Posts Tagged products
How to Save Your Job
Posted by Dan in Promotional Ideas on September 3, 2009
By the time you read this, I hope the market will be stabilizing, housing starts will be up, consumer confidence will start kicking in, your next big sale will be on the horizon and our industry will be clawing its way back from the muddy depths of the recession. Ah, that’s the optimist in me.
In reality, I know the economy has a way to go. The worst of it is the growing unemployment stats and our industry isn’t immune. In the past few months the downsizing dragon has been rearing its ugly head as lack of business has forced some companies to close factories and eliminate long-held positions. What can you do to protect your job? A natural tendency now is for people to lay low and try to blend in to avoid the ax. Wrong, says author Robin Fisher Roffer. Instead, she recommends you learn to be you—only better in 2009. Here are a few of Roffer’s suggestions from her book The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How to Succeed When You’re the Only One Like You:
1. Let go of your fears. While your first instinct might be to hide in your office and bury yourself in paperwork, don’t give in. Be visible. Speak up. Let your creative spark loose. Don’t let your fears keep you from achieving something great for your company. “Remember, being authentic as an employee isn’t about self-expression for its own sake; it’s about bringing all your unique gifts to the table in order to benefit your company,” says Roffer. “You have to put yourself out there completely and fearlessly in order to keep your organization alive and growing.”
2. Uncork your marketable personality traits. If you are a creative person or a good problem solver, strengthen those traits and let them work for you. If you come to work each day and just do your job the way you were trained but don’t look for better ways of doing things or ways to save your company money, you are doing the company and yourself a disservice. “Stifling these personality traits at work will only harm you in the long run,” she says. “Sure, to your higher-ups you might be known as the guy who does a good enough job and stays out of the drama, but think about how pleased your boss would be if you came to him with a money-saving idea right about now.”
3. Push your boundaries this year. Have you cloaked your personality to try to fit into the mold at your workplace? Have you tried to become what higher-ups expect? It’s time to be true to yourself. Rather than hide your attributes just to fit in, look for ways to make those attributes work for you. “If you’re convinced you’d accomplish more by taking an active role with customers rather than toiling behind the scenes, for example, approach your boss with the idea,” she says. “It may seem scary to make such a bold move in tenuous times, but leaders will appreciate any innovation that will get business moving right now.”
4. Go to the top with good ideas. If you have some ideas that can save or make the company money, don’t keep them bottled up. Your boss doesn’t have all the ideas and neither does the company president or owner. Good ideas come from people at all levels. Ask for some time with higher-ups to share those ideas. “Read the company website,” suggests Roffer. “Listen carefully to team pep talks from higher-ups. If you can manage it, introduce yourself at company events and ask at the appropriate juncture in your conversation, ‘What’s keeping you up at night?’ The answer should reveal the challenge they need to meet or the special project they want to put into motion. You could be the person to support their efforts.”
5. Learn to communicate in a common language. Yes, you’ve got some great ideas but stop, take a breath and figure out what’s important to the person to whom you are selling those ideas. “While there isn’t exactly a wrong way to be at the office, there is a wrong way to express your ideas,” notes Roffer. “Sometimes an idea that seems perfectly clear to you might not be so obvious to those around you. A successful fearless fish will stand in the shoes of the person she is pitching and explain with visual words and concrete examples how the idea will benefit the business.”
6. Identify your fearless advocate (and become one). It’s easier to feel confident when someone you admire is cheering you on. If you don’t have that cheerleader or advocate now, find someone in your office with whom you can connect. Perhaps you can even establish a mentoring type of relationship that will benefit you both. “Once you’ve found an advocate, you should start advocating for someone as well,” says Roffer. “Be a leader to the newly arriving fish out of water at your office. Compassionate leadership benefits everyone. Learning from younger or less experienced people spurs evolution and creates staying power for the senior members of the team. For the fish out of water, an added benefit is that by generously sharing your own expertise, you become involved and integral.”
Recession Defense
Posted by Dan in Promotional Ideas on September 3, 2009
Four Ways To Keep Your Customer Service Top-Notch And Indispensible
Flexible Workforce
In the face of staff cuts, cross-train employees so they can fill a variety of roles.
