For decades, Topps owned the baseball card market. The company had an exclusive contract with Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association. A few weeks ago, Topps was blindsided when MLB and MLBPA announced a new exclusive contract with the online sports merchandise retailer Fanatics Inc. There are two big lessons here…
Read More
Franchise-builder David McKinnon discusses his passion for franchising and key advice to grow your business. As co-founder of Service Brands International, he built nine brands with nearly 2,000 franchises in eight countries. Here, he talks about the importance of trade associations and his involvement with the International Franchise Association…
Read More
In the world of promotional products, many make the mistake of trying to be like Jim Beam, thinking that simply because “everyone” buys branded merchandise, everyone is a potential client. But trying to be everything to everyone is a precarious position that undermines your brand…
Read MoreWhile sales forecasting and budgeting can be a draining process with so many unknowns right now, the positive side is we are now taking a new and closer look at our businesses than during “normal” years. We are spending more time strategizing and being reflective of our businesses and our own careers…
Read More
“Don’t be afraid to take risks. Be innovative and differentiate yourself,” says John Sheppard, former executive leader of Coca-Cola’s international divisions. Sheppard discusses his experience working with both private and public companies and offers advice about effective communication, building confidence and knowing when you need to adjust your leadership style…
Read MoreGetting people to your distributor website is a challenge in and of itself. Getting them to take action and convert to a prospect is a whole other story. But there are ways to increase the number of enquiries coming from your website from the traffic you are currently getting…
Read More
Many years ago, I was in an appointment with a new prospective customer. I gave my spiel. She told me some of the challenges the company was having, and asked what solutions we could offer. My response: “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” She politely told me that the sales call was over and I needed to leave…
Read MoreIt has been a tough year. No matter what kind of success we have had (or not had) as salespeople, work has been harder and the stress level has been off the charts. We need to make sure we are taking some time to take care of ourselves and respond to what comes next…
Read More
EJ Carrion is a transformational social entrepreneur, speaker and thought leader who builds technology and innovations to create equitable people-powered solutions. Tune in to this episode of Million Dollar Monday to hear how Carrion empowers others to accelerate their success…
Read MoreFor years, the primary promo industry client technology solution was a simple website where buyers could search for product and request a sample or quote. But now, due to technology advances in other industries, companies are demanding more from their promotional vendors…
Read More