Promotional Products Work! Week; The Worst Promo Product

• Updated on: 2017-04-08
• Read original article here

Promotional Products Work! Week; The Worst Promo Product
Brand-building Thought Processes; Meditation, Tony Romo and More. Kirby Hasseman, Bill Petrie, UnScripted
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sponsored by Bay State
Industry educators Kirby Hasseman of Hasseman Marketing and Bill Petrie of PromoCorner, the leading digital marketing services provider to the promotional products industry, discuss a variety of hot­-button industry topics in this weekly “talk show” column brought to you by commonsku . Click on the graphic to hear their “UnScripted” conversation.
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Identity Marketing Staff, New Products
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sponsored by Next Level Apparel
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New from Southern Plus , these rubber flip flops feature a deluxe fabric layer for comfort and a long-lasting imprint. It can be branded on both the insole and strap and offers a full color printing option. Mix and match sole and strap colors for a completely custom look.
New Foldable Sport Beverage Coolers in the Galactic Line are available in baseball, golf, basketball, soccer, football, tennis and volleyball themes.
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In A Word, Are You What You Profess?
Cliff Quicksell, MAS+, Cliff's Notes
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sponsored by Blue Generation
In today’s English lesson, we will be examining four words: Ideas, Professional, Consultant and Creative. These four words are thrown around loosely in the industry and if you are one who uses these terms, are you living up to their true meaning?
When we say we are one thing and and our actions indicate another, it can confuse our audience – our clients and prospects – and damage our credibility. Let’s dive deeper.
Idea – 1. a plan for action, 2. a visible representation of a conception: a replica of a pattern, 3. an image recalled by memory; an indefinite or unformed conception, 4. an entity (as a thought, concept, sensation, or image) actually or potentially present to consciousness 5. a formulated thought or opinion
We often use the word “ideas” because we feel it is the buzzword that will excite a client or prospect – why wouldn’t it? Our clients are constantly feeding into the notion by asking us, “Give me some ideas,” so we go back to our offices, generally having only asked the questions, How many do you need? What’s your budget? When do you need them?
Then we proceed to rifle through catalogs or on our search engines to find those one or two “ideas” so show to the client. Years ago, in one of my coaching sessions, a client of mine and I were discussing this very topic and I distinctly remember her saying, “Ahhh! I believe I understand now. Clients have been asking me for “new ideas” or “creative ideas” and all I was coming up with are products – big difference!
An idea is UNIQUE, read the definition again; “an unformed conception, a thought, concept, sensation or image, a plan for action.” Taking the products” and using your talent to take what doesn’t exist then bringing something unique to life... now that is an idea!
Consultant – 1. one who consults another 2. one who gives professional advice or services: An expert
As a consultant, you give council and advice. The process involves knowing your craft, educating yourself to the latest trends, pitfalls (product safety), asking GREAT questions so that you can take and apply that knowledge base to provide the best solution for the client or prospect. I often hear people refer to themselves as consultants and, when you get right down to it, they are essentially order takers. As a consultant, you may find that through your query of questions an particular product, and quite possibly on the client is considering, may not be the right solution. But if you feel that you make your money merely on the products you sell, then you are really limiting yourself and missing out on some terrific opportunities.
The sign of a professional consultant is one who asks good open-ended questions that uncover the client challenge then providing a few viable solutions that will satisfy the clients need(s).
Professional – 1. participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs 2. having a particular profession as a permanent career 3. engaged in by persons receiving financial return
If you truly are a professional, (and this dovetails from consultant nicely), then this is your profession. Simple, right? It is a full-time commitment; it is how you earn your keep. It’s what you get paid to do. The products are just that – products! Providing the right solution is the key to being professional. But the big thing that many miss is you should be getting paid for this time and effort. Note the third definition: ‘engaged in by persons receiving financial return’, in a word – getting paid.
It saddens me to see so many people, with so much potential, relegate themselves to the level of taking orders and thinking that this is all there is to our business. I have numerous folks I work with who that have transformed their businesses by retooling the way they think, act and talk about their businesses; it is a complete mind shift. The are making huge profits and loving what they do again. Here is an example. One person was tracking at $150K a year at 35 percent GP. By changing his mental direction and focusing in a different manner, he is now trending toward $900K at 43 percent GP in just three years.
Creative – 1: marked by the ability or power to create 2. having the quality of something created rather than imitated.
Our clients and prospects are looking to separate themselves from their competition, much like we should be doing, by being different! The words creative and creativity are thrown around like “free,” “special” and the like. But when a client says he or she wants some creative ideas, what does that really mean? Have you ever asked your client, “What do you mean by that?” Typically we do not. We assume that what they want is a different product that they have never put their logo on before. THAT, my friends, is not creative – it is merely just a product they have never used before.
Look at the second definition under Creative: “having the ability of something created rather than imitated” Therefore a mug, pen, powerbank, t-shirt, cap – all imitations. However, taking those same items and using innovative decorating techniques, packaging, original copy, unique distribution that resonates and engages the core audience, that can be measured – now that is creative.
To ensure that you are truly differentiating yourself from the herd, embrace the concept that if you hone your creative skills, ask GREAT questions, offer viable solutions, and lead with innovation and creativity rather than products, you will, in time, see an amazing transformation in your business with better sales and substantially higher profits.
Wishing you the very best. And to all of the upcoming Professional Idea Generating Creative Consultants – Continued Good Selling (Consulting).
For more than 30 years, Cliff has been speaking, training and consulting internationally to associations and national business groups on more effective ways to market themselves, their products and services, as well as motivating their personnel. Recognized by PPAI for his creativity, he has won the prestigious PPAI Pyramid award 25 times, and the Printing Industry's PSDA’s Peak Award for creativity five times in three years. He has also received PPAI's Ambassador Speaker of the Year Award six consecutive years and was the inaugural recipient of PPAI's Distinguished Service Award. Named one of top six industry speakers and trainers, he also was recognized by PPAI in the book, "PPAI at 100," as having a significant influence in education. He has also been recognized by Counselor Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the Promotional Products Industry. You can engage with Cliff at http://www.myengagepage2.com/cliffquicksell .
