Corporate support proposals are often thought of as a key part of the selling process. In fact, they are part of the implementation process. Your sales efforts will include the conversations you have with a prospect to understand what they want to achieve with a sponsorship, and how they are currently marketing to meet those goals.
The proposal is what comes next. It’s a written statement of the conceptual agreement you’ve already gained in your needs analysis with your prospect. When a proposal is done well, it’s easy to get to ‘yes.’
Before All Else: The Needs Analysis
If you have not reached a conceptual agreement and understanding with the client before presenting a proposal, your written document is unlikely to meet your client’s needs and may waste both of your time. A well-conducted needs analysis and meeting of the minds with your client before you write your proposal is the critical foundation for any proposal.
What Your Proposal Should Accomplish
The purpose of a proposal is to:
- Demonstrate that you have listened to your client, understand what they need and how they are marketing, and feel confident about what you can provide.
- Reaffirm the conceptual agreement and understanding already gained from prior meetings/conversations.
- Explain the options you have and how you can help the client reach their stated goals.
- Clearly state the sponsorship investment you’re inviting the client to make.
- Formally sign off and launch the partnership.
Additionally, your proposal can serve as a persuasive document that can be shared with others who have not been part of the decision-making process.