Remember that sponsorship is not fundraising. Too often clubs try to get sponsorship by saying ‘what do we want to do and who are we going to get to pay for it’. This approach sometimes raises money but not commercial sponsorship.

A company should be getting at least £1 of publicity for every £1 of sponsorship.

Clubs should be saying ‘what does company X want or need to achieve and how can we help it achieve that objective?’ Not only will companies’ money be used more effectively, but the club will be more attractive to other companies. Keep thinking about profile and media coverage.

Read our guide to sponsorship and partnership marketing for further guidance on this area.

Hints

• Start a press cutting file and demonstrate that you get coverage as a club.
• Approach a company for advertising then give them necessary information on target audiences and events. Get them interested then draw them in. Show them how much publicity you get.
• Keep an accurate record of who you have approached, the response, whether it just wasn’t the right time for the company or whether the club’s aims and objectives did not match the company’s.
• Good sponsorship letters contain realistic, itemised targets and demonstrate the attraction and value to the sponsor. Bad sponsorship letters are vague, contain little to attract the sponsor and are not followed up by the originator.