We can never have too many pencils. Whether it’s for writing down a shopping list, a message, or a phone number, or jotting down an accidental idea that springs in the middle of the night, a pencil is a| an smart tool to have within arm’s reach.

Aside from being useful, pencils are low-priced. You can get some of these for a few pennies.

Depending on how they’re used and who are using them, pencils can be utilized for a few months to a year. Price coupled with practical use makes pencils effective advertising tools that are not expensive.

Pencils are used frequently as presents for educational campaigns or promotions that target teachers, parents, and students. Tutorial programs and schools can usepencils to get themselves acquainted with their neighborhood. Schools can also issue pencils to parents, guardians, and students during enrollment or at the start of the school year. Along with that, pencils in gift boxes can be used as prizes for spelling competitions or art and essay-writing contests. On the senior level, universities and colleges can also add branded pencils to their merchandise and profit from them.

Pencils are not just limited to educational promotions. Even other industries can use promotional pencils to grow their brands.

Silk-screened pencils combined with notepads are practical gifts for the start of the year when phone companies issue new directories. Consumers will find them useful to have within reach to list down phone numbers and messages.

Supermarkets can thank loyal clients by giving them silk-screened pencils with grocery lists so they can maximize their shopping trips. Similarly, construction firms and architect and design companies can make sure they’re in the line of vision of stakeholders, clients, and employees by giving out promotionalpencils etched with their brand.

There are many different ways to use pencils to maximize your brand. Sharpen your mind and get your tools ready for a sticky pitch.

Come check out www.GallantGifts.com for all of our personalized pencils and more.

This article By : Marcelo Bobbet

Even though school is out and summer upon us, there still doesn’t seem to be any shortage of occasions to celebrate. But, who has time to keep the kids occupied in addition to searching for the perfect gift. One sure way to get an appropriate gift in a flash but still look like you put forth a lot of thought and effort is to incorporate your personal photos into the item. Pieces such as photo jewelry or photo dog tags are simple things yet they become something very special and personal. You’ll be amazed at how many choices can be found online as well as at many of your local stores.

We all go through those times of the year when one special occasion quickly follows another and every time you turn around, you have a pile of presents for which you suddenly need to shop. But all your gift giving worries are over, because now you can get all the one-of-a-kind mementos in one place. Simply provide some special pictures, chose the item you wish to create, and before you know it, a custom-made retirement gifts will be yours to bestow upon the recipient. You can even sit down at your computer with your child and create masterpieces for the entire family. Even places like grocery stores, drug stores and office supply and copy centers offer these items.

Important events such as a graduation, wedding or first communion can be commemorated with products as keepsake boxes for storing all of life’s little treasures and memories. Get holiday gifts for all your loved ones without having to run around all over town. Grandparents can never have enough pictures of the grandchildren, so they would simply love to receive gifts for mom that they can use every day that have pictures of their favorite people on them. There are so many items that can be personalized with your own pictures-magnets, key chains, plates, mouse pads and coasters, just to name a few.

Now when your child is invited to yet another friend’s birthday party, you can be confident that the from you will not be duplicated by anyone else. Just imagine how thrilled they will be when they open up a t-shirt or sweatshirt with a picture of themselves and your child printed on it. The end of the school year can be a real challenge when it comes to finding a meaningful personalized gifts for that favorite teacher. Items such as picture calendars, coffee mugs and tote bags are sure to be used and appreciated all year long.

If you want to give something special but you just don’t have the right picture or you are uncertain of which product to select, then simply purchase a gift certificate that the recipient can use to make something on their own. Gifts as these will certainly be cherished for a very long time. Unique and thoughtful presents from the important people in our lives make us truly treasure all the wonderful moments.

How to Best Give Personalized Gifts

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.”

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 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.

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.

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.

Gone are the days of the plain, one-size-fits-all promotional tee. With an undeniable nod to retail styles, today’s t-shirts are supercharged with fashion cuts and modern fabrics.

