Top 10 Best Valued Promo Items List:

1. Leather Coasters. Placing a cup of coffee or tea on a desk can ruin the finish. Offer a logoed coaster, they are inexpensive and can be used in board or conference rooms. These promotional coasters can even fit in a #10 envelope and mailed out. Personalized coasters are a compliment to a desk.
2. Page Flags or Page Markers. These flags are the sticky little colored strips that stick out from a page. They are used as page tabs to highlight various pages. Real estate closing attorneys use them to mark the pages that need signing. These page highlighters come in various size books and are imprinted on the book cover and will be kept in an office drawer and used as needed while constantly reminding the user of your company. With any luck, when the user runs out, hopefully they will call you for more. This is your golden opportunity to engage in a refreshing conversation about your company. Page flags are great leave behinds when visiting offices or at trade shows or in goody bags, and golf tournament grab bags.
3. Tape measures. I am talking about the little round plastic tape measures the size of a silver dollar and contain a 5 foot cloth retractable tape with a retractable button. This measurement devise is a tool and tools don’t get thrown away. They can measure window decorations at home or for the office. There are constant uses for tape measures in an office and elsewhere.
4. Magnifiers. As we get older, many of us need reading glasses. These pocket magnifiers are credit card size, flexible and can be carried in a pocket, used as a bookmark or just kept in an office drawer. Some of these hand magnifiers are lighted. These hand magnifiers make for a great item to include in a mailing.
5. Computer Strip Calendars. These unique calendars measure approximately 12 inches long and about 1.25″ tall and contain the dates for all 12 months and a center section for your branded logo. We can even straddle 6 months of 2 consecutive years if you wish to use this valued promotional items mid year. These calendar strips adhere to the bottom of the computer monitor or top of the keyboard and are easily removable.
6. First Aid Products. Consider the value of sunscreen, band aids, lip balm and other first aid items. need I say more about these products that are used around the home, office, kept in glove boxes, handed out at employee picnics and other community events.
7. Business Card Holders. These business card organizers come in different sizes holding from 48- 96 business cards.
8. Custom CD’s. Take your brochure and have it downloaded onto a mini business card shape CD along with a custom imprinting onto the face of the CD. Custom DVD’s are available as well.
9. Memory Sticks. Did you know there are thumb drives that can hold as much as 8 gigs of memory? Branded jump drives are the perfect way for CPA’s to return personal and even business tax returns back to the client. Mortgage lenders can place all the necessary documents onto the drives and the homeowner can print them out at home.
10. The Silent Salesperson - Embroidered Apparel. So who would wear these Dress down Fridays, Trade Shows, outside sales people who make sales calls, workmen on job sites. So, why do I call these the silent sales persons?  As the wearer of the branded apparel is seen around town, in elevators, at lunch, in offices, the observer has the opportunity to read the name without asking who you work for. This also helps people keep on their best behavior because of the name identifier sewn into the shirts.

Depending upon quantity, the first 8 listed promo branded items,  are available for under $1.99 each. Some of these promotional advertising products are even available under .99 cents each.  Think your budget can swing that?
Advertising is the ability to have others identify with and remember your company’s name, brand or service. promotional items achieve this goal when the right items are branded and placed in the hands of prospective customers.

Do’s:
Always look for items that satisfy a need or desire and that relate to your company’s products or services.
The office desk is the most valued piece of real estate in an office. Consider items for the desk.
Dont’s:
Don’t buy trinkets and trash.
Don’t hide or store away the promotional items, they are meant to be given away.

Before we even talk about the 5 worst promo items, be sure you address the following checklist:

• What is the purpose of handing out the promotional products?
• What is your budget ?
• How many recipients do you expect will receive the promo items?
• Do the promotional items have the right information on it to contact you?

Now, let’s look at some real blunders.
Many company buyers of promotional products look at this as a commodity-driven purchase. My comment to this is that they really are not “marketing” experts.
Promotional products should and when done correctly, will open many doors to prospective clients, rekindle dormant accounts and act as a peace offering to accounts that may may gone bad.
With this in mind, a corporate purchaser of promo items should be partnering up with a consultant/distributor in the promotional industry.

#1 Worst Promo Item on my list is a cheap pen.
Why would you want to buy the cheapest pen you can find? Promotional items you give out are a reflection of your company and your abilities. Case in point, a friend told me of an experience they had a conference meeting where “cheap pens’ were passed out. This recipient’s pen actually broke at the meeting. She left it on the table and another person picked it up and tried to put it back together. Frustrated after several minutes of trying fix it, the pen was thrown in the trash. This obviously created distraction from the meeting and an embarrassing situation not to mention a waste of money.

