Promotional Products! Aaagggh. Why Bhy?

There isn’t a worthy Promoter (in any walk medium).be it Religion, Sales, Science, Politics) that won’t encourage Idea scrutiny. If it doesn’t pass the sniff test then do more homework – but! if it makes sense at the gut level then you’ve hit pay dirt – again. And when it comes to spending money on Promotional Products use the same innate powers of discernment. Here are 5 reason (we) suggest you consider Promotional Products to promote your BEST INTERESTS!

1. Lifespan: Promotional Products have a long lifespan. They have the staying power that emails, mail outs and direct marketing don’t possess. When you purchase a USEFUL promotional product you are guaranteed it will be seen or worn in the office, home, Yoga class, Super market. The (useful) and sought after Branded gift is a powerful way of increasing your presence in the buying community.

2. Cost: Think everything is going to break the bank? Nay, not so….ask your Promo Supplier to source : good. Better and Best so you can budget accordingly. Business people know and how and when to be competitive. You are the same. The old maxim, “ it never hurts to ask” ….turns out to be true after all – why not try it this year. Then as you grow – you will naturally spend more by way of Acknowledging your best Clients.

3. IMAGE, yes image. People (read Consumers) want to be seen and associated with Strong Contenders. Winners make an impression. A contemporary and professionally appointed Promotional Gift carries weight with your Clients. The sub conscience is a powerful EVALUATOR. Think people don’t notice – this week watch what ‘turns your head’ at the Gym, at the Bank, at the Lawyers’. Nothing? Then nothing. But, if something turns your head…that’s the direction you go.

4. Be CREATIVE: Ask your Promoter to be CREATIVE. Go further a field…if you want to be noticed – this is where you need to work. Check out the showy, heady, narcissistic haunts of NYC. This world is made up of millions of creative people. Find them, patronize them and then vet their ideas. Develop your own strategy for finding what sings in this world. Get noticed!

5. Be Generous in Community and Business. Saying Thank you, I appreciate all you do. Without you we wouldn’t be successful. Who thanks You? Who do you sincerely need to acknowledge. There are so many options these days. Again, tell your Promoter what you want to say and then let them do the work for you. You will be very pleasantly surprised at how the world of Promotional Products has changed since the DEATH OF THAT DEAR OLD SALESMAN.

Best, Vickie

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Communicating – Tell me, who you are…

“Who are you?”. When was the last time you asked a new or existing Client, “Tell me who you are…”. Could you lead with that question and not look at your feet when asking? Why lay yourself open? Why not? – ask some of the world’s best Communicators.

Powerful communication skills are either part of our DNA or we fail in some very fundamental way. Ouch! Failure to communicate with great effectiveness in a letter, a Play, a conversation or a sales appointment is the difference between getting our needs met or missing the mark. The mark in business is reaching our Goals. Our human nature requires daily (and for some of us) hourly feedback on how we are doing. Over time, we learn to control that primal hunger but let’s face – it’s always there – we’re always insatiably hungry – ‘what about me?’ it screams. We are built for feed back and we are built to communicate. It’s in our genes to be ‘known’. And learning how to communicate effectively makes every relationship (business and personal) more valuable.

The down and dirty is the effective communication builds and maintains relationship. Relationships are built and can be maintained by positive encounters with others. Communication is the Key to this process – without effective skills it will be difficult to properly construct and foster productive relationships.

For Business to grow and for salespeople to succeed it’s important to concentrate on Authenticity when we communicate. John Maxwell, noted Author, Motivational speaker and Leader wrote an inspiring piece called, The Law of Empowerment. Maxwell writes, “as Leaders (read Salespeople) we can only lift others up when we’re standing on a firm foundation. Purpose, authenticity and humility give us a secure, stable base from which to Lead” For our purposes let’s start with Authenticity. Maxwell explains, ‘Authenticity means being comfortable in your own skin. Authentic people have self-awareness, self respect, self confidence and emotional maturity. They prize integrity above image, and they seek to build trust with others on the basis of their personal character”.

Communicating authentically means we have also learned how to LISTEN effectively. Ssssshhh, listen. Communicating with a Client is just like communicating with a significant other – if you don’t listen as much as you speak you’ll never reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion. It’s tempting to want to TALK when you have an objective and the information you think the customer needs to make a decision. But! you will find that with practice LISTENING to your customer will make or break your sales technique. For example, a good listener will learn about their Clients needs, values, motivations and/or budget. A good listener will detect changes in the Clients tone or mood. Buzz words that signal the Clients resistance or openness to closing will be revealed to an intentional listener. And finally an adept listener will sense excitement or hostility to the Salesperson or product.

But be cautioned communicating effectively takes persistence and patience. The road to becoming a Master Communicator will be paved with good intentions but take heart it’s in your DNA to do it! Try it tonight.

Don’t Kill the Message(r).

If a Promotional Product is a Message to your Clients – what is your MESSAGE saying about your Company? Are you choosing the most Vocal Promotional product? –or are you choosing the whimper? And, what about your Client’s Client – what do you know about their ‘end user?’. Think that’s not important – you might want to think again. Next time you are ready to buy Promotional Products try this, ask your Promotional Provider to identify the TOP sellers of the last 18 months by Price and by quantity. We will quickly be able to give you the list. But don’t take our word for it… don’t dismiss your own unconscious consumer product fact-finding. If you and I can name the products that have the most appeal…so can your Client. Choose wisely.

It’s not just the Company that will be receiving your Promotional Products that matters – it’s equally important you KNOW what’s important to your Clients’ Client. The key is to connect with your own Client on a more personal basis so when you are BUYING promo pens you know exactly what they LIKE and what they don’t like. I’m guessing you don’t really know the people who are important to your own Valued Client. One day two new Clients (former Bankers) came to us with a small Budget for pens and jackets. One of the young men was clearly Type A and he dominated the discussion ; the other man was all but invisible. Mr. Type A wanted the fewest pens and ‘make them cheap too.’ In frustration an hour later we were no further ahead…I was about to ‘blow them off’… But I looked across the table to Mr. Invisible and asked him, “What is your favourite pen?” Suddenly he became highly animated and spoke passionately about the ‘BEST PEN’ his former Bank (employer) ever gave away. We knew the pen and we sold the pen. It was an AH-HA moment of listening to our new Client. And as it happens, once the right PRODUCT was identified our NEW client gave us a very healthy order. Lesson; If you want to create a lasting Partnership with your Client and separate yourselves from the Competition be prepared to LISTEN for the clues…because, believe it or not – they are there. It’s like mining for Gold. I learned a valuable lesson that day.

What to take from this message;

1. Your Promo Provider knows the hot sellers and why they are hot. From the list your Promo Provider supplies, ask 5 of your own Clients what they would like to receive. The list will dove tail. Then purchase accordingly.
2. Listen to the Clues. We all want to talk about our favourite pen….no, seriously. (next time you’re at the water cooler why not ask)

Til next time, I am the Conspicuous Promoter.