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Are You Ready? PPW Week Coming Soon!
Identity Marketing Staff, Business News
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sponsored by Bay State
Are You Ready? PPW Week Coming Soon!
Promotional Products Work! Week, scheduled for April 24–28 and sponsored by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is an industry-wide event dedicated to celebrating promotional products and the value they create.
The centerpiece of the week, the "Get in Touch!" campaign, positions promotional products as an advertising medium like no other. Is designed to help you get in touch with clients, customers and prospects to share the power of promotional products. The campaign's integrated approach and creative assets leverage paid, earned, shared, and owned strategies that include digital and traditional print ads, social media, research, infographics, and video toolkits.
To help distributors "Get in Touch!," PPAI is offering an organizer's guide and highlight reel, a publicity toolkit, and an advertising and promotion guide. Click here to learn more and view the available downloads.
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Identity Marketing Staff
Why ‘Act Like a Man’ No Longer Serves Women
Four Tips to Prepare Women (and Men) for Career Success in the Smart Machine Age. Ed Hess, Katherine Ludwig, From the Business World
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sponsored by Next Level Apparel
In the past, any woman who wanted to climb the corporate ladder was forced to unleash her “inner man.” She rolled up her shirtsleeves, leaned in, and embraced masculine roles in order to survive. After all, being sensitive, intuitive, humble, and kind – a.k.a., “feminine” – wouldn’t get her very far in what was most definitely a man’s world. But Katherine Ludwig says that's all about to change. In the very near future, acting like a woman will be something both sexes aspire to – and we have robots to thank for it.
“Women in the workplace have internalized the ‘act like a man’ message because we felt we had to,” says Katherine Ludwig, coauthor along with Ed Hess of “Humility Is the New Smart: Rethinking Human Excellence in the Smart Machine Age.” “After all, men rose to the top by being boldly confident, competitive, and outspoken and by displaying unabashed self-interest. It seemed self-evident that women should do the same.
“Problem is, acting like a man doesn’t feel good to most women,” she adds. “There are exceptions, but in general, through a still debatable combination of nature and nurture, women tend to be wired differently. The good news is, a big paradigm shift is on the horizon. Very soon so-called feminine characteristics will be celebrated, not shunned.”
Ludwig and Hess say that no matter how tolerated, pervasive, and rewarded even the most hyper-masculine behaviors are today (Exhibit A: the cutthroat, sexist environments recently uncovered in scandals at Uber and Fox News), more and more studies are finding that the exact opposite traits and behaviors are what really create effective leadership. These studies point to a growing need for innovation, collaboration, long-term performance, and characteristics like a quieter ego, open-mindedness, empathy, and choosing to listen instead of rushing to speak.
What’s causing the growing demand for these “feminine” traits? A tech tsunami – in which artificial intelligence and smart machines take over many jobs people now do. It’s poised to not only level the playing field for women but also transform the whole stadium.
“As many as 80 million jobs ranging from manufacturing to management could be automated in the next 10–15 years,” notes Hess. “Most businesses will be staffed by an increasing number of machines and robots in this upcoming Smart Machine Age. The jobs that remain will be those requiring cognitive and emotional skills that humans possess: critical thinking, collaboration, innovation, creativity, and the ability to build relationships and engage with other humans.”
sponsored by PPAI
In other words, the “safe” jobs will be those requiring traits long associated with women.
At the same time, the large bureaucratic, hierarchical organizations that have dominated the world will become very rare. In its place a part-time gig economy will rise up, and fields involving the care, education, training, and development of other people will be the main opportunity for jobs.
In the Smart Machine Age, people of either gender with big egos, big mouths, and overconfidence issues will struggle. Those with humility, great listening skills, and emotional intelligence will distinguish themselves as competent and effective leaders. No, they won't all be women – but for the most part they will have mastered traditionally soft and feminine traits.
Here are a few tips on how women (and men!) can enhance these strengths and attributes.
Strive to be more collaborative than competitive. Competitiveness means aiming to outdo another for acknowledgment, supremacy, or a reward. At work, however, it impedes collaboration, learning, and innovation. Studies from MIT and others have already shown that teams with more collective intelligence (CI) are more effective and that CI is associated with emotional intelligence, social perceptiveness, and sensitivity of group members – not confidence or even IQ of individual members. These studies have found a linear correlation between percentage of females in a group and level of CI.
“In the long run, it won't help you to view your peers as competitors or to focus on proving how much better you are than everyone else,” says Hess. “Those who focus their attention outward on supporting, encouraging, and collaborating with others will find that it leads to more success.”
Be humble – not entitled or arrogant. Higher-level thinking, creativity, innovation, and emotional engagement require less ego and image protection and more honesty about strengths and weaknesses, a willingness to make mistakes, and a greater tendency to focus on others than on self-interest.
sponsored by Blue Generation
“These are the psychological hallmarks of humility,” says Ludwig. “Women tend to be more wired for these traits and should keep developing these attributes, not tamp them down or assume an inauthentic cloak of overconfidence or arrogance. Humility frees you to think, learn, and be more creative and collaborative.”
Just hush! (Work on open-minded listening.) Soon, success in all fields will require continual learning in dynamic environments, and learning comes from listening. Additionally, critical thinking, innovation, and collaboration require us to be open to new ideas and perspectives, test our beliefs, and seek disconfirming data.
“Listening, rather than interrupting with our own arguments or 'telling' what we think we know, helps us get past our biases and make better decisions,” explains Hess. “This skill requires constant vigilance, which can't happen if you are arrogantly outspoken or constantly demanding to be heard.”
