Be clear about your demographic and your platform. Your platform is your message and your fan base--people who know you or who align themselves with people you know. Your demographic is the market youre after, and you want to have statistics about that market at your fingertips. For example, if your market is women, be aware that they make or influence 85 percent of purchasing decisions, and that they are starting businesses at twice the rate of men. Find out the spending power and purchasing habits of your target market. Research the median income and educational level. Consider the publications your demographic reads. Then ask for media kits from those publications. According to Hollander, media kits will reveal amazing things about your demographic--all provided for free. Dont forget cause-related marketing, either. This is so hot that its scorching. People want to purchase from companies that give back to the community. If you change lives in a positive way, thats cause-related marketing. Sponsors will be eager to come aboard, Hollander says. Have a great sponsor proposal. Without it, dont even bother, Hollander advises. It has to be completely compelling. The person you show that proposal to has to show it to accounting to get approval and a check. You need to connect personally with your champion in the company. In addition, be aware that theres a certain format for how the proposal has to look, Hollander says. It has to have certain language and certain sections. Start with a story. It could be your story, or the story of someone whose life you changed. Whatever you do, tell a story. This will get your proposal to stand out and make an emotional connection. Hollander points out that theres a person in the company you approach whos going to make a decision about sponsoring you. That person has to make an emotional decision to give you the money, she says. Describe what you do. This is your mission statement. It explains why you do what you do. Benefits. You have to have really great benefits for the sponsor youre approaching. Describe your demographics. Create an advisory board. If you dont have experience, surround yourself with people who have experience. Show potential sponsors that you have an A team. Ask for the money. They dont call you to ask how much money you want, Hollander says. A sponsor once said to me, If I dont see a menu of prices, I throw it out. Hollander offers a training class that includes her proposal template, and she personally reviews each students proposal. If you dont have me look over your sponsor proposal, have someone who has done it look it over, she says. Otherwise, youre going to be wasting your time and its going to be an exercise in frustration. Promise deliverables. Dont just promise media coverage. Promise specific media coverage: I will give you media coverage in the hometown business journal. It has a circulation of 60,000 people making more than $100,000 a year. Dont sell yourself short. Ask for $10,000 to $100,000 from each sponsor. I see people asking for $1,000. Thats not going to cut it. Youre dealing with a well-paid person in a corporation. Its not worth their time if youre asking for $500 or $1,000. Hollander also advises asking for a year-long program, not just a single event. Make it a whole year, because then you dont have to keep going to the well. Find the right person to approach in the company. Ask for the marketing department. Thats the best place to start, Hollander says. She noted, however, that in some companies, the appropriate department might be public relations, community affairs, public affairs, supplier diversity or brand management. Whenever possible, Hollander advises, introduce yourself by telephone, not e-mail. This is a relationship business, she says. You have conversations; you dont just e-mail back and forth. Besides, a lot of corporations have good firewalls, and your e-mail may not get through. E-mail once you have the relationship, Hollander says. Try to avoid filling out an online form. Thats a screening device, she says. Its like the black hole on Star Trek where something goes in and never comes out. Be impeccable with your word. When youre courting a sponsor, always do what you say. Sponsors will test you. If you cant get information, tell them why. Always be on time or early for an appointment. Let them know you are a person of integrity. You get one chance to make an impression, and if you burn the bridge, you cant go back. Always follow up. So many people lose deals because they dont follow up, Hollander says. Be brief, be brilliant and be gone. Ask for what you want, but dont take up a lot of a potential sponsors time doing it. You cant help anybody until you help yourself. Until youre financially secure and strong, you cant help all the people you want to help. Corporate sponsorships are a way to make you strong and give you the resources you need, Hollander says. They also add to your credibility. She also advises that you publicize your corporate sponsors on your website to let people know you are playing at a higher level in business.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 21:55:51 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015