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bassNspear

By bassNspear
in Bass

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Deitz Dittrich Grand Master

Deitz Dittrich

Posted
Posted

This is a great question... my first question for you is what kind of sponsor are you looking for. Product sponsors(product for free or discounted product) are much easier to come by. Cash sponsors are not!

#1 issue is these companies need to sell product. How can you help them sell product. I have worked alot of sportshows, and there are a ton of people that want a sponsor, but dont realize the work that goes with it. There are a million people out there with their hand out. You have to do something to make yourslef stick out. to semi steal a quote from a former president. Ask not what that company can do for you, but what you can do for their company!

A background in writing and speaking goes a long ways.

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Deitz Dittrich Grand Master

Deitz Dittrich

Posted
Posted

I hear you. but the thing is, there are a ton of people that want to be profesional anglers. Money sponsors are very hard to come by.. expcially if you dont have a name for yourself already. Many guy s like that make their money doing seminars for different companies.. I cant think of a comapny tht just hands out money. if you know of one.. please let me know wink.gif

So, it really goes back to making money writing articles and giving seminars.

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ikeslayer Mentor

ikeslayer

Posted
Posted

i would say that if i were doing this i would wait a little bit like 3-5 years before fishing anything with an entry fee over 100 dollars. In the time you are waiting you build a good repor among your peers of your area as a good guy and a great stick. You need to be in the top five of all the puny tourneys that you fish and rank high in your bass club. That way when you send in a resume it is a no brainer for the company. They have to see you as an investment not a gamble. If you are serious about this there are some books out there that can help you do this too and it needs to be as much as a goal during the winter as it does during summer. I have heard from several prostaffers of different companies that it is never as glamorus as you thought it was going to be. Good luck. i would say write down everthing you are doing and someday make it a book and part of your marketing strategy. let us know how it goes. ike

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Sproguy Enthusiast

Sproguy

Posted
Posted

Bass,

Here is my two cents having been on a few prostaffs. First off Dietz is DEAD ON! There is a hundred guys every year that approach these companies with nothing more then "I fish great you should give me money!" To that the first question is exactly what Dietz said, what can you do for me? Like any company there is a 10 to 1 rule when it comes to marketing. If I give you a dollar you have to sell $10. Now if I give you $1,000 can you produce a $10,000 order for that company? That is why cash deals are almost impossible in the upper midwest. I'll never see one that is for sure but I love working for the companies that I help with!

First put together a resume, just like a job they want to know about you. Anyone can approach them and say I fish this and fish that and finished first in this. Bottom line, there are far to many tournaments around to say who is the best and who is fishing small tournaments. Sell yourself and explain how you are going to sell product for them. Helps a lot if you are in tight with a dealer.

Second, pick only companies that you believe in, not someone that will give you a deal. The industry is really small! Guys that jump from one company to the next get noticed really fast. It isn't always about who is giving the best deal but rather who you can sell and believe in at the same time.

Dietz will understand this part, he has been with one company for a very long time and has done a wonderful job. (Starts with an M!) If he were to switch companies a lot of people would raise a question mark but think little of it. IF he were to switch again, he would be red flagged. The question would be is he hard to work with? Perhaps he is only looking for a deal? Bottom line, he isn't loyal. It is easy to be loyal to a company that you believe in. If you love their product and honestly think it is the best it is a lot easier to sell then one that you wouldn't fish with in a hundred years.

Just my two cents. Agape is another good one to ask questions of he is great at the shows and does a wonderful job for his companies as well!

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RK Grand Master

RK

Posted
Posted

Hiya -

Boy this is a huge subject...

I see both sides of this, since I'm involved with some companies, am on the receiving end of sponsorship requests from time to time, and also get to see a whole different perspective since I'm on the editorial side of the desk when it comes to articles and so on... So I may have a little different perspective that most. I also think there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what being 'sponsored' means.

The thing to remember is that the "Pro" in Pro Staff isn't short for "Professional." It's short for "Promotional." It all boils down to how you can promote the products/services of the company you're working for.

