Trends are a big part of business. If a company can accurately identify a current or future trend of their market, they can be strides ahead of their competition in terms of marketing and sales. This is something recent blogs have touched on. One trend that is often over-looked it the trend of youth. It may seem a little outrageous or too far into the future, but when you think about it, the future of business lies in the minds of those who are up and coming….the youth. The future decision-makers, marketers, buyers, etc. are all up and coming business people.

This a trend that inevitable, it’s not commonly thought of, but it makes sense. That’s why it’s important to begin the pick the brains of this market. Discovering their interests, ambitions, goals, ideas, etc. could be a great investment for the future. It’s not to say that you need to reconfigure your business plan based on this research, but it’s certainly worthy of interest.  The future of your company lays in the hands of your younger employees, just as the future of your buyers and competitors lay in the hands of youth.  If you can get a head start with this trend, begin to formulate ideas for the future, then your bottom-line will be secure for years to come.

As a supplier, you want your clients to trust your product. When they order from you they expect an on time, creative, satisfying product. Obviously this sort of relationship can be built with clients with continual client satisfaction, but how do you obtain this sort of relationship quickly with new clients? One way you can gain this trust, as a supplier, is to provide new customers with a preview of the kind of quality and creativity you’re all about. And what’s the secret? Promo Products…

Promo products are a great way to give potential clients a preview or a small example of the kind of quality and creative your company’s all about. I know some of you are thinking, we’re talking about pens, key chains, golf tees, etc. But can’t you tell a lot about a company based on the quality and creativity of these products? I mean, if a company’s will to put the time and effort into designing, creating, and executing a great promo product, or at least take the time to acquire a great promo item; doesn’t this show an attention to detail and commitment that you’re looking for in a supplier? Of course it does, this is exactly what you look for in a supplier.

When you need to get product to a customer, you need to rely on a great supplier.  You need people who are committed to every detail and take pride in all aspects of their craft.  Great promotional items can be a great indication of these traits!

Promo products are marketing food….there are several ways that you can look at this idea. The first being that promo products are things that consumers/clients will eat up. They can be very good at getting a company’s name out to the buying public and also serve as an added incentive/bonus to company clients. Promo products are so good in fact that clients/customers/consumers will always way more and different kinds. They’re novel, unique, clever, and people like getting them and seeing them.

A different interpretation of this saying could be the idea the food is fuel. Food provides our body’s with energy and drive. Promo products can work in a very similar way. If used correctly and effectively, promo products can give a lot of fuel to a good marketing plan. They can add some extra fire to a struggling promotional strategy and give an extra punch to an otherwise dull marketing plan. Promo products can keep your image and brand viewable and marketable to the public where other advertising or marketing might fall short. This is the idea of promo products adding fuel to a good marketing plan.

Whichever idea you and your company focus on can help drive a good marketing and promotional strategy. It can be trying to provide good “food” for the buying public to eat up, or it could be adding a little fuel and strength to your marketing plan. Regardless, adding a little marketing food to your company’s diet will always help the bottom-line.

In several recent posts we’ve talked about how the sales process can be very difficult. We discussed how competitive industry markets are these days and how important it is to get a leg up on your competition through any means. To get in edge in the business world you need to go above and beyond, you need to offer your client something, outside of a great product, that your competitors don’t. In the case, we’re talking about promo products. Promo products are a great way to attract your client or customer to your business and ultimately push them over th edge into buying your product.

A key chain, designer pen, anything that can appeal to the customer and also get your brand image out to the public is a good way to win over your customer/client. Such a small gift is still a gift in the consumer’s eyes. It’s seen as a kind gesture and a way of thanking them on the side for doing business with them. This small gift and gesture can often times be enough to get them to buy into the bigger product you can offer. Call it a bribe, call it a gift, gestures like these can mean the difference between a healthy bottom-line and struggling sales numbers.

In business, is image really everything? Does it need to be stronger and more positive compared to your competitors? I guess I can only answer this in one way….ABSOLUTELY. When people say that in business image is everything, they’re saying this for a reason. Let’s take a look…

Let’s take for example Company A, who has a history of bad business ethics, often is receiving bad publicity in the news, and basically carries a negative vibe with buyers. Now take Company B, who has a proven history of ethical business, strong customer satisfaction, and great publicity. As a buyer/client/customer who’s looking to buy a product, in small or large scale, what company will you immediately be most inclined to do business with? Obviously Company B. If you don’t know much about a product created by Company A, what kind of assumptions will you have and will you be able to trust this product without knowing a lot about it? Whereas, if you are in the dark about a product from Company B, won’t you have a margin of trust because of the company’s background? ABSOLUTELY!

The image your company carries is everything. It allows your customer to be comfortable with your track record, have a positive feeling in the sales process, and also feel confident in going into business with your company. Having a strong company image and give your business an advantage over your competitors before you even offer your product.  If you feel like your company already has a great image, then promotional items are a great way to get your positive image to more of the public. Creating a positive image can mean everything and getting that positive image out there, can be just as important!

