Mike Dias: How to improve your odds of securing that endorsement deal

In his latest Headliner column, pro audio executive Mike Dias breaks down the dos and don'ts to improve your odds of securing an endorsement deal with a manufacturer.

As a manufacturer, I am always being asked to endorse this or to sponsor that — to pay for this and to buy that. And of course, everyone always promises the sun and the moon and that they will deliver unimaginable results. Except that it never really works like that. Never.

So how do I gauge what is real and what is hype? How do I plan for success and what criteria do I use when deciding which initiatives to pursue?

After doing this for more than 20 years and having seen and done it all — with many more misses than hits under my belt — I have some real solid insights to share. 

After having seen literally thousands of pitches over the years, here’s the best advice that I can give to any artist, engineer, company, studio, or creator who wants to engage a manufacturer directly. It all boils down to this: how you make the “ask” matters. I mean, it really, really really matters.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

First things first. I am both elusive and yet super easy to find if you know where to look for me. The same goes for all my peers making these same decisions at their respective companies. 

So if you just send in a random email to the general hotline, that is a giant red flag that you don’t know this game at all. And if you don’t know the rules of engagement, then your odds of delivering something that I need are slim to none. There is a much faster and more effective way to go about it all. 

Do your homework and find me directly because that’s the first filter that I’m going to use and the lens that colors all future interactions. How you find me matters almost as much as how you ask.

There are two paths to take to get in touch with me. PATH #1 — you either have a trusted mutual friend broker the introduction or PATH #2 — we don’t share any readily overlapping friends because we are not on the same level.

I’m a solid mid-level manager guy and you might either be way above me and my peer group or you might just be starting out and we haven’t yet had the chance to work together. Both of these situations occur all the time and both are easily solvable.

PATH #1

If we’re going down PATH #1, if the friend who brokered the connection is already on the ins and has a history of bringing me wins (why would any friend on the ins have a history of bringing me losses?) then the YES is the foregone conclusion. It was a given before it even happened. 

That’s the whole point of playing the favor game. Following this single simple step takes you from an almost certain NO to an almost always YES. Just like that. Though perhaps it's not as simple as it seems.

Because if you blow it and really don’t deliver, you didn’t just prune that future branch and all those future opportunities for yourself, but you nuked them for your friend too. When someone vouches for you, you hold the future of their reputation in your hands. 

You either make them look stellar for making the intro or you help tip their scales into the toxic zone. There’s no real way to call this one. The best advice I can share here is that as people climb through the ranks, their track record speaks for itself. So be that person. Be that person who just always over-delivers at everything and the entire world opens up for you and for everyone you know.

PATH #2

When it comes to PATH #2, if you’re way above me and at the level where you don’t need the intro and you’ve got the goods to just come and ask, then your work and reputation already speak for themselves. And that YES is also a foregone conclusion. 

It is my job and my responsibility to know those that come before me and above me. You know that and I know that, and that’s one of the best parts of this great dance.

If you’re just coming up but you’ve taken the time to do this all properly, you are already eight steps ahead of everyone else. Now just give me a reason to care. Be a human about it and let your personality and intent shine through in that initial email. 

You’d be amazed by how realness and sincerity cut through everything else and make me want to bet on you. And here’s a great tip. Keep the stakes low so that it’s an easy bet to make.

Here are a few other things that I look for when evaluating opportunities:

WHO IS YOUR TARGETED COMMUNITY?

It’s not always about numbers or reach. It’s about impact. Help me understand how you can help me achieve my goals within the communities that I care about.

UPSIDE VERSUS DOWNSIDE

I hinted at this before, but give me an easy way to say yes or at the very least, DON’T make it easy for me to say no. Ridiculous asks are an easy no. 

Especially if we don’t have history together; approach me in a way where there is very little for me to lose and everything for me to gain.

PERSONAL BIAS

What I like absolutely influences my decisions. I am paid to be a tastemaker for the companies that I represent and so I’m the first litmus test. Is your project something that I want to support? Is it creative, fun, engaging, and just all around rad? 

Because even if all the other metrics are not exactly in place, sometimes this point is enough of a driver for a YES. The other ones just make it easy for me to tick the boxes in case I need to justify my decisions to my bosses and finance teams.

If you hit all of these (or even just two of these) you will drastically improve your chances of nailing it. But still, most of it is just performative. It mostly all goes back to your initial ask and to your reputation.

Mike Dias writes and speaks about Why Nobody Likes Networking and What Entertainers Can Teach Executives. He is one of the few global leaders in Trade Show Networking and he helps companies maximize their trade show spend by ensuring that their teams are prepared, ready, and able to create and close opportunities. 

This column will be an ongoing monthly feature because Mike loves talking shop and is honored to give back to the community. If this article was helpful and useful in any way, please reach out anytime at Mike Dias Speaks and let Mike know about what you want to hear more about next time.