Find power in kindness and compassion – not unfeeling efficiency. A common message today is “women can be just as tough and strong as men.” Ludwig maintains that women can and should be tough in the context of the mental, physical, and emotional toughness that translates to emotional resilience, risking failure in order to experiment and learn, being willing to test thinking and beliefs, and changing course in the face of contrary evidence. Just don't mistake toughness with being cold, competitive, impersonal, and business-like.
“In our culture, kindness and compassion are often equated with weakness and being taken advantage of,” says Ludwig. “This is a misconception and it will have to change. In artificial intelligence-dominated workplaces, kindness and connection will be what keeps humans relevant and employable. Our ability to empathize and care about others will fuel innovation and collaboration and effect leadership.”
It should be comforting to women – and for that matter emotionally intelligent and humble men (there are plenty of them out there!) – to hear that they need not don an unnatural suit of overconfident, masculine armor to get ahead in the Smart Machine Age.
“The old boys' bravado club will be decimated by the takeover of AI,” concludes Hess. “In the meantime, we should all make daily commitments to work harder at maintaining humility and taking our social and emotional intelligence to a higher level – regardless of gender, job title, or industry.”
Ed Hess, Professor of Business Administration and Batten Executive-in-Residence at the Darden Graduate School of Business, and Katherine Ludwig are the authors of the new book Humility Is the New Smart: Rethinking Human Excellence in the Smart Machine Age, which puts forth a new model called NewSmart, designed to help humans thrive alongside technology in the Smart Machine Age.
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Is Partnership Just a Word to Use When You Want Something?
Gregg Emmer, Marketing Matters
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Depriving a vendor of a reasonable profit is not a way to build lasting relationships that will raise your profits in the long run – a penny saved today is a dollar lost tomorrow. Gregg Emmer
sponsored by Bay State
Okay, so I quoted myself! There is a first time for everything. I could not find a famous person to quote that drove home what I want to share today. I have the vantage point between many people engaged in the end buyer sales process of the industry and I have a great business and social relationships with some of the top vendors. I get to see both sides of the day to day business. I regularly hear about people trying to make their profit on the buy – trying to get lower and lower nets from vendors. There are several problems with this approach.
Generally vendors (suppliers) in our industry price at the lowest amount they wish to do business at for most transactions. Those that offer special pricing for large quantity orders or to distributors with excellent payment history are also generally offered to all who qualify. When a supplier is asked to go beyond that point, several things have to be considered. Is the distributor usually a good profitable partner or do they always want more? Do they pay on time? Will producing their low margin order use inventory you can sell at normal margin? Will the labor used to produce the low margin job be worth it? Has the distributor “partner” consistently provided marketing support for your line?
If there is in fact a great partnership, additional pricing reductions may be perfectly warranted. But when vendors are pressured to give lower priced for fair weather partners, future business together will be impacted. When the distributor needs a favor to get their fat out of the fire (quicker production, help to correct a distributor mistake, etc.) there may well be a reluctance from the supplier.
Partnership in this industry it is essential. Suppliers and distributors share a common customer. While the movement of money suggests that the distributor is the customer of the supplier, that is not true at all. Distributors do not buy goods from suppliers, they sell them! Orders are not given to suppliers until the goods have been sold to someone else. So partnership is the only way to make this business work.
sponsored by Next Level Apparel
Distributors that are candid and fair with suppliers and will reduce their profits along with discounts from the supplier to win the business will find that suppliers will happily participate in that partnership. But distributors that get a reputation of always expecting concessions will see their quotes adjusted so that when the dance is over the supplier has a reasonable profit. News flash – suppliers are smart people!
So what is a partnership? It starts with understanding the shared customer concept. Suppliers have to be able to trust that distributors will handle the money properly and pay them on time – but realize the distributor is not the customer. When things go wrong there needs to be an honest evaluation between partners and an equitable solution. It is not always the supplier’s fault. It is not always the distributor’s fault!
Think long term. This is an industry the lives on reorder business. If not the same programs/items but the same customers. Don’t short circuit yourself by allowing a single order to interrupt the partnership. If a vendor can’t go lower and you want the order, drop your profits! Ouch – I could hear most of you groan. But in a partnership it can’t always be one sided.
Suppliers – When asked for a quote, give the lowest price you are willing to do the business for and stick to it. If the order goes to a competitor be happy they are losing money on it and not you!
Distributors – If you can find ways to support the suppliers (distributing sales literature to salespeople and customers, using PSAs from your top supplier, etc.) – Just do it! If you have a website and/or publish a catalog, promote supplier’s items without looking for co op dollars. Be a real partner and you will find greater profits, easy relationships, amazing cooperation and special treatment.
Suppliers have the responsibility to produce great items with high quality imprints. Distributors, your part of the partnership is to make the transaction about the customer’s objectives and not about price. If you do your part your profits and the profits of your supplier will be protected and your customer will actually get a much better value for their investment. If you make it only about price, eventually you will win the race to the bottom.
Gregg Emmer is chief marketing officer and vice president at Kaeser & Blair, Inc. He has more than 40 years experience in marketing and the promotional specialty advertising industry. His outside consultancy provides marketing, public relations and business planning consulting to a wide range of other businesses and has been a useful knowledge base for K&B Dealers. Contact Gregg at gemmer@kaeser-blair.com .
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Performance wear is for everywhere. Lisa Schofield, Product Feature
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Where once we looked for activity-specific apparel, today the trend is toward apparel that takes us not only from one activity to another, but also to grab a drink after.
sponsored by PPAI
Comfort is king and style is queen. This is a great description of today’s performance wear, which can now be worn almost anywhere (except at more formal places and events). This is a category that has evolved quickly and expansively during the past several years.
Overall, compared to this category a few years ago, on-trend performance wear will keep your clients’ end-users not only comfortable, cool or warm, combating any embarrassing odor but also protects from the sun’s rays. The fabrications are soft, smooth, supple, and lightweight, perfect for layering.
