Today, in part 2, we’re going to look at how to deliver exceptional value in your sponsorship proposal by illustrating why your program is the very best marketing option for a potential sponsor.
The key areas we’ll explore…
It can be expensive if you get someone else to do it so you’ve decided to have a crack at developing your own sponsorship proposal.
This may seem a little daunting to start with but trust me when I say that you can do it, and you can do it cost effectively if you’ve got the right tools to get the job done.
The first step is to go and read 10 essential steps to create a winning sponsorship proposal. This hugely popular article provides a step-by-step guide to developing a sponsorship proposal.
Now that you know what to do, it’s time to look at 4 tools you need to create your own successful sponsorship proposal on a budget.
It’s becoming depressing, and you’re starting to get upset, angry even, that no one can see your potential.
Don’t stress; you’re not alone. It’s the dilemma of many sponsorship seekers.
If this is happening to you, then it’s time to stop, re-group, and have a serious think about your approach to sponsorship.
The reasons why you’re not getting sponsored can be summarised in three simple words: Who, what, and why.
When you come into contact with a potential sponsor, they’re going to ask themselves these questions:
As a sponsorship seeker, it’s your job to provide the answers to these 3 questions in a way that makes you and your opportunity the logical choice.
Let’s look at each of these questions in detail and discuss ways to improve your answers and get sponsored.
I need money to get my event off the ground or fund this movie idea. I want to provide additional services to my local community or I want someone to help pay the bills on my race car.
You know what I mean…
It’s this “what’s in it for me” attitude that could be holding you back from developing a successful relationship with a sponsor. I want you to turn this attitude around and think about what’s in it for the sponsor, what can you provide that will improve their business?
So I want you to put yourself in the shoes of a sponsor’s marketing manager. What would you want to see in a perfect sponsorship proposal and what would your expectations be?
Looking at a sponsorship proposal from a marketing manager’s perspective there are 3 main criteria:
Here’s part 2 of my interview with Frank Pudarich, owner of bespoke automotive marketing company Octane Garage.
In part 1 of the interview we covered:
Kym: There’s different types of businesses that use sponsorships for different types of reasons. For example if you were a manufacturer and distributor of batteries and battery-related products, what would your major objectives be, or what equates to a return on investment for you? Is it purely about more units being sold or are there other factors?
Frank: There’s other factors. It’s similar to when I was working in car care, most automotive industries are the same, they’re very similar in their customer base and their areas of distribution; so you’d have the automotive service and retail chains, and you’ve got the individual workshops, and you may have wholesalers.
To recap, here’s a list of the areas that needed attention before approaching potential sponsors with an updated proposal:
So I’ve created a new sponsorship proposal based on what I’ve learnt previously. The aim is to address the issues above and provide a framework for future proposal development.
Frank has a long history in the automotive industry, from managing Frank’s Paint and Panel, a hugely successful business which specialised in custom car restorations to consulting with Turtle Wax to build their brand in Australia. While working at Frank’s Paint and Panel, Frank graduated from university with a marketing degree and is also a licensed tradesman.
One of Frank’s roles as a marketing consultant is to review sponsorship proposals and determine how they could work with a businesses marketing programs. Having also been on the other side of the table, preparing sponsorship proposals for his own businesses, Frank is uniquely positioned to give us some great insights into the sponsorship process.
It’s time; time to find and research sponsors, time to prepare sponsorship proposals and time to create unique marketing opportunities.
As a sponsorship seeker you can spend a heap of time finding and researching potential sponsors, creating spreadsheets, recording contact details and analysing the data.
I know from personal experience that sponsorship research can take days and days of your time. Research is a necessary step in the process of preparing and delivering targeted sponsorship proposals that have the best chance of success.
So what are the alternatives? Can we save time and reach better qualified leads?
Truth be told, I’m not really a fan of the term guru but in this case it’s an accurate description, Julian truly is “Australia’s no.1 nonprofit sponsorship specialist”.
A few months ago I was fortunate enough to attend one of Julian’s sponsorship breakfasts (organised by Strategic Membership Solutions, the consulting services company Julian and Belinda Moore own and operate), where I was able to corner him for a few minutes and fire off questions in rapid succession (something I’m known for).
I was even able to sneak my sponsorship proposal into the conversation. Julian obliged by flicking though it and pointing out a number areas that needed work and some thoughtful tips.
Long story short, it failed to get a response. Not because I didn’t put in the effort. But because I was selective in my approach and didn’t follow through on some of the fundamental aspects what goes into a successful sponsorship proposal.
Since then I’ve put together Practical Sponsorship Ideas to help me (and you) learn about how to get sponsored.
Part of that journey is to look back at what worked and what didn’t with my first sponsorship proposal. I blazed away assuming what a sponsor would want without ever asking, building rapport (to get to know, like and trust you) and doing the detailed research.
I hope you can learn from my mistakes and save yourself some time and effort when creating your sponsorship proposals.
The Perfect Sponsorship Pitch is a step-by-step process, designed to bypass the gatekeepers and get your sponsor’s attention.
