SPONSORSHIP MARKETING
With Ernie Saxton

There are many complaints that we hear from racers seeking sponsorship support. The two that we hear most are sponsorship seekers are unable to reach the right people and they can’t get prospects to return their calls.
Locating the right people will take some research and spending some money to purchase some of the better directories that are available. In the last issue we suggested the Team Marketing Report Sports Sponsor Factbook. Check it out at www.teammarketing.com. There are others but at present we think this is the best one available.
However you can also get in touch with the local Chamber of Commerce for information on businesses that you are planning to contact. And a simple telephone call to a business asking who handles the marketing and/or advertising will usually get the correct name.
Once you have that information the real fun begins.
How successful are you at getting prospects to return your telephone calls?
The number one secret to success is being polite. When you speak to the executive’s gatekeeper it is important to be nice. And if you are the chances of getting a return call are greatly improved. If you are not nice, polite (saying please and thank you is important), you will not get a return phone call because it is more than likely your message never reached the executive.
What can really help is knowing the name of someone that the prospect will be familiar with. It would help immensely to be able to say: “John Doe suggested that I give you a call. He felt that you might have interest in what we have to offer.” And make sure you mention that name a second time before hanging up. “Just wanted to remind you that John Doe suggested that I call and I look forward to chatting with you.”
Of course it is not always possible to have a name available that the prospect is familiar with. In that case come up with something that connects you with the company that you are calling: “I am quite familiar with your company. I just read an article about your company and feel I have something will be of interest to you.”
Mention something specifically that you want to talk with them about. “I have a marketing opportunity that will benefit your company.” Or if you have sent a contact letter, outlining a few key points of your sponsorship opportunity, follow up with, “I wanted to hear your feedback on the marketing opportunity I sent you last week.”
Mention how the call could be of benefit to them. “When you return my call, I will share with you how my marketing opportunity can improve your company’s sales and have quite an impact on your bottom line.” Only say that if it is true though.
Your message should suggest a specific time and day when their call should be returned. It will save the aggravation of telephone tag. “I will be in my office in the morning on tomorrow (Tuesday or whatever day tomorrow is). Hopefully you will have the opportunity to return my call then.”
Or you might want to suggest this: “I’m going to leave my E-mail address. Please send me a short message with the day and time that will be convenient for us to chat. I will make sure that I am available for your call at that time.”
IMPORTANT. Promise a short return call: “I promise to take no more than two or three minutes when you return my call. If I go longer you can hang up if you would like.”
When leaving the message, voice mail or with the gatekeeper, keep it to three or four sentences. If you come across as longwinded, it is likely that your call will not be returned.
Give your telephone number at the beginning of the message (be clear and concise) and give it again at the end of the message. This gives the person taking the message to write down the number without having to play back the message. If the person is forced to play back the message the chances of the message “getting lost” are greatly improved.
And finally, if you are available after normal business hours, leave a cell phone number. When you are looking for sponsorship support it is important to make yourself available at all hours. Don’t miss out on that return call. It could be the next big sponsorship deal being approved.
GOT A QUESTION ABOUT SPONSORSHIP? Email us at Esaxton144@aol.com with your sponsorship questions. If it is a really good one we will include it in one of our future columns.
INSPIRATION. We all need it and that is the title of the 23rd Annual IEG Sponsorship Conference taking place in Chicago, March 12-15, 2006. This is clearly the most informative sponsorship conference that I have ever attended.
It is not cheap. The cost to attend is $1,795 but if you sign up quickly this is an opportunity to save $275.
You will be joining more than 1,200 sponsorship professionals for three days of non-stop sharing of groundbreaking ideas and strategies through 150-plus sessions and unparalleled networking opportunities. You’ll learn from the industry’s brightest stars - those setting the trends and reaping the returns - as well as from peers and colleagues who have successfully met the same challenges you face.
There are decision makers attending the conferences that may just be interested in what you have to offer.
Check in for more information at www.sponsorship.com/inspiration.
GREAT FOR CHRISTMAS. Got a racer on your Christmas list and don’t know what to get him or her? Give sponsorship help. Our Christmas Special Sponsorship Package includes a generic sponsorship proposal with cover letter and contract; Andrew Waite’s great book Winning Sponsorships; a 6 fold promotional brochure to help your sponsorship marketing efforts; a two hour video of a recent sponsorship seminar and a one year subscription to Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News (the monthly newsletter that has helped so many with their sponsorship efforts). All this would normally sell for more than $400. You can order it today for just $199.95 plus $15.00 for shipping. A great Christmas Gift idea.
Fifteen percent of each order is donated to Salvation Army Hurricane Relief Fund.
Telephone us at 215.752.7797. Check out other sponsorship materials and advice that we offer at www.saxtonsponsormarket.com.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

