How to be Successful at
Sponsorship Sales

8-1/2" x 11", soft cover, 235 pages, Allen Consulting, Inc., $50. Table of Contents Read the Introduction Order Now

If your downtown isn’t aggressively seeking and working with event sponsors, you’re missing an important revenue stream for your event, your organization, and your community.

To help you get the sponsors you need, the Downtown Research & Development Center is pleased to present How to be Successful at Sponsorship Sales. This comprehensive collection of articles provides everything you and your downtown need to know to get your share of the available sponsorship dollars — from local, regional, and national sources.

The articles will guide you through the following six steps in developing and implementing your sponsorship program:

1. Taking inventory of your event and what you have to sell.
2. Determining the various levels of participation you will offer.
3. Researching and qualifying potential sponsors.
4. Developing your marketing program and materials.
5. Soliciting sponsors.
6. Working with your sponsors before, during, and after the event to ensure continued participation.

The techniques provided in How to be Successful at Sponsorship Sales have been used in communities of as few as 1,500 people and for events that attract millions — they can work for your downtown, too.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started

• 12 steps to sponsorship success
• Factors affecting sponsorship decisions
• Where to place sponsorship dollars
• Where to find sponsorship dollars
• How to start evaluating your property
• Sponsorship sales fact sheet
• Barter as part of the sponsorship mix
• The annual report ... a powerful sales tool
• Proposal writing/proposal assessment
• How to value your event components
• Understanding the sponsor’s review process

2. Sponsorship Partners

• Without media, your sponsorship package lacks strength
• What television looks for in a sponsorship partner
• What radio wants in a sponsorship
• Why a retail partner
• Partnering with your local cable company
• Billboards as part of your sponsorship program
• Partnering with your local newspaper

3. Know thy Sponsor

• Hospitality: The silent benefit
• Using sponsorship for business-to-business purposes
• How to get the most value from your sponsorship
• Sponsor selection criteria
• What sponsors don’t want to hear
• Why sponsors renew/buy
• Sponsors want a return on their investment

4. Making the Call/Getting the Business

• Effective sponsorship presentations
• How to write a sponsorship letter that gets response
• Five minutes is all you’ve got: How to make sure your prospect understands your sponsorship
• Integration: The key to successful sponsorship
• 19 promotion ideas

5. Renewals

• Managing sponsorship onsite for guaranteed results
• Measuring and reporting results
• Developing the post-event report

6. Nonprofits/Cause Related Marketing

• Evaluating cause marketing: A strategic approach exists
• Enhancing your event participation
• How to research funders on the Internet
• Sponsorship and fund raising: What’s the difference?
• How to work with corporations: Marketing vs. philanthropic donations

7. Selling Strategies and Techniques

• Common problems of sponsorship sales
• Getting the sponsor to commit means taking a look at the alternatives
• Make your sponsorship a “win-win” by asking the right questions
• Selling sponsorships made easy
• Strategic selling: How to be more effective
• What are the shared qualities of top sellers?
• 12 reasons why salespeople don’t succeed
• Six negotiation strategies
• Negotiating successfully by phone
• How to add value to every sales call
• Understanding objections
• 10 steps to closing every sale

8. Legal Aspects of Sponsorships

• Why a contract?
• Understanding the concepts of contracts
• How to draft a contract
• Sponsorship contract checklist
• Signatures: How to sign a document properly
• Option to renew vs. right of first refusal: Understanding the difference
• Keep your ideas safe
• Trademarks
• Risk management: Minimizing the liability
• Ensure your corporate sponsorship income is exempt from income tax

Sample Fact Sheet

Sample Post-Event Report

Sample Contract

Sample Anatomy of an Event and Timeline

Your Guarantee of Satisfaction

How to be Successful at Sponsorship Sales is guaranteed. If you are not 100% satisfied, you may return it within 30 days for a full refund.

About the Author

Sylvia Allen heads Allen Consulting, a special events marketing organization. Sylvia has developed marketing, public relations, and sponsorship programs for a wide range of clients including Garden State Arts Center, San Gennaro Festival, and several downtown improvement associations.

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