So, how do you get the close on a sponsorship marketing deal? The answer is simple. Listen. Yes, listen!
Recently, I have seen several proposals that were “sure things” go sideways. But when you listen to prospects and build proposals based around what they need in the right budget range, you will succeed. When you think you know what the client needs or are trying to “sell to close a deal,” you will most likely fail. Unless you have gone through discovery after discovery and learned all the information you can, you should not “pitch” a proposal.
Don’t short cut. Don’t write up a proposal after two, let alone one, discovery sessions. Follow up. Clarify what you learned. Learn some more. Get to know in detail what the prospect is seeking. Ensure the budget is right. Then pitch and close.
Some of Canada’s best sponsorship presenters will be taking the stage next month at the Western Sponsorship Congress™. Five of them will present their pitches in the 5 Minute Pitch™ to five of Canada’s most active sponsorship brands. During this part of the Western Sponsorship Congress™, you will experience how to make a pitch successfully in five minutes. You will hear directly from the sponsors how they will each spend their mock $100,000 budgets. On top of this, there will be a panel discussion on doing discovery sessions with three of Canada’s top brands, discussing what they are looking for in a sponsorship deal. Now, that alone is worth the price of admission!
There are 18 other breakout sessions where you can learn more about selling, proposal writing, and what sponsors are looking for. For the brands, there are specific sessions on activation, measuring ROI and leveraging investments, and negotiating. You get all of this, including meals and take-aways for as low as $325 per day for two days. But beyond the budget price, there is a plethora of knowledge and information for both brands and sponsors. If you are a sponsorship industry professional or aspire to be one, this is the one sponsorship event you must attend in 2011. All of the details are at www.sponsorshipcongress.ca.
Like going to the Western Sponsorship Congress™ where you will gather information, be sure to know your prospect inside and out before making a proposal to them. Stop trying to short cut and “get the proposal out the door.”
Do it right or don’t bother wasting your time.
Follow the Western Sponsorship Congress on Twitter with the hashtag #WSCongress.
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