WHOOPLA, a distributor based in Encino, Calif., sends out two to three self-promo kits a year. Its latest, meticulously crafted and fully themed in ’80s arcade branding, is already a smash hit, generating multiple orders totaling six figures in sales with 100 of the 200 total mailings still to go. Here’s how it came together…
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Image Solutions has been in business since 1997 as a uniform provider to small businesses and Fortune 500 companies, like AT&T, Albertsons and Walgreens. It has evolved to offer decoration, e-commerce and more. While embroidery remains its top decoration method, adding heat transfer has further developed the business…
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With the current state of the global economy making every transaction even more crucial than usual, it’s a critical time to review what’s working and what’s changed in sales. To explore some sales tactics and advice for the new normal and beyond, we connected with a trio of distributors and a sales manager at a major supplier…
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When your client asks for a new T-shirt or hat idea, chances are you send them back a few shirt options in their selected colors and maybe a couple hat styles that fit their idea. It is likely that most of us are operating in this fashion, taking the inquiry and producing what is asked for the client. While this is fine on an introductory level, it puts the reins into the clients’ hands instead of allowing us, the experts, to direct the client…
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E-commerce and m-commerce (mobile shopping) remain on the rise. For promo distributors, promotional products e-commerce platforms open up a whole new set of sales opportunities for current customers as well as those located outside of your typical sales area…
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Direct-to-garment is a great option for small decorators that outsource screen printing but want to offer something in-house for smaller runs. It’s also a good choice for those who want to use inkjet technology, since it doesn’t have a color limit, a large equipment footprint or setup charges. But there are a few misconceptions about this decoration method…
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You don’t have to be a guru or a numbers person to capture and digest the data that will help focus your promo business efforts. Depending on the size of your company and the type of insights you want to acquire, there are a variety of options. Here are some questions data can help you answer and metrics to focus on…
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Content marketing is inexpensive, but when done well, it’s a great way for promo businesses to gain exposure. We asked our supplier and distributor marketing experts for answers to some common content marketing questions. Hopefully, you can use them to get started (or get better) at content marketing for your own business…
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We talked to Jeff Bourland, owner of Proforma Southwest, to find out what works when it comes to managing sometimes demanding customers, turning challenges into successful sales, and customer service do’s and don’ts. Bourland has been in the industry for more than 20 years, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about good customer service…
Read MoreAt any stage in your career, the goal for every distributor should be to structure a business that’s strong enough to continue when you’re no longer running it. Impending retirement is not the time to slowly run down your company until you’re ready to close shop. When you’ve done the heavy lifting up front, the business is more likely to thrive—making it all the more appealing to your successor when the time is right…
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