Eric Rubin of Blue Generation says he has witnessed tremendous technological breakthroughs in textiles over the past five years; for example, 100 percent polyester moisture wicking has changed dramatically as far as comfort. Polyester used to be somewhat scratchy and unbreathable. “With the advent of hair-thin micro fibers, polyester has become a fabric of choice,” he comments. It is lightweight, comfortable to wear, breathes, retains color and doesn't shrink. This is the perfect recipe for performance apparel.”
But cotton isn’t left out here. Vicki Ostrom of SanMar observes that there has been a shift in consumer preference for cotton or cotton-rich fabrics used in performance styles. The soft, comforting feel of cotton “tends to resonate with customers as nostalgia continues as a big trend in the marketplace,” she says.
To this end, SanMar has added two new jackets to its OGIO Endurance for men and women that are cotton rich and with sporty styling – the Cadmium (LOE502/OE502) and the Origin (OE503/LOE503). She describes, “With the combination of beautifully soft fabrics and a smart balance of sport styling and heritage marls and heather coloring, these pieces are perfect for on-line company stores. They easily transition through many activities during the day and they satisfy style requirements of team members at any age.”
A performance attribute that has evolved and is quite desirable, points out Marcus Davis of Champion and Hanes, is odor protection. Champion has added FreshIQ™ advanced odor-protection technology to its Double Dry collection, and Hanes® Cool DRI® Ts, in addition to moisture-wicking properties, now include odor-control technology.
sponsored by Blue Generation
Another evolutionary point is that now performance wear is everywhere. Davis observes that as far as performance-wear, “where once we looked for activity-specific apparel, today the trend is toward apparel that takes us not only from one activity to another, but also to grab a drink after.”
Adam Waugh of A4 agrees, adding that only a few short years ago, performance apparel was used mostly for athletics. “Now everyone has figured out that the fabrics are more comfortable, stylish, light weight and easy to wear,” he emphasizes. “Performance fabrics have left the gym and become a mainstream item.”
Rubin also concurs, noting that performance apparel has moved from teamwear into mainstream street wear. In fact, he says, moisture-wicking fabrics are now selling in all areas of corporate apparel and service wear. “From polos to T-shirts, performance wear has become one of our top-selling categories,” he remarks.
Layering remains not only popular for style but in climates that have pronounced spring and autumn weather, necessary. According to Ostrom, another factor that continues to be important is the desire for performance fabrics to be light weight so that they can layer easily. “For example, we are seeing short sleeve Ts layered over T-shirt-weight long-sleeve hoodie pullovers as an important style story. The new DM139 and DM139L Perfect Tri Long Sleeve Hoodie addresses this way of dressing. The branding opportunities are abundant on this style as well, with vertical graphic placements on sleeves and center front hood graphics popular placements.
The category is so broad now, Waugh asserts, performance wear can be used in so many applications. For example, he offers, many companies will host participatory events such as fun runs, golf tournaments, fitness challenges, etc. Additionally, “The new world of performance apparel encompasses uniforms, client gifts, company stores, really the scenarios are endless.”
Active women, especially millennials, says Davis, will appreciate coordinating, embellished sports bras. The new Champion® Absolute Sports Bra is especially suitable for sublimation. This bra is ideally suited for the continually growing yoga and fitness industries, as well as teams, and sororities/college market. The SmoothTec™ band prevents irritation and chafe, and Double Dry™ technology wicks moisture, he describes. While minimal seams minimize irritation, the racerback silhouette ensures a free range of motion. This poly/spandex sports bra comes in black and white, sizes XS–XL.
Further, Davis points out, today’s performance wear is no longer just tops; popular styles in bottoms, including joggers and leggings, are creating additional revenue opportunities for distributors when selling performance apparel. Think about teams, gyms, race and walk organizers especially when they order Ts. “Performance bottoms are now used across many sports and activities as a way for women to add warmth and even protection under their uniforms,” he elaborates. “They keep the wearer dry and comfortable – but they also address modesty. And yoga continues its stronghold as a must-do activity, inclusive to all age groups and levels of ability. So, leggings and yoga pants are a great added opportunity for yoga studios and gyms.
Champion® Performance Bottoms with a soft stretch fabric for dryness and comfort, also have a fit that hugs the hips and the legs. It is offered in three silhouettes – Yoga Pant, Legging and Capri – in sizes XS to 2XL. Davis notes these are ideal for teamwear, gym and yoga studios, or even as casualwear – for everyday layering. Performance bottoms provide an additional platform for embellishment to coordinate with shirts and outerwear.
“Performance styles are now designed with women in mind as these pieces are finding a way into everyday wear more and more,” observes Ostrom. For example, SanMar’s Sport-Tek line added the Posicharge Electric Heather Sporty Tee (LST390), a short-sleeve raglan with a scooped front neckline. “These design choices, as well as an expansive color offering, make this T a definite wardrobe value-add. It can layer over racerback tanks for a mid-day workout as well as easily layering under a knit blazer for office-wear, so the ROI of the style is clear,” she comments.
Speaking of office wear, polos remain classic for casual days in the office and for trade show attire. SanMar’s new Port Authority Pinpoint Mesh Polo (L580), Ostrom adds, also addresses this same need. Pinpoint Mesh polo for ladies has a zipper placket that opens to frame the face and has sporty design lines at the shoulder and back yoke with touches of reflective trim. “That enforces the important element of sport that everyone wants to incorporate into each style they buy while remaining distinctly feminine at the same time,” she describes
Blue Generation, says Rubin, has been expanding its performance apparel category for several years. This year, Blue Generation introduced a Teamwear catalog designed to illustrate how performance apparel can be used to outfit an entire team in a color. New this year, in addition to an expanded color card in its men's and ladies’ moisture-wicking Ts (BG7302), there is now a matching youth T-shirt. The new 1/2-zip pullover is “a tremendous value” also in men's and ladies'. Also new is a group of colorful baseball T as well as heather polos and Ts in new colors. Beyond schools, think of all the company softball teams, and local or regional community-charity teams.
