ADVICE ON SPONSORSHIP NEEDED

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Please can I have corrections and advice about this as a sponsorship request! Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Dear (company name),

My name is Helena…., I am 16 years old, and have been riding since I was 2. I have been interested in my chosen discipline of showing for many years, I have always wanted to compete in the top shows such as the Royal Welsh Show and the Horse of the Year Show. However, an injury of crushing several vertebrates to my spine when I was 5, prevented me from continuing this dream. A few years ago I received the all clear to take up riding again, and ever since then I have taken every opportunity I can to train. My parents do not come specifically from an equine showing background, however they both have close links to high level riders within the equine industry.
I currently have an 8 y/o 15hh Arab x Connemara who I have recently taken on to bring back into work and produce to be a showing horse. He arrived to me in terrible condition with most of the bones in his body showing, he could barely carry the weight of a saddle on his back!
I aim to attend shows and events nearly every weekend in all seasons, so I am always out and about. I receive high quality training and the chance to train with the top riders across the UK, such as Olivia Towers who helps improve our flat work, and Geoff Billington who helps improve his contact and builds his stamina up. I currently have multiple county shows planned like the Denbigh and Flint show, and the Anglesey Show. I will be attending the Royal Cheshire County Show in June, and be competing with the hope to qualify for the Cuddy Supreme Inhand at the Horse of the Year Show. My recent show successes include;
  • ‘Best Gelding’ in our first affiliated show with the Arab Horse Society
  • ‘Best In Show Inhand’ at the Llanrwst Show
  • 1st in the part bred arab class at the Llanrwst Show

(PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE COMPANY AND HOW I COULD HELP THEM INDIVIDUALLY)

I would be incredibly grateful for any support that you could offer me, I can offer lots of advertising for you and your company. If you chose to support me, I will promote your business to its maximum potential at every chance I have, and at every event I attend. I can promote your company at events whether I would be attending as a competitor or as a spectator. I currently have a growing Instagram account with 300 followers so far, and more to come, (https://www.instagram.com/hf.showing/).

Advertising of my sponsors can be available using the following:
- Saddle pads with your logo on
- Clothing that I would wear when attending events
- Show rugs that would be featured in all of the show pictures

I would also be happy to have your company name or logo printed onto the horse box for when we are travelling to shows around the country, this would achieve maximum potential exposure
I have attached some images of my horse and I competing and at different sows around the country. Thank you very much for taking the time to read, I hope to speak to you again.
 

ihatework

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In the nicest possible way, you aren’t going to gain sponsorship based on your competition exposure or potential.

So what is your unique selling point?
In my mind it might be coming back from a bad injury ....

I would target companies that have business interest in therapy type products.

Your letter needs a complete overhaul otherwise I’m afraid it will probably just line the bin.
 

HEM

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A USP would really help sell yourself.

I have to say I didn't read it all (Sorry!) but you need to make it appeal for the company to read (I am sure once they read they could be interested).

Short, easy on the eye (paragraphs) and state as early on what you want from them and what you have to offer them. If it was me I would be tempted to say I'd love to come in a meet face to face or even invite them to you. I think that shows you are willing to go out your way and are keen!!
 

paddi22

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I work with sponsors in the equine area and other industries.

The only info they want to know is how many people your social media pages target, what age are they, what wealth class are they and whats the break down of male/female.

You would be better off starting up a consistently branded blog/you tube channel/instagram etc and really pushing it. Get as many followers as you can, because realistically thats all sponsors can look at. They won't care about smaller shows, who you train with, how long you are riding etc - they care about your unique selling point, so you need to work on what that is.

If you had to describe yourself in a sentence to a potential sponsor, what would that be? What makes you stand out (in one sentence)

The way you list out what you can offer sponsorship wise is great (like horsebox sign) . bullet point EVERYTHING and get it in a list

Get it all on one sheet, cut out as much text as you can and keep it short. Pic the best two pics of you where you look the most professional.

Finding a sponsor can take ages. You will need to probably send out 100's of them, and one or two might stick, so don't get disheartened.

