getting sponsored
- Thread starter ducky3653
- Start date
fast larry
Banned
ducky3653 said:
Simple, beat Earl or Efren on TV, then they come knocking on your door.
fast larry said:Simple, beat Earl or Efren on TV, then they come knocking on your door.
Be sure you beat em on the table and not literally or it'll be the police knocking.
fast larry
Banned
sniper said:Win a world championship, I'm sure that'll get the sponsors lining up
As long as you are a giant nobody, why would any one want to pay your way around the country and support you. You have to find a way to become somebody, then they pay attention to you, that is now the hard part for you to figuure out how to do that. Frankly few every do and end up giving up after sleeping in their cars on cold nights and eating out of the McDonalds dumpster, they wise up and take a nice day job that pays the bills. Have faith, Wonder Dog did it and goes all over the world and makes a 6 figure income, so if a dog can pull it off, think what you can do.
If you are going to go out for a year to play just 9 ball on the pro tour and make a name for your self, if you can even get on that tour and that can take years to do you will at best come in 11th place and that for the last 20 years 11th place pays $11,000 a year and you will spend $12,000 to make the 11K. Welcome to the wonderful world of tournament 9 ball. That is why I never went that direction, I can add and know spend 12 to make 11 is nuts.
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Of course you need to be good at the game, but that is only the beginning.ducky3653 said:
Two guys with the same titles can create completely different opportunities.
Study marketing! Study the industry! Learn to speak in public! Learn how to dress and act! Learn to write well! Learn to create professional proposals!
Basically, learn how to be of value to all of those within the network of the industry. Then, not only do sponsorship opportunities come, but many other opportunities within the business.
It takes a lot of work and a lot of character to maximize your value in any quest. Good luck!
fast larry said:you will at best come in 11th place and that for the last 20 years 11th place pays $11,000 a year and you will spend $12,000 to make the 11K. Welcome to the wonderful world of tournament 9 ball. That is why I never went that direction, I can add and know spend 12 to make 11 is nuts.
Why is 11th place the best someone can do?
Colin has the best answer so far.
Larry makes a good point too but forgets to mention that along with losing money the top players have to take all the ridicule from the lower level players.
When you can come up with the answer as to why somone would want to sponsor you then you can go out looking for sponsors.
Of course the answer is that by sponsoring you the sponsor is going to make more money off you then it costs him to sponsor you. So find out how you can make a bunch of money for someone and he will be willing to sponsor you.
Reading Sarah Rousey's thread I see where Barnhart Cues is now sponsoring her. Do you think Barnhart is just feeling sorry for her and giving money to her to help her out? Or does Barnhart see the possibility that shortly Sarah will be appearing on TV and then she will be able to mention that she owes her great playing to using a Barnhart cue. And then everyone watching will be calling Barnhart for one of his cues. I am sure that Barnhart sees the potential in Sarah, plus the fact that she is attractive, friendly and intelligent helps too.
Jake
Larry makes a good point too but forgets to mention that along with losing money the top players have to take all the ridicule from the lower level players.
When you can come up with the answer as to why somone would want to sponsor you then you can go out looking for sponsors.
Of course the answer is that by sponsoring you the sponsor is going to make more money off you then it costs him to sponsor you. So find out how you can make a bunch of money for someone and he will be willing to sponsor you.
Reading Sarah Rousey's thread I see where Barnhart Cues is now sponsoring her. Do you think Barnhart is just feeling sorry for her and giving money to her to help her out? Or does Barnhart see the possibility that shortly Sarah will be appearing on TV and then she will be able to mention that she owes her great playing to using a Barnhart cue. And then everyone watching will be calling Barnhart for one of his cues. I am sure that Barnhart sees the potential in Sarah, plus the fact that she is attractive, friendly and intelligent helps too.
Jake
ducky3653 said:
Actually, getting sponsored, even if you're a great player, still isn't easy. Michael Coltrain, who has been talked about in another thread, won 2 BCA Jr. National Titles, a BCA Jr. World Championship, and was ranked in the top ten in the world when the CPBT was alive and kicking. And he still couldn't find a sponsor, even though he's a great guy, not a bad looking fella, young, and talented as hell.
-djb
fast larry
Banned
Jimmy M. said:
Just try and even get on tour, then try to come in the top 10, that is almost impossible.
I use that number for a lot of reasons, I figured if I had taken off what I was doing, played 14 hrs a day 24/7 in a year, I could get on tour and come in 11th, and I figured that was the best I could play against what I knew was there. I pegged that as my honest best expected results. Just try to play under than, the talent there is astounding.
Every time I was tempted to do that, I would read where Mr. 11th place guy came in on the money list at the end of the year, and is was 11 grand, year after year. I leave over 11 grand a year as tips on bars. I give 11 Grand a year to the Salvation Army, 11 grand a year, you make more money behind the counter at the all night 7/11 store, it’s a very bad joke. To take on such a job, you have to have flunked out of the 3rd grade and cannot add up to 11.
