The Power of "Three"

In a meeting earlier today, the head of a sponsorship agency told me that he runs his firm by the motto "three good sentences." Why? Once when he was selling his sponsorship opportunity, the head of a buy-side agency told him that in a first sales call -- it's the first three sentences that matter. He went on to say that you can generally express the most important part of your sponsorship opportunity in three good sentences.

Recalling back to my agency days - getting introduced to people and opportunities through 20 page powerpoints - I really like the basic premise of three good sentences (although we could probably grant you an extra sentence or two). As sponsorship sales professionals we sometimes get stuck in the idea that properties should "dazzle" prospective sponsors with detailed research and tailored proposals. By the time you get to your "hook", the sponsor may be too deep into the weeds to see the true value of your opportunity. Pretend you're an entrepreneur and you've got a 20 second elevator pitch to convince your client to invest (sponsor). In today's immediate satisfaction age where newsfeeds, soundbites and twitter dominate; don't underestimate the ability of a compelling hook right out of the gate.

Do you have three good sentences?