By Julie Angell
LINK–> Sponsor letter 2011
Hello RUTS Members,
Let’s all help pay for our Meltdown expenses, which are higher this year due to additional insurance costs required by the BLM, by getting at least one sponsor from each of us for the club. Next year we will have an additional $4,000-6,000 cost recovery fees, implemented by the BLM, to pay before we can put on our race. Wouldn’t it be great to pay for everything this year going INTO the race, not AFTER the race? With every one of you getting at least one sponsor, we should be able to do that.
Here’s how you get a sponsor. It’s really easy. I’ve already gotten many using this method.
First, who is your target? Which dealers do you shop at? Who works on your bike? Who does your suspension? Which accessories/parts do you buy for your bike? What gear do you wear? Tiedowns/chocks do you use? These are all potential sponsors. Make a list of everyone you’re going to contact and look online for their phone numbers. Some even have a staff directory listed on their website to get names.
Call all of them and either ask for the owner or for the person who’s in charge of sponsoring races or sponsorships.
You can go directly to the store (if you know when the person you need to speak to is there) or you can call them on the phone. If you regularly shop somewhere, ask the person who normally waits on you who you should speak to and what the person’s hours are/days he works and how you should approach him for a sponsorship.
Here’s how I call the person on the phone. Hi, my name is Julie Angell. Who is the person in charge of sponsoring races? Pete? May I speak to him please? (Write down his name.) Hi Pete. My name is Julie Angell and I’m from the District 37 club, Racers Under the Son. I’m calling to give you the opportunity to sponsor our District 37 Dual European Scrambles race on June 11 and 12 at Cougar Buttes. The cost is only $100, and for that amount we’ll place your name on our flyer which is mailed out to 3500 racers, on our t-shirt, and on our race results. Would you like to do that? (Be quiet and don’t say a word until after Pete responds with his answer.) If Pete asks me questions about the race, this is what I say.
Pete, our race is one of the most well-attended and popular races of the year. We have two fun, but challenging, race courses each day. Last year we had almost 600 entries, plus their families and friend, in attendance. On Saturday evening we hold a free barbecue, feature a live band, raffle prizes, thank our sponsors, show a video slide show of race highlights of the day, and end the evening by giving away a brand new dirt bike. No other club does that except us. With your help, we’d like to continue that tradition. (Pete says wow and agrees to sponsor us. I ask him if he has any raffle product he has laying around that he can’t sell that he can donate, and he says he has some t-shirts he’ll give us.) It’s that simple!
Make sure he understands he has until April 8 to give me his logo and pay his check. Ask him for his email address (or fax number) and tell him you’re going to email him a sponsorship letter with all the info on it. In the email, thank him for his time on the phone and his generosity in sponsoring the club. Make sure you put your phone number on the email. Get back in touch with him later to make sure he’s emailed the logo to me and mailed the check to Janet.
When you do it in person you have to keep it short, introduce yourself, shake the person’s hand, and say the same spiel. Except add that you are a loyal customer and have purchased your bike from the dealer or parts for five years–you get the point. He may interrupt you to ask questions. Take the sponsor form with you, preferrably in an envelope with your name already printed on it. After you’ve given your sales pitch, and he agrees, pull out the form and hand it to him and tell him all the info is on it that he needs. Reiterate the April 8 date for the check and logo. Thank him for his time and walk out quickly.
If you get rejected, know that the more people you call on, the less rejections you will receive. Perhaps you can use the Saturday night spiel to help overcome the objections to point out why we are different, stating that we give back to our racers. Or point out that we’re a giving club who sponsors missionaries in Georgia, Russia, with our own club members’ donations. Use your head to think of something.
Here are the sponsors we’ve received so far. We are sold out of $200 sponsorships, which were limited due to space available on the front of the t-shirt. Just $100 sponsorships are left:
3 Brothers (front of t-shirt possibly $200?)
Temple City Powersports $200
Pasadena Yamaha $200
John Burr Cycles $200
Desert Cycle Works $200
Honda Yamaha of Redlands $200
Desert Sports Center Ridgecrest (front of t-shirt)
Tri-County Powersports $100
Photos by Grumpy $100
Yamaha of Cucamonga $100
Malcolm Smith Motorsports $100
Mid-Cities Honda $100
Dane Evans’ Amsoil $100
Berts Mega Mall $100
Z-Racing $100 (Tom Moore)
Factory MX (Canyon Country) $100 (Dave Beaumont)
Collins Building $100 (Dave Krenik)
Fritz Ford/Virtual Truck $100 (John Wiltsey)
Toys for Trucks $100 (John Wiltsey)
Reasons to Believe $100 (John Wiltsey)
Scotts (Montrose) raffle product
I’m waiting for an answer from the following:
Cycle Rider Montclair
Hutchins Motorsports Yucca Valley
Thanks for helping RUTS make our budget. We all want a free barbecue, live band, raffle bike, finisher pins, and t-shirts sold at our race–in other words, our tradition. Due to budget constraints this year, it won’t happen without your help. Let’s pull together and each get AT LEAST ONE SPONSOR! Call me at 626-533-5124 if you have questions or want to let me know that you have a for-sure sponsor. Remember, APRIL 8 is the cutoff date to receive the logo so it makes the flyer in the May newsletter. YOU need to follow up to make sure Janet receives your checks.
Thanks, and God Bless.
Julie Angell (aka the brownie lady)
