It’s common to find paintball players asking, “how do I get sponsored in paintball?” By the way, can paintball players even get sponsorship deals like in other sports? Yes, paintball players can.
Every athlete wants a sponsorship deal. It’s the same thing with paintballers. Getting sponsored means you can play paintball whenever you want and have all the gears you need to enjoy your games. So, who wouldn’t want to enjoy all these benefits?
Unfortunately, most paintball players think the top players that have sponsorship got it on a silver platter, but that isn’t the case. You have to work hard and take the right steps to achieve it.
We’ll be discussing how to get sponsored in this post. So, sit tight if you’re interested and follow this post keenly.
How To Get Sponsored In Paintball
These tips will boost your chances of landing sponsorship for your team or yourself. So read and act on them if you’re seeking a scholarship deal.
1: Know the difference between sponsorship and gifts:
Firstly, let’s understand the difference between sponsorship and a gift. You may find this hilarious, but the thing is, it’s easier for a player to mistake a gift for a sponsorship.
Now, what’s the difference? First, gifts don’t often have any strings attached. In other words, the gift is given to the receiver, with the giver not seeking any favor in return. This is a gift.
A company can give you some of its products or may offer you a massive discount for their paintball gear and want a favor in return.
The favor could be marketing-related. For example, the company may want you to showcase its products to boost sales. In return, you and your team can purchase paintball gear way cheaper.
If you’re seeking sponsorship, have one thing in mind: the company has to benefit one way or the other. You may be asked to advertise their products or do some photoshoots while wearing their products.
2: Build a formidable team:
You’re a good paintball player, and you’re seeking sponsorship. But, unfortunately, you’re yet to build a team from scratch like other people you know, which you are certain are doing well in the game.
You’re hurting your chances of obtaining sponsorship without a team. That is the plain truth. The truth is bitter but must be told.
Sponsorship costs a huge amount of money, time, and of course, energy. Therefore, no brand will be happy to sponsor a group of people yet to classify themselves as a team.
3: Improve your participation in the game:
Let’s assume you have formed a team comprising dedicated players. The word “dedicated” is important. Any potential sponsor would want to see that in your team members before making any commitment.
Another important factor that will boost your chance of landing a sponsor in paintball is your participation in the game. How many events or paintball tournaments have you attended? How many do you plan to attend in the next 12 months? Participating in paintball tournaments is important for any player or team seeking sponsorship.
How would potential sponsors know you if you’re always absent from local, regional and international tournaments? They won’t know you and your team even exist, in the first place.
So, start participating in paintball tournaments and events regarding the game. Don’t even wait for an invitation before attending paintball-related events.
You and your team should participate in local and regional tournaments. Don’t neglect them because you want the big fishes in the industry to find you.
Surprisingly, these big brands seeking paintball teams to sponsor show up at local events and tournaments. So, you may find a sponsor faster than you think by participating in these local events and competitions.
Here is some important advice for you and your team: don’t limit your participation in paintball to local and regional competitions.
Attend international or intra-state paintball competitions to showcase your talent to the world. You might be lucky and, eventually, go home with a sponsorship deal. That’s how it is.
Now, let’s be honest. Limiting your participation in paintball to local and regional competitions or events may send the wrong signal about your team to potential sponsors.
Most sponsors may conclude that you lack the popularity needed to deliver large sales. In addition, some may think you and your team are afraid to compete at bigger stages.
4: Prove yourself in the game:
Let’s be honest here. If you were a brand, would you want to sponsor a failed team? The answer is no! Brands go for the best. They want to associate their products with the best and make it appear like using their products can boost one’s chances of succeeding in the game.
So, don’t stop at being average if you have a team. Be the best. Feature in major competitions and win them. Let your name echo throughout the paintball, your local community, state, and country.
Don’t stop there. Work harder until you become the number one paintball team in the world. Yes, that should be your ultimate goal.
Brands will queue up to sponsor you when you start winning games and climb to the top. You’ll have the opportunity to select your sponsor and even influence the terms and conditions of the sponsorship deal.
Brands have a reputation to protect. You may also encounter some brands that are building their reputation, and thankfully, they know they can gain the exposure they seek by associating with a successful paintball team.
So if you want to get sponsored in paintball, improve your skills and dedication and win more games. Be the best among the rest.
5: Work on your team’s portfolio:
You have won a handful of games. Your team looks great or in good shape. Bravo! You’re almost there. What’s left is for you to take care of the little details.
But before you do, have this in mind: tons of paintball teams are seeking sponsorship as you are. Many are even trying to contact the companies and retailers you have eyes on as we speak.
