A few weeks ago, I was involved in a debate about whether there should be some kind of standardised language around what a sponsorship seeker offers. I was squarely in the “no way” camp, but it did get me thinking about what language a sponsorship seeker needs to know, and the answer to that was very clear:

To be successful, a sponsorship seeker needs to speak the sponsor’s language.

Some sponsees are already very good at this – able to go toe-to-toe with a sponsor as the rattles through the litany of corporate marketing terms. They use those terms throughout their proposals and negotiation, showcasing their professionalism and understanding of the sponsor’s needs.

But what about the rest? The sponsorship seekers without the corporate marketing experience? Well, I’m here to tell you that sponsor-speak isn’t really that difficult, and if you can do it, you will increase the level of professionalism you bring to every discussion and every proposal.

To that end, I’ve formulated a list of some of the most common terms you’ll hear from a corporate marketer. You can download it right here:

Cheat Sheet: Marketing Terms a Sponsorship Seeker Must Know

If you read a national advertising (bi)weekly – and you should – you’ll come across these terms regularly. I’ve left out the most obvious terms and concentrated on the ones that can be very important in a sponsorship conversation, but are not necessarily clear.

If you’ve been in the sponsorship industry for some time, this list probably won’t be that useful to you. If not, this cheat sheet just might help you sound like the marketing peer that you are.