I made every mistake on this list. Twice.

For six months I sent hundreds of emails into silence. I was approaching the wrong people, with a deck full of things nobody cared about, asking for money I had not yet proved I was worth. Then I started doing it differently. I found the Investec MD's personal email. I sent a direct, short, specific email. I landed a six-figure deal that funded five years of my career. This checklist is everything I wish someone had given me before I sent those first 500 emails. Built from 15 years of sponsorship experience.