One way to raise the funds to climb a mountain is to get sponsored by kind people who would like to help you. However, unless you’re a famous sports personality, it’s highly unlikely you’re going to have people throwing their hard earned cash at you. This means you’re going to have to go out and earn your sponsorship funds – and it isn’t easy! Many people are able to complete their lifes dream by getting sponsors; without them, there would be a lot less successful mountaineers. Beware though: not all sponsorship arrangements are equal. You need to try to build a good arrangement, as a bad arrangement can be a painful experience.
- Get Sponsored to Climb EverestUnitopia / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
Let us go through it with you step by step, so that you can realise your dream of climbing Everest once and for all:
Know There’s a Difference Between Sponsorship and Donations
There is a big difference between sponsorship and donations, a difference that many don’t even realise. A sponsorship should be considered an arrangement between two parties, where a donation is a gift from a donor without the expectation of anything from you in return. You’ll usually get donations on charitable grounds, e.g, a friend supporting you. However, you’ll need to give value to a company if you’re expecting a sponsor.
Cash Should be Your Main Priority
You can get sponsorship in the form of a product, service, or cash. However, cash should be your main priority when it comes to sponsorships. Unfortunately, cash is the hardest to get your hands on!
The Less Sponsors the Better
It’s much better to have one sponsor for a large sum of money than multiple sponsors for the same some of money combined. You’ll only have a limited amount of time to commit to sponsorship deals and give the value to your sponsors that you promised at the start. Be careful that you don’t overcommit yourself. By working with a couple of sponsors, you can commit fully and provide them with what they expect, all the while concentrating on your Everest base camp trek.
Treat The Whole Thing Like a Business
You should treat your sponsorship as a business. By that, we mean you should always act like a professional business person – dress appropriately for meetings, and make sure you turn up on time. Turning up late can cost you a deal!
Focus on The Value You’ll Be Giving Them
This sponsorship isn’t about you, it’s about the value you’ll be giving to that company – to them anyway! This means you’re going to have to communicate with them clearly about the value you’ll be giving them. Some companies want more media exposure, others want to raise their public profile.
Be Patient
Finding sponsors will take time, so it’s important that you remain as patient as possible. You’ll get numerous rejections, so you’ll need to remain thick skinned in order to continue. You might have to speak to 50 companies before landing 1 deal! Give yourself a goal to contact at least 1 new company each day and try to make an appointment with a decision maker. It’ll take time, but you can do it if you put your mind to it!