I get this question quite a bit. Is it better to have fewer, larger sponsors, or more, smaller sponsors? The implication is that the choice is to go for lots of easy “yesses” or work hard for a few big “yesses”.
The problem with that is that, in many cases, it isn’t any easier getting a “yes” for a small sponsorship than it is for a larger one. If you’re asking for really low dollars, you may be dealing with someone who can only approve really low dollars. Or the dollar figure may be so low that the potential sponsors are devaluing what you have to offer. Or they may see the dollar figure and think you don’t know what you’re doing or what you’re worth. In other words, going for very low sponsorship really makes a rod for your own back.
Yeah, sure… there are those tiny little rats-and-mice sponsorship that say “yes” every year at a super-low level. But, chances are, those companies are considering those funds as one of three things:
While I will never tell you to turn down revenue, if you need cash flow, honestly, you can do better.
So, if you’re considering moving to a fewer-larger sponsorship model, I’ve outlined some of the pros and cons below. Please note, none of these pros or cons are hard-and-fast. There are exceptions to everything, but this is the way it tends to go.
As you can see, I tend to come down firmly on the side of fewer-larger sponsorships. It may take a little while to transition your portfolio, but it is definitely doable. Good luck! It’s a bit of work, but well worth it in the end.
For all you need to know about sponsorship sales and servicing, you may want to get a copy of The Sponsorship Seeker’s Toolkit 4th Edition. I’ve also got self-paced, online sponsorship training courses, covering the whole sponsorship process, with lots of inclusions. Interested? Check out the Corporate Sponsorship Masterclass for sponsors and Getting to “Yes” for rightsholders. You may also be interested in my white papers, “Last Generation Sponsorship Redux” and “Disruptive Sponsorship: Like Disruptive Marketing, Only Better“.
If you need additional assistance, I offer sponsorship consulting and strategy sessions, sponsorship training, and sponsorship coaching. I also offer a comprehensive Sponsorship Systems Design service for large, diverse, and decentralised organisations.
Please feel free to drop me a line to discuss.
Please note, I do not offer a sponsorship broker service, and can’t sell sponsorship on your behalf. You may find someone appropriate on my sponsorship broker registry.
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