If you get your blog going, make the content good on it, and you might even get sponsors approaching you.
 

paddi22

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the other thing that's really important is to be authentic and to find your own voice. And to understand who your audience is. If you go in pretending to be a total expert and act and talk like you are a national winner (if you aren't) then you will sound false and hollow, and people will spot that. It's a lot more interesting to follow someone who is finding their feet in an area. I love reading blogs where someone is talking about how they are learning to prepare for an event. or why they use the tools they use? or how the fixed their issues.

Blogs like that get a much better, more loyal following than someone who is just pretending to be amazing.
 
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A USP would really help sell yourself.

I have to say I didn't read it all (Sorry!) but you need to make it appeal for the company to read (I am sure once they read they could be interested).

Short, easy on the eye (paragraphs) and state as early on what you want from them and what you have to offer them. If it was me I would be tempted to say I'd love to come in a meet face to face or even invite them to you. I think that shows you are willing to go out your way and are keen!!
No worries for not reading it all, thank you for the advice, greatly appreciated, will make the changes now :)
 
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I work with sponsors in the equine area and other industries.

The only info they want to know is how many people your social media pages target, what age are they, what wealth class are they and whats the break down of male/female.

You would be better off starting up a consistently branded blog/you tube channel/instagram etc and really pushing it. Get as many followers as you can, because realistically that's all sponsors can look at. They won't care about smaller shows, who you train with, how long you are riding etc - they care about your unique selling point, so you need to work on what that is.

If you had to describe yourself in a sentence to a potential sponsor, what would that be? What makes you stand out (in one sentence)

The way you list out what you can offer sponsorship wise is great (like horsebox sign) . bullet point EVERYTHING and get it in a list

Get it all on one sheet, cut out as much text as you can and keep it short. Pic the best two pics of you where you look the most professional.

Finding a sponsor can take ages. You will need to probably send out 100's of them, and one or two might stick, so don't get disheartened.

If you get your blog going, make the content good on it, and you might even get sponsors approaching you.
Thank you so much!!! Great advice, I am working on a blog and website now which I will add once they are all set up. But how would I word the unique selling point? That's the bit I'm stuck with :)
 

paddi22

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you have to sit down and kind of think about who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are.

From a quick scan of your bio, what jumped out to me was your injury and the condition of your horse when you got it.

I personally would find it interesting to see how you take a horse in bad condition and get it in show condition and how you did it. Also your own physical issues, did you do physio etc - what challenges do you have in your riding as a result and how do you overcome them?

There's a few different blog types, and what one will work for you depends on your personality and your target audience.

- are you an underdog? - talk through your challenges physically/budgetwise and how you overcome them
- are you an amazing expert? - share your tips and knowledge
- are you very beginnery, then share what you are learning and the outcome. bring people on the journey with you and be honest
- do you love products and discussing them? - then explore products in your discipline and examine and review them
- do you love training? - break down your exercises and the result, with videos

the best thing to do is to sit down and write ten blog posts in a row. and then read them back the next day and see what you naturally wrote about.
 

TGM

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Lots of good advice above. Another thing to consider is what sort of sponsorship you are looking for? A discount on products? Free products? Monetary contribution towards competition costs and entry fees? Obviously the first and second are more likely to be forthcoming than the third. But potential sponsors will want to know what this sponsorship is going to cost them! You also need to work on building your following before approaching sponsors - 300 followers is really not going to attract a potential sponsor's attention!

I'd also expand your section about what you can do for the company. Most will want more than just you wearing branded clothing and rugs at events. They will want to know how you will endorse their products through your social media channels. So, for example, a supplier of grooming products might be looking for someone who can show videos of how to get a show horse looking amazing with their products. Or a feed manufacturer might want you to explain how their feed is the only one that keeps your horse in perfect show condition yet calm and well-behaved at shows.
 
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MrsMozart

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I admire your guts :)

Other people have offered good advice.

We've sponsored people in the past. I would say one of the main things is providing the sponsor with what's been agreed, e.g. a an after show report within x days. The sponsors are running a business and handing over hard earned cash, they'll be planning on using your reps and updating their own sites, so if the reports or updates (or whatever it is you've agreed on) isn't forthcoming then their left with a home in their planning.

You must also be ready to get an understanding of your sponsor's business. Not to be an experrt in it, but to at least have a clue.

And finally, get an agreement in place. Both sides need to be clear on what's agreed.

Good luck and have fun!
 
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