Sponsor Searching

[Horace]

My school is trying to start a FSAE team and we have no clue as to how to get sponsors for the project. We don't have any business majors at our school since it is small so I guess this will make all of us better well rounded. Problem is that we can really use some advice on where to start.

Thanks,

[Horace]

My school is trying to start a FSAE team and we have no clue as to how to get sponsors for the project. We don't have any business majors at our school since it is small so I guess this will make all of us better well rounded. Problem is that we can really use some advice on where to start.

Thanks,

[TG]

Search for it on the forum. There have been many different approaches to getting sponsorship, some worked, some didn't. It depends on the type of sponsor you are trying to get, too. Material sponsorship is generally much easier to come by, especially if you know exactly what you need. If there was a definate answer to this question, most of us (FSAE teams) wouldn't need to be worrying about sponsorship every year as we do.

[J. Vinella]

The best advise I could give you is to pick up the phone and call around.

A fellow teammate always says: "Good things happen when you pick up the phone"

E-mails almost never work; same with letters. It is easy to push the delete button or toss something in the trash.

Good luck,

[RKemmet]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">w teammate always says: "Good things happen when you pick up the phone"

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thats true for the most part, but with fsae project people really don't understand what the car is, so linking them to our website or sending them a picture in the mail, works wonders. I'm not sure why it is but our email success rate is much higher than our phone success rate, also it takes much less time. I would say better than either of those though is to go out into the community, get to as many events as possible, talk to people. Utilize faculty family members anyone who might either a. know someone or b. be a sponsor themselves. You will be suprised how few degrees a sponsor can be away from you. We also were very fortunate to have one of our sponsor hook us up with all of his suppliers, who are now our sponsors as well, so ask your sponsors for help too.

[JR @ CFS]

Something I am trying to teach people here;

"you don't ask, you don't get"

I have achieved a lot by simply picking up the phone and calling people. I met an old team member today who works with someone who I had approached about sponsorship and help. He said, "so you are the neurotic guy."

You gotta show people you are passionate and be ready to have people ignore you, slam down phones, tell them to stop annoying you. Cold calling usually doesn't work, but you would be suprised. As stated above, family and internal contacts are often the best ways. Oh, if you have a lecturer or anyone within the faculty who is also passionate about racing, get them on your side. You will be suprised how many people they can convince.

Hope all goes well!