#2 Worst Promo Item on my list is the Stress Ball.
Stress balls do have a valued place in the promotional industry with rehab centers, certain doctors practices and health clubs. So, ask yourself, what significance does the stress ball have to your company, and don’t tell me you help clients relieve stress. Do you know where the stress ball will wind up, in a child’s toy bin. So ask yourself, did you get the dollar value out of that promotional item?

#3 Worst Promo Item is handing out ceramic coffee mugs at trade shows. Yes folks, I have had many people ask me for ceramic mugs for a trade show. Like the stress ball, these porcelain mugs have a very useful life and can be a tremendous topic of conversation, but look at the practicality of the trade show attendee carrying a fragile imprinted mug. Give them a travel mug instead.

#4 Worst Promo Item on my list is the accordian pocket address book. We are now in the techno world and these items were popular several years ago, they have gone the way of the dinosaur.

#5 Worst Promo Item bottoming out on my list is an Adhesive Bumper Sticker. In case you didn’t know there are static cling stickers like what you get when you have your oil changed, and car magnets. Unless it was a parking permit, or you are using these stickers for other purposes, why gunk up your car with a permanent sticker?

Employee retention has become a matter of growing concern. According to a study by talentkeepers.com, an employee retention firm, more than 80% of business executives consider employee retention a top priority. This figure increased from 41% in 2007. What is causing this concern? One of the concerns is the new culture clash. Many of the recent college graduates may not have been acclimated to the work environment of today. Even though many fresh ideas and enthusiasm from these new recruits go a long way to connecting with like-minded potential clients, corporate culture may be standing in the way.

Today, work schedules may include 2am instant messaging, attending virtual meetings, or networking at “after-hours” events. Some business owners may not see the immediate return on the investment regarding these events. Some business executives perhaps need to see that the work ethic, although strong in these new employee recruits, may need to be redefined at the corporate level.

To understand each other, communication on a 2-way level, becomes more critical to gain the assurance on the part of both parties toward keeping their eyes on the end objective.

What can be done to maintain quality employees?

• Establish objectives for an incentive program.
  
• Communicate your program to encourage teamwork, competition and reinforce the objectives.
  
• Promote your program throughout the entire time frame.
  
• Offer awards for meeting goals along the way and when the goals are finally achieved.

Make sure your goals are reasonable, attainable and measurable so that everyone knows where they stand.

Remember that when a person is given positive motivation and challenged to achieve goals, performance will be much greater than without positive motivation.

John Gallagher, CAS -promotional marketing idea generator

It’s your portrait to the world, your calling card, your virtual catalog. It’s your website and it has to do plenty of heavy lifting day in and day out.

But is it up to the task? Is it attracting the kind of customers you want with effectiveness in converting sales? And what about shopping cart capability? Do you even have one? Perhaps you don’t need it for the type of products and services your company offers?

These are essential questions for companies of all sizes. Today’s website requires greater sophistication than the basic static internet presence of years ago. So how can you gain prominence to the top of the search engines? Both organic and paid search along with blogging are the new promotional mediums of a highly ranking website. Are the web pages index-able? Can the search engine crawlers read the pages?

Constantly refreshing your web site with new and compelling content, e-newsletters, specials, white papers, as well as reasons to come back to the site, should be paramount reasons for web designers to incorporate into the design. All this can be given in exchange for a viewer’s e-mail address.

Will there be value in the information offered on your site or is it an obtuse advertisement. Working with a search engine analyst can guide you through the mire of darkness and impression less verbiage on a web site. What is it your clients are looking for on a site like yours? Sometimes the best answer is to ask your customers. Create a questionnaire with a reward or promotional thank you, for filling it out. Remember, knowledge is power and constructive feedback is invaluable.

Key Concerns upon evaluating a Website:

• Constantly rotate content and information on the site to keep it fresh and visitors coming back.
• Visit other sites as comparison and as to why they rank highly on the search engines.
• Provide reasons why a visitor should directly contact your company.
• Make your site as customer-friendly as possible. This may require customized software.
• Set up analytics tools and study the results.

A portion of this information was provided by Advantages Magazine.

John Gallagher

promotional product consultant

Branding should probably be called “your reputation”. Branding is built on the ability (or lack of), people to create a high level of satisfaction of a product, service, and ultimately, translating into that company’s stature. It is a never-ending focus on people delivering and exceeding expectations. This is one of the reasons why companies have corporate cultures. They want their team of people to focus on reputation because that is what makes customers happy. The feeling of confidence by the purchaser that the company they work with will hopefully have what they need, save them time, save money, increase business, or just make life easier, on a consistent basis.

