I like to think I inherited some of my "green thumb" from my Dad, who was a keen gardener of fruit and vegetables, as well as beautiful flowers like snap dragons and red roses.
With Spring here, I have been experimenting with growing snow peas and beans – after all, everyone needs more fibre in their diet! I made the decision to plant them in a no-dig straw garden in front of a metal trellis, which benefits from plenty of morning sunlight.
My theory is with regular watering, sunlight, compost and my careful maneuver of placing the growing green tendrils onto the base of the trellis, that the vegie plants will grow onwards and upwards and I will soon be enjoying crunchy snow peas in my salads and stir fries.
There is a similar "plant courtship" in sponsorship, which produces hearty results and sustainability, which any sponsor would find difficult to leave.
Sharing a passion like gardening or following the same sporting team, can be the key to developing such relationships with marketing stakeholders, facilitators and leaders in fields of industry. It's about genuine interaction and building authentic relationships, while doing things you enjoy in places where you meet key people.
Once you have connected with the key decision makers, it's time to develop trust.Your role as a sponsee is to help your sponsor reach a level of connection, which goes way beyond flag waving with logos. It's about providing numerous opportunities and benefits, as well as value-adding to customers' experience of an event, service, product and brand. This is achieved as with the "trellis plant model," by being in alignment with customers' passions, values and beliefs and providing a "shiny metal framework" for them to grow in conjunction with your organization.
It's not just about simple demographics like gender, age, suburb and number of children. It's more about the why. You need to know why people donate to a cause, join a particular club or attend an event. Ask yourself "Why is it so?"
But it is also about focusing on the draw cards and how sponsors, can enhance customers' experience of an event or service.
Remember, there are always going to be competitors who can deliver more. So it's a matter of wearing the perfume of positivity and having a twinkle in your eye, as well as paying attention to all the essential strategic and policy details to instill confidence in sponsors.
Best practice sponsorship is also about the courtship of target markets or customers.Sponsors want to connect with your customers, and they want to use the sponsorship to deepen their connection with their customers. Everyone's hoping for a match "Made in Heaven."
It's a combination of gentle coaxing and matching passions to align customers, to achieve optimum results. This all leads to growth and sustainability, just like the snow peas and beans thriving side-by-side on the trellis, as they lean together towards the warm sun.
Register today at www.eventsponsors.com.au and let EventSponsors find your perfect event partners.
