Preparing for your initial call with a contact from a brand is a very important part of the sales cycle. You should fully plan out your initial sales pitch prior to calling a lead, and have specific goals in mind that you want to accomplish during the call.
Be prepared to concisely explain how your offering will meet the brand's marketing goals, and what overall value a partnership with you will deliver.
You want to use the initial call as an opportunity for further qualification. Ask about the individual's role at the company and confirm that they are the appropriate decision maker to discuss these types of partnerships. You don’t want to spend weeks or even months talking to a person who doesn’t have the authority to approve a sponsorship deal like yours.
Ask about their brand's marketing goals and any specific interests they have.
Ask about their budget, and be prepared to explain what other sponsors have paid for offerings similar to yours. Asking for budget guidelines can sometimes feel awkward, but this really needs to be discussed as it makes no sense for you to discuss their goals and objectives and then present a proposal that is far above their budget.
Asking how they measure Return on Investment (ROI) for their sponsorship deals is very important for both parties, as these methodologies can vary greatly from one sponsor to another.
Discuss the assets you have to offer and how those assets will help the sponsor meet their objectives. Do you have assets that they currently utilize in comparative markets or can you create them if necessary? Outline the audience demographics of your event and include important information such as the amount of fans, paid attendees, social media followers, media, etc. Explain what methods you will use to measure the success of the event, and confirm that the sponsor agrees with your approach.
Your goal should be to finish the call with an agreement that you’ll submit a formal proposal to the decision maker that outlines all the key items you discussed. Try to schedule a follow-up so you can discuss your proposal and answer any questions.