Bruce Fox Blog

Estimated Read Time: 9 Minutes

The summer tends to be a “dry season” for many distributors. Between your staff’s vacations and your client’s, it feels like orders are stalled during this time.

Why does everyone want to take off right before the flurry of back to school season?

However, there are still a few things that you can do instead of gazing out the window dreaming of the lake or beach.

Estimated Read Time: 10 Minutes

There are so many stock options out there, you could easily get lost. The chucks of glass alone on SAGE or ESP could keep you busy for hours. Then if you are brave enough to venture out of the heaps of cheap stock options, it quickly turns into a lot of random products that semi-fall under the category of recognition mixed in with awards and other items.

With that being said, it’s good to have choices and options, especially when that fits your budget and other needs. Though, it’s better to have a partner supplier that you trust to be your go-to for awards rather than mindlessly scrolling through glass, acrylic, and etc. for hours.

However, what happens when your client asks for something unique that they’ve never seen before?

What happens when your client asks for something that fits them - their branding, their messaging, and their culture perfectly?

Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes

These are undoubtedly the Dog Days of Summer, so called because they occur around the time of the heliacal rising of Sirius (the Dog Star, a.k.a. “Kyon Seirios,” which is Greek for “burning dog”)—usually from July 3 to August 11. So the Dog Days correlate to that not-so-fresh, jalepeno-armpit, Gold Bond-shortage time of the year.  Hmm, and I always thought it was because a dog pants to stay cool. Get it?  Dog pants…

Estimated Read Time: 6 Minutes

For those who didn’t see our DYK DYR? blog, there is a stark difference between our custom line and our DYR line. Our custom work starts with a blank sheet of paper and a conversation, then we design and build the new idea from scratch, here’s a how-to blog explaining our process.

Our DYR line consists of stock pieces that you can customize a little to your needs.

Estimated Read Time: 9 Minutes

Companies are fighting for valuable and competent employees. The race to get the best has been going on for some time now but has only heightened the last few years.

Especially since employees and prospects have the advantage of comparing and choosing employers so easily now. In this modern day and age, it’s more than pay and insurance that prospective employees are comparing. No, those swaying factors are benefits. I’m not talking about just how many vacation days (though that is a popular factor). I’m talking about remote days, flexible working time, company luxuries, company culture, and other factors.

Estimated Read Time: 11.5 Minutes

When was the last time you took a hard look at your sales style, your company’s values, and the true direction you and your company are going?

It’s probably been a while, right? That’s pretty common when you’re busy selling, running a business, and dealing with the crazy day-to-day. It’s hard enough setting time aside for the monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals, much less finding time to reflect and analyze.

So, take a few minutes of your time, you’re already taking some time to read this blog anyway so you might as well use a little bit to consider what I’m discussing and then reflect.

Estimated Read Time: 19 Minutes

Whether through online chatter or by casual conversation, I have noticed an uptick in people asking a rather important question.

How do I track my promotional product campaigns?

Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes

You see them at major stores– Employee of the Month, Authorized Dealer of XYZ brand, or the Company Promise.

Plaques are a standard in our culture.

And it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the Employee of the Month episode on the Simpsons or the Employee of the Month episodes on SpongeBob Square Pants; you know that these plaques are coveted titles that people will compete for. They love having their names on the wall of pride.

Estimated Read Time: 4.5 Minutes

A scary phrase, but it’s a true one.  

Don’t you ever wonder where your clients are getting some of their products? Do you sell them tradeshow giveaways but wonder where they are getting their polos?

It’s a simple concept; your clients have to be getting those products somewhere. So, where are they getting them from? Are they buying online or are they working with another company? Both are bad for business, right?

Estimated Read Time: 22 Minutes

I mentioned in a recent blog that I worked at a digital marketing agency for years. It seems to have surprised some, but here I am. I made the jump from the innovative and cutting edge industry of digital agency life to the (and I hate saying it) lagging promo industry.

Ouch. I know.