Study the CEO, Not the Website

In my session on Storytelling and Sponsorships during last month's Non Dues-a-Palooza I recommended that association sponsorship executives focus more on the CEO as opposed to the website. This advice holds true for all business development executives as well. 

If you want your sponsorship outreach and proposals to resonate, dig into what the corporate sponsor’s CEO is saying—in interviews, earnings calls, LinkedIn posts, or press releases.

The website might give you background, but the CEO gives you real-time priorities:

 🎯 Strategic and business objective direction

 🌍 CSR focus

 📈 Growth markets of interest that may align with your association's industry

 🤝 Partnership goals

💡 Pro tip: Build your outreach around their words. Quote them. Reflect their focus. Align your mission with what they care about right now.

That’s how you move from ignored to invited.