Nearly all of America’s 114 million households buy t-shirts each year, according to The Orange County Register. Last year, we bought 4.5 billion tees—an average of almost 40 shirts per household. Needless to say, t-shirts are everywhere. People are upgrading from standard-issue tees to those customized to fit their exact tastes.

T-shirts are sort of like Starbucks—they’re universally popular and you spot them everywhere. Plus, people don’t want a run-of-the-mill cup of joe when they can get a white chocolate mocha or cinnamon dolce latte. The same is true with t-shirts: nobody wears ordinary, unisex versions when there are feature-rich, made-just-for-you tees waiting to be found. If you want to serve up some t-shirts with flavor and personality, here are a few of our top picks.

Get Schooled In Decorating With Patches
Promotional patches—what could be complex about them, right? You see them everywhere on t-shirts, caps and jackets. But if your clients want the skinny on how patches can work for them, do you know your stuff? Check out patchology.org, an informational website that offers a crash course on patch essentials.

Developed by El Segundo, California-based supplier EMBLEM  the site lets you sit down with your clients and delve into the world of patches through various courses such as “Patch Anatomy,” “How To Apply A Patch” and “Patches vs. Direct Embroidery.” It’s completely devoid of supplier references, so it’s safe for end buyers.

Stephen Liu, CEO of EMBLEM, says the site is ideal for educating end users and boosting general awareness about patches. “We realized, based on consistent feedback from our customers [patch distributors], that they needed a resource to help them sell patches,” he says. “So we created this site for them to learn about patches at their own leisure, as well as forward the link to their clients for all their patch questions. Basically, we wanted to make everyone’s life easier.”

Whether you want to enhance your comprehension of patch varieties, learn how to apply patches to t-shirts or just want an overview of terms, visit patchology.org to become an expert in the ubiquitous promotional patch.

1. Price—T-shirts are a cost effective ways to get your message to the masses.
2. Popularity—T-shirts are the apparel of choice outside the office. They’re comfortable and come in so many fabrics, finishes and styles.
3. Marketing reach—People want to wear tees and are comfortable wearing them.
4. Broad appeal—Regardless of age, everyone wears them.

“I own at least seven commemorative tees: Hanes ‘Change’ tee, Key West Sloppy Joe’s tee, tie-dye tee from HippyFest, Ohio State Buckeyes tee, Hershey’s Chicago tee, truly vintage ‘I want to teach the world to sing’ Coca-Cola tee and a Riviera Maya Senor Frog’s tee,” she says.

Check out our sites www.em-printers.com and/or www.GallantGifts.com for all your custom apparel needs.

Ask anyone in our industry how they feel about promotional e-mails and you’ll likely get a groan and a big, exasperated eye roll. Distributors receive hundreds of supplier-sent e-mails daily, each trying to book a new sale or lure recipients to a website.

So how do marketers make their e-mails stand out? The first line of defense is literally that—the subject line. In a study of more than one billion e-mails, Epsilon Data Management, a marketing services firm, found that shorter subject lines—50 words or less—correlate with higher open and click rates.

One exception to the rule is when the e-mail audience is a highly targeted known quantity that appreciates extra information.

That’s not all the study found. Research also suggests that the way the subject line’s content is positioned also influences how the message is received. From all the campaigns studied, Epsilon found front-loading subject lines with the most relevant information returned the best results. Also, remember to write from the reader’s point of view. For example, write “The sale ends Wednesday” rather than “The sale ends in 48 hours.” This tells recipients when the sale ends based on their schedule, not based on when the e-mail was sent.

Heart Themed Valentine's Day Promotions

Valentines Day is just around the corner, do you have your holiday promotional items yet?

While Valentines Day is traditionally a holiday for sweethearts, it’s also become a popular holiday for special sales and marketing campaigns with slogans like “We’ve got a sweetheart of a deal for you”. If you’re using giveaways for promotion and advertising, a Valentines Day gift campaign could work very well for you.

Gallant has a large variety of heart shaped gifts and Valentine themed promotional ready for your logo!

Check out a sample of out Heart Promotions here.

For more information go to GallantGifts.com or call 1-800-330-1343 for a custom quote!