What can you do to get yourself a fishing sponsor? So, I just wanted to take a quick minute here to give you a couple of tips that’ll put the odds in your favor to getting on someone’s pro staff or getting yourself a fishing sponsor.
The first thing I’ll say is that treat it like it’s a job interview. Think about it as if you’re applying for a job. So, keep that in mind as I give you these quick couple of tips.
Providing Value
The first thing would be to provide value. It’s not about what they can do for you; it’s about the value that you can bring to the company and what you can do that’s different than literally the other hundreds of people that are applying to the pro staff.
So, think about it from that perspective. It’s not about when you can get vacation or when you get a raise if you’re applying for a job. It’s really about the value in your experience and what you can do if a company wants you on their pro staff.
They want you there because you can do something different to help grow the brand. So, you’ve got to think of it as the perspective, not just what they can do for you and what’s in the deal.
It’s more about the value in what you can do for the business. And honestly, if you get on someone’s pro staff and you do a great job, that deal can change just like it can with a job.
If you can’t help to sell or promote their products in any way, then you’re no use to them. So sponsorship is useless as far as that goes.
Talk Professionally
The other thing that you want to make sure that you do when you want to get a fishing sponsorship is to talk professionally. Use professional language.
Make sure that you’ve got no spelling mistakes. It’s actually kind of funny when somebody applies to a pro staff and for sponsorship and they spell the word sponsor wrong.
It’s something that’s not going to get a response. So, make sure that you are using professional language just like you’re applying for a job. Make sure you’re double-checking your spelling. Make sure you’re using proper grammar. It’s going to help you stand out.
And the reason for that is companies are judging the language, how you’re communicating with, and how you’re going to communicate about their brand.
I would hate to see spelling mistakes in somebody’s post about my brand. It’s an extension of who we are. I really wouldn’t want to see that. As a matter of fact, it actually hurts the brand versus helping the brand.
So, make sure you are using professional language and that you’re double-checking your spelling or using proper grammar. And again, it’s about the value that you’re bringing.
Knowing About The Brand
Another piece of advice would be to make sure that you know a little bit about the company. Don’t give out false information when applying.
It is easy to tell when a person obviously doesn’t know anything about a business by looking at their proposal. It’s really hard to expect that they’re going to go represent a company very well if they don’t know anything about the brand.
The company that you’re applying to is judging how you’re going to represent their brand with your communication. So, make sure that you’re tailoring what you’re saying in your communication to that company.
Building Your Resume
Your resume should include information about yourself. Make it brief. You don’t want to bore them with that kind of information. Also, mention what you can do for that company.
Mention what your resources are. It might be that you have a popular YouTube channel or have a lot of followers on your Instagram or Facebook or on other social media platforms.
Also, if you fish tournaments, don’t mention them all if you fish like twenty tournaments a year. Simply mention your top five tournaments. Also, if you already have one or two sponsors, let them know you have experience with them.
Here is a list of things that companies look for in a person.
- Dedicated
- Someone that’s mature.
- Professional
- Knowledgeable about their products and about the fishing industry, etc.
- A quick learner so that he/she can learn about all the product lines that they offer.
- A people-person. You have to be able to talk to the camera, talk to the person, etc. You know you got to be able to do it all when it comes to that kind of stuff.
- Reliable. If you say you’re going to go to a seminar and don’t show up, that’s not a good thing.
- Trustworthy. If they give you valuable information that you are not supposed to share with any other person about how they make their products.
- Experienced. This comes with experience, obviously. So, if you don’t have a sponsor, then this basically gets thrown out the window. But if you can do other things such as volunteer for seminars and the other stuff like that.
Categories Of People Fishing Brands Look For
The first category of people that fishing companies look out for is a person that is very successful in tournaments. A person that wins or places high in local, national, regional tournaments or and be recognized as an advanced angler among the tournament trail people.
The next is to have a successful YouTube channel or social media page. Your YouTube channel, media page, or blog site needs to be dedicated to fishing, promoting, and be able to promote companies. Another category of people is the ones that know the owner of a local tackle shop.
Additional Tips
Don’t take any sponsorships for granted. What you put in is what will get out. So, if you get a sponsorship of a company and it’s not real big, and they send you a couple of lures, or you buy a couple of lures, and you make a video here there, don’t expect them to give you money.
If people look up to you as an advanced angler before you are sponsored, and once you get a sponsor, those people will be more prone to buying your products. Make a fishing video on YouTube channel or whatever it is and make people recognize you as an advanced angler.
It’s more about sales and promotion, like I said before. If you can help them sell products or promote their products, then you’re no use to them. Just because you’re good at tournaments does not mean you deserve a sponsor.
Final Words
The funny thing is that it’s actually not about catching fish. I know that’s assumed, but it’s actually not. It is about how you can help contribute to the brand and how you can help that company build its business.
And in exchange for that value, that’s what you get for your fishing sponsorships. Make sure to keep these things in mind. Hopefully, these tips will help you keep the odds in your favor and help you build a good sponsor.
Also Read- Trophy Catcher’s Tips For Bass Fishing With Nightcrawlers
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