PPB May 2018

T he best part about being a salesman in this industry is that it gives you the ability to work with any business, large or small. That potential is what originally attracted me to becoming a promotional products professional while still in college. I saw that this business would allow me the ability to work with companies I grew up admiring— the sports teams I always cheered for and the biggest and most revered brands in the world. With the right strategy and a little bit of gumption, I was convinced that I could get in front of my dream clients and win them over. I was right. Starting out, I felt my biggest weakness was my age. I was right out of college and I thought, “Who would trust a young guy with a $50,000 order?” I decided to change my mindset and became determined to earn clients’ trust. My first trophy sale came three months later when I signed the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team. To get that first sale, I strategically focused on sports teams. First, I created a master list of every Major League Baseball team, including owners’ names, ticket box numbers, suite directors, marketing directors and, in some cases, foundations associated with the team and/ or owners. Having grown up outside Washington, D.C., the Nationals were my favorite team, so I made my first call to their office. I called every person on my list who was associated with the team. The assistant to the wife of the CEO finally took my call and asked questions about me and my business. After a lovely conversation, I thanked her by sending her an Edible Arrangement (at the time I didn’t know enough about promotional products to use them for this purpose), and shortly thereafter she connected me with the team’s buyer. My agency was given the opportunity to create season-ticket holder gifts, and the team also eventually ordered home plate-shaped leather mousepads. I’m 29 now, and my distributorship, Whitestone Branding, recently celebrated its fifth year in business. What I’ve learned over those years is that it’s important to build and implement a multi-channeled sales strategy if you are going to create and maintain a seven- figure book of business. We’ve been able to determine the strategies that work for us—and those that don’t—in terms of getting in front of new target businesses. Our most successful tactics include traditional cold calling, preparing sequenced mass email campaigns, and walking into prospective businesses to introduce ourselves and what we do. And never forget the significance of following up the old-fashioned way—by phone—and the benefits of engaging in creative campaigns that separate you from your competitors. Above all else, the key to wowing your prospects is communicating that you’re thinking about them. Simple follow-ups such as sending thank-you cards, taking the time to remember a birthday or anniversary, and sending a gift or branded self-promo are all small things salespeople can do to make a lasting impression. Recently we created our best campaign to date. It’s called “Let Me Get A Slice Of Your Time,” and is by far the most unique and successful campaign we’ve ever run. Here’s how it worked: We designed and had printed 100 specially-branded pizza boxes. Then, using a list described below, my team of seven and I personally delivered pizzas to 100 prospective businesses we aspired to work with. We are lucky to be in the Big Apple near an almost limitless number of target brands; however, building the list of prospects was easier said than done. We began by targeting industries we identified as good fits for our business. Weeks of planning went into building the lists, determining the most efficient delivery routes and timing the delivery schedule. Our goal was to create awareness of our services and set up a meeting with the company. We made our deliveries around 9 or 10 am, rather than lunchtime, so we could more easily catch our prospects in the office. We also did not ask for any time with our prospect then, but many times we were able to set up a meeting for another day. The promotion attracted a lot of attention. Even the pizza shop where we bought our pies has since inquired about having us help them with an extensive rebrand for the launch of their new family franchise. The overall response to this campaign has been sensational. Not only did we wow our prospects initially, but we got what we wanted. Nearly 80 percent of the companies that received our Ourmost successful tactics include traditional cold calling, preparing sequencedmass email campaigns, andwalking into prospective businesses to introduce ourselves and what we do. And never forget the significance of following up the old-fashioned way—by phone— and the benefits of engaging in creative campaigns that separate you from your competitors. | MAY 2018 | 39 GROW