NEWS FROM MOTORSPORTS SPONSORSHIP
MARKETING NEWS
Media Contact: Ernie Saxton Communications, Inc.
Ernie or Marilyn Saxton
215.752.7797 or 215.752.2392
Email: esaxton144@aol.com
Cell phone: 267-934-7286
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE WITH OUR THANKS
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TIME TO BE SEEKING SPONSORSHIP FOR 2006, SPONSORSHIP KIT AVAILABLE; 15% OF EACH PURCHASE GOES TO SALVATION ARMY HURRICANE FUND

LANGHORNE, PA September 30, 2005 . . . For those wanting to be successful in their efforts to secure marketing partners for their auto racing efforts, Ernie Saxton Communications, Inc., publisher of the monthly newsletter on sponsorship marketing titled Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News, has come up with a special offer for one of their most popular sponsorship marketing kits.
“This is a package that can help a racer secure sponsorship. Racers should be working on securing serious sponsorship support for 2006 by now,” said Ernie Saxton. “And those who purchase the kit now will see 15% of their purchase go to the Salvation Army Hurricane Relief Fund.”
The kit includes a video of a sponsorship seminar that Ernie Saxton presented recently. The two hour video covers much of the information that racers need to know in order to be successful in securing sponsorship/marketing partners. In the video Saxton is also found answering many questions from seminar attendees.
There is also a generic proposal that has been created by Saxton to give sponsorship seekers some idea of what a potential sponsor is looking for when a proposal is presented. It is loaded with ideas that will help get the attention of potential sponsors.
WINNING SPONSORSHIPS, a great book on sponsorship marketing, written by Andrew Waite is also part of the kit as is a one year subscription to Saxton’s Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News. The monthly newsletter, now approaching its 22nd year of publication, has helped many with their sponsorship efforts and continues to provide tips, helps, contacts, latest sponsorship news and much more.
If purchased separately the package would cost close to $350. For a short time, at a time when race teams have completed their seasons and should anxious to get started on the 2006 season and are looking to secure sponsorship support, the package is being offered at a very special price of $199.95 plus $12.00 for postage and handling.
Those taking advantage of this special offer will have 15% of the purchase price donated to the Salvation Army Hurricane Relief Fund.
“This is our way of trying to help those in need, the Hurricane victims, and help racers secure sponsorship,” said Saxton.
More information may be found at WWW.SAXTONSPONSORMARKET.COM.
The Ultimate Sponsorship Kit, a more in-depth package of sponsorship marketing materials along with telephone consultation, is also available and is described at the website.
An ESC, Inc. brochure of services and self help materials is available upon request.
The sponsorship marketing kit may be ordered by telephoning Saxton at 215.752.7797 or 215.752.2392. Email Esaxton144@aol.com. All major credit cards are accepted.
Saxton is also available to present a sponsorship seminar for your speedway, organization or race team that can be used as a fund raiser.
Ernie Saxton Communications, Inc., located in Langhorne, PA, offers more than 35 years of motorsports marketing experience. His firm offers a variety of marketing services for racer teams and event organizers seeking sponsorship and media relations. Saxton also offers his expertise as a consultant to businesses looking to benefit from marketing through motorsports.

