PPB December

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promotional products like everyone else
seemed to be doing at the time. I was
shocked when I would walk into clients’
offices and they would have a stack of prod-
uct catalogs next to their desks. Why?
Searching for products was not their job. Was
it? I wanted to understand their needs, their
markets and their expectations so that I could
provide meaningful suggestions.
And yet, clients would call and say, “I
need a thousand throw-away items for a trade
show,” Really? You just want them to throw
them away? So I usually responded, “If you
just want them to be thrown away, why not
just give me the money and we’ll pretend you
did something.” That of course always gave
them pause. And it would provide me with
the opportunity to educate them on the value
that the right promotional product could
bring to their business.
You see, everything my clients do needs
to extend their brand image no matter how
small they believe the event or opportunity
to be.
Last month’s part one of this series
reviewed the how-to’s of developing a sales
promotion and shared ways you can become
an even more valuable partner to your clients.
As a reminder, a sales promotion, by defini-
tion, is a short-term incentive to encourage
and offer the customer a reason to buy today
versus at a later date. Of course, promotional
products are a key component of many sales
promotion programs. So, becoming the sales
promotion expert for your clients isn’t that
difficult and will give you an opportunity to
consistently bring them new ideas and ways
to promote their brand to their customers
and prospects.
How can a promotional item further
help your clients get their customers to take
action now?
Some of the examples shared last month
included value-added promotions, surprise
gift rewards and social media efforts.
This article will take a more in-depth
look at some of the other sales promotion
approaches so you can judge for yourself how
easy it is to grow your sales while helping
your clients grab more short-term sales with
sales promotions.
Gift With Purchase
We all love getting something for free.
I’m sure you’ve had this situation: You are
interested in a particular product or service,
but can’t decide which one to buy. Then you
see the magic words: “Free gift with pur-
chase.” That tips the scale by making you feel
the potential risk of choosing that product or
service is definitely worth the reward because
of the promise of a free gift.
We’ve all experienced the big brands that
offer a free gift with purchase. Think about
the department store cosmetic counter offers.
How many free cosmetic or utility bags have
you received for purchasing a specific make-
up or aftershave? I know I have many. You
may think you don’t have any clients who are
convinced that a gift with purchase would
work for their market, but you will if you
position it to them as a means to increase
their sales now.
Looking for a potential market for the
gift with purchase idea? Think about all the
different types of travel-related businesses in
your area: travel agents, hotels, rental cars,
resorts and more. A gift with purchase in that
market works in this way: Book with the
36 • PPB • DECEMBER 2014 GROW
Using Golf To Build Business In Any Season
Just because golf season has ended in most parts of the country
doesn’t mean you can’t still use the game to strengthen your business.
Here are some tips from Joan Cavanaugh, founder and CEO of New
York City-based Boardroom Golf and a contributing author of the
Executive Women’s Golf Association Foundation book, Teeing Up for
Success, on how to use golf for power, position and profit in any season.
1. Let them know you play. Have a golf photo or trophy in your office.
Make your putter a stationary object near your desk for practice
moments between work sessions. Send a Monday morning email or
social media message with a review of the golf course you played on
the weekend. Watch the PGA and LPGA tour players on Sunday after-
noon and use the results of the game as conversation starters.
2. Build your golfing network. Start preparing a list of golfers: those in
your company, industry colleagues, potential clients, your social con-
nections and especially those who are members of golf or country
clubs. Attend a charity golf tournament and leave with a handful of
business cards from business golfers. Become involved in community
activities beyond the scope of your business, which may lead to new
areas of golf contacts.
3. Add golf to your business development plans. Identify the annual
tournaments when you can reach your target customers and get
involved. Volunteer to be on the planning committee. Become an early
sponsor and your company will be recognized for many months of pro-
motion before the event, as well as on the day of the tournament. Not
ready to play? Volunteer at the registration table and meet all the
golfers attending. Buy a ticket to the awards dinner and cocktail party
at the charity event.
Your goal is to leverage your contacts into a business relationship that
can be solidified on the golf course. Use the winter months to build your
business golf strategy and keep the dialogue going. Soon, your contacts
will introduce you as a golfer to new clients and prospects and it will be
time again to be teeing up for success.
Pam Swensen is CEO of the Executive Women’s Golf Association
(EWGA), an international organization with chapters in more than 120
cities throughout the United States, Bermuda, Canada, Italy and South
Africa. . She is a co-author of the book Teeing Up for
Success: Insights and Inspiration from Extraordinary Women. This article
first appeared in the St. Louis Business Journal.
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