Do your due-diligence and make sure the prospective sponsor is a viable prospect before entering into a negotiation.
Establish more than one contact with each prospective sponsor in case your contact leaves his or her position.
Target companies with the same target demographic, geographic location and psychographics. Always target brands that are the right fit for your project.
Research company sponsorship histories; search the web, newspapers, magazines and any other industry-specific publications. Who did they sponsor? How much did they spend? What type of event was it? What was the demographic?
Be professional at all times, spell check your emails, letters and proposal before presenting them to prospective sponsors.
Know your bottom line and don’t agree to less than what your sponsorship packages are worth.
Determine an extra bonus with considerable value to the sponsors that can tip the negotiations in your favor. Consider this bonus your secret weapon to secure sponsorships.