You look at any other sport, who ever comes in 11th makes over a million dollars a year.
The money was always so bad; it kept me from every wanting to be a pbt 9 ball pro. That is not an excuse, just simple math. Even if you came in 8th, most normal reasonable jobs still paid more and they had full benefits and insurance and hospitalization.
It is one of the biggest disgraces in sports, what the powers to be had done to the players, they became rich selling their wares and running the BCA while raping the players and pros who made them rich. I am going to catch hell for that one I know. I'll be banned to Poland in the morning, damn, and I just got un banned, knew it was not going to last long.
Colin has some great points, pretty much all you need to know. JJ also has great points and thanks for the compliments.
There are many great players looking for sponsors and not getting them. The pool industry is a tough industry. It depends on what you think a sponsorship is. If you think sponsorship is money given to you to travel and play in tournaments, there aren't many options. Pool players are not known as the most respectable people. Though things are changing. If you think of sponsorship as products given to you to make your game better, there are many options. You could also look to places that have nothing to do with pool. Maybe your favorite place to eat or a local store. They may not give you much but maybe enough for a tournament entry fee.
I am no expert on these things but I have some ideas. Colin was right when saying that you have to know how to present yourself. You also have to accomplish something like winning a pretty big tournament or placing well in a big tournament. Something that gets you noticed. Like I said, I am still learning about these things.
Sarah
There are many great players looking for sponsors and not getting them. The pool industry is a tough industry. It depends on what you think a sponsorship is. If you think sponsorship is money given to you to travel and play in tournaments, there aren't many options. Pool players are not known as the most respectable people. Though things are changing. If you think of sponsorship as products given to you to make your game better, there are many options. You could also look to places that have nothing to do with pool. Maybe your favorite place to eat or a local store. They may not give you much but maybe enough for a tournament entry fee.
I am no expert on these things but I have some ideas. Colin was right when saying that you have to know how to present yourself. You also have to accomplish something like winning a pretty big tournament or placing well in a big tournament. Something that gets you noticed. Like I said, I am still learning about these things.
Sarah
Thanks JMB. I'm glad 1 out of 150 could be good.
Getting sponsored, or failing to, can be a self fullfilling prophesy. The player says to himself that businesses won't sponsor him so he does not present himself in a favorable light, does not prepare a proper curriculum vitea with portfolio, does not approach local businessmen, either in person or in writing, and sure enough years later he says he was right, no one will sponsor me.
You have to promote yourself. Find out what a business would expect from you in order for them to sponsor you and then work to be able to give them what they want.
I would contact the attorneys in my area - what better place than a pool hall for an attorney to get business?
How about Harley Davidson? A bunch of guys, and gals, I know at the pool rooms drive Harleys. Did you see their lastest ad for a sportster for $6995?
Of couse the beer/pop/whiskey dealers.
How about Zippo? Sure are a lot of smokers in pool halls.
You will find that by writing to a company they feel compelled to start a file on you and reply to you. It may just be a cordial refusal but at least now they know you. Then when you win a tournament make sure that you send an article about it to your local paper, again, you will be surprised that they will be happy to print it. Then forward your accomplishments to the company.
Remember your family and friends and their contacts. They can refer you to someone who is willing to sponsor you. As Mayor Daley was known to say if you can't help your family who can you help?
Keep in mind that any business has a budget and in it there is money for advertising which must be spent. And sometimes it is hard to find something to spend it on. Convince them that it is in their best interests to sponsor you.
Oh, and watch a tape of Earl and do the opposite.
Jake
You have to promote yourself. Find out what a business would expect from you in order for them to sponsor you and then work to be able to give them what they want.
I would contact the attorneys in my area - what better place than a pool hall for an attorney to get business?
How about Harley Davidson? A bunch of guys, and gals, I know at the pool rooms drive Harleys. Did you see their lastest ad for a sportster for $6995?
Of couse the beer/pop/whiskey dealers.
How about Zippo? Sure are a lot of smokers in pool halls.
You will find that by writing to a company they feel compelled to start a file on you and reply to you. It may just be a cordial refusal but at least now they know you. Then when you win a tournament make sure that you send an article about it to your local paper, again, you will be surprised that they will be happy to print it. Then forward your accomplishments to the company.
Remember your family and friends and their contacts. They can refer you to someone who is willing to sponsor you. As Mayor Daley was known to say if you can't help your family who can you help?
Keep in mind that any business has a budget and in it there is money for advertising which must be spent. And sometimes it is hard to find something to spend it on. Convince them that it is in their best interests to sponsor you.
Oh, and watch a tape of Earl and do the opposite.
Jake