Those of you who know me personally know that I am a film buff, and classic comedy historian and collector. I’ve been a member of The Sons of the Desert, the international Laurel and Hardy organization, since I was 15 years old, and I founded the Cleveland, Ohio, branch of that organization in 1973.
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In 2015, the journey of the promotional products professional in shifting prospects to clients is more challenging than ever. With the Internet, email, texts and blog postings added to phone calls, direct mail, meetings and cold calls all constantly interrupting the day, there is so much noise out there to overcome!
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How about that shocking headline? Did it grab you? Well, there is some meat behind the sensationalism. Buckle in and let’s go…
The lowest common sales denominator in our industry is the product-based sales person, i.e., promo-peddler, trunk-slammer, tchotchke-chucker, ad nauseam. The mere fact that you are reading and digesting this means you most likely aren’t one of those. I’m addressing this article to you—the thinking sales person, the promotional partner, the extension of your client’s marketing department. You Think, Therefore, You Am. (I gotta stop talking like I’m Popeye.)
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This is the second half of an article that covers my Bullseye method of pursing and landing large accounts as PART of your account prospecting effort. If you are just coming to the party, go back into Blog Historyville and read up on Part One before continuing here. Otherwise, you’ll just be half-effective—and Bold, Different and Memorable-type Peeps don’t do things by halfsies.
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This week we’re going to do an exercise that will define your Three-Word Promo Identity. It’s going to be fun, unless we end up with three silly words, like Wonky Water Wedgie. But I don’t see that happening…
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Or “Detective Fiction, Sales and the Art of Listening.”
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I am a year or two into my fourth decade in the promotional products industry. I have a lot of experience and a lot of solutions under my belt, but there are always opportunities to learn, to grow, to approach things fresh and different, to keep yourself energized and productive no matter how long you’ve been at this branding game.
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