From a tangible sense, a “brand” is also a mark or label, some sort of identifier. Often symbols identify the brand like the Nike swoosh. People draw a mental image with the logo brand. This type of branding assists in creating a value system in which that company measures itself and how the competition compares to them. Marketing and Advertising firms assist in creating a “branded’ effect by creating and maintaining the product or company identifier (the logo), in a consistent and uniform approach.

Motivation of the people who create and maintain the branding image, are the biggest contributors to the brand, and should be commended in a positive way. This is why performance recognition is so important to a company.

There are many different ways to acknowledge positive performance such as company-sponsored vacation trips, awards, incentive programs, premium gifts, promotional items and more.

Create a branded approach with your company’s employees by consistently acknowledging them. Unfortunately many executives don’t realize the payoff for this positive reinforcement. The greatest component of a brand is the people who consistently meet and exceed expectations.

John Gallagher www.thepromoshop.com

Sometimes success can give way to complacency, a lackluster meeting, stagnated sales and ultimately, disgruntled employees.

With these tips from sales and marketing experts, you’ll see your presentations become more compelling and your sales potentially up-ticking.

1. Adjust and Adopt

Sometimes, an industry that you are in or are trying to break into has changed so much that you need to adjust your approach.

2. Think Like a Client

Keep your finger on the pulse of what’s hot in your industry, especially how and why your clients buy. It’s your job to figure out what the client wants by understanding why they are interested in your products or services and how they plan to use them. Make sure each presentation is customized to every client.

3. Get Some Culture

Especially if you are unfamiliar with the company, read their entire website and outside articles about them to immerse yourself in their culture. Talk to them about their products, services and their business. Show interest by asking about their company, they will appreciate the genuine concern.

4. Be Human

Be human and approachable, but always professional. Be enthusiastic. Sales are about making long-lasting relationships which build over time.

5. Get Creative

There is more to just selling product, sell ideas and solutions. This is why it’s vital to understand what ideas the client wants to convey and why. You may need to help the clients develop their ideas and then bond the client’s message to the products or services you are presenting. Enhance the offering to the client by including value-added product(s) and/or service(s) for increased orders or placing orders whining certain time-frames.

6. Shut Up and Listen

Be careful that you don’t talk too much in your presentation. Gear your conversation towards what the client wants to hear not what you want to say. Allow the customer to express themselves; this will give a read on their thoughts and direction. Remember to ask open-ended questions. Much can be learned when a customer has the opportunity to elaborate.

7. Rehearse Your Lines

Rehearsing is standard operating procedure. The clearer and more concise your message is, the easier it will be for the client to absorb. Time is a precious commodity and people will appreciate the efficiency in which you take to present yourself. Remember that enthusiasm generates excitement and speaking monotone dilutes the message and dulls the clients’ interest. If you’re not enthusiastic, you shouldn’t be selling.

Tips for Better Meetings

· Adapt to societal changes, like adding new technology to your presentation.

· Keep track of what products are selling well and which types of clients are buying them.

· Become immersed in your client’s company culture by reading outside articles and reviewing their own web site.

· Rehearse your pitch repeatedly and let colleagues critique it.

· Make a list of things you’ll need to take with you for the presentation.

· If presenting with a laptop, bring a back-up of your presentation on CD or thumb drive in case your laptop fails.

· Ask plenty of questions about the venue so you know what to expect as far as equipment and props.

· Get to the site early so that you can set up and then take a little time to relax and rehearse.

· Most importantly, show excitement about your products and services.

Portions of this information was provided by Advantages Magazine.

John Gallagher www.thepromoshop.com

Retooling Your Website

It’s your portrait to the world, your calling card, your virtual catalog. It’s your website and it has to do plenty of heavy lifting day in and day out.

But is it up to the task? Is it attracting the kind of customers you want with effectiveness in converting sales? And what about shopping cart capability? Do you even have one? Perhaps you don’t need it for the type of products and services your company offers?

These are essential questions for companies of all sizes. Today’s website requires greater sophistication than the basic static internet presence of years ago. So how can you gain prominence to the top of the search engines? Both organic and paid search along with blogging are the new promotional mediums of a highly ranking website. Are the web pages index able? Can the search engine crawlers read the pages?

Constantly refreshing your web site with new and compelling content, e-newsletters, specials, white papers, as well as reasons to come back to the site, should be paramount reasons for web designers to incorporate into the design. All this can be given in exchange for a viewer’s e-mail address.

Will there be value in the information offered on your site or is it an obtuse advertisement. Working with a search engine analyst can guide you through the mire of darkness and impression less verbiage on a web site. What is it your clients are looking for on a site like yours? Sometimes the best answer is to ask your customers. Create a questionnaire with a reward or promotional thank you, for filling it out. Remember, knowledge is power and constructive feedback is invaluable.

