You should scale me high on this, working as a sports marketing consultant and helping find Sponsors for Surulere Regional League, Legend cup. I have also worked with several schools for Inter-house Sports competitions, Family Sports Funfair... I can categorically tell you this:
Local businesses is your best bet, if you are operating at the grassroots level and your event or tournament is regional or community based. Seeking for sponsorships from multinationals or national companies may be difficult, because your Sports event may not have enough reach or spread to attract their interest
Companies seeking to improve community goodwill or expand their customer base and sales in a particular community may get interested in popular community sports events such as a football tournament.
1. Know which Companies or businesses to Ask
Use your inner circle to find the best leads to potential sponsors. Look for those who may have connections with owners or important officials of some local businesses — work with those connections to get your right foot inside the company.
Pursue companies with a strong presence in your community. These can include corporations headquarters in the region, branches of large companies, or even your bankers, hospitals, Dry cleaners or Big Barber Shops around.
2. Learn How To Make A Convincing Presentations.
You should learn how to make a pitch using AIDA method. Make a clear presentation on how your sports event and their company are the right fit.
Focus on these four things:
a. Tell them who you are and the mission of your sports event, be sure to include the impact the event had made on the community and why you want the company to be involved at this point.
b. Summarize when your event started, the highest number of attendees, television viewers, radio listeners, social media following and other unique facts about your event.
c. Point out specifically why their company or business would be a good fit to sponsor your sports event.
d. Describe what they’ll get out of it. Outline the benefits that align with their business goals.
3. Outline Activations and Deliverables
Yeah, businesses would always want tobknow what wiuld be the Return on investment with the sponsorship of your sports event in measurable terms. Therefore, you should clearly state activations you would carry out during the event and what such activations would deliver to the business.
For example you could mention some activities or campaign you would start during the event to ensure attendees register as customers of the sponsor or even make their first purchase. How many percentage increase customer registration and sales could be achieved during the Sports event.
4. Be clear on Your Sponsorship Packages:
Are you offering the company an exclusive or an associate sponsorship package? let them know what you’re going to give in return eg: their logo on promotional materials? A signboard or banner at your event? Be clear about what you’re committing — and make sure you deliver without complications or room for ambushments.
5. Learn How to Scale in the Negotiation Process
Speak confidently and know the facts and figures of your sponsorship packages. Be receptive to any questions and Objections. There would surely be! Be proactive to find possible answers to the envisaged objections. Remember it’s a conversation, not a monologue. And the potential sponsor wouldn't take everything you offer hook and sinker. They may have contributions and adjustments to fit their own goals and objectives.
Be confident to ask exactly what you want. Ask small, get small. Ask big, get big. Don’t sell yourself short or stray away from asking for larger funding. The worst they can say is no.
6. A “no” is not a rejection.
It’s OK if the company say no. Make the most of your meeting by giving them other options to be part of the Sport event. They could start a shavee co-sponsor, not directly funding the event, but could donate prizes from their already branded promotional materials or donate trophies and medias with their name and logo inscriptions, that's if it isn't part of what you are offering the exclusive sponsors.
And remember: Just because they say no one year doesn’t mean they’ll say no the next. Don’t be shy about asking again… and again!
7. Try to Build A Relationship.
Open a line of communication from the moment you meet potential sponsors. You represent the organizing committee of the Sport event and you may be contacting these companies again next year. Be polite, be organized, and show your interest in what they do.
Follow up with calls, Mails, CD...profiling the progress the sport event has made and the impact on the community so far.
8. Say Thank you.
Don’t forget to thank your sponsors. Your relationship with them doesn’t end when your event is over. You might be asking them to sponsor your event again next year, so make sure you stay connected.
Share news, videos, performance evaluation and Impact documents to remind them that their sponsorship was worth the investment.
Send gift to several officers in the company that helped you get the sponsorship funding. You may need them again. Do your PR now, so they will be favourably disposed to you next time.
I guess this article will help you so much to do your thing yourself. But if you require more consultations with us then, Call or WhatsApp: +234 809 877 2556
