FEATURE | PPAI Supplier Star Award Winners $35,000,001-$50,000,000 Supplier Star Gold Bond, Inc.* Hixson, Tennessee Gold Bond was founded in 1947 as a small pencil company and now has operations on two continents offering hard goods, apparel and accessories. The supplier prides itself on being large enough to handle demanding orders while small enough to be flexible in accommodating customer requests. Gold Bond says its greatest asset is its ability to adapt to the everchanging needs of its partners, and its tagline, “More Than You Expect,” accurately represents the company’s culture. Each team member strives to exceed customer expectations at every customer touchpoint. Award of Merit Cap America* Fredericktown, Missouri Family owned and operated, Cap America has been providing quality headwear to the world for more than 35 years. It strives to make the purchase of headwear a confident and easy experience, and is dedicated to providing the best retail‐inspired headwear products in the industry. It offers a wide variety of styles to meet every headwear need and ensures that each order receives top-quality attention to detail and service. From offering free tapes and samples, to shipping just three days after sample approval, Cap America is willing to go the extra mile to earn and keep its customers’ business. $50,000,001-$100,000,000 Supplier Star HPG* Braintree, Massachusetts HPG has stood for value, growth and integrity since Frank and Rita Fleming began selling pens door to door in 1954. In the 68 years since, HPG has grown Four Customer-Centric Ways To Make Your Company Shine Serving the growing needs of B2B customers in today’s challenging business environment requires creating a personalized, human experience, says Abe Awasthi, senior manager, digital customer, writing in Adweek. He says there are four elements that are not only important but are vital to companies looking to truly make headway in today’s marketplace. And he says that the sales approach must address customers’ business and emotional needs. Here’s a quick look at Awasthi’s four recommendations and this author’s suggestions for making these approaches a reality in the promotional products buying process. 1 Create a frictionless, personalized buying experience. In short, don’t make customers jump through hoops to find what they want on your website or in your catalog, whether that’s a specific product, pricing, delivery details or artwork specs. Simplify and streamline the process to remove the frustration and get the sale. 2 Ensure a successful outcome. Help the customer feel confident in what they are buying by offering product reviews and testimonials. Identify the root causes of any problems, react quickly to any obstacles and clear the way for the results your client is looking for. 3 Craft a partnership based on trust. Working with a trusted partner is nothing new, but customers want more these days than a company that 24 | MAY 2022 |
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