Key Concerns upon evaluating a Website

· Constantly rotate content and information on the site to keep it fresh and visitors coming back.

· Visit other sites as comparison and as to why they rank highly on the search engines.

· Provide reasons why a visitor should directly contact your company.

· Make your site as customer-friendly as possible. This may require customized software.

· Set up analytics tools and study the results.

A portion of this information was provided by Advantages Magazine.

John Gallagher

www.thepromoshop.com

The State of Real Estate

According to the US Dept. of Commerce for the month of March 2008, the medium selling price of a house is down 13.3% from March 2007. For the same period, new home sales dropped to their lowest level since 1991. There is no denying that the housing industry is having and will continue to have a ripple effect on other markets.

Question: When the housing market is slow, should agents spend less on advertising and promotions?

When the market is slow, agents should spend less but advertise more. There is a bigger need to advertise. Agents need to look at where advertising dollars are going and how best to maximize their spending to get the most value from their dollars spent. Getting the word out about one’s business is most crucial in a down turn market. When there is less business to go around, a company needs to go deeper into the existing areas they work in and filter into more markets and areas that may not have previously been in the normal territory.

So what type of advertising seems to work better in a down turn market? Agents need to show prospects what separates them from other agents. Is the agent a knowledgeable leader in a particular area of the market? If not, become the foremost authority in at arena and promote it. Next, choose a tag line to reflect this expertise and promote it. Join local Chambers of Commerce and volunteer in the community where the market is in. Volunteering of time and services goes a long way to help the community and may get picked up in local newspapers and publications. When promoting with a product, don’t look at gimmicks, rather search out a promotional products consultant and come up with a logoed product of lasting value to leave with a prospect. Remember, items that relate to one’s tag line and that have value, will be most appreciated and held on to the longest. Real Estate purchasing of homes is usually 3-5 plus years. SO, the product you leave behind should have some longevity. Did you know that 62% of all calendars are actually given away to prospects and customers? Mailing out a calendar to an entire database of clients is a non-evasive way of keeping one’s name in front of a person during the dormant years between real estate purchases. Offering a seminar about real estate purchasing where a financial advisor, lender and CPA, could prove beneficial to the not only existing clients, but new prospects as well.

A portion of this information was provided by Promo Marketing Magazine.

John Gallagher

www.thepromoshop.com

Yes, you can use Bottle Holders and Can Koozies as a useful item for advertising.

Customized Imprinted Koozies are great for wedding or
businesses. Our selection is able to be imprinted with your message or logo. We
offer a wide variety of style, shapes, and colors. As well we also feature the
can or bottle snug with a stylish zipper.

Some beer koozies have various options such as the Sure-lock
pull tie strap 360 Degree swivel bag clip Holds 16 ounce bottle 6 Available
colors. Another popular personalized can koozie is the zippereck neck bottle
holder. Lightweight foam construction, space saving collapsible design
minimizes external condensation.

A custom message or logo on a Koozies or can holders is a
great way to promote your business. We offer a large selection of personalized
koozies for outdoor events or weddings as well as beer koozies and collapsible
bottle holders and camo koozies.

Promotional koozies are popular for employee picnics,
boating trips and car trips. There is a space-saving collapsible design foam
can holder. Invite customers and employees to a grand opening, annual meeting,
or holiday party with logo koozie bottle snugs. Slip small invitations inside
and drop them in the mail. The snugs pack flat, so they are able to fit in
envelopes. Keep a brand top of mind at all company-sponsored events with these
trendy can snugs. Place business cards or company literature inside and hand
them to attendees as they enter. Customized promotional products such as can
holder koozies are inexpensive and have good visibility when used.

One day at the beach, I noticed a construction company was handing out customized koozies.
Some can holders are also made to be collapsible where they can be stored in a glove box or cooler.
While other customized can holders are shaped to fit bottles.
Some companies brand themselves while handing out can koozies at company picnics and other company-sponsored events.
These lightweight holders come in many different colors.
Many of the holders offer different options such as zippered-holders, drawstring-tops, swivel clip holders.
The bottle snugs that fold flat can be mailed in an oversize envelope as a form of invitation for a grand opening, annual meeting or holiday party, along with a letter and/or business card.

Problem:

The Senior Band Director of a school systemosted by the Promo Shop at 5/21/2008 11:01 AM and is filed under Case Histories

Problem:

The Senior Band Director of a school system’s Elementary, Middle and High School Band Booster Club was looking for a way to raise money to offset the cost of the Band Jackets.

Solution:

We created a Custom Critter tm Beanie School Mascot that the Band members sold.

Results:

A large portion of the cost of the band uniforms were offset by the mascot sales.