Sponsorship for the New Year
As a new year is upon us, it's a great time to organize your priorities for the new Paintball season ahead of your team. As this article is being written it's the first week of 2008. Stop right now and think of the new year as an opportunity for your team to do some major things. Make new contacts, promote your team, think in a new way about how to apply old success, get feedback from people you have had contact with, update your information, set goals and go!
Look back to start ahead.
Start your new year by reviewing your success and failure from last year. Reflect on the previous year, what worked and what didn't. Did you set and meet your goals from last year? How have your needs changed? What were your biggest successes and how can you build off them? If you had a great day at a tournament, try to examine the details surrounding it. Was it because of preparation or your attitude. Try to record and duplicate these successes.
Gear up for the new year!
Has the sport changed in a way that could affect you? Have you gained or lost team mates in areas that need you attention? If needed, make a priority to find new team members that you can count on. Continue to grow your team. If you only were able to play 3-man events, try to plan for 5-man tournaments. Examine your gear, is it time to re-hydro your tank or upgrade a marker? What about uniforms, is there new sponsors that should go one your jersey?
Keep your contacts up to date.
Call the fields you've played at in the last couple of years. Tell them your team is excited to play there this year and ask about their new schedule. Contact sponsors and let them know your plans for the year. Give them new/fresh ideas on how you can help them and ask their opinions. Set up practices with area teams and offer to set up a get together where everyone can hang out and talk about the new year. This is also a good time to get some feedback about your team. Ask what people thought about you this year. What were your strengths and weaknesses. Field owners are a great source for this type of information. Your contacts can help you more than you know, don't wait until game day to talk to them. Keep a list of names and phone numbers and stay in touch.
Review and update your resume.
What a great time to brag about your successes. Put it all down in your resume. Update player equipment and contact information. Think of fresh ways to promote yourselves to sponsors. Finding new sponsorship should be something your always working on. Take a look at your website. Is it time for some new pictures or some links to it from other team sites? Getting your team in front of sponsors is a great way to get well know. When they get your resume they may already recognize you. Keeping your resume and website up to date is a huge step toward new sponsorship.
Time for action. Get together as a team and create realistic goals. Set actions in motion to reach these goals now and start on them immediately. What do you want to accomplish this year? Be realistic but be aggressive! Organize your team, ready, Set! Go!! Go!! Go!!
Redwood (01/06/08)
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