When you do the work of researching brands, have a great series of discovery calls, and then you get to that important place in the conversation where a potential sponsor says, “Send me something…” you may not know what your partner or sponsor information document should include.
We are asked lots of these questions by speakers, authors, entrepreneurs and organizations seeking sponsorship and working on building sponsor relationships:
What do I need to provide to sponsors?
What goes in a proposal to sponsors?
What do sponsors want to see when being asked for sponsorship?
How do I articulate the value I can bring to sponsors?
One thing’s for sure… if you make your ASK before building a relationship and/or if you send a generic proposal, you can probably expect your document to end up in the garbage.
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How to Keep Your Sponsor Information Document From Being Sent to the Shredder
If you’d like to keep your brand out of the shredder and top of mind, here's what your proposal or partnering document should NOT include:
Pricing
Levels (gold, silver, bronze or any variation of this)
Too much information about you and your project without answering the brand’s questions first
Stand Out and Be Remembered With These Sponsor Information and Proposal Document Tips:
Most importantly, sponsor information documents should be customized and tailored.
Remember, in sponsorship, your sponsors are using their marketing budget (not a philanthropy budget) to have you, your project, event, or big dream market them in some way. You need to know not only what they are marketing, but also who they are marketing to (or what new audiences do they want to market to). Without this knowledge of the sponsors' needs (and if you do not know your own audience and demographics to determine if it’s a fit), it will be difficult to bring sponsorship into your business model.
Whether you are hosting an event, a retreat, book launch, speaking or book tour, or philanthropic event (to name a few examples), sponsorship can help you advance the attendee experience and bring in new influence and revenue to your event or project.
What to Include In Your Sponsorship Package:
When you are preparing a sponsorship proposal or information document (often referred to as a sponsorship package), you want to address information that answers a sponsors' questions within the first few pages.
The information included should provide details about the demographics of your audience, such as:
Age
Gender (e.g. Is the audience more women, men, combination?)
Income or socioeconomic details
Education (e.g. Is this a professional audience? Is it college students? Etc.)
If the audience are parents
Employment sector (small business owners, entrepreneurs, large industry, government, etc.)
Other details that you know about your audience such as do they belong to certain groups/associations, beliefs, etc.
When you properly research sponsors ahead of time, you can get a good sense of their priorities, target audience, brand values, and potential needs. This can help you expand on the information and demographics that you provide. Include details from specific conversations you have had from your discovery calls.
Examples: How to Speak to the Needs of Your Sponsors
It's also helpful to present a clear and customized call to action, such as:
"If you want to get in front of women entrepreneurs who have been in business more than 10 years and who are speakers, authors, coaches, let's set up a time to connect. Everything we do with sponsors is customized, so that you only pay for the benefits that are of value to you and your marketing goals. Give us a call, and we'll work with you to create something that fits your budget, meets your marketing goals, and aligns with your brand."
OR
"If you want to get your brand in front of start-up companies in the coaching industry, let's set up a time to connect. We work with sponsors to create customized opportunities so that you only pay for the benefits that are of value to you and that are aligned with your marketing goals. Give us a call, and we'll work with you to create something that fits your budget, marketing goals, and brand values."
OR
"If you want to get your brand in front of and reach educators in the elementary school system and the parents of their students, let's set up a time to talk. When we work with sponsors, we work with you to create customized opportunities so that you only pay for the benefits that are of value to you and support your marketing goals. Give us a call, and we'll work with you to create something that fits your budget, marketing goals, and that’s aligned with your brand."
Sponsorship Proposals That Lead to A YES:
If you want to stand out to sponsors, keep these 3 summary ideas in mind:
- Do not present them with generic tiered packages.
- Ensure you provide ample information about your demographics.
- Provide a clear call to action.
Here is an example of the Raise a Dream sponsor information guide:
https://bit.ly/RADStrategicPartner
On our website, we make this document available to potential partners and businesses wanting to learn more about Raise a Dream as a starting point: Partnering with Raise a Dream
We then tailor unique documents based on specific conversations with brands when there’s a fit, and we’re ready to collaborate.
Why not work get started on your own sponsor information document? Be ready to stand out and get a YES for your next “send me something” opportunity.
