LinkedIn Groups

In my blog a couple weeks ago, I wrote about the benefits to be gained by joining one (…or more…) of the many sponsorship groups that LinkedIn offers up on the web. (I hope you took me up on that advice? You won't regret it.)

However, in my follow-up here to my recommendation, I also wanted to point out that while there are a lot of GOOD things to be "S&D'd" (stolen-and-duplicated) from the postings you'll see, there are also some classic philosophical mistakes being made there as well.

For example --- I was just reading one of the Group Member postings on LinkedIn's "Sponsorship Sales Professionals" membership site. It was one of those "Hey … does anyone know anyone that would be interested in sponsoring ‘xyz’?" – types of postings.

I'm not a big fan on those generic kinds of postings anyways – but today I saw a particular one that I thought was even a bit more "out" there. The writer of this blanket solicitation was asking his/her fellow members if they knew of any companies that would be interested in "Saving High School Music Programs"?

I dun'no, call me a cynic … but I've got to think that there aren't too many CEO's out there opening their Board Meetings with: "You know what we need to do? We need to save High School Music Programs!"

Not that corporates are bad guys … but frankly, the only things they want to save are their jobs! They want to stimulate their bottom lines. They want to keep their stockholders from coming after them with pitchforks! The vast majority of them lack the "fiscal latitude" that would enable them to take their eye off of their ball (their problems…) so that they can focus it on yours!

The better question to ask is, "Does anyone know anyone out there that wants to gain center-stage presence and access to 70,000 heavily-involved High School music students from coast-to-coast with a combined disposable income of $17-million dollars and a passion for buying _______?"

Now you're cooking! Almost every corporation out there is wholly fixated on what THEY need. They could care less about what YOU need! So – knowing that, put your "feelers" (…and definitely the focus of your proposals…) on how your organization, program, event, etc. can HELP THEM to accomplish THEIR objectives. (Do that well enough and it won't be long before they're helping you to accomplish YOUR objectives!)