10 Steps to Successful Sponsorship Sales
Struggling to secure sponsorship for your event or organization? We hear you, we’ve been there too. When we learned how to properly sell sponsorships everything changed.
Sponsorship sales are about relationships. It takes time to build relationships. Although the steps below are easy on the surface, they will require a commitment from you to do it right. Take the time to research, have an actual telephone call – no email won’t cut it – and get to know your sponsor and how you can help them to be a successful sponsor of your event.
Here are the 10 easy steps we used to secure 7 sponsors for a brand new event. We didn’t have to beg once!
10 Steps to Secure Sponsors
STEP 1
Research the organization before contacting them to make sure that their brand, their target market and their social responsibility commitments align with your organization.
STEP 2
Determine which contact within the organization is the person who makes decisions on sponsorships and partnerships.
STEP 3
Reach out to the contact with a request to learn and understand more about the organization’s target market and social responsibility commitments. This is not a sales call. This is an information gathering call for you and them.
STEP 4
On the call, if this feels like a good fit, request a second call to discuss a project you think would be a good fit for them.
STEP 5
Between those calls, go back to your notes from your information call and prepare some ideas for what kind of sponsorship or partnership would be a good fit for this company. Create some generic notes and thoughts, this is not the time to present a package for them to consider.
STEP 6
During the second call, present the project to the prospect. Explain why you think it is a good fit, using examples from the first call. Then explain how you think they would best fit into this project, what you have to offer that would be mutually beneficial.
STEP 7
Following that second call, the prospect should have given you enough information to build out a sponsorship or partnership proposal that aligns directly with them. If done correctly, the proposal will sell itself because it contains exactly what the prospect told you they are looking for.
STEP 8
Email the proposal to the prospect along with a thank you for their time and the calls. Tell them how excited you are because you know they are the perfect fit for your event or organization. Be sure to also let them know that if the proposal is not exactly right that you are happy to reassess it with them.
STEP 9
You’ve done all the hard work already, this is the easy part. They will love your proposal because you were speaking directly to them and what they need and and want out of this agreement.
STEP 10
Yes, every sponsorship agreement needs a contract. Be clear about what they are to provide you and what you are providing them in return. Provide due dates, image sizes for their logos, etc.
Sponsorships really can sell themselves if you take the time to research, listen and listen some more. Your prospects will tell you exactly how they will say yes if you listen closely enough.
We’ve got lots of great advice on sponsorships and other event topics on our blog. Check it out!