SPONSORSHIP MARKETING - BACK TO BASICS (Number two in a series)
By Ernie Saxton

We must have hit a nerve with the last column. Our last effort was about sponsorship basics and it generated more emails and telephone calls than just about any other column we have written about sponsorship marketing.
And we continue with the basics this time around.
It is important to understand that there are at least two different kinds of sponsors. There is the sponsor (often times a fan, a friend or a family member) that gets involved just to be involved. They expect nothing in return for their support. Paint their name on the race car and they are happy. They just enjoy seeing their name on the car and they enjoy knowing that they have helped put a race car on the track. And there are those who are the SERIOUS SPONSORS who actually expect a return on their investment.
The SERIOUS SPONSOR wants to see something being done to create traffic for his business, gain exposure for his business or give him a place to entertain employees and customers. Often times a SERIOUS SPONSOR wants all that and more. And if you want to receive serious sponsorship support you have to make all that happen.
The days of offering to paint the sponsor’s name on the race car and calling it sponsorship are long gone. The racer that wants a SERIOUS SPONSOR has to offer a package that includes, perhaps, signage at the track where the team races on a regular basis. Get the sponsor involved in supporting a night of racing at the track. Include advertising in the track or sanctioning organization publications. Don’t forget the possibility of billboard advertising at the track. Public address announcements are usually available at the track. Don’t forget your website. Don’t have a website? You should have one because it can be a great marketing tool for helping you in your sponsorship marketing and it can be used to market your sponsor. The cost of having a website is too low not to be included in your team package. The list goes on.
One of the “tools” that is available to most race teams to be used as a marketing tool is the hauler. Most teams have haulers and it upsets me to see how very few use the hauler as a rolling billboard carrying the sponsor names. With that being said we should also point out that it would be a very good idea to check with the motor vehicle department in your state to be sure you are within the laws of the state in using the hauler as a billboard. Also important is checking with your insurance carrier to see if the hauler will need additional insurance coverage. The increased costs should be incorporated into the sponsorship fees.
The hauler is important as a sponsor marketing tool because there will probably be more people seeing the sponsor logo/name on the hauler than will see it once you are at the race track. However make sure that the sponsor “pays” for the increased exposure. DON’T GIVE ANYTHING AWAY! DON’T SELL YOUR SPONSORSHIP TOO CHEAP!
The team should do everything possible to generate exposure for the sponsor with the main effort being to create customer traffic for the sponsor. As soon as the sponsorship is secured there should be a media release announcing the sponsorship, the team plans and a brief rundown on past efforts and successes. Make it available to the key media that cover the sport. Include the business news section of your local newspapers since it should be news of interest if presented properly.
Create stories on the team, including sponsor names, for program books and organization publications. Make sure the public relations person at the track where you compete receives information on your team and the announcer is given a fact sheet with notes of interest about the team and a list of sponsors including locations. If your team is not doing this they should be returning the money to the sponsors because the sponsor is being cheated. It absolutely amazes me, as I travel the country doing sponsorship seminars, that very few teams do these basics to secure exposure for their sponsors.
Creating stories requires little work, very little expense, and the rewards can be outstanding.
Don’t promise what you cannot produce. That means don’t promise to win races and championships. Don’t promise to get the sponsor exposure in all area newspapers, trade publications, and other media. Instead, promise to race to the best of your talents and produce the best possible results with hopes of wins and championships. Promise to do the best job possible in generating exposure for the sponsor in the media. It is not difficult but it is not guaranteed.
If you can’t talk business, or you can’s write an effective letter, or you can’t develop a proposal or don’t understand selling, you MUST hire someone to do it for you.
Don’t expect anyone worthwhile to do it on a commission basis. Either hire someone to help you, or buy some marketing materials that will help you do it yourself. Be certain that the finished proposal and cover letter along with all materials created include good grammar, correct spelling, and the proper names and titles of those who are being contacted. DON’T FORGET…there is nothing worse than a greasy thumbprint on the letter or proposal. It all has to look professional.
If you want to learn more about selling we suggest a great little book titled Little Red Book of Selling written by Jeffrey Gitomer. Included in the book are 12.5 principles of sales greatness and how to make sales forever.
This book can be found at just about any good bookstore. It is easy to read and can be very helpful to your sales efforts. Buy a copy and read it carefully. Or you head down to the Barnes and Noble or Borders, buy a coffee, grab a table, and read it right in the store. No purchase needed.
LOOK INTO attending the Sixth Annual Motorsports Marketing Forum at the New York Marriott East Side in New York City, November 29-30.
You can get all details at www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/conferences.
And we are putting together plans to present a number of seminars during the off season in different locations around the nation. Please be in touch at Esaxton144@aol.com if you would have interest in attending and we will keep you informed of our scheduled seminars. Or you could promote one of our seminars and raise money for your team or track. We can give you all details.
OUR SPECIAL OFFER THIS MONTH continues to be the one year subscription deal for our Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News. This is a monthly newsletter that offers those in the racing industry assistance in securing sponsorship support and promotional help. It has helped many become successful in their sponsorship efforts. For just $59.95 you get one year of the newsletter that normally costs $89.95. We will even throw in a couple of our most recent editions with our compliments. Call us at 215.752.7797 and have your credit card ready. And check out our website at www.saxtonsponsormarket.com.