marketing – how to attract sponsors gordon bleil, mba patricia bleil, ph.d
TRANSCRIPT
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Introduction
• Gordon Bleil, MBA, Author
• Patricia Bleil, Ph.D.
• Over 50 years of selling/marketing experience
• Graduate level teaching experience• Collegeville Rotary Club
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Fundraising – A Selling Situation
• An exchange proposition– Money in exchange for goods or services– Wages in exchange for work or labor
• Fundraising – Money or “in kind” donation for intrinsic
benefit– Money or “in kind” for advertising
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
7 Realities of Fundraising/Selling
1. Fundraising is a selling process2. People hate selling3. Nobody likes to give $$$4. Nobody like to ask for $$$5. Businesses are constantly asked to
support programs and events6. They can’t support everything7. People hate to be pressured
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Fundraising Scenarios
1. Asking a business for money/a donation– Locally managed– Distantly managed
2. Asking an individual for money/a donation– Friends– Strangers
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Fundraising Scenarios
1. Asking a business for money/a donation– Locally managed– Distantly managed
2. Asking an individual for money/a donation– Friends– Strangers
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Two Situations with Different Approaches
• Seeking donations for a project or cause– No tangible exchange– Donor is supporting the cause for personal
reasons, the exchange is intrinsic– May be monetary or product/service
donation
• Selling advertising – Exchange of $ for exposure to potential
customers
• Some situations may combine both
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Five Parts to Successful Fundraising
1. Planning2. Prospecting3. Qualifying4. Selling5. Follow-up
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Planning
• If You Don’t Have a Plan Stay in the Car
• Elements of a Good Plan– Who are you going to see?– What are you going to do?– When are you going to do it?– Plans for prospecting and selling– Write it down and review
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Contact ReportCONTACT REPORT
Rotarian's Name
Company/Individual
Contact(s)
Address
Telephone Brief description of company
Date Result Follow-up
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Prospecting – What Makes a Good Prospect?
• Businesses or organizations that are– Connected to your community – Invest in your community – Support local non-profits and charitable
concerns– Are locally managed, or have local decision
makers– Are interested in reaching Rotary members– Are interested in reaching the type of
people you will attract to your event
• 90% of success starts with a good prospect
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Where to Find Prospects
• Start with your club members– Their own business or organizations
• Places you do business (restaurants, hardware store, hair/nail salon, stationary supplies, printers, fitness club, etc.)
• Business or organizations that someone in your club or someone you know has a contact
• Past sponsors, advertisers or donors• Local Chamber of Commerce• Walk up and down the street
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Qualifying the Prospect
• Be CURIOUS
• Ask QUESTIONS that1. The prospect knows the answer to2. Is not threatening or intimidating3. Gives you useful information
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Qualifying the Prospect
“Hello, I am from Rotary – a local service organization that you may have heard about. Frankly I do not know much if anything about your business and I am interested in learning more about you. Tell me, does your company support any local charities?”
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
If They Say “Yes”
“How do you go about selecting from among the many requests that you get?”
LISTEN
“When would it be convenient for you for me to come back and tell you about some of the things we are doing?”
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Selling
• After you have identified a prospect, and you have qualified them (they support local charitable concerns, and have local management)
• Your job is to answer for them the question
What will it do for me?
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
What Will it do for Me?
• Charitable concern– Describe the need in the community– Describe the impact to the community,
possibly the business– Describe what the project will do for the
community
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Project Support, Charitable Giving
Relate the “cause” for which we are raising money to the prospect’s area of interest
“Rotary is raising money by holding a golf tournament. The money we raise will be used for overhauling the rundown fire station. And let’s face it, we all want and need a modern state-of-the-art fire department. Can we count on you?”
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
What Will it do for Me?
• Advertising– Describe the Rotary members, ie
demographics– Describe the people who will attend the
event– Describe how the business/organization’s
message will be conveyed• Sign or banner at event, Ad in the program,
display table, advertising material in gift bags to participants, other
• The business owner/manager will make their decision on the impact the advertising opportunity will have for them
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
AdvertisingEvery business wants and needs customers. Sometimes Rotary presents those businesses with the unique opportunity to reach it’s members, friends and supporters with the prospect’s sales message
“Rotary is having its annual pancake breakfast. This is an opportunity to get your name in front of a mob of folks on an ad on our placemat – even if you don’t eat pancakes. And by the way, all proceeds go to the Food Pantry.”
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Pair the Need with the Opportunity
• Example: You are holding a pancake breakfast in Collegeville
• Is the Harleysville Ace Hardware a good prospect?
• What about the True Value Hardware in Collegeville?
• How about Lowes?
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Things to Avoid
• Peak business time– Their first priority is their customers and
their business, not you– Show them you understand this and
respect them– They will be more likely to talk with you in
the future– Ask when to come back, then do so!
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Selling is a Long Term Process
• Very few people commit on the first call• Build a relationship• Have a year-long strategy for your club• Avoid continually going back to ask for
more– Ad for the pancake breakfast– Tee-shirt sponsor for the 5K– Support for the annual dinner– Monetary donation for the new park– Gift certificate for the raffle
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Suggested Plan
• Develop a calendar of all Rotary fundraising events: Pancake Breakfast, Golf, 5K, whatever your club does
• Develop a plan for visiting each prospect business
• Begin building relationships with businesses in your community
• “Ask” for a total commitment, ask once, not 4 times
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Follow Up
• Never forget to say “Thank You”!• Give the sponsor a recap of the event– How many people came? How much
money did you raise?
• Let them know the impact they had– $1000 will be given to the food pantry– 100 children will be able to have books for
the summer reading program– A village in Africa will now have clean
drinking water
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
You must believe in what you are selling!
Conviction Passion CommitmentEnthusiasm Fervor
Your attitude is contagiousYour prospect can feel it
Without it, your chance of success is near zero
G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Thank Youand
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