Spoil Your Staff
Uncertainty about their jobs can shatter employee morale, so offer work schedule flexibility and other rewards to compensate.
Invest In Low-Cost Technology
Consider purchasing small pieces of new equipment that make your workers’ lives easier.
Play Favorites
Keep your best customers happy with fast service, extra attention and flexible rules.
An Economic Lesson from the Past
Posted by Dan in Promotional Ideas on September 3, 2009
An enterprising early-American offers inspiration and a review of basic economic principles.
In 1806, Fred Tudor departed Boston and arrived in the Caribbean port of Martinique with a shipload of ice harvested from his dad’s pond in the dead of winter. Despite naysayers, Tudor made the ice last by insulating it with sawdust and hay.
The first day of Tudor’s arrival was a smashing success with people paying high prices for the ice. But the next day brought about a problem. All the ice had been unloaded but, in an act of misguided kindness, the boys at the dock had washed off the insulation. This created a puddle of water and lots of screaming people offering to pay any price for the ice they now missed. Thus, Tudor’s ice idea was a failure.
Tudor returned to Boston, poorer but wiser. Yet he had learned two key parts of marketing—the importance of adequate storage and the profitability of high demand in the face of scarce supplies. He set about raising new capital and bought the rights to harvest ice from several local ponds. Travel got risky as the War of 1812 broke out and he put his plans on hold. After the war, however, Tudor sent a ship to Havana—not with ice but with thick cedar planking and sawdust—and built an icehouse to keep the ice fresh. Then he had ice delivered to test whether the icehouse worked. It did.
Next, Tudor asked for a 10-year exclusive contract to be the sole ice supplier in Cuba and Martinique. No one thought it was a big deal since folks were not used to having ice in those locales. Then he started giving the ice away, especially to bartenders, along with exotic frosty drink recipes. The free ice created a demand, so Tudor began charging higher and higher prices. (Remember, he held exclusive rights.)
This ingenious marketing concept was later adopted by King Gillette and is commonly called the razor or razorblade theory. It works because the company practically gives the razor away and once customers need new blades they find only your blades fit that razor.
Tudor returned to New England, bought up the ice rights of hundreds of ponds and commissioned the manufacture of huge ice saws to cut ice blocks from the ponds. He compounded the strategy throughout the South; it’s been said he invented the mint julep just to sell more ice. For 80 years, Tudor and his heirs were the “Ice Kings” of America, all from a product nature supplies for free. And he became a multimillionaire in the process.
ROI Sells
Posted by Dan in Promotional Ideas on September 3, 2009
Are you incorporating The Sixth Sense into your selling strategies? If you’re not selling with heart and passion, my guess is you’re not delivering the value end buyers, promotional consultants and distributors not only expect but demand in today’s market. Joe Scott, MAS, provides a telling observation. He views the shifting sands of media in a weak economy as a distinct advantage for our industry. As Scott states, “A lot of organizations are decreasing their marketing presence during this economy. If they switch to an engaging medium like ours they’re going to get noticed, and they will be able to track ROI. We have a phenomenal opportunity in front of us. We just need to realize we have the best promotional solution there is—end of story.”
If that doesn’t get you fired up about your chosen profession I don’t know what will. Hall of Famer Bill Bywater, my mentor and rabbi, has always told me to follow the dollar. His clear, simple advice is more applicable today than ever. No matter the overall economic conditions, there are always industries that are prospering. Whether you agree with the recent stimulus package adopted by our congressional leaders or not, the legislation offers insights to selling opportunities. Firms focusing on engineering, environmental concerns and energy to name just a few will benefit from well-conceived strategies that include our products as they communicate their capabilities. A call to your state economist may be one of the best calls you make this year. Find out about conditions in your state and capitalize on the opportunities they represent.
