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How To Sell Promotional Items
Posted By: suegarnet* on 10/14/2004 10:22 AM (CST) 250 Points
We are a promotional company & I recently joined the sale team but I am having a serious promblem closing the sales. Christmas is our biggest sale but I am not seen that this year.

Can you give me some ideas on hoe to sell promotional items to different company?

Posted by: bob* Accepted Answer
10/14/2004 12:22 PM (CST)
Good afternoon,
Selling promotional products, especially for the holidays is not an easy task. Think of all the competition you have in this area.

As for closing the sale, be different. Understand what your competition is doing, and what works for them. Marketing is like being a comic. Each one basically steals from one another until they have their own style of comedy and a format that makes people laugh. Same idea with selling premium items. Do you go attend network meetings where we can learn what your competitors do? If so, start going.

The best way to close a sale is to companies that need to buy premium items is to "add value" In order words. what else can you offer within your margins that will make your prospective client say "YES" ?

Good luck with your sales
b_perlstein
 
Posted by: SteveByrneBranding Accepted Answer
10/14/2004 12:26 PM (CST)
suegarnet* ,

Not much detail in your question – perhaps you could provide a little more info about your company and its customers.

That said, you’d probably be well served to segment your market and then approach each segment in a way that will be uniquely attractive to them. For example, medical vertical companies that sell to doctors would be a narrow segment. You could generate your own list or buy a list from trade associations, brokers or? Next, put together items that would match a doctor target. Then sent something to the companies with doctor clients, sample package, post card, email etc. Then follow up with a CALL. Hopefully you have established some credibility by providing something specific to your prospects needs. But it only starts there. Keep the dialogue going until you have an order, be flexible but never give up until the prospect says “no”. Getting more closes has to do with the entire selling process.

Just an example, hope it helps you think about segmentation that will work for you.

- Steve

P.S. You mentioned selling to different companies, I would do research to see if any past customers are being overlooked this season.
 
Posted by: W.M.M.A. Accepted Answer
10/19/2004 2:24 PM (CST)
I believe the focus will be next year. Many budgets for this season were formed last year, September/October.

Last minute orders can be achieved by joining a few strong networking organizations and work it.

Set appointments and bring gifts...relevant gifts. It may stimulate the prospect in other areas.

Randall
WMMA
 
Posted by: jstiles* Accepted Answer
10/27/2004 6:57 PM (CST)
Try to find something unique, different than your competitors or find unique uses (see niche above) for existing items.

For new clients especially, try to focus on helping them solve their problem (awareness usually) rather than pushing items. You may not get a search or invite to bid right away but if you can learn more abou their needs each time you will be closer to knowing the hot buttons.

If you have hot targets, try reading their trade publications. Forward some info as it applies to promos, "just an FYI". The knowledge will only help you and displays interest in the industry/business.

Best of Luck!
 
Posted by: SRyan ;] Accepted Answer
10/30/2004 4:30 PM (CST)
Perhaps some of your existing customers have money in their budgets that they'd like to burn before the end of the year. I've worked at a couple of companies that had that mentality -- use the money or lose it.

You'd have to be a bit sensitive about how you take this approach, but perhaps it's worth testing on a few customers to get their reaction!

- Shelley
 
Posted by: mocando Accepted Answer
11/2/2004 8:43 AM (CST)
Ad specialties sales is a people busniess. You MUST put in face time with your clients to make the sales. Without being a nuisance, you must make a continual effort of being in their face. Phone calls, lunch with the client, a weekly "impromptu" stop by their office, gifts for the office (coffee/bagels, popcorn, catered lunch from time to time) will all land you work. As you know, you are selling, for the most part, the same items that your competitors are selling. The only difference is you.

Many budgets are set, but don't let that deter you, most small to medium sized companies have not yet placed orders. Our director of sales works on an 80/20 plan. He says that 80% of our sales come from 20% of our clients. So start out by finding six to eight clients who are consistent in their ordering practices and work them.