Lots of different ways you can do that: working at shows or events, giving seminars, guiding, writing articles, community events, etc. Tournaments are a factor, but less important than you'd think. Consider the amount of exposure you get fishing a local or even regional tournament series vs. writing a single article for a regional publication, or giving a seminar at a local sportsman's organization. I really think tournaments get overplayed as a vehicle for sponsorship and promotion unless you get into the upper echelon of events. Even then, I think the promotional value of tournaments themselves is questionable - it's the exposure fishing at that level may get you in other areas like TV/magazine/web exposure that has promotional value.

Companies get bombarded by requests for sponsorships for guys who 'just LOVE to fish' (you, and 10,000 other guys...). The question is, do you love the promotion aspect of the game? That's what matters to potential sponsors. How are you going to get their product noticed?

Someone also brought up the idea of cash sponsorships. Rare as hen's teeth frankly. I think some out there have the idea that if they can just get their foot in the door there are companies out there with wads of cash and fleets of free boats ready to throw at anglers. It just isn't the case. I know guys at the very top of the game in both bass and walleye tournaments, and if they do have a cash sponsor, it's a token amount. They get their value in terms of discounts on boats/motors, equipment, etc. I've heard more than once "I'm fishing tournaments now, so I won't have to buy my boat next year." Companies don't give boats away. Period... Few even allow memo boats anymore. Even on the Elite series bass tourneys, where guys had to have wraps on their boats, many of them ended up buying the wraps themselves because their sponsors wouldn't pay for them. If the tour requires the wraps in order to fish the event, why would they? Those that do have national level sponsorships get worked like rented mules going to shows in the 'off season.'

Sort of off topic, but relevant in a way: I know that at the top levels in tournament fishing, there is a lot of discussion right now about the economics of sponsorships and major tours. There's a lot of sentiment that the current system has broken down. There are so many anglers clamoring for sponsorship (a monster the promotional system itself has created) that there's little incentive for companies to give much beyond token support even to major players because there are 50 other guys waiting in line to take their place. It's a situation made worse by a system where having the 'wrong' sponsor can drastically reduce your potential for TV or print coverage. Combine that with spectacular entry fees and you have a major economic crunch on anglers. I've heard from a number of competitors that you might see some very big names getting out of the tournament business soon because they just can't make the numbers work. The number of guys fishing tournaments on their credit cards is staggering. That all trickles down to the regional and local level. For a lot of guys, 'sponsorship' means a shirt, a hat, and a few bags of worms. And a very busy schedule.

I don't mean to sound negative, and I don't want to discourage anyone - the fishing industry's a great one to be in. But you have to go into it with eyes open, and realize it's a tiny industry, and very, very competitive when it comes to things like sponsorships, especially at the ground level.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

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Superduty Experienced

Superduty

Posted
Posted

I know it probably isn't as fun and it won't sound cool to your fishing buddies, but you would most likely be money ahead if you got a part time job instead of a sponsor. Do the math. Hours worked vs. hours spent looking for sponsors, hours spent at sportshows, boatshows, in-store promos, I think you get the idea. You'll probably even have more time to fish! The guys with boat deals are probably the only ones money ahead. Spend your time learning how to find fish,not sponsors. If you can consistently do that, you can win enough money to pay your expenses.

Good salesman sell products and get sponsorship deals. Good fisherman win tournaments. There are a few talented people that can do both.

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Sproguy Enthusiast

Sproguy

Posted
Posted

Deitz, we have actually talked a couple of times in different booths but to my knowledge I've never given you my name nor have I ever gotten yours. You would most likely know my face as I knew yours for a long time before I got you name off of here. You have been rock solid for your companies and for that I applaud you!

Are you going to be working Joe's this weekend, if so I'll introduce myself.

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cjac Grand Master

cjac

Posted
Posted

Hey Deitz,

My girlfriend's son works in the Marine dept at the Rogers Cabelas, keep an eye on him for me! grin.gif I'll tell him to take care of you all weekend and make sure your coffee is hot!

He just got a Scout 2, so I'm sure he'll be interested in what you have to say. I'll be stopping thru as well, looking forward to meeting you.

Chris

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