[spencer28n]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

Agree with the above poster, only try to go during the weekday.

I found it effective to say, (to the receptionist) "Hi, I am from (high school name)'s robotics team, and was wondering if I could talk to someone about a potential sponsorship."

Most likely you WON'T talk to them the same day. But you might be able to set up an appointment for next week.

Make sure you have a letter you can leave with them, with some basic info about YOUR team, and LIGHTLY (I mean VERY lightly, maybe half a sentence) describe FIRST, and skim over your previous awards/recognitions, local newspaper things, etc. Make sure you leave a phone number, name, and email address!

+1

You should focus on building relationships with the business owners in your neighborhood instead of cash handouts. Maybe try to attend or participate in one of the local community business meetings if they have them. Also try to get someone else to come with you. And of course wear a team shirt and look sharp.

Hope that helps.
-spencer