture of his fat daughter killing a horse over a two foot fence!
The best is to stick to rallying and what you know about that.
Take it easy and concentrate on the ball – leave all else alone as you are bound to say the wrong thing.
Listen to criticism and don’t argue points before you truly think that you have a fair comment to make. If you state indisputable facts – you will find that few people will argue.
Concentrate on the possible advantages – but if a person says, “I spend a Thousand Rand in 1966 on a rally driver and that was a waste!” don’t lean forward and tell him that a R1000 is not money or that specific person he sponsored was a palooka! You are still talking about a decision HE made!
Think carefully at the time when this happened and the circumstances and then try to tell the person that times have changed somewhat and although he may have had a bad experience – you will be able to offer him a fair bit more!
But ...don’t argue and try to prove your point at all costs. Go away and find some proof of what you want to say and try to get it to the person diplomatically. “Just for interest sake, I had a look and found that currently we do have much better coverage and that your customers according to the information I have, are an excellent target market for.......”
When you have your ducks in a row, you know exactly what it is you are going to offer and how much money you need to be able to do that, it is essential to get into the office of the man or lady who makes the decisions!
Do not waste your time having a go at someone who has to go and tell your story secondhand on your behalf!
You are wasting his, your and everyone else’s time and money!
Believe me when I tell you that the “wrong” person will not see it as the beginning and end of his world if he fails to put your story over properly and if the real decision maker asks a question about the sport or the benefit to them – do you actually believe that your “spokesperson” with no benefit to him, will put up a dramatic performance and convey everything you so carefully prepared?
If you do believe that – you are probably still waiting on a chair before the fireplace every Xmas?
Sadly the same applies to sending emails to thousands of people!
Forgive me for not going into detail on every subject – as I know that many of you also do not like to be patronised? You are however welcome to contact me to discuss issues you are not sure about, or that you would like to discuss in general.
Allow me however to ask if you think many people will open an email that they know will cost them money?
If you are lucky and they actually think your effort deserves their attention – do you believe that you are such a good writer that what you wrote will stick in their conscious and subconscious minds and that they will allow their own inner voice to convince them that you have a proposition?
The person’s mind is what convinces him or her, not you! Your arguments need to be placed openly and clearly on the table or they will land in the wastepaper basket with the paper they were so carefully printed on.
It is like a salesman opening a door of a new car you are thinking of to buy and then after you got in he closes the door and walks away!
Will you sit in the car and try to sell it to yourself?
Come on...???
Yes, I know it is difficult to get to the right person and the more popular the product the more difficult it will be to get in!
The best way to get an introduction is through a person who knows a person, who knows a person whose uncle is MD of the local Rhubarb Jam factory.
How do you find out about this? You ASK and you keep on ASKING!
Part Three to follow.
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