PPB June 2021

SMALL DISTRIBUTORS ValerieHaymanSklar, MAS Owner Corporate Specialties Detroit, Michigan In broad terms, what has the past year has been like for your company financially? The second quarter was terrible—I have a lot of clients who do events and many orders were cancelled. It was heartbreaking for my clients. But I believe the harder you work, the luckier you get. So I got to work, and we turned some of those in-person events into virtual events and did a lot of self-promotions. Our sales in 2020 actually grew 38 percent over 2019. Last year, I sold over $1 million for the first time in my 23 years in business—and it wasn’t in PPE. What changes have been necessary in your company over the past 12 months? I changed my model. I had one employee and she decided to stop working so I hired two part-time virtual assistants instead. One VA places orders and follows up, the other VA does presentations, social media and fills in the gaps. They are both from the industry, which is a huge advantage. What actions have you taken to restart sales for your business in the past fewmonths? I have done a ton of self-promos. For example, when everything stopped in April 2020, I sent clients a mailer with an umbrella and a note that said, “We hope to add a little sunshine to these rainy days.” Later in the year, I sent out stainless rock glasses with Bloody Mary mix and ice cube molds. I got a big order from someone who wanted to use a local provider. I also partnered with nine other iPROMOTEu affiliates to do a virtual speaker event focused on branding, marketing and apparel trends, and we drop-shipped custom boxes that included a phone stand, workout band, notebook, pen and mug with an imprint on the bottom that shows when the cup is tipped. I sent out 30 product boxes and had 47 of my clients show up. We had about 115 people in total. It showed customers what I could do, and I quoted orders directly from those boxes. One client’s employees are essential workers, so I set up a company store for them, and the company went all out and gave employees money to spend at the store for apparel. I also got some unexpected business late last year from The Detroit News to provide an online store to sell a Detroit News t-shirt that actress Drew Barrymore wore in a post on InStyle magazine’s Instagram page. It resulted in 5,000 t-shirts sold in three rounds of pre-orders—all individually drop-shipped—and more than $70,000 in donations from sales that benefitted the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation. This year, at the end of January, I did an end-user show with the Promo Show platform in which I partnered with eight other iPROMOTEu women distributors. I also do a monthly e-newsletter and send out a lot of promotional products so I’m constantly reaching out to my clients. I believe in the medium and showing my creativity. How do your sales in Q1 2021 compare with sales in Q1 2020? Sales are up 30 percent over the same time in 2020. What are the biggest issues or trends that are influencing your sales right now? Companies are trying to engage with clients and employees and provide experiences, and we’re offering ways to enhance that. For example, we’ve provided drinkware for virtual happy hours, t-shirts for Mental Health Awareness Day, an onboarding box for new employees, and challenge coins and awards to motivate employees. We use fulfillment houses and also have some suppliers that can drop- ship. Being part of iPROMOTEu is also a great support. In general terms, what are your revenue expectations for the company by year-end? I’m not sure yet. Who knows if events are going to happen? I’m trying to be positive and listen to my clients, taking what they say and trying to make it work in the environment we’re in. One piece of advice: Don’t give up! Show clients and prospects that you are creative and that you can help them enhance whatever their challenges or marketing needs are with promotional products. “ OUR SALES IN 2020 ACTUALLY GREW 38 PERCENT OVER 2019. LAST YEAR, I SOLD OVER $1 MILLION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY 23 YEARS IN BUSINESS—AND IT WASN’T IN PPE. ” —Valerie Hayman Sklar, MAS FEATURE | What Distributor Principals Are Saying About Sales 44 | JUNE 2021 |