- The job is to help the sponsorship manager defend the project
- Relationships are key to project approval
- Strong relationships are built on transparency and support
Your job is not to sell sponsorship, it is to help buy an idea.
It is about supporting the sponsorship manager in defending the project within the company.
Once we understand this, everything changes.
If she is interested, she will create her own case to be submitted through the various levels of the company’s evaluation process.
It is at this point that you begin to build a relationship based on trust and commitment.
From the other side of the table, I see that few sponsorship sellers truly put themselves in the company’s shoes.
If the brand has to guess how the project helps, you’ve already lost.
In different sponsorship negotiations, I followed this approach: I prepared presentations in various formats, attended meetings with multiple departments, requested personalised videos from players, produced ad hoc materials, translated content, and held frank conversations about what would work and what wouldn’t. I even tried to be transparent about conversations with competitors.
Once, I organised a meeting with teams from competitors to design the project together. At first it was strange, but we managed to align expectations and close two deals.
It is difficult to measure the impact of any single action. In the end, it is the combination of efforts that builds trust and leads to the signing. Using this approach, I have successfully closed and renewed several sponsorship agreements.
So, how can we make her job easier and help the project progress?
Support with clarity
- Do the basics well: be available, provide information without over-insisting.
- Provide examples of success: show concrete results.
Facilitate internal approval
- Understand the obstacles: read between the lines, identify barriers and propose solutions.
- Concede strategically: negotiate special conditions that reinforce the project’s value.
Build trust and connection
- Surprise in the right way: a mock-up, a video, a relevant piece of news.
- Show dedication: make her feel you are alongside her at every step.
After all, she needs to be confident that the project will succeed. Her credibility is at stake.
Your project only gains strength when the sponsorship manager feels you are on the same side of the table, working together towards approval.
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