WINNING SPONSORSHIP RECIPES!

How to cook up million$ in new non traditional sponsorships for sports, event, and media properties!

by sales coach z

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The Non Traditional Recipe2

Once the beverage, car, telecommunication and other major sponsor categories are sold, how do you grow sponsor revenue? This notebook contains sold non traditional sponsorship sales case I closed from the years 2000 to 2009. The Lord blessed me with an ability to create “something from nothing” when it come to selling sponsorships and I want to share my stories with others. I am not sure how it happens but my mind becomes full of new sponsorship ideas and how to make these ideas profitable.

My prayer is you read this notebook and it not only helps you sell a new sponsorship, but inspires you to share your success with others so they may prosper.

Winning Sales Recipes Author.3

Author: Rich Zellmer background:

Developed life long passion for sports after listening to 1965 Minnesota Twins World Series games on the radio during 2nd grade class “quiet time.”

Started sales career selling temporary employment services door to door in downtown Minneapolis, MN. Hitch hiked to Arizona from Minnesota as a college drop out at age 18. 1 of 12 employees selected to start the highly successful Minnesota Timberwolves season and group ticket

marketing campaigns. The franchise set a one season attendance record that still stands today! Started and directed a model youth sports marketing program that annually sold 17,000 group tickets,

enrolled 1700 youth in summer basketball day camps, and sold 9500 membership fees to statewide community basketball groups.

Special Events Director for Minneapolis / St. Paul Big Brothers and Sisters. Planned, implemented and evaluated event sponsorships and fundraisers to generate over $550,000 in annual revenue.

Collaborated with City of St. Paul mayors office to start a popular “Night Moves” basketball league for inner city youth.

Led Minnesota Vikings corporate sponsorship sales staff in most new sponsorship revenue sold four straight years. Closed 40 new sponsors and billed over $4 million in new multi media revenue.

Started Sales Coach Z.com in 2007 with focus on writing creative sponsorship proposals and marketing plans for organizations seeking new sports, media, and event sponsorships.

Entering 4th season as a high school girls basketball coach. Went back to college and earned a BA Degree in 1984. Single dad to daughter Eva for 23 years. One of 10 children raised on a farm south of St. Paul, MN.

The sponsorship recipe.4

Sponsorship marketing is mostly about creating ways for sponsors to tap into the excitement of a

sports, special event or media promotion. As a basis for starting the sponsorship development process, I produced a simple starter recipe on the next page. Again, when all the major sponsor categories are sold, it’s our job to make a sale using creativity. I believe almost any business category is a sponsor prospect.

The Sponsorship Starter Recipe.5

Start your sponsorship sales development process by following the simple model below. I call this exercise M3. The sample M3 exercise below is helpful in securing the attention of a prospect and securing a first appointment!

MARKET MESSAGE METHOD

(prepare a market list) (stir in a creative message) (mix in appropriate media)

e.g. Moving Companies e.g. “they move the chains, e.g. in stadium PA’s, print ad

we move the rest” TV, radio spots.

Market: Find as many competitors in same market as you can with the idea one brand will want to “own” the message while at the same time you create competition for the sponsorship.

Message: The message you come up with is key to drawing interest. “They move the chains, we move the rest” is from the Barrett sponsorship you will read later in this notebook.

Method: Use a method of media the prospect normally uses and invite them to try new methods of media (yours!).

NOTE: I use this M3 sponsorship starter for all the sold recipes you’ll read about later.

The Proactive Recipe

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The reason I think M3 works so well is based on the fact most of your sales prospects

won’t call you back or they are hard to reach. Rather than leave repeated messages on a prospect’s voice mail, prepare a proactive and creative M3 model for the prospect to consider. The key to the M3 model is coming up with a strong creative message. After you complete the market, message and method exercise sheet on previous page, follow the sales cadence on the next page.

Now you have produced a proactive sales process (M3) and you’re delivering marketing solutions, not waiting for people to call you back. Successful sales are proceeded by organized and creative marketing like the M3 sponsorship starter offers.

The Sales Cadence Recipe

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You filled out a M3 exercise and have a creative message, what’s next? I suggest you follow the sales cadence recipe outlined below to stand out among your competitors. It’s low key, very professional, and it works if you follow up!

