Winning sponsors that would finance all of your floorball club’s costs is a heavy struggle. But what do such companies actually look for? What are the criteria making them pick you instead of your local competition?
Of course, it’s helpful to be a club with plenty of members and successful teams in all categories. However, you somehow have to get there, right? Check these rules.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
1. Communicate professionally
If you’re unable to communicate yourself properly, why should anyone believe, you will be able to communicate a sponsor. It’s about the first impression. Create some solid Corporate Design (logo, colors, fonts etc.) and set up working tools (website, newsletter, flyers etc.). A professional sponsoring map summarizing all information and marketing possibilities will help to make a sponsor focus on your strong sides. It will also give him the feeling, that he knows all he needs to know.
2. Sell publicity
Sponsors love full halls of cheering fans and illustrated articles in significant media. But what if you lack a high number of supporters and the national press is not really interested in you? With clever marketing you can create a solid reach on various social media channels. The attractivity of these platforms gets bigger, because the importance of digital campaigns grows from day to day. Try to share photo galleries and highlight clips. Floorball media and other clubs love to share this stuff and by that they will help the publicity of your sponsors, too.
3. Divergency control
Proper analytic tools and even the basic services of Facebook & Co. allow you to provide your sponsor with valuable information about the demographics of your followers. With this information you can approach exactly those companies, who want to reach customers matching your followers.
4. Provide visualization
Let the sponsor experience your vivid club life. If that’s not possible provide your sponsoring map with professional photos and share a bold promo video. The sponsor will feel more confident about imagining what all this is about. Not knowing enough leads to skepticism and negative decisions. Provide positive examples of how the sponsor can be presented by your club. Besides, until you acquire regular sponsors, try to fill your advertisement channels with free or cheap sponsorings. Blank spots on your jerseys or rink elements create doubt – there has to be a reason, nobody is advertising there, right?
5. Events and Incentives
Offer your sponsor the possibility of incentives. A car dealer will appreciate your guys organizing a speed shooting contest at his store anniversary. A dentist will love to send his team to a fun floorball training. A sports reseller will enjoy a club day at his store. On the other side sponsors like the opportunity to present themselves with a stand or a proper promo action at live events. Adjust your home arena in a way sponsors can exhibit their services properly.
6. Offer benefits
Free VIP tickets are fine, but not enough. Grant the employees of your sponsor some kind of member benefits. Companies always look for free or cheap specials for their staffs. If you’re lucky you’ll win new full members and strengthen the bond between your club and the sponsor.
7. Open networks
Some companies sponsor not to promote their product but to get into contact with other local businesses. For optimal networking you should organize sponsor events or VIP activities and win local decision makers for selected events. For this purpose you can also found something some teams call „Club100“. For a cheap fee companies (that wouldn’t support you otherwise) become your smallest possible sponsor. Then they are a part of your sponsor network, they let it grow and make it more attractive to bigger sponsors.
8. Stay flexible
It’s always reasonable to provide your potential sponsors with clear numbers and special offers about how much what activity costs. But point out that you are flexible in finding individual solutions. Besides, often you don’t need a classic financial support. If a car dealer offers you a free car rental or a nutrition company provides you with free energy snacks, perhaps it’s something you needed anyways.
9. Push Sales
For a certain kind of sponsor, such as floorball brands or resellers, their cooperation only pays off if your club or his members buy enough material during the duration of your contract. Try to support the sales of your sponsor i.e. by informing your members about the benefits they have or including his ads in your newsletter. If your sponsor is happy and he makes the sales he needs you might be able demand a higher investment next time.
10. Transfer your image
When your club reaches a proper size and a certain status it becomes interesting for companies looking for an image transfer. This means that a brand wants to cooperate with you to take over your positive features in the eyes of their potential customers. Therefore your club’s Corporate Identity such communicate features such as „hip“, „dynamic“ or „innovative“ and implement them into your daily business.
11. Become friends
We started with proper communication and we’re ending with proper communication. It’s in the interest of both parties to develop long-term relationships. To do so you need to analyze and evaluate your cooperation continuously. Have a responsible contact person that is able to deal with sponsors in an honest and professional way.