Marketing – How to Attract Sponsors Gordon Bleil, MBA Patricia Bleil, Ph.D

Marketing – How to Attract SponsorsGordon Bleil, MBAPatricia Bleil, Ph.D

G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015

Introduction

• Gordon Bleil, MBA, Author

• Patricia Bleil, Ph.D.

• Over 50 years of selling/marketing experience

• Graduate level teaching experience• Collegeville Rotary Club



Sponsor


Fundraising – A Selling Situation

• An exchange proposition– Money in exchange for goods or services– Wages in exchange for work or labor

• Fundraising – Money or “in kind” donation for intrinsic

benefit– Money or “in kind” for advertising


What Has Your Experience Been?


7 Realities of Fundraising/Selling

1. Fundraising is a selling process2. People hate selling3. Nobody likes to give $$$4. Nobody like to ask for $$$5. Businesses are constantly asked to

support programs and events6. They can’t support everything7. People hate to be pressured


Fundraising Scenarios

1. Asking a business for money/a donation– Locally managed– Distantly managed

2. Asking an individual for money/a donation– Friends– Strangers


Fundraising Scenarios

1. Asking a business for money/a donation– Locally managed– Distantly managed

2. Asking an individual for money/a donation– Friends– Strangers


Two Situations with Different Approaches

• Seeking donations for a project or cause– No tangible exchange– Donor is supporting the cause for personal

reasons, the exchange is intrinsic– May be monetary or product/service

donation

• Selling advertising – Exchange of $ for exposure to potential

customers

• Some situations may combine both


Five Parts to Successful Fundraising

1. Planning2. Prospecting3. Qualifying4. Selling5. Follow-up


Planning

• If You Don’t Have a Plan Stay in the Car

• Elements of a Good Plan– Who are you going to see?– What are you going to do?– When are you going to do it?– Plans for prospecting and selling– Write it down and review


Contact ReportCONTACT REPORT

Rotarian's Name

Company/Individual

Contact(s)

Address

Telephone Brief description of company

Date Result Follow-up


Prospecting – What Makes a Good Prospect?

• Businesses or organizations that are– Connected to your community – Invest in your community – Support local non-profits and charitable

concerns– Are locally managed, or have local decision

makers– Are interested in reaching Rotary members– Are interested in reaching the type of

people you will attract to your event

• 90% of success starts with a good prospect


Where to Find Prospects

• Start with your club members– Their own business or organizations

• Places you do business (restaurants, hardware store, hair/nail salon, stationary supplies, printers, fitness club, etc.)

• Business or organizations that someone in your club or someone you know has a contact

• Past sponsors, advertisers or donors• Local Chamber of Commerce• Walk up and down the street


Qualifying the Prospect

• Be CURIOUS

• Ask QUESTIONS that1. The prospect knows the answer to2. Is not threatening or intimidating3. Gives you useful information


Qualifying the Prospect

“Hello, I am from Rotary – a local service organization that you may have heard about. Frankly I do not know much if anything about your business and I am interested in learning more about you. Tell me, does your company support any local charities?”


What if they say “no”?Walk away

Not everyone is a prospect


If They Say “Yes”

“How do you go about selecting from among the many requests that you get?”

LISTEN

“When would it be convenient for you for me to come back and tell you about some of the things we are doing?”


Selling

• After you have identified a prospect, and you have qualified them (they support local charitable concerns, and have local management)

• Your job is to answer for them the question

What will it do for me?


What Will it do for Me?

• Charitable concern– Describe the need in the community– Describe the impact to the community,

possibly the business– Describe what the project will do for the

community


Project Support, Charitable Giving

Relate the “cause” for which we are raising money to the prospect’s area of interest

“Rotary is raising money by holding a golf tournament. The money we raise will be used for overhauling the rundown fire station. And let’s face it, we all want and need a modern state-of-the-art fire department. Can we count on you?”


What Will it do for Me?

• Advertising– Describe the Rotary members, ie

demographics– Describe the people who will attend the

event– Describe how the business/organization’s

message will be conveyed• Sign or banner at event, Ad in the program,

display table, advertising material in gift bags to participants, other

• The business owner/manager will make their decision on the impact the advertising opportunity will have for them


AdvertisingEvery business wants and needs customers. Sometimes Rotary presents those businesses with the unique opportunity to reach it’s members, friends and supporters with the prospect’s sales message

“Rotary is having its annual pancake breakfast. This is an opportunity to get your name in front of a mob of folks on an ad on our placemat – even if you don’t eat pancakes. And by the way, all proceeds go to the Food Pantry.”


Pair the Need with the Opportunity

• Example: You are holding a pancake breakfast in Collegeville

• Is the Harleysville Ace Hardware a good prospect?

• What about the True Value Hardware in Collegeville?

• How about Lowes?


Things to Avoid

• Peak business time– Their first priority is their customers and

their business, not you– Show them you understand this and

respect them– They will be more likely to talk with you in

the future– Ask when to come back, then do so!


Selling is a Long Term Process

• Very few people commit on the first call• Build a relationship• Have a year-long strategy for your club• Avoid continually going back to ask for

more– Ad for the pancake breakfast– Tee-shirt sponsor for the 5K– Support for the annual dinner– Monetary donation for the new park– Gift certificate for the raffle


Suggested Plan

• Develop a calendar of all Rotary fundraising events: Pancake Breakfast, Golf, 5K, whatever your club does

• Develop a plan for visiting each prospect business

• Begin building relationships with businesses in your community

• “Ask” for a total commitment, ask once, not 4 times


Follow Up

• Never forget to say “Thank You”!• Give the sponsor a recap of the event– How many people came? How much

money did you raise?

• Let them know the impact they had– $1000 will be given to the food pantry– 100 children will be able to have books for

the summer reading program– A village in Africa will now have clean

drinking water


You must believe in what you are selling!

Conviction Passion CommitmentEnthusiasm Fervor

Your attitude is contagiousYour prospect can feel it

Without it, your chance of success is near zero


Questions?


Thank Youand

Please Fill out the Evaluation Form

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Documents

Marketing – How to Attract Sponsors Gordon Bleil, MBA Patricia Bleil, Ph.D