2. Contact local media

The local media can be your best asset when looking for sponsors, so before you even open the yellow pages to look for sponsors, get in touch with your local news paper, radio station and regional magazine.  Radio, and especially newspapers, usually jump at the chance to feature a pretty girl on their front cover or talk show - it's a great way to sell more papers/secure more listeners, especially when last week's front cover was how a local cat got on a bus and travelled 30 miles away before being returned to it's owner a week later (no joke, this was on the front cover a week before I got my first front page of The Bath Chronicle in 2003).  Give them something to talk about - give them a story, or a 'hook' as they call it.  Being a finalist in a pnational pageant is news enough in itself, but your story will grab much more attention if it reads something like: 'Local model Jenny vies for Mrs UK title after securing university spot at Cambridge,' or 'Local model Krista could be the next Miss Bikini after 3 stone weight loss.'  Think of something in your past - whether it be an obstacle you have overcome, a family tale or a big achievement, and use it to get you better press.  Talk to the feautures editor at your local newspaper, or the programme controller at the local radio station.  Gather as many press contacts as you can and do not be affraid of calling them yourself, introducing yourself as follows:  'Hello, my name is Alice and I have just been selected as a national finalist in Miss England which leads to MIss World.  I'm a local girl - I attended (insert appropriate) high school, and worked in the newsagent, i'm just a small town girl buth ave been given this wonderful opportunity to represent my community and raise awareness of my local community and it's businesses.  I'm wondering if you would be interested in running an article on me?'  You can always offer to send in photos and your cv (see above) so they know more about you before they go to press.  If a local paper or tv/radio station is interested, ask them what they can offer you (i.e. is it a small article on page 16 or the front cover?  A small 2 minute interview on the radio or a full half hour chat with the presenter?)  Knowing what the media can offer you gives you a powerful bargaining tool to approach local businesses with.

 

 

 

3. Contact companies

Once you have the local press on your side, the next stage of approaching companies, should be easy.  Firstly, knowing how much press coverage you can secure for your potential sponsors, approach them with these facts to drum up support.  Contact companies you think may be interested and start by opening your local yellopw pages, or sieving through local newspapers to find companies you think would suit your contest and branding.  Companies who advertise in local newspapers are often keen to get local press, which in when your bargaining tool of having already established press contacts comes in handy.  For example, if you local beauty salon is paying £500 a month for a full page advert in the local regional paper, but you only need £300 to enter your contest and can secure them a front page story, they will be very interested in having you into their salon to tell a story, link up with you and get press coverage, which for them will cost less than their advertising.  Approaching them in person is always better - people like to see faces, not just receive phone calls, and you will have much more impact if you walk into a salon and shake the manager's hand than if you call.  When you meet, take along your photos, pageant cv, info of what you can offer them in terms of local press, and share your dream of winning a Pageant with them: Tell them your story, where you come from, what charity and promotional work you have done in the past, and most importantly, why they should sponsor you over someone else.  Include everything you have done which you think they may like to know about you, and include your cv if you have one, photos and press articles if you have them.  Start with something like this: 'Hi. my name's Amanda and I've just met with the features editor at the Bradford Times who wants to run a front page story on me next week for getting through to the national final of Miss Galaxy UK.  However, I need a local company to sponsor me to get to this event and i was wondering if you might be interested in sponsorsing me in exchange for press coverage and maybe me promoting your salon throughout the coming year as Miss Bradfords Galaxy, to try and get your more customers and market you acrss the area?'

 

Once you have had your initial meeting, and if all goes well, make sure you email them a digital copy of your CV, phots and any press releases you gave them at your initial meeting.  Send them over to the companies to support your application for sponsorship which will make them more likely to take you seriously. Make sure that youproof read your letters and e-mails before sending them to show that you are a sharp.2) Be persistent: If one company says no, shake it off and move forwards, keep asking for help until you find that special sponsor that you are looking for. I always say that ‘Every rejection is one step closer to success’3) Ask friends and family to support you:Your family and friends will want you to achieve your dreams. They will support you if they know that you are serious and willing to work hard, and if they do not support you don’t give up, where there is a will there is a way. Perhaps try asking your work colleagues for support you could suggest a collection of a pound each or more. Or you could walk around your local area and do this, you will be surprised at how many people will want to help you and see you succeed.

 

4. Pray and have faith:

Sometimes in life you have to ask God for his help. He knows what you wish for and what you want and if you ask him in faith he will send the right people to help you and he will encourage you to keep going even when you feel that you should give up. Make sure you declare positive things that will encourage and uplift you such a ‘I am sure that a sponsor is coming my way’, ‘I will compete at the live heat coming up and nothing will stop me’, ‘I will achieve success, I am determined to be a star’ etc. Don’t pray and then negate your prayers with negativity and doubt as it just will not work.

 

5. Sponsor yourself:

If you are working or if you have any savings why not invest in yourself by sponsoring yourself to achieve your dream of competing in a Beauty Pageant. There is nothing like putting your money where your mouth is. Imagine how much money it cost Rhianna to travel from Barbados to America without any guarantees that she would make it as a star. She was indeed lucky but maybe it was not luck. Maybe it was down to sheer effort and persistence. Imagine where she would be today if she had not set off to go for her dreams. Staying in your comfort zone is not a good place. Stretch yourself and reach for your dreams today! When you really want something you will get it. So make sure you raise the money for your next pageant that you will be entering as you never know you might just go in and win it!  Noone will ever believe on you or support you and much as you can believe in and support yourself, as yo ucan right now.  So what are you waiting for?  Go for it!

 

6. Look Online

The internet is full of people to contact and ideas for generating pageant sponsorship.

Websites such as: www.sponsorgoal.com, www.tiaratalk.net and www.winningthroughpageantry.com can put you in touch with 1000s of potential sponsors, contestants and companies wanting to get involved in pageants, and you can also download advice and buy books.