1st) First, call, mail, fax or email a prospect this message: “I have a creative solution to one of your marketing challenges. I am sending it your way right now and will follow up in a few days to discuss the idea. My name is Rich and thanks in advance for looking at it. Goodbye.”

2nd) Use all available sales tools to send the idea to a prospect. (Mail it, email, fax it, or drop off the idea).

3rd) 2-3 days after sending the idea to the prospect, follow up and say: “This is Rich Zellmer following up to let you know I am available to meet next Tuesday morning or Thursday afternoon to discuss the Moving Company idea I sent you. Let me know what times works for you. Goodbye.”

4th) I can’t say this enough, secure a second appointment before you leave the first appointment. The second appointment is when you cover costs and details of the sponsorship idea. Use the first appointment to explain the idea but mostly listen to the prospect.

5th) If you don’t secure a face to face appointment after 2-3 days don’t call and leave more voice mail messages. Find another sales tool to get their attention (cold call, mail, fax, email, etc.) and move onto another prospect in your market list!

“SOLD” Recipes

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In the next pages I reproduced actual sponsorships I sold with the Minnesota Vikings, WCCO Radio

and now as a consultant (Sales Coach Z). I feel sponsor prospects buy creative ideas so I spend a lot of time developing the “message” part of the M3 model. I think sponsors buy unique ideas that make them stand out from their competitors.

Many of the following recipes relate to sports but I feel the M3 model will work for event and media sellers just as well. Follow the M3 model, the suggested sales cadence and you’ll see new sales if you follow up.

Call or write me any time for help on developing the market, message and method of the M3 model for a prospect you’re working on.

Sales Coach Z

Follow up & stand out.

T: 952-905-4333

E: rich@salescoachz.com

W: www.salescoachz.com

The Coffee Recipe

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Convenience stores advertise to get customers inside to buy incremental items like coffee, donuts, snacks, etc. Consider creating an “official coffee” campaign to get consumers into C stores by using your property network radio to reach travelers. I got this official coffee idea by visiting a C store and saw “Karuba”, the name for their private label coffee. I developed the idea from there.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a coffee/ tea/ energy drink deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of convenience store brands, the more the better.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “the official coffee of the team radio network.”

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used two radio network in game spots and two in game live reads by a former pro player.

Add the spice of a signing bonus as an incentive for the company to sign up now. In this case I offered the sponsor the opportunity to hand out free coffee sample coupons to fans before the game outside our stadium if they signed the radio network deal now!

Recipe note: This C store signed two successive three year deals because they loved the campaign, especially the live reads by the color announcer, a former star player with our team.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer about the Kwik Trip partnership. Recipe revenue potential: $540,000 over 6 years.

The Moving Company Recipe

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Why would a moving company consider sports marketing? The answer is a moving company can sponsor a football team offensive line so each time the offensive line moves the ball for 100 yards, the moving company donates $100 to a non profit agency. The idea started when I sent a moving company president a congrats note on his recent job promotion (listed in the newspaper business section called “people on the move”. Always read the newspaper business section and you’ll see the names of people on the move who want to leave a mark on their company tenure, perhaps by using a sponsorship!

Ingredients you’ll need to close a similar deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of moving and storage companies, the more the better.

2) The Message: Stir in a creative message like “they move the chains-we move the rest.”

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used in game stadium scoreboard pictures, announcements, and in stadium publication print ad.

Add the spice of a signing bonus as an incentive for the company to sign up now. In this case I offered season long stadium plaza space to display one of their moving trucks and hand out free key chains to fans.

Recipe note: The moving company also received our team logo rights and re-produced the team logo on hundreds of toy trucks. The moving company commercial and residential sales reps used the toy trucks as leave behinds for sales calls.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer for a picture of the toy truck and details on the Barrett Moving and Storage partnership.

Recipe revenue potential: $110,000 over three years.

The Co-op Recipe

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Amtrak and White Castle were interested in a M3 plan I called “Road Trip.” Radio listeners were instructed to visit a nearby White Castle stores and enter to win the free drawing for two Amtrak tickets (Minneapolis to Chicago) to see their favorite football team play the Bears. Amtrak and White Castle agreed to pool their resources and split the media and promotion 50/50.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a Road Trip deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of mass transit brands, bus, train, plane and restaurant brands.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “win a road trip.”

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used Monday – Friday run of station radio spots. Amtrak and White Castle also had :30 spots network radio PIP spots (Pre-In-Post) during Vikings play by play radio broadcasts for four weeks.

