Don’t sell green bananas.

I stopped at a particular local gourmet market hoping to pick up some organic fruit.

Nice shop, but let’s just say I’ve seen a better selection of fruit at convenience stores. My choices were limited to apples and green bananas. Lots of green bananas. So many green bananas that I wondered if somehow I’d missed a new food trend.

I brought my 3 apples and 2 green bananas to the register, where the owner explained that with the Memorial Day holiday and restricted produce deliveries, she ordered green – e.g. unripe — bananas hoping they’d last longer. She assured me mine would be ripe in a couple days.

It’s been 4 days, and they are just as green and hard as when I bought them.

What does this have to do with sponsorship?

I see lots of organizations selling green bananas. Unripened sponsorship programs that are undifferentiated, commoditized, and seller-focused.

Often these programs are represented by unripe sponsorship sellers, individuals lacking the skills, basic knowledge, and sophistication to effectively negotiate great sponsorship collaborations.

Don’t get me wrong. Everyone starts somewhere. We all evolve and grow — as individuals and organizations.

However, too frequently organizations inadequately invest in professional development. Then they wind up selling green bananas.

These unripe programs deliver no results for sponsors, generate low fees for your organization, and are difficult to sell. You leave money on the counter, just like this banana seller.

A well-defined and strategic sponsorship program and approach will yield much better results.