Performance wear is also now readily available for uniforms. Blue Generation's Servicewear garments also feature technological advances that provide uniforms that will keep your client’s staff looking clean and crisp. Teflon treated fabrics in both tops and bottoms repel stains and perform on a very high level. “Our moisture-wicking polyester shirts made from our IL-50 fabrics can perform well in industrial laundries, and still have a sort touch feel making them comfortable to wear,” Rubin says.
As you look at garment programs for your wide variety of clients and their end-users, there is likely a garment that has the extra value of some performance property.
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Executing a Client Experience Contract
Bill Petrie, Petrie's Perspective
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Investing in a memorable client experience contract allows a brand to separate from the competition and build their business around the element that matters most: loyalty.
sponsored by Next Level Apparel
Not too long ago, the phrase “customer service” generated a feeling of comfort that a caring someone at a company would personally handle a client concern. The responding representative usually made you feel that your issue was of paramount importance and needed to be resolved to your satisfaction as soon as possible.
Mention the same phrase today and it will likely elicit a groan, an eye-roll, or an unpleasant story about weaving through a phone tree for 20 minutes, desperately trying to find a human. Many times, customers end up frustrated and feeling as if the company couldn’t care less about the issue or the person needing help.
The approach a brand takes in regards to customer service evokes real feelings in the end-user – feelings that have a great deal of influence on purchasing decisions, both positive and negative. Brands that enjoy wild success create much more than a positive customer experience; they execute a contract of client-specific expectations on which they continually deliver.
There are the four elements to creating a memorable client experience contract:
1) Curiosity as a Mindset – Brands that deepen relationships through the client experience think differently. Their vision, mission, and values revolve around serving others – both externally and internally. Brands that seek to connect through client experiences are continually curious. That curiosity drives these companies to experiment with new and different ways of delivering value to the end-users which allow them to anticipate areas of friction and find solutions to challenges that have yet to exist.
2) Culture of Client – Each touch point – from sales to marketing to billing to collections to customer service – is opportunity to reinforce your client contract. Brands that are focused on executing a client-specific contract create a culture where the organizational messaging is completely in sync and where everyone is a brand ambassador. When things go wrong (and they will go wrong), the simple act of empowering associates at every level to make independent decisions with the overall experience in mind will yield dramatic and positive feelings with the client. Everything begins with culture because the culture creates the environment where ideas, innovation, and accountability can flourish.
sponsored by PPAI
3) Seek Honest Feedback – Some organizations tolerate feedback; brands that consider feedback a gift are the ones that create a truly magical client experience. A recent Pivot study showed that 76 percent of companies feel they know what their customers want, but only 34 percent have asked them what they want. Leverage online surveys to collect direct feedback, randomly call clients after delivery to ask them about their experience with your company, or have a meeting to have an honest conversation about what they want from their provider. Stop assuming that you know what your clients want – you don’t. Ask them and learn from the answers.
4) Agility through Empowerment – The promotional products landscape is rapidly and continually evolving. Mobile technology, the ease of information, and increasing influence of social platforms are shaping buying behaviors. Customers are empowered with more information than ever and brands are struggling to keep up with the pace of change. Brands that seek to create a client experience contract must empower their employees. Empowered associates are far more likely to collaborate and share insights learned from client interactions which allows them to be more nimble and flexible when responding to rapidly shifting client needs.
Creating a culture where every employee is focused on executing a client-centric contract at every touch point requires leadership and investment. Investing in a memorable client experience contract allows a brand to separate from the competition and build their business around the element that matters most: loyalty.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, the leading digital marketing service provider to the promotional products industry, and has over 17 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. In 2014, he launched brandivate – the first executive outsourcing company solely focused on helping small and medium sized-promotional products enterprises responsibly grow their business. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, president of the Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), and PromoKitchen chef, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, developing operational policies and procedures, creating and developing winning RFP responses, and presenting winning promotional products solutions to Fortune 500 clients. He can be reached at bill@PromoCorner.com .
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Identity Marketing Staff, New Products
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sponsored by Bay State
Great for schools, universities, sports and teams, this T-shirt shaped flash drive from Athena Promo is available in 11 capacities and features a Tier 1 grade A chips. Colors: black, blue, red, white and yellow.
New light up LED Bluetooth speaker from Beacon Promotions features four different colored lights (blue, red, white and green) illuminating the domed decal imprint in the middle of it. Bluetooth working range is 11 yards. The speaker can be used with a TF card, USB support or line-in. Includes USB cord and cable.
New from Hub Pen , the Bala Stylus Pen has a handsome wide body with handy stylus. It features a high-gloss enamel finish with a bold chrome clip and accents, and a unique mid-barrel retraction design. It is available in four colors.
This classic top grain leather duffel from Clava has a front exterior that features two pockets – one with a heavyweight logoed brass turnlock closure, the other with a metal zip closure; together they create a fashionable (and functional) design element. Back exterior has a roomy back zip pocket. A heavyweight brass zipper closure opens to a roomy, fully lined interior with a large zip pocket and two additional drop pockets. There are brass feet on the bag bottom to help keep it from being damaged through your travels. Rolled top handles for comfortable hand carry, as well as an adjustable/removable shoulder strap complete this classic bag.
Bella+Canvas' Unisex Tri-blend Short Sleeve V-Neck T features a uniquely soft tri-blend fabrication, modern fit, V-neck and short sleeves. It is available in 22 colors.
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What Is Your Vision for Your Future?
Take this first step to make things happen. Danette Gossett, From Good to Great
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sponsored by Next Level Apparel
I recently began reading Jack Canfield’s book, “The Success Principles,” and it has inspired me to rethink and reframe my future. I admit, I have read, practiced and heard many of the principles in the book so far (I’m only on chapter 14). And he admits that it’s not new information.
