Five key steps to organise your approach


 DEFINE YOUR PROJECT

Prior to undertaking an active search, you have to clearly define your project. Answering the following questions will help you outline your project:

• Why take part in the Dakar ?
• What are my motivations ?
• What are my objectives ?
• What assets do I possess to achieve these objectives ?
• What type of team do I want to form ?
• What resources have to be implemented to succeed ?

 MAKE A BUDGET

The preceding step helped you define the size of your project.
Now, you have to itemise the various costs involved in order to have a clear idea of your expenses.
After this step, you should have answered the four following questions:

• What is my budget ?
• How should I present it to my potential partners / sponsors ?
• What are my own available financial assets ?
• What amount am I looking for from my potential sponsors ?

 LIST YOUR POTENTIAL PARTNERS/SPONSORS

Your potential sponsors have to be targeted. Look more at your own personal, professional and regional contacts and relationships than at the “big sponsors” who will be less inclined to support you.
Draw up a list of your potential partners, and characterise them as follows:

• What is their line of business ?
• Why would they be likely to help me ?
• What arguments do I need to specifically put forward ?
• What are their available financial resources ?
• Which companies should I go see first ?

 BUILD YOUR ARGUMENTS

“Don’t misjudge your target, nor the content of your speech”

There is no point in communicating on your potential sports performances if you are attempting your first Dakar race! The objective here is to succeed in finishing, but not necessarily placing! Assess the content of your pitch accordingly, and in particular your media coverage. Amateurs get spot articles, they are more often present in local and regional media. But don’t promise that you’ll be headlines on the national news, nor make the front page of the sports daily!


 PREPARE A DOSSIER THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU

For this purpose, prepare a personalised document to describe your project. This presentation has to be clear, persuasive, succinct and lively. It has to inspire your listener and convince him of your personal qualities.

You have to put forward your specificities, your motivations:

• What is original about your candidacy ?
• Why are you such a mechanical sports enthusiast and by rally-raid in particular ?
• What experience do you have in the field ?

Think about presenting your athletic profile
Look at the statistics in the brochure on the 2005 Dakar competitors. Place yourself in the rally, in terms of age, vehicle category, number of participations, status (professional or amateur).

Emphasise your nationality and your region!
Identify all the potential media payoff – the media statistics in the brochure can help you identify the payoff for the press, the radio and even the TV in your region.
These regional media are often on the lookout for anecdotes about the amateur competitors. Don’t hesitate to contact them to propose an interview. This can only enhance your cause with your potential sponsors!

Present the arguments which justify sponsorship

• Diffuse a good image of the company to the outside world at the local, regional and national level, thanks to the media results. The name of the company (and/or one of its brands) is associated with your participation and with the adventure of the rally.
• Change or reinforce the image of the company, in-house. To communicate on the primary values of the company, the directors can use sponsorship of a major event such as the Dakar to motivate employees and/or associate the company with the values of courage, efforts, competition, human adventure, Africa … which characterise the Dakar.
• Build a good relationship with your suppliers/clients. Sponsorship can be a good way for one of your suppliers/clients to weave strong connections prior to or following agreement on a partnership.
• Enable your sponsors to participate indirectly in the adventure. The Dakar is a legendary event in which all the people who love Africa, mechanical sports, extreme sports and other aspects would like to take part one day … These enthusiasts are potential sponsors who can be tempted to help you in this challenge in return for the ability to experience the event, indirectly.
• The partner firm can benefit from tax deductions. According to countries, sponsoring can be used to be eligible for tax deductions. Prepare information on the legislation in your country in order to inform the potential sponsor of the tax deductions he may be eligible for.

Clearly present what they get in exchange for financial or in-kind support

• Visibility for their brand / their firm on your vehicle, your clothing, your helmet, your trunk, your assistance vehicles…
• A trip that can take place on the off day or at arrival time. For the most generous sponsors, a day on the rally is a weighty argument in favour or sponsorship, for those who want to taste the atmosphere at Dakar!
• Organisation of events: such as exhibition of the vehicle before and/or after the rally, a photo exhibit…

Finally, and don’t forget…

• To keep your sponsors updated on your exploits during / after the rally.
• To give them a video tape, articles on Dakar, or a detailed press book of the best photos, to thank them.

So… what are you waiting for! Get started on getting the adventure underway!