PPB April 2021

presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a five-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare.” GLORIA LAFONT President Action Marketing Fort Lauderdale, Florida It’s not about you, it’s about them. In my networking seminars, I teach that you ask what they do and what their top challenge is. You then explain your business is to help others like them meet those challenges with creative promotions. Then you ask them several other key questions to set up an appointment to build trust and learn more about them— not to make a sale. If you’d like to hear specifics, you can take my course online with PPAI or email me. MARY ELLEN SOKALSKI, MAS Marketing Coordinator Quinn Hanover, Pennsylvania PPAI 360359, S5 I’ll share my slogan with you. “If you’re not advertising with Chris “Gotcha,” it’s like winking in the dark. You know what you’re doing, but no one else does.” CHRIS “GOTCHA” WILSON Sales The Vernon Company Newton, Iowa PPAI 109323, D11 “My name is XXX. I am the owner of XXX and we’re the brand police. At XXX, we help all kinds of businesses and organizations promote their brand through fun, creative and affordable promotional solutions and gifts.” KAREN THIEKEN Co-owner Forte Promotional Marketing Dacula, Georgia PPAI 601066, D1 “I help customers grow sales, retain employees and thank their customers with custom-branded products.” Then I usually give an example of a way in which I did one of those things. I’ll also pepper in some general specialties, seasonal advice, new products, etc. I try to stay away from product pitching, but cool products and unique ways they have been used are inspiring and memorable. BRANDON SAMUEL, CAS Account Manager commonsku Bellevue, Kentucky PPAI 552077, A1 I ask what they do first, then I craft my response to their profession. Like if they say they are in real estate, I say, “I market items like house-shaped tape measures and gifts for referrals.” KAREN HERZOG President Adco Marketing San Rafael, California PPAI 217279, D5 Q A Distributor Asks: What are your thoughts on kitting with products from more than one supplier and with custom packaging? I see the benefits to providing recipients with a truly unique kit without having to compete on price, but there are other areas of concern, such as the process it takes to put these kits together, the high risk of error and the initial high price compared to premade kits that have me feeling a bit weary. Do the negatives outweigh the positives? One-hundred percent, yes. Totally worth it. The more experience you get, the less work it is. More suppliers are creating kits. (Peerless has a number of them now, too.) But even so, kits create an experience and demand a premium. Don’t compete on price, compete on creativity. Charge enough to make it worth it. Messaging matters as well. Don’t just slap logos on products. Tell a story! Where value isn’t a question, price isn’t an issue. CHARITY GIBSON National Account Coordinator Peerless Umbrella Co. Newark, New Jersey PPAI 112666, S10 | APRIL 2021 | 13 INNOVATE