04/23/2024

New Rules for Association Sales Staff

The playbook for today’s sales and sponsorship teams is being rewritten

A strategic mindset and creativity are essential traits for association sales and sponsorship teams in 2024. Potential partners have much higher ROI expectations when investing in associations these days—and demand a much bigger bang for their buck.

That is why Brittany Shoul and her sales team at MCI partner with associations to design innovative sponsorship opportunities. Shoul, who is senior vice president, revenue strategy and operations, in the company's Sales Solutions for Associations Division, recently led the creation of unique sponsorships at a healthcare association client. After noticing that attendees of their annual conference exhibited particularly high energy and were looking for new ways to engage with each other, Shoul and her team created a "play space" in the exhibit hall, complete with interactive lawn games and a ball pit. Each game was "sponsored" by one of the association's partners—and those sponsors appreciated the stand-out brand activations that allowed attendees to create a memorable experience.

For sales-savvy associations, "the key component is an active outbound sales effort," said Shoul. Every customer "is weighing the value of the ROI of their sponsorship investments, advertisements, and partnerships," so association sales teams must "connect the dots between the member experience and what sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers bring to the table."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.