Here are a few things I’ve recently come up with about Sponsorship and Advertising Sales. Read and enjoy…

– Focus on Controllable Factors: attitude, enthusiasm, how prepared you are to answer specific questions

– Open Well: Get the prospect listening, liking you, and thinking, “Tell me more.” Make sure they see the sponsorship opportunity you’re offering. You have approximately 45 seconds to accomplish this phase.

– Stay Customer-Focused: First ask questions about the prospect’s objectives. Make sure the presentation relates directly to their dominant reason for buying. Listen for all buying cues, diagnose objectives, prescribe optional sponsorship solutions that have been proven to maximize return on investment. (Do a survey later.)

– Stress the 3 Strongest Benefits: People buy benefits, not features. It’s not what it is, it’s what it does. What you are selling are consequences, so stick to the high points; don’t overwhelm prospects with too much detail. These same benefits can be great for a Press Release too!
– Be Sincere: If you’re truly committed to engaging in transactions that benefit everyone involved (win/wins), your good intent will shine through. No one cares about how much you know until they know how much you care.

– Master the Fundamentals: know your prospect and a bit of information about their business and industry. This knowledge combined with a mastery of selling skills and thorough knowledge of sponsorship packages will increasing closing rates.

I’ve found that, by implementing these things, advertisers I’ve worked with have been a lot more prone to re-invest with us at a later date. Here’s some feedback generated from a local event: Xtreme Danzz Competition and Highlight Sports Feedback

What are your thoughts?