There are sections about Tony Robbins’ philosophies (yes, I believe in his PHD – pig headed discipline and have walked on the burning coals), “The Secret” (yes, I watched the movie years ago) and so many others. And no matter how you may feel about what may be seen by some as “witchy” for “putting it out into the universe” I do believe if you are mindful with your goals and passions, things happen.
Painting a Picture of Your Future
Not long after I began reading the book, an old friend I hadn’t heard from in months called and said he had been working on his vision for himself and his business. He had just completed painting a picture (through words) as to what he wants his business to look like. But of course, it’s written in the present tense, as if it’s already happened. That’s one of the success principles – you envision your success as if it has already happened.
My friend also spent time developing a mind map of all the various aspects of his business and wanted to share both of these with me.
It was as if the universe was acknowledging my new path and wanted me to see that others were working on to clarify their goals and vision as well – telling me I can live my dream if I envision it.
Achieving Goals You Set
There is a chapter devoted to the power of goal-setting and it discusses a study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews. Her study found that if you just think about your goals regularly, you will have a 43 percent success rate. But if you write them down, formulate a list of actions and then send them to a supportive friend and provide regular updates to that friend, the success rate increases to 76 percent!
Now, my friend hadn’t read the book, but he had seen the concept elsewhere and wanted to share his goals and visions. We discussed them in depth and decided that we needed to stay in touch regularly and report on our progress. We both agreed being regularly accountable to each other was necessary if we were going stay on this new path.
sponsored by PPAI
It fit right in with what I had read and I knew even more that it was time to rework my plan for my future. I’ve always tried to set myself and my company apart from others. I still think we have, but I also know that I’ve been doing it the same way for a long time. And with more and more people heading to the internet to purchase just about everything, it’s time to make sure my company is still around in another 10 years.
How Does Success Look?
So, the first step I’m working on is painting that picture of how my company’s success will look in 10 years. I’m re-crafting our story, so to speak, to make sure we will be relevant. This story will include the acquisitions I will make, the awards we will achieve, the look of the offices, the team, the clients, the revenues and the profits. All will be very detailed so that when you read it you, too, can picture it in your mind.
Then, as the book suggests, I will read it three times a day. I will spend some quiet time (which I currently do not do often, if at all) visualizing that picture.
Forget the Negative Thinking
The next thing I’ve started doing is releasing any focus on negative thoughts and images, and concentrating on positive ones. No longer will it be “I can’t” or “we won’t” or “if...” It will be “I can,” “we have” and “when.” It’s one of the secrets of the “Law of Attraction.” You attract where you give your energy and if it’s always focused on what you can’t achieve then you won’t achieve it.
So I’m positive about these first two steps and really am looking forward to completing all the exercises in the book (well, maybe not the one about getting up at 5:30 a.m. or earlier every day) and focusing on my vision for my future.
If you haven’t worked on your vision in a while or are not looking at it every day, I encourage you to give it a try. I’ve been doing this about a month and I’ve already seen some dramatic, very positive changes.
Danette Gossett is the founder of Gossett Marketing, co-founder of Promotions Rescource LLC and co-author of the best-selling book “Transform” with Brian Tracy. Danette utilizes her more than 30 years of advertising agency and corporate marketing experience to develop effective promotional campaigns and products for her clients. Visit GossettMktg.com or SalesPromo.org and follow us on twitter @MarketngTidbits .
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Danette Gossett
In the News
SAGE Online 12.5 Released; Jetline Launches Site; Distinguished Service Award Nominations Identity Marketing Staff, Business News
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sponsored by Blue Generation
SAGE Online 12.5 Launched
SAGE announced the official launch of SAGE Online 12.5, which features significant upgrades to its research and business management software.
SAGE Online 12.5 delivers new features and efficiency-enhancing design. Key new features include:
• A new Q&A section to ask the community and suppliers questions about products
• Multiple product images showing alternate colors and angles
• Simplified search views show users only the most common search fields
• New decorator search area to find embroiderers, screen printers, and more
• Premium and incentives search
• An optional second ready-to-go email campaign every month
• Automatic CRM task scheduling to follow-up on presentations
• New CRM and order management reporting capabilities
David Natinsky, president of SAGE, said, “We continue to innovate our products and services based on feedback from existing clients. We’re thrilled to release the latest solutions to our customers so they can benefit from increased ease of use and effectiveness for their business. We always aim to be moving ahead of the needs of our distributors and suppliers to support the success of the professionals in our industry.”
SAGE Online 12.5 will be rolling out to all SAGE Total Access™ and SAGE Online subscribers in the coming weeks. Subscribers will receive an “update available” prompt upon logging in to SAGE Online as soon as the new version is available to them. There is no additional charge for the upgrade, and free training and one-on-one sessions are available for anyone wanting help with the update.
New Website for Jetline
Prime Line® has launched a fully redesigned website for its Jetline value line – featuring blazing loading speed, improved search and navigation, one-click action for real time inventory queries and shipping quotes, personalized pricing for logged in users and responsive design that enhances the mobile user experience.
The site utilizes a streamlined design with dropdown navigation menus enabling users to find what they need quickly and easily. The home page features a “Trending Now” section, which displays items with the most page views over the previous seven days. Filters on search results pages allow users to narrow a search or browse by price, color, etc. Product detail pages feature large images with a zoom feature on the main image. Users can view Canadian pricing by clicking a link that appears on every product page. Linked icons at the top of every page make it easy for users to access the Prime Line® website and Source Abroad web page.
Responsive web design was implemented for the Jetline website, which allows desktop pages to be viewed in response to the screen size or web browser one is viewing with. “We put a lot of thought into our responsive design and the early feedback received from mobile users has been fantastic,” said Dave Arfine, Prime’s IT Director and architect of the website.