The present times may be the most difficult you have ever experienced in this business or any other. And because it’s not business as usual, it’s more important than ever to get back to FUNdamentals. If you’re not having fun it shows. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm, and there is no doubt in my mind that enthusiasm breeds sales. And besides, which of your clients would not benefit from a messenger delivering a positive, results-oriented solution. Former Board Chair Paul Kiewiet, MAS, CIP, once told me a story about Kellogg’s and its advertising strategy during the Great Depression when its chairman astutely decided to double its spend on marketing and advertising. In the 1930s there were more than 60 cereal companies in the U.S. Today you can count the players on one hand.
Former PPAI board member Joel Schaffer, MAS, has been delivering webinars to distributors telling them “where to go.” He has carefully assessed top buyers in our industry as researched by PPAI and determined new opportunities in healthcare, professional services and fund raising. Joel has diligently studied the markets and shares his findings with passion. No doubt other suppliers are doing the same. This is yet another illustration of the importance of the distributor-supplier relationship and why heart connections make such a difference. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely stated, “If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately.”
Tell your stories in ways that create attention. I believe ROI is best understood when we define it with our real life experiences. The result is real value, and the picture you paint becomes one every buyer not only understands but relates to in a personal, sensory way. Like Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick, I believe we make heart connections when our selling strategies employ simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional stories.
For me it’s the canvas backpack from Two Fingers Tequila I received while walking down the pedestrian mall at Arizona State University more than 30 years ago, the 1940s hand fan from the Lennarson Swanson Funeral/Furniture/Hardware Store that serves as my personal air conditioner, the 1970s bottle opener advertising my father’s Chevrolet Oldsmobile dealership or the satin jewelry roll I received just last year when I purchased shoes for The PPAI Expo Awards Dinner. There’s no doubt where I’ll shop for my next pair. The services we provide and the products we sell result in tangible, effective connections. Even though some of the businesses they advertise are long gone, the products employed to create customer loyalty remain to be seen and are used lovingly yet today. Think about your stories and share them with passion. Your ability to deliver results is another important component of the FUNdamentals.
Great Sales Tips during a downturn…
Posted by Dan in Promotional Ideas on September 3, 2009
It seems like everywhere you turn there are ideas and tips for selling your way through the recession. But how many of them actually work? Here are a few no-brainers that have risen to the top of the “What do we do now?” pile.
1. Include a compelling offer in your ads
Use free information about your products or services to produce inquiries or interest in your website.
2. Get contact information and follow up
Most customers don’t buy the first time.
3. Eliminate risk
The biggest reason people don’t purchase things they want or need is that they don’t want to risk disappointment or, worse, losing money. Eliminate this risk with liberal money-back guarantees.
4. Excite customers
Sending thank-you notes and gifting them with free trips or coupons will make customers like you and recommend you to others.
5. Make it easy to buy
Create several points where customers can make purchases on your website.
6. Charge more
Frequently when customers balk at prices it’s because the reason isn’t justified. Make sure to explain your value to prospects.
Custom Leather Products – Live it Up
Posted by Gallant in Promotional Ideas on November 10, 2008
It’s edgy, it’s classy and it has way more attitude than any other apparel you’re thinking about pitching. It’s leather, and it can catapult your client’s brand into a whole new category. “The key to leather sales is that you’re basically going for impact,” says Dan national sales manager for supplier NewZ Brands.
“Leather is premium. It shows that whoever’s giving it is giving the best there is.”Whether it’s a bomber jacket or a belt, Sheehan says less is best when it comes to customizing leather apparel and accessories. When you choose leather, you don’t want it to look like every other promotional garment. You’ll see a lot of tone-on-tone embroidery and debossing,” he says. Just don’t get too complex with graphics. “Embroidery on leather is much different from wovens and other fabrics,” Sheehan explains. “If the stitching is too tight, it cuts the leather. If your client has an intricate design, a patch might be a better choice than embroidery.”
Despite the necessity for simplicity, Sheehan encourages distributors not to be wary of leather apparel. “Many distributors are fearful of pushing higher-end items to their clients. But nine times out of 10, customers end up spending less than they anticipated. Distributors need to stick their necks out and suggest leather,” Sheehan says. Talk to your clients about how they can use leather in awards programs, as an incentive or in a company store. “Leather is an impact item. Many employers will get it for employees reaching milestones or achieving an award,” says Sheehan. “It’s definitely something that’s given as a reward for something done well.
