"Can you do me some free print?"

In my line of business I am often contacted by individuals and charities asking me to produce free print. Every cause is as deserving as the next but what really frustrates me in the majority of cases is the way in which the matter of 'sponsorship' is approached.

I've had everything from one line tweets to demanding phone calls. I even had one guy put the phone down on me when I explained that not only do we already have a charity we work with (The Tree Appeal) but that his opening statement ("We're looking for free print") was hardly compelling at a time when many printers are laying off or going bust.

Let's be clear about what 'sponsorship' entails. It should be mutually beneficial, should be relevant to the sponsor and it should create a commercial advantage for the sponsor. It is not a donation and it is not a given right. It is a business relationship.

As such, when approaching a potential sponsor, it is important that you do it in exactly the same way as you would approach a potential client. It requires research, planning, a considered pitch and relationship building. And crucially, when you win your sponsor be sure to deliver on what's agreed in return.

So, what will create a compelling pitch? Here are a few pointers on how to get those crucial funds and contributions:

• Research the company - don't assume that because a company has something that you want, that they will necessarily be interested in what you do. They will need to feel an empathy or affinity with your cause and if they're already involved with another charity then they may not want to spread their budget to others.

• Be prepared - have a pitch prepared, know your 'facts and figures', have an idea of what type and level of contribution you're looking for and be ready to answer questions about the charity and its cause. 
  
  
• Reciprocal offer - believe it or not but "we'll let you put your logo on the leaflets for free" is not particularly persuasive! When you ask for a contribution, it's likely the potential sponsor will be weighing up the level of return they could generate in other ways with that money.
  
  You will need to be very clear and structured about how you will promote your sponsor. Some ways that offer a valuable return are:
  
  • Doing a PR piece with your sponsor for the local papers and publications
  • Getting onto local radio and bringing your sponsor with you to talk about your cause
  • Introducing your sponsor to your business contacts so that they might win new clients and opportunities
  • Including your sponsors logo, website link and contact details on your website, marketing materials, email footer, event invites, event banner stands, projected onto a screen, t-shirts
  • Involving your sponsor. Invite them to the event, let them bring their clients (great networking opportunity) and ask them to address your audience
  • Being sure to understand your sponsors business, mention your sponsor during public addresses and champion what they do
  • Encouraging your sponsor to use your charity's name to demonstrate their corporate responsibility to the business community and potential clients

• Deliver! - once you've agreed the sponsorship package, make sure you do everything you've agreed. It is failure in this area that has left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to sponsorship and whilst it can be difficult when you're so focused on running the event, it's crucial to obtaining future sponsorship and maintaining a good relationship with local businesses.

There's actually a lot of work involved in looking after sponsors - they are, after all, investing in your cause - but building a mutually beneficial relationship with a company can do wonders for both parties - it just takes the right attitude.

For the record, Tree Appeal is perfect for us - it reflects our ethos and approach, allows us to give back what we take out of the environment, allows us to win work from clients interested in ethical suppliers and we even get to meet the charity's patron, Sir David Bellamy! What more can you ask for?

Until next time!

Sarah