Expert Advice on Attracting Sponsors for Fundraising Success
Gain insights from Gordon Bleil, MBA, and Patricia Bleil, Ph.D., with over 50 years of combined experience in selling and marketing. Explore the key realities of fundraising/selling and learn effective strategies for approaching businesses and individuals for sponsorships. Discover different fundraising scenarios and how to navigate them successfully.
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Presentation Transcript
Marketing How to Attract Sponsors Gordon Bleil, MBA Patricia Bleil, Ph.D
Introduction Gordon Bleil, MBA, Author Patricia Bleil, Ph.D. Over 50 years of selling/marketing experience Graduate level teaching experience Collegeville Rotary Club G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Sponsor G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
What Has Your Experience Been? G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
7 Realities of Fundraising/Selling 1. Fundraising is a selling process 2. People hate selling 3. Nobody likes to give $$$ 4. Nobody like to ask for $$$ 5. Businesses are constantly asked to support programs and events 6. They can t support everything 7. People hate to be pressured G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Fundraising Scenarios 1. Asking a business for money/a donation Locally managed Distantly managed 2. Asking an individual for money/a donation Friends Strangers G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Fundraising Scenarios 1. Asking a business for money/a donation Locally managed Distantly managed 2. Asking an individual for money/a donation Friends Strangers G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Five Parts to Successful Fundraising 1. Planning 2. Prospecting 3. Qualifying 4. Selling 5. Follow-up G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Contact Report CONTACT REPORT Rotarian's Name Company/Individual Contact(s) Address Telephone Brief description of company Date Result Follow-up G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Qualifying the Prospect Be CURIOUS Ask QUESTIONS that 1. The prospect knows the answer to 2. Is not threatening or intimidating 3. Gives you useful information G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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? G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
What if they say no? Walk away Not everyone is a prospect G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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? G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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? G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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? G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Advertising Every 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. G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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? G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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! G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
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 G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
You must believe in what you are selling! Conviction Passion Commitment Enthusiasm Fervor Your attitude is contagious Your prospect can feel it Without it, your chance of success is near zero G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Questions? G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
Thank You and Please Fill out the Evaluation Form gorben32@gmail.com bleilpat@gmail.com G. Bleil & P. Bleil 2015
