It’s been a hot minute, but think very hard back to the time you were sitting in that arena or stadium. Did you see the big car dealership sign? Maybe they were handing out airline pins? Remember the time you decided to run a 5k and Kind Bar was handing out free snacks? Have you ever wondered why they were there? Sponsorships, baby.
James Jensen, Director of Sponsorships at Las Vegas Ballpark, talked to the girl gang about all things sponsorships. He even gave us a little advice, “corporate sales, it’s just like dating”. Similar in the sense of communication styles, when to give them “space” and when to close the deal.
How to Decide Which Sponsors to Pursue
One of the most common questions on everyone’s mind was, “how do you decide who to pursue for sponsorships?” While the answer may change from person to person, James had a pretty simple answer (in regards to what he does specifically with baseball), “look at who is already sponsoring other sports teams, and ask them.” Simple enough one might say! By narrowing down companies that are already sponsoring events, whether they be sporting teams, conventions, special events, ect., you’re more likely to receive a sponsorship because of the similar interests. You may be asking, “what if they say no?”. Rejection is the hardest part about dating, but here’s your answer, “go and ask their closest competitor”. When asked if he felt like a snake, James gave us a grin and shook his head no. The man’s just doing his job! Additionally, there may be times that sponsors come along and are not appropriate for the event or are on that “hard no” list, i.e. strip clubs. Sponsorships should always be a group/company/organization that can relate to your target audience.
Example of Pitching a Sponsorship
A great example shared by James was how to pitch and sell a sponsorship with a creative idea in mind. Let’s say that you sell sponsorships for a basketball arena, and you want to propose a smile cam that would play every game, in the 4th quarter. Would you go to the nearby pizza place and ask them to sponsor? Uh no. Dentists will be your go to guys (assuming the tooth fairy isn’t busy that day). A personalized package with swag will be your best friend for this next part. Giving the dentist a pitch packet that includes listed details of the opportunities at hand, a photo example of where their sponsored logo will be, and a well thought out idea plan. The key is to be flexible and workout a plan that both parties will be satisfied with.
Types of Closing for the Pitch
You’ve given out the swag, day dreamed about your endless partnership possibilities, and now it’s time to seal the deal. Which one are you gonna use?
- Puppy Dog : “Why don’t you just take that car home for a week and test it out? If you don’t like it, bring it on back to us.”
- Rebate : “If you agree right now, I’ll make sure to add in 5 season tickets to your package.”
- Scarcity : “We only have one more exclusive spot left; wouldn’t you like to take it and be one of the only five spots that we are offering?”
- Urgency : “We’re really looking at closing this deal today before I talk to another car dealership tomorrow.”
Our meeting with James was great. We received swag, learned some tricks of the trade, and added sponsorships to our Lip Glossary! Don’t be surprised if Norton National starts producing their own events (hint hint) and come at you with a stellar proposal packing. We want you, and everyone on the moon, to be #teamNortonNational.
Interested as to why we are doing these education lessons? Check it out here.
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