Sponsorship & Exhibition Sales Strategy

About this training

The biggest challenge for event companies, show organizers, associations and corporate businesses, is to create a profitable sponsorship program, that will help increase revenue, take care of the event costs and enhance the attendee’s experience.

The sponsors are becoming more demanding, when it comes to types of sponsorship opportunities. They are also looking to get more benefits, better customer service, business partnership and results. That’s why, signing sponsorship and exhibition deals never been so tough.

It is critical to put together a great “Sales Pitch”, to deliver the information that sponsors need to have in order to make a decision, talking to them as a partner, understanding they objectives, asking intelligent questions and overcoming their objections.

We have spent over two decades, creating and executing successful sponsorship programs in more than 25 countries around the world. Training and developing sponsorship teams, and providing them with the procedures, practices and skills needed to be successful at selling sponsorship and exhibition’s products and services.

Let us help your organization!

Training summary

  • First things First – Strategy: primary goals, money projection, sales cycle period, value to your sponsors, budgets, teams, etc.
  • Meeting with the production team to better understand the event, buzz words, new trends.
  • Analyse event program, by presentation, topic, breaking it down to find each potential product angle to target
  • Priority targets: quantify angles to match with sponsors and sponsorship levels to maximize sales
  • Database creation: include the necessary fields to better analyse the information to match potential sponsors to target
  • Research document: create a document and include competitor events, industry articles, new products and relevant information to better identify targets and companies to call
  • Leads: unify the calls to make per angle and sponsorship level
  • Surveys: find out from your attendees what products-sponsors they would like to see at the event (use this information while contacting prospects)
  • Sponsorship product chart: Create a sponsorship option chart detailing benefits for each one (Logo placement, lunch, stand, etc.)
  • The sponsorship packages: list benefits and the associated value for each
  • Critical information: be clear with your audience, program users, event delegates and relevant demographic information
  • Options “a la carte”: Be flexible, creative and negotiable
  • Sales Plan – Strategy: adopt a more targeted and strategic model for achieving sales objectives
  • Marketing Helps: including direct mail, email, online advertising, social media, as well as pre-and post-event marketing and promotions
  • What do your sponsors expect from your offering and what are they trying to accomplish (F)
  • Letters to use in all stages: introduction, follow up, didn’t answer, reminder, etc.
  • The importance of a strong sales presentation
  • Ask questions! Lots of questions! Spend more time listening than talking
  • How to overcome objections in a few steps
  • The art of closing the sale
  • Arrange multiple-deals for multiple-events
  • How to generate repeat business
  • Workshop for sponsors: invite them to bring a client to do the presentation
  • Creating a successful sales team
  • Introduce sponsors to delegates at the event, as part of the services
  • Ask your sponsors for a “wish client list” for your sales team to contact for them
  • Offer to facilitate leverage brainstorms with their teams – eMarketing campaigns & leads back
  • Champion their sponsorships at conferences, in social media, and in industry

Who is this training for?

  • VP Sponsorship Sales
  • VP Exhibitions Sales
  • Sponsorship Sales Director
  • Exhibitions Sales Director
  • Sponsorship Sales Manager
  • Exhibitions Sales Manager
  • Sponsorship Sales Executive
  • Exhibitions Sales Executive
  • Association Directors
  • Association’s Sponsorship Director
  • Association’s Exhibitions Director
  • VP International Sponsorship Sales
  • VP International Exhibitions Sales
  • Anyone responsible for sponsorship & exhibitions sales
  • Marketing Directors
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