Good luck.
 
Posted by: D4Demand Accepted Answer
11/4/2004 9:22 AM (CST)
The best chachka peddlers I know do four things.
1. They ALWAYS bring me ideas of new things they've seen that would be perfect for me or my customers. They go out of their way to bring me ideas to help my business.
2. They always keep an eye on the close-out announcements from their manufacturers so they can tell me what a deal I could have if only I act quickly
3. They always have a way to get around high minimum buys (usually by adding something else to the order from the same supplier.)
4. They always follow up after delivery and ask either "what else can I do for you?" or "when will you be in the market again?"

These best folks in this business are TRUE BELIEVERS. They use what they sell. They send out very appropriate gifts to their targetted companies at the holidays -- things "perfectly" suited to me and my colleagues, that has MY name on it. It demonstrates the power of promotional products in a way nothing else can.

Mocando is right; this is a people business. You have to be interested in helping the business and the people you sell to. It's the investment of time that brings you long term rewards.

Good luck!
 
Posted by: Allan Accepted Answer
11/4/2004 11:53 PM (CST)
If I were selling promotional products I’d get to know people who provide marketing services for their clients. These would include letter shops, mailing services, ad agencies, direct mail and other direct marketers – all of which you can Google to find. Of course www.the-dma.org is the home for direct marketers, and has plenty of links to a multitude of resources that could be helpful to you.

I’d also join a networking group or two in my home town. www.bni.com is the home for Business Networks International, which has chapters almost everywhere. Another is www.smei.org home to Sales & Marketing Executives Int’l. Both of these groups, and many others, have weekly or monthly meetings that will put you in touch with other business people. The goal, of course, is not necessarily to sell to them, but to reach the point where they know you, like you, understand what you do and are willing to refer you to people in their rolodexes. Networking for new business can be the most pleasant, enjoyable way to prospect because it avoids cold-calling and knocking on doors to find prospects. Get a Starbucks card, charge it up with a few dozen coffees, and start meeting the people you network with outside of the network meeting to build relationships. It takes about 60-90 days for the networking to start paying off, but it certainly will.

Then, when I started making contacts, I’d want to truly understand what the client is trying to accomplish with his/her marketing campaign so I could put on my creative hat and suggest alternatives that no one else has to offer. Even if the promotional item itself is not exclusive to you, I believe people respond to a genuine interest expressed in their campaign and their business.

Also, I’ve found Question Based Selling at www.qbsresearch.com a great way to dig down to the core of what a client wants, and to help them see that “I” have the solution to their problem or issue. I recommend the QBS audio CD program titled “Question Based Selling.”

BTW, I have no affiliation with any of these organizations. But they’ve all been very helpful to me and I hope you’ll find some value in learning more about them and choosing to get involved.

Last, I’d also set up some kind of “drip marketing” to everyone I called on. Maybe an e-mail or letter once or twice a month. I’d want my communication to have some real value...maybe a case study or some creative writing on how a promotional item paid off for someone. You can subscribe to www.dmnews.com to get their daily news, which sometimes contains info on campaigns that use promotional items. Here’s a specific article that illustrates a case where promotional products played a big role in a successful marketing campaign: http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/publogin.cgi?article_id=28695

Hope this helps Sue. Best luck and success to you!!


 
Posted by: Val (Moderator)* Moderator Response
11/8/2004 8:10 PM (CST)
Hello all. I am closing this question since it's more than 10 days old. We do this to reward the contributions of participants in a timely manner + to give increased visibility to the newer questions.

Thanks, so much, for participating!

Val (Moderator)
 
Posted by: dj_dalma* Member Response
8/6/2005 6:10 AM (CST)
To increase the sells of your promotional products register at promotional products marketplace . I couldn't believe that the sells would increase but than I tried out the marketplace and my sells increased by 70%.
 


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