“Our websites are the single most important marketing tool we have and our goal is to create a great digital experience for our visitors,” said Jeff Lederer, CEO of Prime Line®. “We’re going to continue to add bells and whistles along the way toward making Jelinepromo.com a state-of-the-art website for our industry or any industry.”
PPAI Names Sen. Gary Peters Legislator of the Year
Promotional Products Association International ( ppai.org ) announced Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) has been named the Association’s 2017 Legislator of the Year . The award will be presented during the PPAI Legislative Education and Action Day ( L.E.A.D. ), April 26-27, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
Peters will be recognized for his history of serving the needs of the promotional products industry by encouraging economic stability and growth through advocating for small business, promoting manufacturing and preserving jobs.
“We are pleased to recognize Sen. Peters, whose top priority is to support job creation and economic growth to strengthen small businesses,” said Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI president and CEO. “His willingness to work with bipartisan groups to further small business, job creation, and tax credit legislation and other issues important to our industry have been essential to the promotional products industry and protecting its interests.”
The PPAI Legislator of the Year Award recognizes members of Congress who have shown a commitment to small-business interests and success, a willingness to meet with industry professionals and have given their support to issues critical to the promotional products industry.
In Peters’ home state of Michigan, 98 percent of promotional products companies are small businesses employing approximately 7,812 and generating revenues of more than $501.5 million.
Elected in 2014, Peters represents the State of Michigan in the U.S. Senate. Throughout his career in public service, Peters has been a strong, independent voice for Michigan’s families and small businesses. He has focused on uniting communities by supporting a stronger economy, good-paying jobs, affordable health care, a secure retirement and a fair chance for everyone to succeed.
The PPAI Legislator of the Year Award is presented as part of the PPAI Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.) when PPAI leadership and industry professionals visit Washington, D.C., for the eighth annual L.E.A.D. event. Nearly 80 advocates from 33 states will conduct more than 250 meetings with senators, congressional representatives and their legislative staffs on Capitol Hill to discuss pending legislation and issues relevant to the promotional products industry.
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Light the Fire of Passion to Fuel Success
Cliff Quicksell, MAS+, Cliff's Notes
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You get the best efforts from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.
sponsored by Bay State
As a business owner, coach, parent – any leader has the ultimate responsibility to get the very best from everyone, be it an employee, player or child. Helping people achieve their very best is what builds great companies, great teams and amazing families.
However, there are many in business and in life who feel the best way to motivate is to rule or “motivate” through force and intimidation. The reality is that tactic is really no way to build a strong, successful and loyal companies team mates or families. In fact is, it’s counterproductive and demoralizing.
I have worked for such individuals and the experience was awful. On the other hand I have worked for and with individuals who patiently helped me develop my interest and “passion” for what I do. Whether it be sports, business or life itself – that passion and fire becomes infectious to everyone I touch.
Are you the type to train and build your team through loud, nasty intimidation tactics? How receptive are those on the receiving end? If polled, what would they say about you and your management, coaching or parenting style?
Ask your team or yourself, if you’re a one- or two-person business, “Am I passionate about what I do? Do others see my passion and emulate that drive? As the one in charge, do I deliver positive messages? Am I upbeat and encouraging? Do I seek to have people see the best in themselves – or is it completely the opposite?”
I found this quote by Bob Nelson that I really connected with: “You get the best efforts from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.”
Getting people engaged in a positive way fuels the best results. Now is the time to take an introspective look at what it is you do; how you train and motivate those around you… stoking the fire of passion inside your employees, team and family will ultimately mean greater loyalty, better sales, cohesive work environment and a happier life.
Now is the time for change!
For more than 30 years, Cliff has been speaking, training and consulting internationally to associations and national business groups on more effective ways to market themselves, their products and services, as well as motivating their personnel. Recognized by PPAI for his creativity, he has won the prestigious PPAI Pyramid award 25 times, and the Printing Industry's PSDA’s Peak Award for creativity five times in three years. He has also received PPAI's Ambassador Speaker of the Year Award six consecutive years and was the inaugural recipient of PPAI's Distinguished Service Award. Named one of top six industry speakers and trainers, he also was recognized by PPAI in the book, "PPAI at 100," as having a significant influence in education. He has also been recognized by Counselor Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the Promotional Products Industry. You can engage with Cliff at http://www.myengagepage2.com/cliffquicksell .
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Why Leaders Need To Be Great Salespeople To Succeed
Paul B. Thornton, From the Business World
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Whether it’s a CEO, a coach or someone else whose job it is to motivate others, a great leader is at heart a good salesperson.
sponsored by Next Level Apparel
That’s because if an organization’s leadership isn’t constantly persuading the rest of the team to buy into an idea or a philosophy, the team is likely to splinter, with everyone moving in his or her own direction.
And just barking orders doesn’t always get the job done.
“Leaders don’t always have formal authority or positional power to compel people to do what they want done,” says Paul B. Thornton, who conducts leadership training programs and is author of “ Precise Leaders Get Results .” “In many situations, they need to persuade, convince, and sell people on their ideas.”
Thornton says to successfully influence others, leaders must understand what those people are thinking and then tap into whatever their strongest emotion is at that time.
Ultimately, he says, it’s a matter of appealing to people’s heads, hearts and hands. Here’s how that works:
• The Head – This is an appeal to the intellect. Leaders can persuade people through rational arguments including market research, customer surveys and case studies. They also should highlight the business benefits of ideas and how they will help employees. In some situations, Thornton says, it helps to explain the consequences of not changing. What’s at stake? What will people lose out on?
• The Heart – This is an appeal to emotions. People change their behavior when doing so makes them feel better, Thornton says. The leader should connect to their need for status, order, honor, security and purpose. Engage their hearts by making employees feel they are part of something big and special.
