PPAI Expo Daily - Tuesday - 2016

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PPAIEXPO DAILY™ January 12, 2016
TO SUCCEED IN PROMO SALES, KNOW YOUR ‘WHY’
By Jen Alexander
New and emerging promotional
products distributors were treated to
an informative, direct and detailed
session Sunday on quickly building
a book of business. Speaker
Rosalie Marcus, an industry veteran
and promotional business coach,
told attendees that, in order to be
successful in promotional products
sales, “You need to know your big
‘why’.”
Everyone wants to make money,
but it’s more important to pursue
business knowing what you want
the money you make to do for you,
Marcus said in her session, “For New
Distributors: How To Get Your First
Customers FAST.”
“Position yourself as a promotional
consultant, and focus on the result
your products get, not on the products
themselves.”
Promotional consultants should
have a set of tools—marketing
materials—that will help them build
credibility with prospects. Marketing
materials include samples, a self-
promotion, case histories and
testimonials, and email newsletters that
contain tips.
“Start with who you know, and
send an announcement to those
people,” says Marcus. “Go local first.”
Marcus recommends distributors seek
out introductions, join community
groups and identify decision makers at
local businesses to make connections.
“What opportunities are close to you?
Who is advertising locally?” she said.
Marcus also recommended making
reciprocal agreements with businesses,
leaving business cards and catalogs
and offering to reward referrals.
Once connections have been made
and meetings set, Marcus stresses
preparedness. “You want to go in as
knowledgeable as possible,” she said.
“Know who you will be calling on.”
While acquiring new customers
is a valid pursuit, Marcus reminded
attendees that current customers
can continue to offer some of the
best business. Go deeper into an
organization and contact other
departments such as product
development, investor relations, sales
and meeting planning, she says.
Among the most important steps
a distributor can take to build a
successful business, says Marcus, is to
focus on making a difference. “Focus
on your strengths,” she says. “What
are you doing better and different?
Wow them with your services.” n
DISTRIBUTOR ROUNDTABLES FOSTER PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING
By Tina Berres Filipski
Large or small, distributors are
challenged by a number of common
problems involving clients, suppliers,
personnel, technology, finances
and more. A roundtable session
on Monday’s Education Day drew
more than 50 distributor principals
and managers to exchange their
knowledge and share proven solutions
with their peers.
The interactive, one-hour-
education session, “Your Four Most
Challenging Problems Solved In
60 Minutes” was developed and
sponsored by the PPAI Distributors
Committee and facilitated by
Committee Chair Kim Bakalyar, CAS,
chief compliance officer for distributor
Promo Shop LLC.
Many of those who participated
said they especially liked the
opportunity to be part of the
discussion and found real value in
hearing how their peers handled
specific issues. Below are a few key
takeaways from each of the four topics
discussed:
Building Relationships With Clients
• Rethink and simplify your buying
process, especially your website,
for Millennial buyers who want to
shop online without a sales rep
interface.
• Teach salespeople how to be
proactive with ideas. Salespeople
who don’t add value are in danger
of becoming
obsolete.
• Ask clients how
they prefer to
communicate
and then
adhere to those
preferences.
• Don’t be afraid
to let some
customers go.
Not all business
is good
business.
Hiring The Younger Generation
• Build flexibility and freedom into
their work schedules.
• Develop and communicate a career
path to show how they can grow
with your company.
• Create internships to give potential
employees a feel for the company
before joining.
• Create a positive environment and
make it fun for them to work for
you.
• Be transparent about how their
job contributes to the company’s
mission.
• Occasionally ask younger workers
to join in upper management
meetings.
Credit Card Fraud And Cyber
Security
• Computer viruses often are sent
through links or attachments to
emails. Train staff on what to look
for, such as off-topic emails from
known senders or attachments
sent from unfamiliar email
addresses.
• Filter spreadsheets that are sent to
fulfillment houses to include only
the information necessary for drop
shipments.
Building Credit And Relationships
With Suppliers
• When problems arise with a
supplier, don’t lay blame. Work
together to find a solution.
• If you owe your supplier a large
payment, call and communicate
when payment is being sent so the
supplier doesn’t have to ask.
• Invite suppliers to go on calls with
you because they are the product
experts.
• Treat your suppliers as you want
your clients to treat you. n
SUCCESSFIT RUN
RAISES MORE THAN
$3,000 FOR PPEF
By James Khattak
Industry members turned out
Monday morning to put some miles
under their running shoes, spend time
with industry colleagues and raise
funds in support of the Promotional
Products Education Foundation (PPEF)
for the SuccessFit Run hosted by
PPAI Board Member Dale Denham,
MAS+, offered to donate $250 to
PPEF should anyone beat incoming
PPAI Chair Tom Goos, MAS, and PPAI
Chairman and CEO Paul Bellantone,
CAE, agreed to match his challenge.
Goos won but the event raised over
$3,000 for PPEF, and donations are
still coming in. Donation in any amount
can be made directly to PPEF at
/.
Participants who donated at
the event receive SuccessFit4Life!
products donated by SnugZ USA, Pro
Towels, Halls & Company, Prime Line,
Ad-A-Day Company, Inc., Southern
Plus, HTT Headwear, BIC Graphic and
AdCapitol. AIA Corporation oversaw
the administrative details of the
program. n
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
apply to their business or the
education requirement was excessive.
However, PPAI has been the
industry’s reliable source on product
responsibility for a number of years
and it believes this initiative continues
to build on those efforts.
“At the core of PPAI’s mission is
an obligation to protect and grow the
industry,” explains Bellantone. “The
Product Safety Awareness Program is
part of a larger PPAI initiative to create
confidence in promotional products
as an advertising medium at every
level. Our PSA work is designed to
instill confidence in the industry, a
commitment to product responsibility
and reinforce that message to make it
an essential element in the culture of
the industry as a whole.” n
Rosalie Marcus
Left to right: Tom Goos, MAS and Jeff Solomon