Unfortunately, many of these teams are not properly approaching paintball manufacturers and retailers. They don’t even sound convincing when reaching out.
Imagine receiving emails like this, “Hello, this is team XYZ from Richville. We have been playing paintball locally for the past ABC years and wish to go pro. We’re looking for a sponsor. Can you make our dream come true?”
Now, take a closer look at the email above. Does it sound convincing enough? Surprisingly, many paintball manufacturers and retailers receive such emails daily. But guess what happens: they get deleted.
Requesting sponsorship help from paintball manufacturers and retailers isn’t a wrong move. The only major mistake most teams make when reaching out to potential sponsors is their approach.
Again, don’t forget that these companies weren’t set up to offer freebies. If that were to be the case, they would have winded up years ago.
You and your group must first understand that sponsorship is a business. You can even call it a give-and-take business. For example, the paintball manufacturer or retailer offers you paintball products free or at a discount. In return, you’ll help them generate more sales and brand awareness.
So, how do you build your paintball team’s portfolio? The first thing is to create a website using your team name. Or, you can make the name part of the website’s URL.
Now, are you on social media? If yes, then ensure you’re super active on the various platforms. Remember, having many followers on your social media accounts can make your team attractive to sponsors.
Now, why is creating a website necessary? A good question! We are in the digital age. Thus, if you claim you did or achieved XYZ, people can only find it by conducting a background check on the internet.
So, when you contact paintball brands, the ones interested in your team will conduct a simple Google search to learn more about your team.
Now, here’s one thing you must understand. When a paintball manufacturer or retailer conducts an online search and cannot find you, forget about getting a sponsorship deal. That’s the plain truth.
The assumption such brands would have is this: since they can’t find your team online, chances are potential customers for their brands can’t find you.
So, create a website and document all your team’s activities on the platform. Take quality pictures before and after every game. Take pictures when you’re in action or showing off your skills.
You can even showcase upcoming events the team is going to attend in the future. You’re letting potential sponsors know that sponsoring you will be a positive move for them.
6: Engage in activities outside paintball:
You have to look after your team. Remember that your team members are humans and can easily get bored from doing the same thing repeatedly.
So, shift the focus away from paintball a little. Instead, engage in other activities that will help the team bond and have fun doing something else.
You can plan a trip to a sporting event, see a movie, play miniature golf, swim, and do other outdoor activities that show how great the team spirit is.
Volunteering is another way your team can spend quality time together, doing something useful. Making such public appearances while wearing your team T-shirts, clean jerseys, and hats is a great move.
One more thing: take good-quality pictures while engaging in these activities. And remember to post them on your website.
7: Solicit sponsorship deals from brands you like:
You don’t feel connected to most brands. You might not hate them, actually, but love others more.
It’s okay to solicit sponsorship deals from manufacturers and retailers locally and nationally. Furthermore, you can request sponsorship deals from 30 potential sponsors or even more.
Now, here’s one thing you should never do. Don’t approach brands you don’t like because you want a sponsorship deal.
There’s a chance the brand you claim not to like may agree to sponsor you. And we all know how this goes. The fact that you don’t fancy their products may push you to misrepresent them.
In other words, you may end up not promoting their products as you should, which may hurt your reputation.
So, only contact potential sponsors you’re comfortable working with.
8: Request a meeting with potential sponsors:
Walking into a brand’s office and asking for sponsorship will only get you a negative response.
Instead, request a sit-down meeting when a brand responds to your email positively. Furthermore, dress for the meeting as if you’re going for a job interview.
Ensure your team’s portfolio is ready; that is, your team’s details, achievements, and activities before attending the meeting.
Avoid using comments that show desperation. You don’t want to appear desperate to a potential sponsor, as it’s a red flag.
Don’t request a sponsorship deal from the brand or talk about how good your team is. Instead, try to figure out what the business owner needs and begin the negotiation from that angle.
Saying, “we’ll be purchasing all items from your company,” is a generic and poor bargain chip. You’ll even be surprised that the brand you’re speaking to has heard such a statement plenty of times.
So, you have to operate differently. Do things that’ll set you apart and get the owner’s attention.
Finally, remember, the paintball brand you’re soliciting sponsorship from wants to generate more sales. So, they need help with marketing and physical labor.
Conclusion
So, do you want to know how to get sponsored in paintball? This post is for you. We hope you understand the process better.
You may have been soliciting sponsorship opportunities for yourself or your team, but it has always been unsuccessful. If that’s the case, change your approach, and you may get the sponsorship you seek.
We provided a clear outline with plenty of tips to get sponsorship deals. You can follow the template to make your dream of getting sponsored come true.
