What mistakes do athletes make when approaching sponsors?

Common mistakes include: pitching brands without any referral or relationship, immediately asking for money without building rapport first, approaching brands whose products they don't actually use, not understanding the brand's values before reaching out, providing content without proper rights clearance, and not being authentic to who they really are. Athletes also err by focusing only on what they want (money, product) rather than what they can do for the brand. Coming in with a generic pitch email or asking for exposure without specifics is also ineffective.