The Proper Care and Feeding of Sponsors

 

Sponsors...........we've got em. And if El President has any say in it..........we'll have more before too long.

Why would someone sponsor Tri Team SW anyway you might ask?

 

Well.........first of all......sponsors love to see their products (or services) used by groups of people (or individuals) that are involved in multisport and are visible. The caveat to this is that you probably won't see any sponsor looking to support a team of drug addicts, criminals and general ne'r do wells.......no matter how succesful they are. Look at how Kobe Bryant's sponsors pulled the plug on him when the first hints of bad press came his way.

The idea of sponsorship is that I (sponsor) give you something in return for you using my product, talking about the benefits of my product to others...........and hopefully getting some press coverage of you with my product. Simple? Yes.......  Easy? Not always.

 

We've had different sponsors at Tri Team SW over the first 2 years of our existence. Some of our originals are DeSoto Sport and Boston Bill Sunglasses. Why do they keep us on? We are a successful team of varied people who conduct ourselves in a sportsmanlike manner and wear their products while we do it. Is that enough to keep them happy? It might be...........but we could (and should) do more.

 

How about talking up the benefits of your DeSoto T1 wetsuit to your fellow age groupers as you wade about the start line of your next tri? How about making sure that if they do decide to buy a T1 they tell Emilio or his staff where they heard about him? How about wearing your Boston Bills on all of your training rides and runs..........and letting your partners know where they can get cool glasses for only 20 bucks? And oh yea........let them email Sandra at BB and let her know how they heard about Mr Bill.

 

What about press coverage? Well.........in past years we've had people attending all sorts of races around the world. We should be actively promoting ourselves and our team (and yes......our sponsors too) to the media. You'd be surprised how interested your local newspaper is in this "still strange to the outside world" beast we call triathon. And when you land in the paper............cut it out! Then send it to Bones to post on the website..........and include a copy to our sponsors.

 

And of course..........your dollars speak volumes to our sponsors. Buy their products when you need them. Boston Bills make great gifts for your pals........what triathlete friend wouldn't love a pair of DeSoto tri shorts? Need some awards or promotional items for work? Call on Sandy at Screen Images..........she does more than screen printing. You get the idea............

 

Think of the Team and our sponsors as a family..........one where we look out for one anothers best interests..........and try out best to see that we all get what we need.

 

I'll be crossing the line at Lubbock and Florida (ok, maybe dragging my shattered, useless body) in my DeSoto skinsuit, covered with logos screened on by Screen Images and wearing my Boston Bill Team Sunglasses (yes..........even in Florida where the sun will have long since set)...........and if anyone asks how I got there.........I'll tell them about my great family and their support. I'll tell them about the best racing team in the country Tri Team SW and I'll tell them about our sponsors.........and you should too.

 

If you look at the roster this year...........we've got 24 members.........down from 70 last year..........thats by design. We built the Team to appeal to people that REALLY wanted to be involved...........to support our sport, each other, the Team and our sponsors. You wouldn't pay $100 just for the hell of it.

 

Now I'd like to thank my sponsors for this email.........Dell for providing the computer to generate this Yahoo email..........and Perrier for keeping my thirst at bay as I composed this treatise..........get the idea? I knew that you would.

 

RACE HARD.....................MG