Cool Promotional Ideas – Customized Napkin NotePad
Posted by Gallant in Promotional Ideas on October 14, 2008
Promotions for Breast Cancer Awareness
Posted by Gallant in Promotional Ideas on October 8, 2008
Breast-Cancer Awareness Info for Your Promotions
(Pink Ribbon Marketing)
The little pink ribbon is arguably the most recognizable of all awareness-campaign symbols. As a show of support for breast-cancer awareness, it’s been placed on everything from tubes of ChapStick and yogurt containers to M&Ms and Visa credit cards. But not everyone’s happy about the cause-awareness craze. Somewhere along the way, efforts to raise awareness have been labeled as “pinkwashing,” or using the cause for financial gain to help promote products. While a percentage of proceeds is generally donated to breast-cancer research
(Susan G. Komen for the Cure reportedly benefits from these corporate partnerships to the tune of $30 million a year), critics claim the means are deceptive and that the companies gain much more than the charity does.
Still, breast-cancer awareness is big. Many dollars are spent promoting it and raising awareness, and many organizations are trying to associate their brands with this goodwill. Right now, there are about 2.5 million breast-cancer survivors in the United States. Add to that their families and friends, and you’ve got a huge market of people all very receptive to the pink ribbon. To help your clients exercise sensitive, goodwill marketing — and hopefully raise a little awareness in the process — read on for more information about the disease.
Facts and Stats
• In 2004, almost 187,000 women and about 1,800 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States; in the same year, almost 41,000 American women and 400 American men died from the disease. (Editor’s note: This data is from 2004, the most recent statistics available.)
• For men in the U.S., the risk of getting breast cancer is about one-tenth of 1 percent. The rate of breast-cancer cases in men has been fairly stable during the last 30 years.
• Breast cancer is the sixth-leading cause of death for U.S. women.
• Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. It is also the No. 1 cause of cancer death in Hispanic women and the second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian and Pacific Islander, and American Indian and native Alaskan women.
• Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, South Dakota and Tennessee have the lowest incidence of breast cancer, while Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont have the highest.
• In the U.S., the incidence of breast cancer among women decreased significantly — by 3.5 percent per year — from 2001 to 2004. Deaths from the disease among women decreased by 2.2 percent per year from 1990 through 2004.
• Of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, approximately 11 percent died from the disease within five years and 20 percent within 10 years.
• Sixty-two percent of women regularly give themselves a breast self-examination, while only 14 percent of all women get a skin-cancer screening at least once a year.
Risk Factors
• Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer don’t have any risk factors.
• Seventy percent to 80 percent of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history.
• Risk factors for breast cancer include: age – a woman’s risk increases as she gets older; genetics – about 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are suspected to be a result of genes; family history – risk is highest among those who have a biological relative who has been diagnosed with breast cancer; race – white women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than are African-American women, but African-American women are more likely to die from it; not having children or having a first child after age 30; birth-control pills; hormone-replacement therapy; excessive alcohol consumption; and being overweight or obese.
Fundraising
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure (formerly The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation) was founded in 1982 after Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan, that she would help find a cure for breast cancer.
• In 2007, for its 25th anniversary, the organization changed its name to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, created a new logo and adopted the explicit mission “To end breast cancer forever.”
• The Komen organization has invested nearly $1 billion in the effort.
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.
Personalized Digital Picture Frames
Posted by Gallant in Promotional Ideas on October 8, 2008
It’s time to size up your clients’ promotional goals. Are they looking for great gift ideas that end users will actually use? Of course they are. Unfortunately, many promotional gifts seem like a smart choice, but recipients are reluctant to use them because they are obvious advertising pieces.
Have you presented your clients with a digital frame? With a tactful blend of style and value, digital picture frames have crept up in the retail and promotional worlds as popular gift items among both givers and receivers. In today’s competitive market, digital frames are changing the atmosphere by providing a useful combination of elegant style and promotion. As a promotional product, they incorporate a company logo in a discreet yet mindful manner, and advertisers can feel certain their gift will be displayed — giving a subtle, yet prominent, reminder of the relationship between company and client.
