While some may view the summer season as a time to relax and kick back, savvy promotional products sales professionals are out there exploring new opportunities and revving up their sales. This summer stay one step ahead of your competition by using these strategies:
- Get Out of the Office. The summer is a great time to get to know your prospects and clients better. A casual breakfast or lunch can yield great results. In my own business, whenever I’ve had breakfast or lunch with a client, amazing opportunities have presented themselves. Remember, people buy from others they know, like and trust. Meeting your clients on more casual turf builds the know, like and trust factor.
- Host a Christmas in July Party. It’s never too early to start thinking about holiday gifts. Host a Christmas in July party and invite your top clients. Show them innovative holiday gifts at a cost savings when they order early.
- Form Strategic Alliances. Who else serves the same target market but is not a direct competitor? Meeting planners, trade show display companies and graphic designers can make great alliance partners. Explore ways that you can work together for mutual benefit. Consider hosting an open house for all your current clients and prospects.
- Spotlight Fall Promotions. Now is the time to be selling fall promotions. Back-to-school, Halloween, Breast Cancer Awareness month and Thanksgiving are all coming up. Make appointments to get in your prospects office to share new ideas and secure promotional orders for upcoming events before your competitors do.
- Re-activate Dormant Accounts. Just because someone hasn’t purchased in a long time doesn’t mean they’re not interested. A casual phone call telling an inactive account about an innovative new product or idea that can help them promote their company or service can reinstate an old relationship. At the very least, ask if you can put them on your idea list and continue to send them new marketing tips. The important thing is to keep your company name on their radar screen.
- Self-promote. Self-promotions help you sell more. Your core suppliers will have great ideas and special offers to put your logo on. When networking, don’t just hand out your business card, give a small self-promotion with your company name such as a box of mints, or a post-it pad or a business card holder. You’ll be remembered for what you do and you will get new business. No matter where you are this summer, on the beach, at the supermarket, on an airplane, always have a business card and self-promotion handy. You never know where your next big order is coming from.
Looking for more ways to sell more now? Attend my FREE Webcast on Tuesday, June 12 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time and discover 7 Key to Making Money in Promotional Products Sales Now. Busy on the 12th? No problem. Register and get the audio download. Reserve your spot here: http://www.promobizwoman.com/emailnewsletter/7Keys.html.
Rosalie Marcus, The Promo Biz Coach, teaches promotional professionals how to sell smarter and make more money with less effort. Get a free Promo Biz Success Kit with a Skyrocket Your Sales audio download, hundreds in supplier discounts and a special report, “10 Big Mistakes Promotional Professionals Make and How to Avoid Them,” at her website http://www.promobizcoach.com. Reach her at [email protected] or 215-572-6766.
