15 myths and mistakes of selling sponsorships

15 Myths and

Mistakesof Selling Sponsorships

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15 Myths and

Mistakesof Selling Sponsorships

Dustin GilbertSENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE

SPONSORSHIPS.

AUDIENCE POLL

What is the biggest challenge you face when

selling sponsorships?

Myth #1Sponsorships Just Benefit

Your Association

WHATis a sponsorship?

WHATis a sponsorship to the customer?

WHATis a sponsorship to you?

Myth #2That’s A Wrap!

Your Event is Over & It’s Time To Relax…

FACT: The majority of your sponsorship selling and dollars should come from renewals from the

prior year.

Myth #3If It Worked Last Year, It

Will Work Again Next Year

THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH

Meet Joe Joe is the owner of Joe’s

Plumbing and Water Damage Repair

Sponsorship Package Options:

1. Gold, Silver or Bronze Sponsorship OR

2. “DRAIN IT” Sponsorship

Get Creative With Your Sponsorship Real Estate

Myth #4Category Exclusivity Does

Not Add Value To Your Sponsorship Packages

Category Exclusivity

Giving the right to one organization within any given industry, product or service

category exclusive sponsorship rights

Myth #5The More Sponsors, The

Better

How Many Sponsors Is Ideal?

It’s simple – there is no right answer. The number of sponsors that you have is

dependent upon the:– Event– Anticipated attendance– Type and quality of attendees– Promotional and marketing efforts utilized

Logo Soup

Myth #6Cash Is King

In-Kind Donations

Noncash contributions and/or contributed services Example: A supermarket or local grocer donates a food for your

event

Remember to steer clear of “logo soup”

Myth #7Accounting For In-Kind

Donations Is The Same As Accounting For Cash

Nonprofit Accounting Basics

There are specific to account for in-kind donations

Be smart and know the accounting guidelines that you need to follow to properly account for these donations on your financial statements

Myth #8The Deeper The Pocket, The Better The Sponsor

Who Should You Be Selling To?

Qualifying Potential Sponsors

Research and qualify potential sponsors Ask: Is this sponsorship the right fit? Understand potential sponsors’ marketing

objectives and leverage them with your organization’s marketing

Myth #9Fundraising & Sponsorships

Are One In The Same

AUDIENCE POLL

Do you currently bundle multiple event

sponsorships into one sponsorship package?

Myth #10Discounting Sponsorships

Should Be Avoided To Maximize Revenue

Bundle, Bundle, Bundle!

Give sponsors the option to bundle their sponsorship and marketing dollars over multiple events

Myth #11Spell Check Catches All

Errors

The Proposal

Tailor sponsorship proposals based on the sponsorship package

Be specific and ensure that all sponsorship details are explicitly outlined

Always have someone proofread the final proposal before submission

Myth #12You Set the Value Of Your

Sponsorships

Pricing Your Sponsorships

Be realistic - your sponsorship is only as valuable as potential sponsor’s perceive it to be

Communicate value Don’t over promise and under deliver Always remember sponsorship sales are all about

yearly renewals

Myth #13Your Event Attendees Want

To Interact With Your Sponsors

ENGAGEMENT.

Myth #14New Customer Acquisition

Is the Only Metric Your Sponsor Cares About

Sugar Coat Statistics

Make your sponsors feel GREAT about their sponsorship – Share stats to pump up the value

of your sponsorship (ex. social media metrics)

– Understand your sponsors’ goals– Remember, savvy sponsorship

buyers care about SALES

AUDIENCE POLL

Do you provide your top tier sponsors with

performance metrics after your event?

Myth #15You Thought Your Event Was A Huge Success, So Your Sponsors Feel The

Same

The Fulfillment

Report

Thank you!WebLink International, Inc.

1-877-231-4970 

www.weblinkinternational.commarketing@weblinkinternational.com