How Mulan’s Perseverance Will Land You Sponsorships
The day is here: you’re ready for a meeting with your potential sponsor.
You’re nervous, but feeling optimistic.
You’ve got all your ducks in a row:
Business plan? Check.
Contact info? Check.
Clearly defined values and mission? Check.
Yup! You’re ready.
There’s lots of buzz going on in your mind, wondering how the meeting will go. Will they love you? How many questions will they have? Will they seem skeptical? Will they invest me and my organization?
Even though you’re ready and feeling mostly confident, your nerves keep having a frustrating dialogue that could kill your vibe.
You’d just want to go into the meeting with a clear head & goal – but how can you turn off your mind, the thing that doesn’t quit?
(That’s where all your brilliant ideas came from afterall.)
When getting ready for a sponsorship meeting, the best thing you can do for yourself and the potential sponsor is to think like Mulan.
Mulan is the story of a young woman who poses as a man to go to war in place of her injured father…to preserve the family honor. While her family disagrees with her, and her approach is rather unconventional, what won't we ever see from her?
She never quits. She perseveres.
Your attitude and willingness to keep going, even when things are frustrating or when a potential prospect turns you down, will take you everywhere.
Perseverance is the key to landing any potential sponsor.
In fact, perseverance is key in all our business dealings.
When you go in with the willingness to do whatever it takes, and approach prospects with a gracious, humble attitude, you’ll come out on top!
You should be very proud of the work your organization does, but be aware that the potential sponsor does not owe you anything. Don’t go in with the attitude that your prospects' are under any obligation to you or that, if they don’t sponsor this particular event, you should automatically cross them off the list.
The idea is to woo the potential sponsor and get sponsored!
Viewing every meeting, whether you leave with a sponsor or not, as an opportunity to dig further into your goal — getting your business, book, nonprofit or dream sponsored — will help you practice and actually land future sponsors.
Just as Mulan did in her training, she never gave up. Even as she struggled more than the others, she got a good night’s rest, got up the next day and did it all over again.
She doesn’t let the buzz hold her back or affect her attitude for too long – she keeps herself focused and optimistic; this allows her to see new days and results with her opportunities each day.
And don’t get me wrong: we all have days where we feel like giving up – even the fictional Mulan did! That's okay.
If you’re having a bit of a “down” day, take a break and practice some self care.
Here are some ways to take a quick break:
- Drink one of your favorite beverages.
- Spend time with one of your favorite people to get your mind off the subject.
- Journal out your frustration.
- Go for a walk
- Watch a Disney movie 😉
- Indulge for an hour in one of your favorite hobbies.
Then, get back at it tomorrow. No one says you have to be perfect – or even that you have to be optimistic all the time.
Perseverance will get you everywhere.
