Coffee Break Webinar: Sponsorship Essentials

Earlier this month Ny Whitaker, Founder & Chief Strategist, Project Nyne, was NYSAE’s guest for a coffee break webinar. Ny is an award-winning entrepreneur, NYU Professor, political strategist, and expert on generating revenue through fundraising partnerships and sponsorships. Ny is currently consulting in the role of senior advisor for NYS to the DNC for the Biden-Harris Campaign. You can reach Ny Whitaker at nywhitakerinc@gmail.com. The webinar was simply structured – sharing tips to generate revenue. Thank you to Flax Associates for sharing many of the tips.  Here’s some of the sponsorship tips that were shared in this session:

 

PROSPECTING, CULTIVATING

-Any individual or company can be a sponsor, advertiser or exhibitor. Even your own dues -paying members, so make sure you include your members in your marketing, prospecting and recruitment efforts. You can incentivize members to sponsor by reducing the sponsorship package cost. But don’t just do a blanket email to your members. Focus in on the ones at the highest level and at higher dollars.

-Be a secret shopper! Check out your competitors, complimentary organizations, event and webinar organizers, those who target similar audiences or host similar conferences or events. Check out their sponsors because that’s a good indication of a potential sponsor’s marketing strategy and budget.

-Leverage your leadership! Let your prospects know about the individuals and organizations that are involved and connected with your association or nonprofit - you can mention other sponsors, board members, member organizations, speakers (past and present) - while they may not have all contributed money they have been involved with your organization. This adds credibility.

-Enlist your contacts! Connect with contacts that can help make “the ask.” Board members, volunteer committee members and speakers. Who has the best relationship with that individual or company, use that connection to your advantage.

-Bonus!! Give your current sponsors added incentive for referring your to other sponsors.

-People do business with people! During COVID times it is easier to establish rapport and most have a lighter schedule. Ask for a 1:1 meeting to explore a possible collaboration - virtually of course. Seek to engage while you’re both working from home, it brings it to a more personal level. Remember that companies still need to connect with their customers. Just having a meeting with you, that connection, is good for them.

-Google is Golden! Google the prospect company by name along with a few words such as sponsor, awards, scholarships, host, webinars, partner. Add in words such as gold, silver, bronze and you will be amazed at how much you can find out within a few minutes. Also google the prospect company by name with words that might reveal problems - as companies are more likely to sponsor programs that boost their brand or connect back to their problems, for instance enter the prospect company name with words such as scandal, lawsuit, discrimination, indictment or others.

-What’s in it for them?! Ask your sponsor what success looks like to them. As you’re listening, try to match that up with your offerings and give them a clear path. Come to the meeting with at least 3 options for collaboration of various dollar value and levels of engagement so they can pick one.

-Digital Brand Ambassadors! But when you do ask your board to help, instead of just asking who knows sponsors, add them to our list, be very specific and intentional about your request. For example, we are looking for accounting firms to sponsor this financial program. Pinpointing contacts allows you to develop stronger leads.

-Make the Hard Ask! Honorees especially have special relationships and they could be helping to sell. You just have to ask. And remember to cue up for the future with sponsored chair and co chair positions, award sponsors, venue sponsor, and other elements - sanitizer sponsor, soap sponsor, mask sponsor  

-If you can make contact with the CEO of a company or another top official, ask them for their press releases and other articles and information you can share with your membership. They’ll love to see their content and information promoted through your association.

-Arrange a call or meeting for a prospect sponsor with one of your active members. The sponsor prospect will be extremely interested in the call and you want to make sure you position in the right way, not just a “sales” call.

-Keep it memorable! Right now this is a challenge with many working from home - but don’t forget about the mail. Mail handwritten notes to your top prospects and include articles or reports that they would find of interest. Plus get your board and committee members to do the same.

 

OFFERINGS AND BENEFITS

-Shift their attention! Now, more than ever, video is a great way to break up virtual content and online programming. Ask your sponsor for a short promotional video or simply a short branded video message that they can record from their cell phone. You can introduce it in your welcome remarks or you can use it as part of the run up to your event.

-Limit your sponsorship offerings to a certain number at each price tier. This makes the offer special and creates a sense of urgency.

-Be flexible and willing to negotiate. First negotiate benefits, second negotiate payment terms (over x months) and last focus in on price.