Digital Frame-ology
One-hour photo finishing and digital cameras helped incite demand for seeing pictures immediately. Today, film and photo developing are mostly gone, and the digital camera — and more importantly, the digital frame — have changed everything. Now, pictures that one could once only be viewed via computers or in clunky albums have a new place to call home.
So, if your clients are still putting their annual-convention pictures in photo albums, it might be time to warm them up to the idea of digital frames. If it’s a fear of the unknown keeping them from considering them for this year’s company gift — or if it’s kept you from upgrading to the latest in picture frames yourself — fear no more. With easy-to-use features, digital frames are a perfect choice for everyone.
Digital frames are actually quite basic. To load pictures onto a frame, you can either insert a memory card with images direct from a digital camera or upload images from a computer with the proper cord.
Digital frames often come with many built in editing features, including the ability to zoom and rotate photos. Slideshow capabilities are one of the most popular options, allowing users to create a personal picture show and showcase more photos than a static frame. Some frames are multi-media capable, too, for further personalization that includes music. Some frames even have video capability. Best yet, many of today’s frames come standard with remote controls.
Remember, not all digital frames are created equal. Look for internal-memory capacity and resolution — higher resolutions mean clearer pictures, and a frame with a larger memory will hold more pictures. Quality digital frames will have at least 128MB of internal memory. For smaller digital frames, such as a 3.5-inch or 5.6-inch, the image resolution should be at least 320-by-234. For a 7-inch frame, the resolution should be at least 480-by-234.
Variety — The Spice of Life
There are many different styles, sizes and types of digital frames available, from traditional to modern, to fit with any décor. Choices for the finish include acrylic, silver, metal and wood.
Screen size also plays an important role in choice. Options range from 3.5-inch to 15-inch LCD screens, but a standard 7-inch screen is popular. Digital frames are measured from the upper left corner of the LCD to the bottom right, just as with televisions and computer monitors. Don’t be fooled by the size of the frame — like the old cliché: Bigger isn’t always better. Many smaller frames display high-quality pictures and still have numerous features, such as music and video capabilities.
Regardless of screen size, digital frames can hold anywhere from 50 to more than 1,000 photos. To determine how many photos a frame will hold, divide the amount of memory by the size of the digital photos. So, if a frame or memory card holds 128 MB and your photos are 2 MB each, then your frame will hold approximately 64 photos.
(Photo size may vary, so any calculation is just an estimate.)
Once you choose a frame, it is important to ensure end users proudly display it for years. While front imprints are available, the latest trend is for companies to imprint their names more subtly on the back. This trend has increased as digital frames have become more popular as holiday and executive gifts and allows recipients to tastefully display their frames at home or in the office while never forgetting from whom they came.
Not Just a Digital Frame
Digital-frame manufacturers continue to create new and exciting ways to use their products. From desktop frames with pen holders to fabulous travel accessories, the digital market continues to expand. In fact, the presence of these products has grown exponentially this year alone.
The digital key-chain proves to be one of the most popular in this category, and it caters to the budget-friendly market. Priced quite a bit lower than a full-sized frame, there are still plenty of brands with the fantastic quality you would expect with a larger digital frame. On average, digital key rings have at least a 1.5-inch screen and can display high-resolution images. Depending on the internal memory, a digital key chain can hold anywhere from 30 to 90 photos. Its compact size allows users to take it everywhere. Companies can imprint their name and logo on these products, too, making it a newer must-have accessory.
Another great business product is the alarm clock with digital picture viewer, which is perfect for travel or the office. Many picture viewers come equipped with calendars, clocks, alarm features and all-important snooze buttons.
Digital frames are now being incorporated into digital advertising vehicles. Such products typically have 15-inch or larger screens. They not only feature still photos, videos and sound, but hold advertising copy below the screens. Digital advertising vehicles are used in hotels, bars, elevators, showrooms and by trade-show exhibitors.
Digital frames are also finding their way into retail stores as video shelf-talkers. These advertising vehicles can run continuously or come with motion sensors. They have the ability to grab consumers’ attention while providing product education.
