PPB November 2021

As you can imagine, he was floored and asked me more about how I produced the idea. He was so impressed with the success and overall feel of the program that he decided to initiate it for his company as well, and we got all that business. Running this monthly self-promotion also gave us time to be proactive and to provide a meaningful, personalized gift that was valued and appreciated by our clients. Let Go Of The Fear Doing things differently in ways that set you apart from your competition can be scary. Forget it, let go of the fear, plan a course of action and work through the details before you implement any program, but do it. Done is better than perfect. I always recommend starting a new promotion by trying it out on your company first. If you try something new, if you become a positive disruptor, you may be surprised at what new doors may open and what new channels you may find for more profitable sales. And in this way, you will be leading by example, not just talking about it. Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MAS+, president of Cliff Quicksell Associates, has been an active industry volunteer serving on various PPAI committees, as a speaker and facilitator at PPAI and ASI shows, and as a member of PPAI’s Ambassadors Speakers Bureau for more than 15 years. He has also served five terms as the education chairperson for Chesapeake Promotional Products Association and is currently board president. Quicksell has also been a speaker, trainer and international consultant to companies, associations and international business groups for more than 34 years and is the recipient of numerous awards including 30 PPAI Pyramid Awards, and is a five-time winner of the Printing Industry PSDA’s Peak Award for creativity and the CPPA Creativity PEAKE Award. He was PPAI’s Ambassador Speaker of the Year for six consecutive years and, in 1997, was the inaugural recipient of PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award. Counselor magazine named Quicksell one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the promotional products Industry. He writes two weekly blogs, “Jumpstart Monday” and “30 Seconds to Greatness.” Reach him at cliff@quicksellspeaks.com and www.quicksellspeaks.com . | NOVEMBER 2021 | 15 INNOVATE