What should I understand about a company before reaching out for sponsorship?

Before contacting any company, you must know: 1) What business they're in and their top five products, 2) Who their customer is and what that customer considers valuable, 3) Their distribution channel (direct to consumer, through retailers, or through distributors), 4) How their target demographic consumes media (older audiences on Facebook, younger on TikTok, etc.), and 5) The specific product differences (like Optima's different colored battery tops). If you can't answer these questions, you're not ready to make the call. This knowledge allows you to position yourself as an extension of their marketing and sales efforts rather than just asking for money.