Recipe note: Use this recipe for two sponsors with limited year end funds who can agree to share the campaign media.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer about Amtrak and White Castle partnership. Recipe revenue potential: $30,000 over one football season.

The 10 second Recipe.

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I attended a Radio Advertising Bureau sales seminar in Florida in 2003. During a break out session a national retail store media buyer gave some great advice. He claimed you have 10 seconds or less to make a positive impression on his voice mail. If you ramble on any further than 10 seconds he deletes your phone message without listening to the full message. As a result, I use this simple voice message one time when I get a media buyers voice mail.

Sample: “Rita, I have a unique marketing solution to one of your marketing challenges and I am sending it to you. I will follow up in 2-3 days to answer your questions about the proposed solution. My name is Rich and thanks for your time.”

This 10 second rule ultimately landed the Kwik Trip Karuba Coffee sponsorship.

Use the same message in text from on your emails, direct mail, faxes, etc. The key is to follow up in 2-3 days like you said you would and ask for a 1st appointment. Get a 2nd appointment before you leave the first appointment!

The Renewal Recipe

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Don’t discount trade offers from sponsor prospects and here’s why. A major camera store chain offered to produce 65,000 sports team photos as a free hand out for fans at a home game. Another team sponsor, TRANE, was looking for added value before they agreed to renew their network radio buy. To renew TRANE, I offered to put their TRANE logo on the 65,000 team photos donated by the camera store and TRANE renewed for another year. It’s important to value trade proposals from prospective sponsors and use them to renew existing sponsors!

Ingredients you’ll need to close a renewal deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of sponsors up for renewal. Prepare another list of proposed trade offers from prospects who won’t commit to a cash but will donate services.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “free team photo giveaway is sponsored by TRANE.”

3) The Method: Show the renewal sponsor (TRANE) all the ways you intend to promote the message (radio, in stadium, print ad, etc.)

Add the spice of a signing bonus as an incentive for the company to renew now. In this case I offered TRANE the idea their sales reps could use the team photos as a unique leave behind item to HVAC dealers.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer about the TRANE / PROEX renewal sponsorship. Recipe revenue potential: A $90,000 network radio renewal buy was saved!

The Party Pavilion Recipe

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During a windy Minnesota spring day our rented corporate hospitality tent almost blew over on our VIP sponsors as they watched a team practice. This close call gave me an idea to prospect commercial pavilion builders. Lester Building Systems agreed to build our team a permanent outdoor Party Pavilion on our team practice site. The Party Pavilion they built was about 40 feet wide by 60 feet long and served as our new hospitality event home at our team training facility.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a Party Pavilion deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of commercial outdoor storage / pavilion builders.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “the official PARTY PAVILION of the team.”

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used radio network in game spots and the pavilion builder used our team logo on their web site to draw attention to their products and services.

Add the spice of a signing bonus as an incentive for the company to sign up now. In this case I offered the builder two free Pavilion Parties at our team training facility to entertain their employees, customers and key prospects during team practices.

Recipe note: The storage builder signed a 3 year deal and included photos of the completed Party Pavilion and our team logo on their web site.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer about the Lester Building Systems sponsorship. Recipe revenue potential: $75,000 in cash over three years plus construction of a free pavilion

building worth about $105,000.

Rose are Red Recipe

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I’ve always thought season ticket holders are the core of sports marketing success. Sponsorships are easier to market when the stadium is full of fans. I think season ticket buyers should get recognized before home games. So, as I walked out our office one day, a women walked in to deliver roses to a team employee and an idea was born. I followed up with her and her floral company with an M3 idea. The florist secured her rose supplier to co-op a season long in stadium promotion thanking our team ticket holders. Before each home game, one season ticket holder from our original season (1961) was selected to go down to the field and receive red roses as a thank you for their continued support. A still picture of the on field presentation was shown with a text message and public address statement describing the promotion.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a season ticket sponsorship deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of florists, jewelry and gift shop stores.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “The official florist of the team.” Our team also agreed to use their floral services for all our special event needs.

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used in stadium scoreboard text messages, photos and a print ad to promote the florist products.

Follow up and ask Z about the FTD partnership. Recipe revenue potential: $25,000 for one year.

