http://www.get-sponsors.com/index.htmlSponsor Proposal Tipsenwww.get-sponsors.comCopyright 2010 Sponsorship North America2010-08-03T12:32:41-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:04:07 -0400www.get-sponsors.comSelling Sponsorships2010-08-03T12:32:41-04:00http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/get_sponsors.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/get_sponsors.html#unique-entry-id-13

Over the last twenty years we’ve utilized a variety of approaches to secure major sports sponsorships and in every case our success was in some way influenced by a gentleman from England named Guy Edwards. Guy is considered by many in global sponsor circles as the father of modern race sponsor packaging. He is responsible for creating and activating some of the largest race sponsorships in the history of the sport. He focuses on adding sponsor benefits and value that go beyond the typical team exposure benefits.

In addition to activating sponsorship programs, we continually train many successful motorsports business managers and in our search to find the best training tools, we only use one reference. Sponsorship and the World of Motor Racing highlights Guy’s career and provides the best editorial descriptions of the steps it takes to succeed at selling sponsorships. The book is out of print and is now a collectors item. If you can find one, copies sell for between $700 and $2,500 dollars each.

Since the book is hard to find, and it’s such a great learning tool, we’re going to do a series of upcoming articles outlining the basic contents of Guy’s work. His text provides the most comprehensive overview of the basic step-by-step processes needed to succeed at selling race sponsorships.

On the internet today you can find quite a few people who have never sold a major million dollar sponsorship but will talk all day long as if they have. They’ll sell you books and cookie cutter proposal templates that aren’t based on real world experience. Unfortunately, these won’t really help you in the long run. We don’t offer theories unless they work and can be backed up by large scale and repetitive success. Guy’s book outlines all you need to know. Once you have a clear understanding of the basic concepts, you can then custom tailor your methodology by adding your creativity and hard work.

In future posts, we’ll review topics from his book that include:

Securing Sponsorship
1. How much time and work it takes to succeed
2. Putting together a winning project
3. The concept of your proposal
4. How to properly price your program
5. How to best present your offer
6. Selecting the right prospects
7. Cold calling and arranging meetings
8. Initial presentation/meeting
9. What should be in your written proposal
10. The Power of Testimonials
11. Follow up letters and calls
12. Follow up meeting strategy
13. Closing the deal
14. Letter of Intent
15. Sponsorship contracts
16. Overview of the approach to sponsorship

Implementing Sponsor Programs
1. How to make it work
2. Objectives of racing sponsorships

Increasing Sponsor Value
1. Exploiting racing programs
2. Best ways to extract value

Maintaining Sponsorship
1. Why do firms sponsor racing? How effective is it? Does it work?
2. Can the benefits be measured?
3. Politics of sponsorship
4. Why sponsors stay (and why they leave)
5. Sponsorship versus advertising
6. Brief history of racing and sponsorship

Photo: James Boone
Reference: Edwards, G. (1992). Sponsorship and the World of Motor Racing. (p. 280) United Kingdom: Hazleton Publishing. ]]>www.get-sponsors.comSponsor Benefits2010-07-21T11:34:46-04:00http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_business_deals.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_business_deals.html#unique-entry-id-11

When Jeff Gordon started racing in NASCAR he was unknown outside of the paddock. DuPont didn’t sponsor his team based solely on his abilities as a racer or due to the exposure they would receive if he won races. They didn’t know he would be a champion.

DuPont partnered with Hendrick Motorsports because the relationship guaranteed the sale of more paint and automotive finish products.

As many of you know, Rick Hendricks primary business is selling cars and trucks. Hendrick Automotive Group is one of the largest dealer holding companies in the world. In 2007, they sold over 90,000 vehicles and had over $4 billion in revenue. They own dealerships and collision centers in 9 states and they buy, sell, and repair thousands of vehicles every month. They buy a lot of paint.
]]>www.get-sponsors.comSponsor Benefits2010-07-08T10:15:09-04:00http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_packaging_benefits.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_packaging_benefits.html#unique-entry-id-3

In today’s competitive marketplace, very few sponsors can justify their marketing expenditures based solely on the exposure they receive through a racing program. Stickers on cars and patches on uniforms just don’t help sell enough products and services to make it worthwhile. But the majority of sponsor sellers continually tell the same old “we’ll get you great exposure” story.

The sports sponsorship arena is very cluttered and most sponsors don’t get a good return on investment. They are competing for exposure against hundreds of other sponsor companies and even if you are a championship contender, the amount of in-focus exposure time your sponsors receive on television is limited and varies based on the network broadcast team.

Most savvy corporate marketers understand that the direct sales benefits will not come to fruition without a package of benefits that goes beyond the at-track and TV exposure. Understanding this dynamic, here are a few tips to keep in mind as you put together your sponsor packages:
]]>www.get-sponsors.comSponsor Proposal Contents2010-07-01T18:05:54-04:00http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_proposal_pictures.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_proposal_pictures.html#unique-entry-id-2

The old saying holds true. Instead of trying to write a novel, invest more time, money, and energy on the pictures used in your sponsor proposals. An image can hold peoples attention better than written words and beautiful photography can capture the essence of your activities unlike the best scribe on the planet. Here are a few things to consider.
]]>www.get-sponsors.comSponsor Proposal Contents2010-06-03T12:32:26-04:00http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_proposal_contents.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_proposal_contents.html#unique-entry-id-1

If you speak with sponsors who review a lot of proposals they’ll tell you that with the majority of them they don’t get past the first page. Most sponsor presentations are overloaded with information (think of the Powerpoint presentations we see in meetings that put us to sleep).

• Some take the approach that you should answer every single question that could come up by filling the proposal pages with every bit of data.
• The problem with this approach is that you unintentionally turn the audience off by not telling your story in a simple and easy to understand format.
• You lose their attention as you are trying to gain it.

]]>www.get-sponsors.comSponsor Proposal Design2010-07-01T16:32:34-04:00http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_proposal_layouts.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.get-sponsors.com/sponsor_proposal_tips_files/sponsor_proposal_layouts.html#unique-entry-id-0

The majority of sponsor proposals are cluttered and unappealing. They come across as unprofessional. To stand out from the competition, create a simple and appealing story and package it in a clean elegant style. Information laden Powerpoint templates won’t accomplish this. They put people to sleep.

Your sponsor proposal is a marketing tool and if it doesn’t look as good or better than the marketing materials of the company you are pitching, your presentation is not likely to get any consideration.

When looking to improve your presentations, take some time to do the following:
]]>