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Expecting Proper Levels of Sponsorship Service
Phone calls go unreturned. Deadlines pass. Requests don't get fulfilled. In many cases, these scenarios describe the experiences of marketers after signing their sponsorship contracts with properties. While a great number of properties across the sports, arts, entertainment and cause spectrum have perfected the skill of quality customer service, just as many fail to deliver the kind of service that allows marketers to effectively activate and manage their sponsorships. In many cases, the lack of quality service borders on breach of contract. So what kind of service levels should a sponsor demand, rather than expect, from properties? Individual marketers can only answer that question, but why shouldn't all marketers insist on the highest levels of service. So what should you require and how do you go about managing expectations?
Money Talks: Although all sponsors should be provided quality service, the resources a property dedicates to fulfillment differ across organizations and according to the level of a sponsor's financial commitment. It certainly makes sense that a title, presenting or top-level sponsor is assigned dedicated service staff from a property, while a promotional sponsor who paid a far less costly fee shares property service resources with other lower-level sponsors. Is there a minimum fee level that dictates dedicated service staff? Probably not, but corporate marketers should have a solid understanding of how their fee compares to those of other sponsors of a property. If your financial commitment is at the top of the list, you should request, and receive, a dedicated account service manager.
Get It In Writing! Whether you have negotiated a dedicated account service manager or you simply expect certain levels and kinds of service from a property, make sure that a service/fulfillment clause is written into the contract and includes detailed service requirements. Do not reward the property by agreeing to service bonuses. Instead, add a provision that includes penalties, such as withholding of payments, if service requirements go unfulfilled.
Set Expectations Early: Soon after the contract has been signed, meet with your counterpart from the property, as well as the service manager assigned to your account, and hammer out expectations. You should determine frequency and forms of communication required (e-mail may be easier than phone calls for you), and introduce to the property staff your manager(s) who will be responsible for day-to-day management of the sponsorship.
Document Everything: Sponsors should track all communications with properties and keep records of all unfulfilled requests and requests not fulfilled in a timely manner. Immediately contact the account service manager's supervisor if you feel that your company is not being serviced properly. Documentation provides leverage when the sponsorship expires and you sit down to renegotiate. Documentation is also essential in case you are forced to take legal action.
In the end, quality sponsorship service benefits properties significantly. The challenge though is to persuade properties to think long-term and understand that adding an account manager dedicated to servicing a sponsor is not an added cost, but an investment in the longevity of a sponsorship relationship. Simply put, if the sponsor is happy with the relationship, it is more likely to renew. If the property shows through its actions (or inactions) that it was only interested in receiving the sponsor's fee, then renewal is not a probable outcome. It's also important to remember that a property's service orientation is established at the top levels of the organization. If senior property executives do not show attention to detail and are unresponsive, finding service-oriented middle managers is not likely.
