How to Get Sponsors/Endorsements Part 2: What They’re Looking For

If you haven’t read part 1 of this, you can find it here.

With everything that you do be it booking, soliciting a record deal or sponsor, or promotion, do it from the target’s point of view. In the case of looking for sponsors or endorsements, you’ll want to do so from the point of view of that prospect. Imagine getting hundreds of emails a week from artists who want to be sponsored. What is going to stand out? What do you have to offer that will give them a new market, national presence, etc.?

Here is a sample letter that you can use and personalize for your own.

Dear [contact name*],

My name is [your name] and I manage the band [band name]. We are [15 second pitch here; if you don’t have a 15 second pitch, use this site to help you create a quick 1 or 2 line introduction]. I am contacting you today because I would like to schedule a time where we can talk about doing some cross promotion through an endorsement.

Since [start date, we have toured the country [x] times,  released [x] albums, and have been featured in press such as [x,y,z].  We typically book venues in the [x] capacity range with a draw of [x]. Through the years, we’ve collected over [x] contacts on our mailing list and social media websites combined. With our [upcoming tour schedule or new album], we can give you company great promotion through efforts such as [your best co-branded marketing campaign idea here].

We are looking to build a longterm relationship that will benefit all parties involved. With other partners such as [sponsors/endorsements], we can provide great referrals regarding the return on investment you will receive from working with [band name].

http://www.officialbandsite.com
http://www.myspace.com/yourbandsnamehere
http://www.youtube.com/yourbandsyoutubepagehere

I look forward to your prompt response and would love to discuss details further by email or phone. What other information can I provide to further this discussion?
Sincerely,
[your name]
[your phone]
[your email]

* Always show that you’ve done your homework by finding our who works in artist relations at the music company you’re pursuing by calling the company. If you are dealing with a non-music instrument company, then you’ll usually want to address the Director of Marketing. For more information on our music, please visit:

Other general tips to help you:

Always End Your Email With a Question: Whether you are booking, contacting a sponsor, or fan, always end your email with an open ended question. It psychologically triggers a mental response that will create a greater urge to reply to you than to end with a statement that doesn’t lead the conversation.

Be Ready With Data: You should always have this information at your finger tips: Your tour history, what markets you frequently perform in, how large your mailing list/Myspace/Facebook/Twitter/YouTube following is, how many records you’ve sold, where your albums are selling (if you have distribution), where you are at in your band’s business plan, what your specific target audience is.

Best Time to Contact For Them: Always contact in the middle of the week. Most people are swamped on Monday and mentally checked out on Friday (or will put off responding then forget about you over the weekend). Contacting during the lull will always get you a better, more decisive response.

Best Time to Contact For You: Never initiate contact if your shows calendar is empty. The best time to contact is when they can see you at your busiest time (such as months before a national tour), when you have plenty of updated press excerpts, etc.

Create a Sponsorship Packet: I’ll cover this later on, subscribe to this blog so you won’t miss this one!

Follow Up: If you don’t hear back in 2-3 weeks, send a quick follow up message such as “Hi [name], I’m just checking in. I wanted to follow up with you to see if there was anything else I could provide to help aid you with your decision. I’m very excited about our [insert exciting upcoming project] and would love to have you on board. When would be a good time to call and talk about this?”

If you want more advice or information, feel free to drop me a line at simon@laststopbooking.com or post a response below.