• The Hands – This is persuasion through direct involvement. Give employees something to experience viscerally, the way salespeople let someone take a car for a test drive or offer a taste test. “Demonstrations help people experience the value and benefits of a particular idea or innovation,” Thornton says. “Direct experience can alter how a person thinks and feels about a new initiative.”
Having the right mix of facts, emotional appeals and involvement helps sell ideas and proposals, Thornton says. Once that’s done, he says, the leader needs to close the deal by asking for people’s commitment to whatever is proposed.
“In some cases you may need to start small,” Thornton says. “Get people to commit to taking some baby steps.”
Paul Thornton, author of “Precise Leaders Get Results,” is an author, trainer, speaker and professor of Business Administration at Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts. He has designed and conducted management and leadership programs for UMASS Medical School, Kuwait Oil Corporation, and United Technologies, providing leadership training for over 10,000 supervisors and managers. Thornton’s books include: “Leadership-Off the Wall,” “Be the Leader, Make the Difference,” and “Leadership: Best Advice I Ever Got.” He has also written articles that have appeared in USA Today, Management Review and Leadership Excellence.
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Consumer Confidence Jumps; Pro Towels Launches FOTO Vision Identity Marketing Staff, Business News
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sponsored by PPAI
U.S. Consumer Confidence Surges in March
The Conference Board reported that its consumer confidence index jumped 9.5 points to 125.6 this month, the highest reading since December 2000.
The 16-year high is attributed to growing labor market optimism while the goods trade deficit narrowed sharply in February, indicating the economy was regaining momentum after faltering at the start of the year.
“Consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions improved considerably,” Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board, said in a statement on Tuesday. “Consumers’ also expressed much greater optimism regarding the short-term outlook for business, jobs and personal income prospects. Thus, consumers feel current economic conditions have improved over the recent period, and their renewed optimism suggests the possibility of some upside to the prospects for economic growth in the coming months,” Franco said.
Pro Towels Launches FOTO Vision
Pro Towels announced the launch of FOTO Vision which the company says the new dye sublimation process creates sharp, vivid images “where creativity has no limits.”
President of Pro Towels Kevin Nord exclaims, “Dye sub is far from new in our industry, but the ability to produce it with as few as a one-piece minimum, on textiles, is groundbreaking. This will allow our clients to do on demand with zero inventory on their shelves.” The FOTO Vision products will also have a quick turnaround. Get ready to live life in color!
FOTO Vision is available in over 25 products, including the Pro Towels Jersey Towel Collection, beach, golf and fitness towels; Kanata blankets; and Superior garments.
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Key Rules You Can (and Should) Break in Your Marketing Copy
Aubrey Collins, Creative Challenges
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sponsored by Blue Generation
The other day at the office, a coworker and I had a bit of a debate about grammar and proper writing. During the discussion and my subsequent rounding up of facts to prove that I was, indeed, correct, I uncovered a realization most people have deeply ingrained thoughts about grammar, but it turns out that many of those thoughts are either myths or rules you can (and should) break in modern writing.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t be aware of the rules of grammar or that you shouldn’t take them seriously, but by knowing the rules, you can feel comfortable in your decision to break them. This is not to say that I never make a grammar mistake or that I don’t have more to learn, but I have made a concerted effort to learn all I can about grammar rules, and I am here to assure you that there are many opportunities to break the real and imagined writing commandments.
You Can’t Write in Fragments
From the time you were a small child, you were told that fragments – or incomplete sentences – are errors that need to be corrected. Since fragments are incomplete, generally, they lack a subject or a verb. They can make a piece of writing confusing, so in formal writing, avoiding fragments often makes a great deal of sense.
That said, marketing copy exists to influence. To persuade. Using sentence fragments, like I just did in the previous sentence, help you to break up elements in your copy and can help you emphasize particular points. When used deliberately, sentence fragments help to create a wide range of effects.
Don’t Start a Sentence with “And” or “But”
Again, this one goes back to childhood. As a child nearly every one of us was taught that you should never start a sentence with a conjunction like and, but, or or. Despite this, nearly all style guides, even the most rigid, have stated that starting sentences with coordinating conjunctions (like and, but, and or) is perfectly acceptable and that examples of such use goes all the way back to Old English.
With experts agreeing that it is fine to start a sentences with a conjunction, how did a rule like this proliferate amongst children for decades? It is thought that back in the 19th century, some schoolteachers took a stance against the practice of beginning a sentence with a conjunction, likely because they noticed young children overusing them in their writing. So instead of educating them on effective use, teachers banned it altogether. I hope you begin at least one sentence with a conjunction today, if only to get back at this decades’ old education conspiracy.
You Should Avoid Slang Expressions in Your Writing
On the surface, avoiding slang expressions is actually sound advice. You don’t want to confuse your reader. That said, when it comes to modern writing – especially marketing copy – it is so important to write in a conversational tone. Write the way you talk. Vary your sentence structure. These are all ways you can keep your reader’s attention.
So as long as you use caution when implementing slang, it is absolutely a rule that can be broken. Using slang correctly can help an audience relate to you better. It can make the reader feel as though you are all a part of the same group or club. It can make you more relatable. Tread lightly and see how your audience responds to your writing and make adjustments when needed. When used effectively, slang is a very simple and subtle way to add some authenticity to your writing.
I hope that loosening the tie on your writing, so to speak, helps you to have a little more fun with it. Sometimes we use the rules rules of grammar to handcuff ourselves and our creativity and, in the end, we bore our reader. Stay tuned for part two of this topic for even more ways to cut yourself a break in your efforts of writing effective copy.
Aubrey Collins is the director of marketing and communications at MediaTree , a supplier of branded digital entertainment cards. She fell in love with the promotional products industry in 2011 at her first PPAI Expo. She shares her perspective on everything from the industry, what parenting continues to teach her about business, to what marketing campaigns make her cry on her blog. Connect with her on Twitter or email her atacollins@mediatreegroup.com .
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