FAQ

Three DIGITAL-only intakes per year from 2023: January, June and September – next course starts January

Who is the ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate aimed at?

The ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate is a practical course that has been developed to support the needs of those involved in sales and sponsorship. Aimed at those who either currently work in a sales position in the sector or those who wish to practise in this industry, it covers areas such as how to develop your sponsorship proposition, tailoring proposals and presenting, as well as many other insights.

How heavy is the workload?

The ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate is designed with the knowledge that the majority of candidates will be in full-time employment, so care is taken to ensure that the workload will not interfere with ongoing work commitments. Participants will be given short exercises to undertake between sessions and we would envisage a further 90 minutes commitment in time be spent between sessions. The preparation for the final assessment will amalgamate these exercises and would probably require a further half day of preparation time. There are 12 digital course videos across the eight modules – approximately four hours of viewing. We estimate this course will require a total of 15-20 hours’ study.

How is the course structured?

The course is held over a four week period, with one seminar taking place each week for four weeks. At the end of the course, there will be an oral and written assessment, with each candidate delivering a presentation to a panel of three assessors.

Online-only course participants will be offered a weekly group ‘digital hangout’ and your final presentation for assessment by the panel will be delivered via Zoom.

When and where will the seminars take place?

The timetable for the seminars is published before the course starts.

ONLINE ONLY courses: weekly modules will be released online followed by a group ‘digital hangout’.

LIVE courses: four seminars will be held in the mornings, in London, England.

What will I gain from doing the ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate?

An ability to:
– Show a clear understanding of sponsorship trends and best practice
– Tailor proposals for each client and adapt to a variety of objectives
– Display enhanced negotiation skills and pricing techniques
– Present with confidence and exhibit the skills needed to secure sponsorship and win pitches.

How is the course assessed?

Participants are assessed on a range of verbal and written sponsorship sales skills at the end of the course, including:

• Ability to demonstrate understanding of a client brief and ability to connect proposition to objectives
• Creative approach to sponsorship sales; ability to offer flexible solutions
• Confidence and authority in a live presentation environment
• Product knowledge
• Professionalism
• Commercial acumen
• Ability to answer Q&A sessions.

Course attendees will be given a selection of sponsorship briefs from which they select one. Attendees are requested to supply a written response to this brief (based on their own proposition and inventory) and also to prepare and present a verbal response to this brief to a panel of three assessors. This panel will also review and mark the written proposals.

The assessment framework weights the written and verbal skills that make up effective selling out of 45 and 55 respectively, with a total available score to each candidate of 100.

At the end of the process, the marks are converted into percentages, which are then applied to the following grade structure:

*Please be aware that candidates MUST pass both the written proposal and the verbal presentation parts of the assessment to secure a pass. We invite candidates that fail the assessment to retake at a later date, at no additional cost.

Please note that all marks given are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Candidates do not have to take the assessment at the end of the course, they can opt to delay participation to another assessment window within 12 months of completing the course.

Is this Certificate an accredited qualification?

Although not a qualification of degree level, this ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate is accredited by the sponsorship industry and respected by employers.

Who is the tutor?

Catherine Hawkins is delivering the course. She has over 20 years’ experience in sales and sponsorship and is the founder of Think!Sponsorship which provides sponsorship intelligence to the UK marketplace. Catherine works with a broad range of organisations across the sports, cultural, entertainment and b2b sectors and is a Non-Executive Director of National Parks Partnerships.
Read Catherine’s blog

Who runs the course?

The course is run by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) which is a trade body promoting and protecting the sponsorship industry. As a membership organisation, we look after the interests of our members who represent all those working within sponsorship – sponsors, rights holders, professional advisors, suppliers and agencies (sponsorship, marketing, PR, events). We welcome both members and non-members on the course.

Are you based outside the UK?

This course is offered 100% online.

More about ESA

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Association or becoming a member, please see the membership section of our website. Alternatively, contact ESA.