It took me 20 Follow-ups to close a deal
I pitched a saas brand in December.
I followed up 20 times over 3 months.
Different formats. Different platforms. Different people on their team.
In March, they replied: "Let's get a test out."
Closed a $4,500 deal that week.
If I had stopped at follow-up 5, I would have missed it.
Why Follow-Ups Matter in Sponsorship Sales
Sponsorships are not transactional sales. They are timing-dependent.
Here is what changes quarter to quarter:
Marketing budgets get approved or frozen
Priorities shift (awareness vs conversions)
Team members leave or join
Funding rounds unlock new spending
Your pitch in January might be perfect. But they had no budget.
Your pitch in April might land because Q2 just started and they have fresh budget to deploy.
You cannot predict when they will be ready. But you can stay in front of them.
When Sponsorship Budgets Actually Unlock
Based on working with 50+ brands, here are the windows when deals close:
End of Quarter (Last 2-3 weeks):
Use-it-or-lose-it budget
Brands scrambling to deploy before it expires
Fast decisions, shorter sales cycles
Start of New Quarter (First 2-3 weeks):
Fresh budgets approved
New initiatives launching
Brands actively looking for partners
Post-Funding (3-4 weeks after announcement):
Series A, B, C rounds unlock marketing spend
Growth mandates from investors
Urgency to scale fast
These are your windows. Follow-ups get you in front of them when these windows open.
The Follow-Up Formats That Work
Do not send the same email 20 times. Vary your approach.
1. Standard Email Follow-Up
"Circling back on my last email..."
Use for the first 2-3 touches
2. LinkedIn Message
Switch platforms if email is not working
Reference something recent (product launch, funding, hiring)
3. Loom Video
2-3 minute screen recording
Walk through your audience data or a case study
Personal, hard to ignore
4. Meme or GIF
Breaks pattern, shows personality
Use sparingly (once every 10 follow-ups)
"Me waiting for your reply" with a funny GIF
5. Value-Add (No Ask)
Share a relevant case study
Send performance data from another sponsor
Give before you ask again
6. Trigger-Based
They raised funding → "Congrats on the Series B..."
New quarter started → "Happy Q2, circling back on..."
Product launch → "Saw your new feature, great fit for our audience..."
7. Different Team Member
CMO not responding? Try Head of Growth or VP Marketing
People leave. New people join. Priorities reset.
What NOT To Do
Don't:
Send the exact same email 10 times
Apologize for following up ("Sorry to bother you again...")
Get passive-aggressive ("Guess you are not interested...")
Give up after 3 tries
Do:
Vary your format and platform
Add value in every touch
Stay professional and patient
Track who you contacted and when
Bottom Line
Sponsorship deals do not close because your pitch was perfect. They close because you were in front of the brand when their budget unlocked, their priorities shifted, or their team changed.
You cannot predict when that happens. But you can be there when it does.
Follow up. Vary your approach. Stay patient.
Most deals close after follow-up 8.