The Run of Team Recipe

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Radio stations offer a run of station (ROS) ad campaigns so I came up with a “run of team” package for an appliance store. With their investment I offered a mix of unsold radio and TV spots on a game by game, week by week basis. I came up with the idea because the store ad agency alternated media buys based on their in store promotions so they needed media flexibility.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a Run of Team deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of appliance stores in your market.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “get your team magnet schedule at the (brand) appliance store.”

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used flagship radio and pre-game TV spots.

Recipe note: The appliance store also sponsored 65,000 free team magnet schedules given away at our first home game.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer about the Appliance Smart partnership. Recipe revenue potential: $35,000 per year.

The Roast ‘n Toast Recipe

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A health clinic launched a new eye clinic exam service and wanted to promote the clinics to college football fans. The clinics wanted more value than play by play radio spots. It so happened our play by play announcer, Ray Christiansen, was retiring after many years behind the mike. I asked Ray if we could “roast him” during a weekday luncheon and allow the eye clinic to sponsor the roast. Ray agreed to the event. We charged fans to see the luncheon and raised $9,000 for the Ray’s chosen charity, the University of Minnesota Athletic Fund. The health clinic VIP presented Ray with an oversized check at the end of the luncheon and was very proud to be associated with the event.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a roast deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of eye clinic sponsors.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “the (brand) eye clinic sponsors today’s umpires/ referees.”

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used flagship radio spots, and Monday – Friday “roast” event promos on our flagship station mentioning that Ray’s roast was sponsored by the eye clinic.

Recipe note: I did a similar roast event for 1996 PGA Player of the Year Tom Lehman as a consultant developing new membership plans for a private health and fitness club. Tom’s roast raised $10,000 for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund and we closed 6 new memberships as a result of the roast.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer about the Health Partners “roast” sponsorship. Recipe revenue potential: $35,000 per year in radio spots.

The Cause Marketing Recipe

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The media buyer for a large bed brand ignored my radio and TV sponsorship proposals for two years. One day I went to the prospect’s web site and found their press release page and a PR contact. I called the PR contact and told her I was sending her a plan to raise money for their chosen charity (Ronald MacDonald House). She liked to sponsorship idea and brought it to their company president who approved the deal.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a cause marketing deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of sponsors who have said no, find their PR contact, and chosen charity.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “Ronald MacDonald House representatives are stationed at gate entrances to accept your kind donations as you enter the stadium.”

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the message. In this case we used a one day “Gameday” sponsorship package of in stadium TV commercials, exterior stadium signage and exterior public address announcements.

Recipe note: There are usually multiple company contacts to approach and they each have separate budgets to purchase sponsorships. 1) the company president likes the idea 2) the advertising director likes the media 3) the community relations manager seeks out good causes 4) the sales director can use the event to entertain key customers 5) the company ad agency can use the event to place appropriate media, in this case, in stadium TV spots.

Follow up and ask Z about the Select Comfort sponsorship.

Recipe potential: $30,000 for a one day “Gameday” sponsorship.

The Vendor List Recipe

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This one is easy. Walk down the hall and visit with your accounts payable person to review the list of vendors your property uses for everyday services or products. On this occasion, I noticed a security firm on the list. I called their company president and invited him to be a long term vendor and sponsor with our property and he accepted the offer.

Ingredients you’ll need to close a vendor deal:

1) The Market: Prepare a list of property vendors.

2) The Message: Stir in a message like “official security service of (your property)

3) The Method: Mix in the appropriate media method to promote the vendor message. In this case, the security vendor used our team logo in all his print ads.

Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer about Avalon Security sponsorship.

Recipe revenue potential: $75,000 over three years.

The Proposal Recipe

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Once you secure a 2nd appointment, it’s time to formulate a proposal. I suggest you keep proposals short (10-12 pages) and write the proposal from the perspective of what’s in it for the prospect and resist the urge to brag about “your famous franchise, event or media property.” My point is this, whether your team wins or loses, the prospect wants to see the solutions you propose and how they address their marketing needs.

The first page of your proposal states the campaign, something like The O’Reilly Auto Parts Gaining Ground on Diabetes Campaign “a season long cause marketing and network radio campaign to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes” proposed by (your name and property) on this date.

The last page should include a signing bonus. (see next page). How you write pages 2-9 is an art and needs special attention. Follow up and ask Rich Zellmer for a copy of the O’Reilly Auto Parts proposal.

