industry relations 101: how to increase your sponsorship sales

Industry Relations 101 How to Increase Your Sponsorship $$

What is the difference between Philanthropy &

Sponsorship?

Philanthropy

• The practice of performing charitable or benevolent actions to further the work of a non-profit.

• Fundraising, volunteer engagement and strategic alliances to support educational content.

Sponsorship

• Funds for an activity that pays all or part of the cost of the event or initiative and gives sponsor visibility or other considerations.

• Promotional opportunities funding corporate partner programs, exhibit sales, advertising and branding opportunities.

What is Industry Relations?

The difference between transactional and relationship-based sales

Old Way. Easy Way.

• Make a list of anyone you can think of.• Send a prospectus to all of them listing

prices for exhibits, ads, etc.• Hope they will buy and not ask too many

questions.• Sign them up.• Cash the check.

New Way. Better Way.

• Research prospects aligned with your values.

• Develop sponsor packages with your prospectus in mind.

• Talk to potential partners and LISTEN.• Create synergy. Be FLEXIBLE.• Build a mutually SUSTAINABLE.

partnership.

Let’s Get Started

Sponsorship Principle #1It’s all about you

Take inventory

• Know your audience!• What can you monetize?• Is there potential for advertising

revenue? Website? Newsletter? Emails?• Find a pricing model that works.

Build your case

• What do you excel at? Own it!• How can you become a voice and

advocate for your community?• What are your value

propositions?• What is your elevator pitch?

Look at your membership

• Review your membership program.• Who do your board members know?

Who do they work for?• Ask your believers to be

ambassadors.• Can you build a Corporate

Membership category that has ROI?

Sponsorship Principle #2It’s all about them

Research potential prospects

• Be deliberate.• Understand the industries that will

be attracted to your cause.• What are their challenges?• When do they plan their budgets?• What’s in their pipeline or in R&D?

Resources & tools for research

• Social media: LinkedIn; Twitter; Facebook• Set up Google alerts• Set up addictiomatic.com pages and

use hoovers.com, RSS and CRM tools• Engage your volunteers & exploit in-

bound inquiries

Sponsorship Principle #3Build a bridge between

them and you

Build synergy

• Find NEW opportunities with high impact. • Create VALUE for your organization and

supporters. • Offer FLEXIBLE options and various price

points.• Create OPPORTUNITIES for companies of

all sizes.

Let’s review some Dos and Don’ts

DoInvolve everyone in the organization in sponsorship discussions. You never know

where leads and ideas come from.

DoThink outside the box. Replace traditional,

cookie-cutter benefits with tailored opportunities.

DoBuild relationships with key industry partners

by getting them “hooked” on your story.

Don’tForget to cultivate your sponsors. Be in touch

often, even when there isn’t an ask. Send a birthday, New Year’s or 4th of July card.

Don’tForget to compile metrics. They’ll want to know how many eyes were on their ad, their

booth or their logo.

Warning:The space is cluttered with many hands out, so

STAND OUT!

GOOD NEWS!Corporate partners are more interested in

creating meaningful partnerships rather than placing a logo on a lanyard.

GOOD NEWS!There are many opportunities to co-create

meaningful content.

GOOD NEWS!If you have a digital footprint, sponsors are

looking to tap into your audience.