-Sponsor that Session!  Session after session on zoom make people zone out or log off. Create a sponsorship break, anything from yoga or stretching to coffee talk or trivia or video testimonial. Even a sponsor lunch!

-Go Local! Miss having meals with friends and colleagues? Create a similar experience by providing breakfast, lunch or snacks. Attendees will love it when food is delivered to their home. Remember in the registration form to ask for the address, where they’ll be on the conference date. Food delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash like to partner and offer discounts. Alternatively a sponsor can host a lunch making activity or brief cooking demo.

-Cater for Success! Associations and Non profits can support local small business and local caterers/restaurants interested in sampling new cuisine or order thank you gifts

-Attendees love trinkets, gadgets and swag from your conferences and events. Work with your sponsor to produce and have it shipped to arrive the first day of your event. Your sponsor may love sending branded promotional products.

-Sell presenter spots or the opportunity to record a congratulations message to an honoree. After his or her welcome remarks how cool is it to have video shout outs from the community.

-Offer an icebreaker sponsorship. Create opportunities for attendees to jump on early to meet and connect. Invite a sponsor to be creative and to facilitate an ice breaker altogether or in breakout rooms.

-Value the VIPs! Offer a sponsor the opportunity to sponsor a VIP exclusive gathering. Have your speakers or honorees come onto Zoom 30 minutes earlier to mix and mingle with your board and sponsor representatives. Be sure to give them a VIP link so that no one else can get in there early.

Breakout rooms are designed to get people talking. Each breakout room can be sponsored and give them the opportunity to facilitate, host, scribe. 

-Invite sponsors to support the Q&A of a particular session or for the entire event. This could happen in an online venue or after on your website, newsletter or through social media. Your sponsor can facilitate the Q&A.

-Sponsor a poll! Use the time on zoom to conduct a poll and survey your members & attendees.  Have the poll sponsored and share the results

Swag it up! Does your sponsor want to deliver a gift or swag bag to attendee homes? How exciting and creative to get a special delivery!

-Offer a sponsor the opportunity to “own” the chat function. Promote active use for your meeting or special event, brand it and give your sponsor the opportunity to offer quizzes or polls. Your sponsor will get visibility where members are interacting, engaging and discussing issues of interest.

Convert that Chat! Have the sponsor host the chat or a screen ticker to share tips, resources and tools related to the topic

 

ONSITE, DAY OF, MAKING YOUR SPONSOR HAPPY

-Be sure to capture a screen shot of your sponsor, or with a VIP or member of your board. Not only should you be sending it out as a follow up, but post it in your social media channels and tag them. You never know who they have to show it to to keep the relationship going.

-Now that we’re producing virtual events, take advantage of the virtual background and get your sponsor’s logos behind the speakers and honorees

-“Prop” Dusting -- take advantage of on-camera opportunities to set the set with branded items - speakers in caps, branded coffee mugs, shirts, etc.

-Zoom fatigue is real! Provide wellness or entertainment breaks between educational sessions and get them sponsored

Be sure you’re making your sponsor family stand out and feel special. Just because you’re online doesn’t mean you can’t send SPONSOR ribbons, lapel flowers, or make personal introductions to the VIPs.

 

FOLLOW UP AND YEAR ROUND COMMUNICATION

-Your relationship should not end at the end of the event or program. Add your sponsor to your newsletter, publications and any other distribution lists so that they can follow you year round.

-Bonus! Refer your sponsors and subject matter experts to other organizations. They will appreciate it. And, when appropriate host a sponsor meet and greet online.

-Watch what they’re doing. They may be producing their own educational events or programs. Offer the opportunity to get involved with them, providing testimonial or endorsements.Give back, they’ll remember.

-Keep connected with your top prospects, even if you haven’t sold them yet. Send them updated information on the industry, add them to your newsletter. Don’t just send them a prospectus or request for money once a year.

-Get testimonials from sponsors and attendees about sponsors. Use them in your year round marketing efforts, including your website and social media channels.

-Mark your calendar to reach out at least bi monthly, checking in and giving them updates on your organization. 

 -Survey your sponsors and exhibitors after the program. Don’t be fearful of negative feedback, you need to know and if your programs or benefits need improvement, hearing direct from your sponsor will help you next time around

 

Many of the tips were provided by Flax Associates, Lewis Flax, who has helped over a hundred organizations increase their funding through sponsorship dollars.