A sponsorship search can be daunting, but if you approach it methodically, managing it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In the past, we have used what we call a “Sponsorship Hit List” to manage our searches. Typically, we will create this hit list in a spreadsheet program. This hit list is intended to help you keep track of who you have approached for sponsorship dollars, where you are in the pitch process, and what follow-up is needed and when. It can be managed either by an individual or a group.
In our hit lists, we include the following fields:
- Company
- Contact
- Phone
- Date Information Sent
- Notes
- Follow-up Date
- Status
- Invoiced
- Paid
Of course, you can include whatever fields make the most sense to you and your process. The important thing to remember is that you need to have a fairly refined pitch process that you move prospects through. The more organized your process it, the more quickly and easily you will be able to identify good prospects and focus energy and attention on them.