It’s been almost 20 years since digital frames entered the picture. Now, they are focal points in executive offices, hotels, stores and of course, homes. In the last few years, the digital frame has become more popular, more prominent — and more affordable. The promotional products industry has taken it to an even higher level by incorporating the ability to imprint company names and logos, allowing this item to become the perfect choice for holiday and executive gifts.
Personalized Pens – Choosing the Perfect Fit
Posted by Gallant in Promotional Ideas on October 8, 2008
Customized Brilliance Pen
Personalized Pens – Choosing the Right Pen for Your Promotion
Vast selection, many options make for difficult choices
Overwhelm, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means to “overpower in thought or feeling.” In the busy business world, it can be brought on by too many phone calls to make, too many e-mails to read or too many meetings to attend. In the promotional sphere, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by one simple product category: writing instruments.
Promotional pens are everywhere!!!!!
They’re often inexpensive, everyone needs them and they’re easy to disseminate. So, how do you narrow the playing field to choose the best option for each of your clients? It’s another seemingly overwhelming task.
“Faced with the vast selection, it is difficult to decide where to begin your search,” says Scott Pearson, vice president of merchandising for Sweda.
But take some advice from industry experts, and the task becomes much easier.
Cost Effective
For starters, know when to choose a high-priced writing instrument. As Lisa Newell, vice president of sales for Gold Bond in Hixson, Tenn., points out, the uses are different for high-end and low-end pens. “Higher-end pens are usually given out as gifts or awards, where low-end pens are used for trade shows and hand outs.”
The less expensive varieties also can mean reaching a much larger audience pool — and therefore greater buying power, says Eric Flecha, Ritter
The end result, Flecha adds, is more effective brand awareness.
“The higher–end variety, due to cost, may only reach a limited market niche but is perfect for awards and incentive programs.”
High- and low-cost pens “serve different purposes depending on whether your campaign is directed toward a mass or niche audience,” affirms Scott Meng, marketing director with KTI “If your goal is reaching the most eyeballs, then a low-cost pen is great. Plus, these pens can even float from person to person, gaining additional exposure.”
End users view more expensive pens, Meng continues, as keepsake items. “High-end pens work well for building and maintaining relationships with key contacts.”
Supplier Choice
Once you’ve slashed your number of options by determining a price range, you can further narrow the options by asking targeted questions.
“Quality, production time and competitive pricing are some of the main factors [about which to ask],” Pearson says. “Also weigh your options between general market pens or proprietary designs, but always keep in mind, cheapest does not mean profitability. Make sure you have pre-qualified your suppliers.”
As expected, suppliers have different ideas about how best to choose a writing-instruments supplier with which to work. “Ask fellow distributors about working experiences with different suppliers,” Meng advises. “Determine if pens are a supplier’s main product line; if so, they will have more knowledge and experience than suppliers who carry a few pens along with many other product categories.”
Flecha offers these criteria for choosing a pen supplier:
Does this company stand behind their product?
Is it 100 percent guaranteed?
Does the supplier manufacture its own pen product or do they outsource?
What is the supplier’s rating?
Meng, too, recommends asking more questions beyond price.
“What is the end user’s brand personality — conservative, edgy, fun?
Who’s ultimately using these pens — age, gender, lifestyle attributes?
Any other special considerations — eco-friendly, multifunction, novelty?” he suggests. “The more detailed information you can get, the easier it will be to narrow down the number of choices.”
Fun Facts from the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association
A typical pencil can draw a line 35 miles long or write about 45,000 words. Most ball point pens will draw a line 4,000 to 7,500 feet long.
In 1977, the rollerball pen was introduced as a new type of ball point that uses low-viscosity ink.
An unpainted pencil inserted into the soil of a potted plant can eliminate mealy bugs on plants.
Plant growers mark their plant labels with pencil because it won’t fade in sunlight.
Seeing a pencil in your dream indicates that you are making a temporary impact in a situation. It may also suggest that a relationship may not last long. Dreaming that you are sharpening a pencil suggests that you need to be more flexible in your way of thinking.
Typically, text is printed on a pencil from tip to head so you can read it while writing, but left-handed pencils are printed from head to tip.