Build Your Own Combat Robot

192 Build Your Own Combat Robot
How to Know When You Need a Sponsor (continued)
Team Nightmare’s Jim Smentowski doesn’t think impersonal correspondence
is effective. He always recommends meeting in person. “Show your robot to your
potential sponsors in person. Don’t just e-mail or call them; you need to meet with
them in person. Hype your bot and explain how much publicity the show gets, and
the potential for your robot to be on TV and toys.”
Sponsorship meetings aren’t the time for humility or modesty. Be proud of your
robot; be up-front about your talents and combat record; and back up your sales
pitch with visuals, such as videotape from a televised event. Donald Hutson, of
Diesector, says he went equipped with pictures of his robot and video clips of his
appearance on the Tonight Show. “That was all they needed to see; they said ‘that’s
cool’ and became a sponsor.” You may also want to emphasize that you already use
the company’s product in your robot. This demonstrates that you understand the
company’s product, that you’re not just looking for random acts of generosity, and
that the company’s widget has a track record in combat.
If you dislike “selling” yourself and prefer to be relatively self- reliant, sponsorships
can also be somewhat uncomfortable business propositions that take some adjusting
to. Says Deadblow’s Grant Imahara: “The best part about having sponsors was
e-mailing a list of parts and getting them in the mail in a few days. The worst part
about it is actuallymailing the list, trying not to feel guiltyfor asking for too much.”
Most builders agree that part sponsors should be your first goal; don’t bother
trying to get direct financial sponsorships until you have established yourself and
your robot. Financial support is essential to your plans to reach the next level. Not
onlyis it often easier for a vendor to divert a few products off of its production line
than to write a check outright, it can cost them less as well, since they’re donating only
the presales cost of the product, which is a lot less than retail.
Carlo Bertocchini, Biohazard’s papa, says to build your robot first. “Then enter it
into a competition and get a national ranking number. Getting a companyto consider
a sponsorship proposal will be a lot easier with a proven robot. Even if it ranks low,
it is a lot better than going to a sponsor with nothing to prove you are serious and
capable of building a robot. Trying to get sponsorship without a robot is like trying
to get a job without a resume.”
Christian Carlberg agrees. “Gaining sponsorship is difficult. The best way to get a
sponsorship is to first build a successful robot, then go after sponsorship money. It
is much easier to find a company that manufactures the parts you need and then ask
them if theyare willing to donate parts in exchange for sponsorship. Over time your
minor sponsors might grow into major sponsors.”
A financial sponsorship has an extra layer of complication: what is the sponsorship
worth to both you and to the company giving you the money? Jamie Hyneman says
to avoid exclusive sponsorships unless you’re getting a fortune, and not to tie
sponsorship payments to specific competition results, since winning is far from
predictable. He also says to tailor the amount you ask for to the size of the sponsor.
“Bob’s Auto Parts isn’t going to give you $10,000 unless Bob happens to be your
uncle; Microsoft might.”