The Signing Bonus Recipe.

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A signing bonus should be included on the last page of your sponsorship proposals. Prospects buy ideas and if you supplement good ideas (M3) with a signing bonus of value your proposal will stand out.

As a signing bonus example, I offered a real estate condo development company “naming rights” to our play by play broadcast booth for one month if they signed on for a season long buy. The team radio broadcast booth naming rights signing bonus went like this after a radio break:

Play by Play announcer: “Welcome back to the Tallahassee Ranch broadcast booth and FSU football.”

During each broadcast the “Tallahassee Ranch” live liner was repeated 42 times per game. That’s added value and a great reason for a prospect to sign an annual deal!

Call or write me to discuss other popular signing bonuses I use.

A Pricing Recipe.

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How do you determine the value and pricing of a proposal? Let’s say the prospect uses network radio as their media method and one in game radio network spot per broadcast is $2500. The partnership price for 20 games is $50,000. One strategy I use is to close a multi year deal is to “discount” the price $5000 to $45,000 based on a signed three year deal. Let’s say the prospect wants to beat you up on pricing and reduce the cost, I suggest your comeback is to say the package price (e.g. $45,000) will actually increase to $50,000 for a one year deal. In the ideal world, the prospect chooses the $45,000 three year deal. If they choose one year for $50,000 you still get rate card price for the deal so you win either way. Another key is to add a signing bonus. A signing bonus with great value can close the deal, e.g. “With this three year proposal sponsor receives an annual road trip for two on the team plane to Chicago. What a great sales contest prize for the top 4th quarter salesperson!”

Negotiate the sponsorship price from a position of strength, meaning a three year deal with a great signing bonus.

The L.C.P.A. Recipe.23

The counselor sales training seminar I attended in 1989 is the same selling method I use today. The theory of counselor selling is sales people act as a product and services resource to prospects to build a trusting relationship.

Use first appointments with prospects to present your M3 idea and then listen during the 1st appointment. Let the prospect talk and tell you about their marketing challenges. It’s your job (during a second appointment) to counsel them on how your products and services will solve their challenges.

I hope this counselor selling acronym helps; L.C.P.A.

L= Listen to what prospects have to say about their challenges and what’s missing from their campaigns, actually close your lips while they talk.

C= Clarify. Repeat back to the prospect exactly what they just said so you understand their marketing issues.

P= Present your solution.

A= Ask for the order this way, “I will draw up an agreement for your approval so we can get started.”

My mom’s recipes.24

My late mom, Betty, raised 10 kids on a dairy farm outside of St. Paul, Minnesota. She was a

master at creating great recipes from scratch. I wrote Winning Sponsorship Recipes as a way to continue Betty’s tradition of sharing successful recipes with others. To increase new sponsorship sales, each time a new sponsorship is sold call a quick sales staff meeting to detail how the sale started and closed. This process takes the mystery out of sponsorship sales and helps your sales staff understand how creativity and professional persistence pays off!

A Thank You Recipe.25

I would like to thank those people who have helped me along in the exciting industry of sports & event

marketing. Many of their ideas are found in different aspects of this notebook. Thanks to Mike Harmon, Eva Zellmer, Will Hamilton, Tim Leiweke, and Dick Carlson for their training and support.

By the way, write me and request a copy of a really unique Thank You / direct mail piece I send to sponsorship prospects and customers.

Sales Coach Z

Follow up & stand out.

E: rich@salescoachz.com

W: www.salescoachz.com

P: 952-905-4333

20 More Recipes

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Would you like step by step details on 20 more sold recipes by Sales Coach Z? Invite Z to visit with and train your sales force for a day, week, or month and Z will bring along 20 more sold recipes not described in this notebook!

Z guarantee’s his sales camp will result in closing $100,000 in new sponsorships for your property within one year or you get the training fee refunded.

Training and consulting rates are customized to meet your budget and time constraints.

New Sponsor Revenue Potential from a Sales Coach Z Sponsorship Sales Camp: $4 million and 40 new sponsors.

Sales Coach Z Sales Camp Signing Bonus

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Schedule a sponsorship sales camp with Sales Coach Z before October 1, 2009 and receive his group ticket sales notebook & group ticket seminar FREE!

STANDING ROOM ONLY!How to sell 34,000 group tickets to youth

sports leagues.