How
do I get a sponsor? This must be one of the most asked questions by fitness competitors. Through personal experience with sponsorships and being a business man myself, I think J.F.K conceptually answers the question perfectly with his statement, "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."
Unless we are talking about a top level competitor with a massive following, in this day most companies are not monetarily compensating their athletes. On most occasions the athlete will only be compensated with product. However, that product isn't free for the company to produce and sponsorship product must be paid back with increase product sales.
Sponsorships come in different forms and titles. Some companies will sign you to a contract and give you the title of “Sponsored Athlete” if you fit the mold they are looking for. Some consider another an affiliate program a form of sponsorship. Affiliates get a paid percentage of all sales and can receive product like a titled sponsored athlete, the main difference being; they won’t carry a title.
What does all this mean to you and how do you capitalize? In order to get your foot in the door you need to be of value to the company you want to be sponsored by. Ask yourself: what can I do to increase the company’s profits? How well known and followed am I via social media? Are these loyal followers? The answers to these questions could assist you in selling yourself to a supplement company. Truth be told, unless you're a Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Kai Greene or Nicole Wilkens, these companies won't be knocking at your door to offer your money or even free supps. Even if you were to place top 5 at USA's or win the overall at your last show; a win doesn't equate to increased profit for the company nor does it guarantee that you will get a massive following. You must take into consideration that with the monster growth spurt of the sheer numbers of competitors in Men's physique, Women's Physique and Bikini, there are thousands of athletes wanting the same thing. You need to be a GREAT people person with AMAZING networking skills to even be considered for a sponsorship.
I personally haven't won my class yet; I placed top 5 once and have 4 sponsors and 1 affiliate agreement. So again, it’s not about winning every show, it’s about finding a way to be marketable.
Years before I ever even thought about fitness or competing, I knew that a solid database is where the money was at. But the challenge is not getting followers, the challenge is getting followers that you can have relationship with. People will refer potential customers to you if they know you, like you and trust you. So in this Internet world you need to have those components in place before even engaging in or attempting to sell anything via Facebook or twitter. If you do it strictly for personal gain people will sense that and you'll be left a lonely Facebooker.
It is definitely a challenge to get sponsored. But, there are steps you can take to make your attempts more promising. Make sure you are constantly meeting new people; if you aren't a people person then you need to work on developing that skill. I was an introvert to the max and it took a lot of personal development to become an extrovert.
Here’s some effective advice that helped me out when meeting someone new. If you have ever attended a business mixer the first thing most do is run up to someone new, throw up all over them about what THEY do, what product THEY offer and how this person should use THEM, then slap them with a business card. How effective is that? The business card goes right to the trash, and who knows what thoughts crosses their minds. A more effective way is simply walking up to someone new and talk to them, ask open ended questions, take interest in them; don't talk about yourself and if asked what you do, get the focus back on them. After a few minutes of asking the appropriate questions the final question you ask is....”When I am talking to someone later how can I know if they are a great fit for you so I can refer business to you?” Be quiet and let them speak; you listen. After they answer, politely thank them for their time and excuse yourself, oh yeah and take their business card because you'll need it later! Once you talk to about 5 people, go home and send them a hand written note and add something you picked up about them. That, my friend, places you in a position where a relationship can be built.
This business practice can be beneficial and applicable to anyone. You just have to break it down, tweak it and see how you can utilize the concepts for your personal situation. In the end, it does not matter what line of work you are in, we are all in the people business. The one with the most friends wins!
I hope this helps, if you have any further questions please message me at [email protected]
John is a Personal Trainer, Online Coach, runs a weekly Interactive Fitness Workshop and Fitness Consultant for American Medical Response. He is a sponsored athlete by 6 Pack Fitness Inc., Nutronic Labs Inc., Maui Tan Encino, Full Armor Clothing and an Affiliate with Cellucor Sports Nutrition. For further information you can contact John at:
Iamcombat Fitness Website
http://www.iamcombatfitness.com
Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/combatiam
Iamcombat Fitness Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/iamcombatfitness
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