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Portfolio or Resume?
Why should you have a resume or portfolio? While resumes come in a variety of formats, these formats are not really capable of illustrating your accomplishments, goals, community service, tournament results, and other unique qualifications. On the other hand, your personalized, multi-page, angler portfolio can elaborate on specific qualifications you have pertaining to that sponsorship.
A portfolio is not used just for a job application, but an invaluable tool for conversation between the angler and prospective sponsor.
Inside Your Portfolio
Inside your portfolio you should have an inserted cover letter, along with a page for each of the following headings:
The objective page will list the following indented in the center of the upper top hand of the page: name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and web site address. Following that heading, the objective page should go into detail about what you are going to do specifically for that sponsor to increase sales for their company, how your personality matches that specific company, and explain your expectations for the up coming tournament year.
An angler’s biography page should include how long they have been fishing; this may include their guide service and length of time operating it. Along with information regarding memberships in bass clubs and offices held.
A media exposure page should include all of the recent coverage on the internet, newspapers, radio, and in magazines about you. All of the pages may have 2 or 3 photos but this page should be lambasted with newspaper, magazine, and internet clippings about you with quotes highlighted, photos taken of you at fishing tournaments or other promotional events, and other press related coverage. Also, include a list of outdoor writers that you work with for news releases or articles in newspapers, magazines, or web sites.
The promotional exposure page will list events such as boat shows, youth seminars, and other events that show you promoting the sport of fishing and existing sponsors.
A community involvement page will have any events that show your interaction with youth groups, environment groups like Stream Clean Team, or Habitat resurrections projects.
Next should be a current tournament schedule page. Last a sponsor page that list all of your current sponsors with correct e-mail addresses and contact information.
Cover Letter
For the majority of portfolios, the make or break point may come down to the cover letter. A cover letter should accompany your portfolio, even if your portfolio is e-mailed to a prospective sponsor. A standard opening sentence angers can use is:
“I am writing to apply for sponsorship in “company name”, and then continue with who referred you or where the sponsorship position was posted. The cover letter should be composed of three paragraphs.
• Paragraph 1, you should inform the sponsor exactly what level of sponsorship you are seeking. Be specific on what you are expecting to receive as part of the sponsorship.
• Paragraph 2, the angler should list specific talents and skills that pertain to marketing that company’s product. It’s important that the angler demonstrates they understand what the sponsorship business is and how that angler’s personality matches that business. An angler should give examples and be specific when explaining why.
• Paragraph 3, the angler should tell the sponsor they would like the opportunity to meet with them, explain any action you are going to take such as a phone call to follow up. Also, clarify if you would be willing to travel to meet them, refer the sponsor to your portfolio, and requested them to contact you for any further questions at your phone number or e-mail address.
To end the cover letter, skip a line and type a single sentence, “Thank you for taking time to consider me for sponsorship”. End with sincerely, leave enough space to write your name, and type you name below. The cover letter should be placed into a sleeve behind the front of the portfolio and customized for each prospective sponsor; although, the remaining pages can stay the same.
Remember, a cover letter that resembles a fill in the blank form does not excite prospective sponsors. Sponsors want to know an angler is genuinely interested in their company and not just getting free product or money. Anglers should have their portfolios available for sponsors by internet or binders to mail out depending on what they stipulate.
The price range can be 6 to 12 dollars for a printed copy, not including design cost but well worth it to give prospective sponsors a professional image of you. Some additional cost could occur if an angler wants to make yearly changes, update important events, tournament wins, or detail certain information for specific sponsors.
Exclusive Insider Knowledge
Knowing what to have included in your portfolio can be as important, as to when you should send one, and how committed you are to that product. Gayle Julian, owner of Jewel Bait Company explains, “Anglers should wait to send a portfolio until they are able to fully commit themselves and the time to promote our products; along with following up with sending a quarter report that explains: what they have done to promote our products, the key is to communicate and follow up with the sponsors.”
When Julian first receives a portfolio from an angler, he looks at how passionate they have been working to promote Jewel Baits, not only as a fisherman but at seminars and other events; next, how well they can articulate that message to other anglers, for example; do they know the correct product color, can they explain to the press how they were able to catch their fish on a Jewel product. Julian also checks to see how long they have been fishing and endorsing Jewel Baits. Having seen numerous portfolios over the years, the biggest mistake or turn off Julian said is, “An angler who brags about their accomplishments and leaves out how they are going to promote my product, or the angler starts out with what you need to give them and they will do this in return.”
Another Sponsorship Tool
Another valuable sponsorship tool besides a portfolio is a web site. A properly done web site will give prospective sponsors a professional image of you. Web sites are great ways of communicating with potential sponsors 24 hours a day, every day. Your web site design can be done by you, if you have the basic fundamental computer skills or by employing a professional web designer.
Hiring a professional web designer will insure your web site to have a professional appearance. Although, a cheaper alternative is anglers can purchase a program at large retail stores, computer stores, or the hosting provider may provide a fill in the blank program. Unfortunately, many of these web sites turn out poorly and have a run of the mill appearance. The money you save doing it yourself is outweighed by the appearance your web site will have being prepared by a proficient web designer.
The other option is to hire a complete web development company. These companies can assist anglers for selecting a domain name, designing a customized web site, resolving and assisting with working out any problems with the web site, and managing your e-mail account; all this can be done by one company. The real benefit is you can select a complete web development company with experience designing a web site for professional anglers. This intimate knowledge of the fishing industries will prove beneficial when selecting a theme or focus for your web site.
Web Site Development
Kathy Barker, an expert on internet web sites and co-owner of ProBass Networks Inc., has designed numerous web sites for anglers over the years. Barker offers this advice when anglers look to set up a new web site. “The majority of anglers have a rough idea of how they want their web site to look, if they do not, its best for them to check out other web sites professional anglers and see what they like and do not like about the other sites,” Barker continued, “Remember this, just because you see a feature used many times over on various web sites, does not mean that it is the right thing to include in your web site; anglers are always trying to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack, so the choice of layout and content they include in their web site should not be any different.” “At ProBass Network, we discuss the content of the proposed angler’s web site, then send an angler a scope of work or cost estimate,” Barker went on to explain, “it will include the initial web site build cost, hosting fees associated with maintaining a web site, and any other fees.”
Once all the paper works out of the way, Barker will begin the process of putting it all together; gathering photos, videos, and other pertinent information sent to her by the angler to complete the web site. Depending on what the angler wants to convey, Barker will design the web site around that theme. Barker also cautioned anglers when hiring a complete web development company or web designer, “It’s critical in any contract for services, anglers should get in writing what the hosting company or web development company expects from you as a client and what you should expect from them.”
Powerful Tools
While an angler’s portfolio and web site may be two completely different entities; together, they are they are two very powerful tools of the trade for anglers in search of potential endemic or non-endemic sponsors. Once the sponsorship is acquired, they may also prove to be the key to sustaining it.
www.probassnetworks.net
www.jewelbait.com
Unfortunately, non-endemic and endemic sponsorship funds continue to shrink as the cost of fishing tournaments goes up. For anglers competing for those sponsorship dollars, it’s imperative to make a professional impression on prospective sponsors. No matter what company you are pursuing a sponsorship with, you must have tools. The tools you use to communicate your unique skills and talents can either open doors or close them.
For anglers, the tools to land fish includes: rods, reels, line, and lures; however, to land sponsors, they must have a portfolio and web site in today’s technological age. Although parts of each one may over lap, both are required to give a professional impression. No longer can anglers just fax in or mail a single page document that lists your tournament wins, type of boat and motor, promotional events, other sponsors, and a reason
