So your organization wants to sell sponsorships, well where do you start? There are several key elements that all organizations need to pull together in order to sell sponsorships. In no particular order here are the key elements that I build out anytime I’m starting with a new client.
- Develop Your Sponsorship Plan – map out your sponsorship plan. What’s your total revenue goal? How many sponsors and at what price points are you planning on selling? Before you start selling, you must sit down and map out your sponsorship plan. For youth clubs, I recommend starting with a number like $500 to $1,000 per sponsorship and trying to establish 10 local sponsors.
- Organization Presentation – simply put who, what, where, when, how and why. In order to attract companies as sponsors, they need to understand what your organization is, how big you are and why your organization exists. I typically like to create an evergreen presentation that tells the story for my client. Here is an example of the presentation we put together for New Jersey Youth Soccer – link.
- Sample Packages – Brands or companies will want to know what they get and how much does it cost. At the national level, I typically prefer to sell custom sponsorships so that it speaks directly to what the brand is trying to accomplish, however more recently I have started building out starting point options for potential sponsors. These starting points give brands the chance to understand general pricing and assets. I like to use a small, medium and large option so that brands can see the assets. Example of a Generic Proposal with Package Options. If you are selling at a local level, I recommend starting with one package and keeping it simple.
- Simple Communication (Email) – I also like to have a simple communication that efficiently communicates what the organization does and what the opportunity is for the brand to consider. This is helpful for introductory emails.
If you can develop these three key elements you should be on your way to being able to start selling sponsorships.