Does anyone have any tips/hints/suggestions on getting advertisers and sponsors for my first production?

I have a letter written up for each, as well as a general letter explaining all the different ways to support us.  Should I email? hand deliver? mail? should I do followup calls? just let it ride?

I don't want to seem too pushy, but i also can't afford to be too lax about it.

Thanks!

Our Ct does this with our advertisers(sponsors). We have a single form letter and 2 identical invoices for them. On one of the invoices, we attach a copy of the ad as it will appear in our programs with the different sizes available for purchase. 1/3 page 30 1/2 page $60 fullpage $90. Explain in the letter specifically what they are getting for their $$'s. We have a finance committee consisting of 8 people that take 8-10 ads to different businesses a month before they are due. After the due date, each committee member follows up with the businesses that didn't respond. You would be surprised how many set it aside and forget. Our renewal rate last year was 98% and we picked up 4 new advertisers. Persistence and letting the businesses know that you will promote their businesses properly will pay off. Best of luck, I hope our techniques help you develop your own.

Getting new advertisers/sponsors, and maintaining them, can easily be a full-time vocation, taking up lots of time and effort.  If you're heavily involved in the production of the show (producing, directing, stage managing, acting, etc.) you might want to get someone else to take on this job.  Nothing promotes burn-out faster that trying to do 2 or more impossible jobs at the same time.

As much as you'll start with one form of communication and would like to stick with it, the answer is you'll probably find you have to use many different forms of communication with different organizations.  Use whichever form will get you the advertising/sponsorship.  Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up ... and then follow-up some more!

I agree with gaftpres -- be very clear (with examples) of what their organization will get for their money.  If the organization already has an ad somewhere (local paper, yellow pages), you might use it as an example when showing them sizes & prices of ads.