Last year was so chock-full of great ideas, we couldn’t fit them all into our 2009 Sales Outlook. Below, you’ll find the tips we just couldn’t squeeze in.
Imprint pens more effectively:
Logos that are tall or multicolored don’t work well on the small imprint area of a writing instrument. Either expect variations in the order or simplify branding.
—Larry Sitten, executive vice president, Pencoa
Apply the basics in political campaigns:
Signs, campaign buttons, nail files, pencils and rulers all work well at keeping up regular communication with voters and are budget-friendly.
—Carol Muller, owner of Proforma APC
Establish yourself as an authority:
When pitching your services, become intimately familiar with the issues the client faces and demonstrate your ability to deliver results.
—Jill Konrath, sales strategist and author of Selling to Big Companies
Bring athletics to the office:
Moisture-wicking shirts makes as much sense for a trade-show exhibitor or health-care worker as it does for a coach.
—Les Tandler, executive vice president, Game Sportswear
Reach schools and universities:
Colleges have to be conscious that they are perceived as using financial resources responsibly. Distributors who recognize that will always have the advantage.
—Ilene Wilder, director of marketing and business development, University of Pennsylvania
Amp up trade-show promos:
Business-card CDs are unique trade-show promotions, and offer a functional solution to distributing large amounts of information about products and services.
—Robert Victor, marketing manager, CD Source Direct
Sweeten the deal:
For real-estate agents, chocolate-covered pretzels were a great way to show customer appreciation and generate referrals.
—Sheila Curtis, sales agent and sales manager, Prudential Reddington Realtors
Go vintage:
Pigment-dyed sweatshirts with raw edges or other distressed details are growing in popularity.
—Margaret Crow, marketing director, S&S Activewear
Sell chocolate by season:
Jordan almonds are more widely used in warmer months, and when it’s cold, chocolate-covered almonds win the popularity contest.
—Michael Shulkin, president, A La Carte
Ease stress:
Toy and game promotions are growing in popularity in such sectors as banking, finance and real estate. (Ed.—And now more than ever, it might be a welcome distraction.)
—Larry O’Neal, advertising coordinator, Ariel Premium Supply
Promote positive employee relations:
Choosing one versatile jacket style to take end-users through every season signals that a company is making an investment in its employee.
—Christina Rubbicco, public relations coordinator, Charles River Apparel
Embrace creativity for PhRMA compliance:
Think about how patients use the drug, what the doctor can do to educate them about it and how the patients will care for themselves afterwards.
—Bonni Shevin-Sandy, president of Dard Design and vice president of Dard Products
Choose sizing wisely:
Kimono-style bathrobes lend themselves better to the one-size-fits-all concept than do traditional shawl or hooded robes.
—Sy Eren, vice president, Terry Town
Amp up a small promotion:
Add a coupon or scratch-off to a candy or mint box to maximize the promotional value of the item.
—Brett Hersh, president, Admints & Zagabor
Try a calendar:
Custom calendars, planners and diaries offer daily visibility and educational real estate for PhRMA promotions.
—Margit Fawbush, marketing manager, Norwood Promotional Products
Encourage sun protection:
SPF in lip balm is important because lips cannot protect against the sun the way the rest of the skin can. However, anything higher than SPF 15 could alter the balm’s texture.
—Kathy Vichakchon, national sales manager, Leashables
Sell statistics:
For the financial industry, show the effectiveness of promotional products using facts, numbers and statistics. It appeals to a financial end-buyer’s inherent strength.
—Karen Sherrill, director of marketing, Gold Bond
Master the mix:
Use unexpected color palettes to draw eyes to an apparel promotion by taking colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel and tweaking one (e.g., use yellow green with burgundy instead of the traditional Christmas green).
—Leatrice Eiseman, director, Pantone Color Institute