A few days ago, I pointed out that promotional products greater name recognition.  Now I want to talk about how that’s beneficial beyond the obvious. Here are a few reasons: 

1)     They’re tangible Most promotional products are products you can hold, you can touch, you can use.  They aren’t tucked away in a magazine or available in sight and sound for a quick 30 second shot on TV. 

2)     They’re useful (give quick examples)Oh, yes.  They’re not pet rocks or couch potatoes.  They provide a purpose, solve a problem, or make you feel good.  That makes them INHERENTLY valuable.  A lot less likely to be tossed in the bottom of the drawer – or in the trash.  Since they are useful and valuable, they’re more likely to stick around for a while. 

3)     They’re personal The reason you get a promotional item is because they want you to HAVE it.  You take it because you want to USE it.  Once you have it and start using it, it becomes…yours.  It’s not long a promotional item or a giveaway, its your customers personal property.  One that THEY use.  One that has YOUR name on it. 

4)     They’re long lasting Most corporate gifts are something that the recipient can use for a long time.  Be it a pen (until the ink runs dry), a calendar (for 12 or 16 months), or a golf umbrella at a tournament (a lifetime). 

5)     They’re portable If they’re tangible, they’re often portable.  That golf umbrella or golf towel can be seen on the golf course.  The pens goes with you everywhere.  In your pocket, on your desk, in you hand.  If you lose it, someone else is being advertised to.  The custom made sunglasses, the shirt or hat with the logo, the picnic set.   

6)     They’re memorable A story.  I grew up in a small village in Rhode Island called
Oak Lawn.  This was the late 1960’s. We had three gas stations nearby, one of which was a Shell station.  Back in the summer of 1969, I was in the second year of following my first love.  The
Boston Red Sox.  Now the local Shell station was giving away pictures of several players, along with a mug.  Every time we got in the car I wanted us to get gas.  I convinced both parents to exclusively go to that station to get gas – and the latest autographed picture.    

By the time I was old enough to drive – about eight years later, I, for some reason, preferred that Shell.  Always did.  And now I can remember why. 

Here it is, 38 years later.  I  still got those autograph pictures.  Pictures of relatively obscure players long retired.  And when my son asks me for a glass of milk before he goes to bed, he gets it in that glass mug that my mom brought home so long ago. 

Message:  promotional products can build AFFINITY.

Let’s face it, no matter how good, how amazing, or even how BRILLIANT your company’s product is, no one will buy it if they don’t know it’s out there. It seems as though creating a dynamite product is only half the battle these days. You need to know how to inform your buying audience that this product is available and, more importantly that they can’t live without it. I know this sounds simple enough, but it’s a step that many businesses don’t take seriously.

As a company you need to separate yourselves from your competitors, stand out from the back and find ways to uniquely advertise your product to put it firmly into the minds of the audience. This is where promotional items can really help. Key chains, pens, any logo merchandise can help; while it may not seem that these items are advertising your product necessarily, they’re advertising your company and your IMAGE!

You know, and I know, in any industry, Image, is Everything.

 

 The $100,000 Question [4:16:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

• Not everybody can make $5,000 to $10,000 a month doing affiliate marketing. There is too much competition.
• There is no easy money that will fall into your lap without you doing anything. And in case there was any easy money I would keep that information to myself and not write it in an article read by thousands of people.
• You will find the best working affiliate opportunities only by finding them yourself, either through testing and research or networking and business development.

1. Google and Overture rock!
2. Do Mail Outs!
3. Consider your own affiliate program!

So whats the bottom line?

• Spend limited amounts of money to test offers and see how they return your investment.
• When you find something that works - scale it. And then repeat.
• Test your success!

Look, when it comes to business, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on…Competition is an obvious challenge that we all face. All companies have competitors, all of whom are trying to gain an advantage to raise their bottom-line. There is, however, an easy way to raise your bottom-line without the bells and whistles of an elaborate marketing scheme. What is this Magic Pill, you might ask? It’s called Customer Appreciation. This goes beyond just the idea that “the customer is always right;” it’s a complete company commitment to those that matter most, the customers. Through promotional items, incentives and business gifts, a company can show customers that:

1. They appreciate their business

2. Are concerned about the customer’s opinions/feelings

3. Are committed to a long term business relationship

We live in a fast paced world, but the fact is, word of mouth is still one of the most effective forms of advertising and marketing. If a company takes the time to scratch their customer’s back, then the customer will return the favor, increasing the company’s customer base and ultimately the bottom-line.

Hi there and welcome to the official blog for TheBestPromoProducts.com.  

We decided to establish this blog because we want to be more than just a company that supplies products.  We’re a marketing company.  We’re a relationship building company.  We’re an idea company.  We’re a customer service company. 

We’re looking to strengthen the relationships we have with our customers.  Whether we’re giving you our insight on marketing strategies and tactics, or we’re sharing success stories that we’ve come across that we feel could help you in your line of work, you can be sure that this blog is written for you.  To help you succeed, to market yourself or your organization, to help you make money. 

Since this effort is not just about us, we want you to play a role too.  Give us feed back and comments.  Tell us your concerns.  Share your success stories with us.  YOU are the reason this blog exists.