Are
You Sponsor-Worthy?
The latest industry reports show that 18% of
marketing budgets are going towards sponsorships.
Are you ready to compete for that line item? Below
are three key areas that determine your readiness to
approach sponsors:
Plan
for launch
Where is your strongest point
of entry? Do you have hidden opportunities for
sponsorship, or do you have to begin in the "open
market"? Different entry points have different
tactics, so you have to know your strongest position.
If you've
answered "both", you're not ready for sponsorship.
The search for sponsors can overwhelm your business,
so you have to start from strength first, then leverage
into other sponsorship opportunities.
Assets
Do you know your top five things that sponsors will
value most? Do you know why sponsors will value
your assets? Do you know how to apply those assets
in specific situations? Sponsors are deluged with
offers, so you have to know the strategic fit and pitch
directly to that point.
And,
it has to be customized to the sponsor. Insiders
know that all general query letters are thrown out immediately.
What gets kept? Succinct and specific value,
stated up front. That can't happen if you don't
know what you have.
Media
Media
exposure distributes your content and shows sponsors
that the market is aware of you and responds well to
your views. It is something tangible that they
can point to and say, "Our target demographic will
be excited about this expert."
Example: Executive
coach Karen Armon publishes monthly on ExecuNet, an
online community of 20,000 executives. Any sponsor
wanting access to executives would consider Karen's
media prominence valuable.
Bottom
line: This is a sophisticated marketplace.
Don't enter into sponsorships blindly. Get serious,
get ready and then get out there!
Media Presentations: Practical
Tips for TV Interviews
If media distributes your message to potential sponsors,
then make every appearance count. TJ Walker, CEO of
Media Training Worldwide, provides more media and presentation
training workshops and seminars (54 separate courses)
than any other company in the world. He also publishes
more than 100 media and presentation training books,
DVDs, CDs, and other information products. TJ has these
tips for experts in front of the camera:
- If you are anywhere near a camera, assume it is
on and recording every word and action.
- Don't wear stripes; they dance around on the screen
and are distracting. if you do wear anything distracting,
people will remember that and nothing you say.
- Every anchorman, soap opera actor, sitcom star,
and talk show host, is made up and groomed for TV.
Unfortunately, this is the audience's standard of
comparison when they are watching you.
- Don't look at the camera unless there is no reporter
or host around to speak to. It is easier to talk to
a human being than it is talking to a hunk of metal.
- Don't lean back in your chair; you'll look short
and fat. Don't sit up perfectly straight; you'll look
stiff and nervous. Lean forward 15 degrees into the
camera; you'll look taller, leaner, and more confident.
Another reason to lean forward: your double chin will
disappear and you will appear to have a stronger jaw
line.
- Whoever told speakers not to use their hands was
not given accurate information. Don't move your hands
above your face, below your chest or wider than your
shoulders. It's also okay to move your body a little
and keep moving your head.
Want more insights from TJ? Check out his latest views
here.
Sponsorships are
booming!
Sponsors gave over $300M last year to associations.
And associations are getting savvy by making those relationships
more customized. You can be part of this booming opportunity
for speaking fees, appearance fees and media retainers.
But...you need to know when you're ready. Check out
the leading article in this issue. If you need a systematic
approach check out Become
Sponsor Savvy.
Out of Africa...
Wow!! I'm still stunned by the lessons learned during
a trip to South Africa on behalf of Harvard University.
From the wild animals on the game reserve to the "real"
conversations with South African business women, I discovered
perspectives that have changed me forever. So...what
are you doing to get out of your element? To serve a
purpose beyond your business? New environments attract
bold new ideas...
Spring cleaning...
Many of you hit the ground running after the holidays.
Set your strategy, ramp up that marketing effort, and...what
happened? Are you getting the results you want? Can't
blame the "down" market now. Industry studies
show increased spending, meetings and more opportunities
than ever to build your empire. If you're not getting
what you deserve, now is the time to do some spring
cleaning. Take a hard look at your business and ask
the "Dr. Phil" question: How's that workin'
for ya? And yes, I can help if you want. Contact me
and we'll brainstorm the best route...
As a consultant/trainer/speaker,
I've worked with middle management for years. Executives
at several of my client companies are now interested in
my services. I'm ready to expand into executive development;
what are my next steps?
A: Interest from the executive
suite show that your results and relationships are worthy
of further review. It's easy for executives to consider
you -- your track record and knowledge about their organization
is considered a safe bet for the risk averse. It doesn't
mean that you can compete in situations where executives
don't know your approach.
Don't assume that these deals alone will be your springboard.
You'll work for a while but won't get momentum. You
need three things to compete effectively in executive
development: a point of view that differentiates you
in this crowded market, a way to find "hidden opportunities"
that accesses new buyers and a clear sense of what your
expertise is worth.
|
" I was recently approached by a potential sponsor who heard me speak
...they were in a position to offer me quite a bit of money but the two of us could not hammer out a plan that would make sense. So I talked with Vickie afterwards and BOOM! She had the plan just like that! She knew exactly what to do...I'm meeting with the CEO to get that plan launched for next year."
Seth Kahan
Author, Building Beehives: A Handbook for Creating Communities that Generate Return |
