Step 3: “Sell Everything Out to the Wallpaper”
My days in radio ad sales taught me this valuable lesson. Put a price and a name on everything and get it sold! We had a sponsor for the station’s prize van. We had sponsors for every contest. News… weather… traffic? Sponsor… sponsor… sponsor. Same goes for wrestling. Whether a local or national promotion, sell everything. “This match brought to you by Napkins… America’s Favorite Way to wipe its face!” Who cares? Get it sold!
And if you can’t “sell” it? Give it away! For the time being, of course, to a friend’s business or a non-profit agency. Then, go stick a camera in the face of that friend or non-profit and have them say how great it was for them to advertise with you. Put five of those “video testimonials” together on a DVD and press “play”. Guaranteed sale every time.
Live events should have sponsors for every match read by the ring announcer and programs should be filled with advertisers and given away. Banner ads are expensive on the ring skirt unless you partner with the printing company, which you can by giving him comp ads. The more “real estate” you have to sell, the more you can use as barter to get things for free that can be turned around and sold.
Off the subject for a second… If I got into government, I would sell sponsorships of major highways to raise funds for highway improvement. For example, instead of driving on 95, you could drive on the “Geico Expressway and head south until you merge onto the “Dunkin Donuts Turnpike”. What would that exposure be worth for companies?
Ad rates, attendance numbers, testimonials… all have to be written down. How can we duplicate what isn’t written down?
