Dan Sullivan, published author and coach to many successful entrepreneurs, wrote “To be successful, you just have to do three things.” Huffington Post financial columnist Don McKay recently wrote about his thoughts on Mr. Sullivan’s approach. I liked what he said and thought I would do the same. I believe these three things apply to the people who work in the sponsorship industry as well. They are:
- Be on time.
- Finish what you start.
- Say “please” and “thank you.”
My mother taught me the last one. When you want something, saying “please” is courteous and appreciated-as is saying “thank you” when you get it. Too often, I see both properties and brands forgetting this-especially the “thank you.” And it is a two-way street. Properties need to acknowledge the investment made by a sponsor. A handwritten note (who does those anymore?) is key. No, not an email thank you, though that is acceptable, but a handwritten note sent by snail mail! Each year, I probably receive four to five handwritten thank you notes-kudos to those people who still do this. About 20% don’t even acknowledge the support, time, or opportunity I have provided them. The balance of thank-you messages I receive come by email.
My father often recited the poem: “When a task is first become, never leave it ’til it’s done.” I try to live by this. Either do the job well, or don’t do it. I watch properties overpromise and under deliver. They say whatever they need to say to get the money in the door and then try to figure out how they can deliver. Most often, they fail. It goes the same way for sponsors. They often invest and then fail to activate or leverage their sponsorships. This is not finishing what you started. They made an investment and failed to finish the job with a well-planned and executed activation plan.
Finally, be on time! This one is so very important. It tells the person or people you are meeting with that they are important. Being early or on time shows your interest and enthusiasm. Being late says that you neither value their time nor are they very important in your “busy schedule.” It is self-centeredness. People think it is all about them. Then I hear the excuses-“The traffic was bad,” “I had to get my kid to school,” “I couldn’t find the documents,” “I couldn’t find a parking spot,” and so on. Those are not legitimate excuses. They reflect poor organizational skills and a failure to value the time of others. As Don noted in his column, legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi went by “Lombardi time.” He showed up 15 minutes early for every scheduled meeting. That gave him time to catch his breath, get his ducks in a row, and show respect for others’ time. My personal goal (not as good as Coach Lombardi) is to arrive five to ten minutes before a scheduled start time. If I am going to be late, I call and let them know. In today’s world of technology and mobile devices, there is no excuse for not letting someone know you are going to be late.
In the sponsorship world, I see late meetings all the time. It is like the people in our industry do not respect each other’s time. I see salespeople who show up late to pitch for money or for a discovery call. That says to me that the salesperson really does not want the money. Sponsors also need to understand that the time of people from the properties is valuable. So don’t make them wait in your lobby for 20 minutes after the scheduled appointment time. I have walked away from meetings when I was kept waiting for more than 15 minutes beyond the scheduled time. I never go to a meeting thinking about how the other person can help me. I go there to help them. I am either selling a sponsorship opportunity that will benefit them (as in the past when I sold sponsorships on the street) or I am there to present the services of the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™. In either case, I believe I am there to offer value and assist them in achieving their goals. If they make me wait over 15 minutes, I presume they don’t want or need my help and I move on. My time is as valuable as theirs and there is no need to waste it on either side.
In life, it all comes down to relationships. In the sponsorship marketing industry, it is about reputation and relationships. If you are on time, consistently finish what you start, and say “please” and “thank you,” you will be successful.
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Right on Brent! Handwritten thank you notes, and thank yous that tell donors/partners how their partnership has helped in concrete terms are a must. A long time ago I was a volunteer zone captain for a residential campaign for a top 10 charity. At the end of the campaign I wrote thank you notes to each of my canvassers thanking them and letting them know how much money our zone raised. One of the canvassers called me to tell me that in the 10 years she had been canvassing, that was the first time anyone had sent her a thank you note. Can you imagine! It all boils down to the good manners our mothers and fathers taught us. Sometimes the most important lessons are the ones you learned in Kindergarten.
Elyse,
You are so right. We seem to forget the basics in an effort to stay updated in technology. My six year old daughter often reminds me, “hurry daddy, we need to be on time” and to say “please and thank you”. If only those basics along with the “finish what you start” were commeonplace outside kindergarten and grade one!
What a treat to actually read that people still take the time to write thank-you and other notes. What I find rather humorous is that it doesn’t take more time to write a note. It’s only the mailing that takes up a bit of time. Personal or business, it’s still a valuable way of making and keeping contact.
Staying on the theme of my six year old daughter, her birthday is in June. This summer we had her hand write thank you cards to all the kids and adults who gave her presents. No, not email thank-yous, but real cards, with real writing and real stamps. The response was incredible. People were shocked. I remember when my mom made us write cards and it has stuck! You are correct, it takes no longer to write card than it does compose an email.
Great column. I completely agree with everything you’ve said here and while I’m far from perfect, this is a great reminder of the standard that I strive for.
Yvette,
Me too. I am far from perfect. I still have stack of beautiful cards (local scene pictures taken by a photographer friend of mine and made into cards) in my office desk drawer. They don’t get used often enough. I need to remember they are there and hand write more than I already do.