Bruce Fox Blog

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I stumbled upon this article recently – How to Identify When an Employee Is Becoming Uninterested – and it struck a chord with me.

What they discussed was all correct. An employee might become uninterested due to things like getting a new team member, dealing with a new manager, adjusting to new procedures, an employee leaving the company, or even a disagreement in the workplace.

However, there was an obvious missing piece that echoed in the silence.

Where was recognition in this?

Employees want to be recognized, but rarely are.

Especially since only 14% of organizations provide managers with the necessary tools for rewards and recognition.

Estimated Read Time: 11 Minutes

I’ve noticed an uptick in Promotional Products Professionals saying they want to start investing in their marketing. They want to start promoting themselves.

Which makes sense, right?

But outside of handing out a lot of promotional product samples, what else can you do to promote yourself?

There are plenty of elements to that the equation, but an ever-growing answer is digital marketing; which is where my expertise comes in. So, here are some tools I’ve picked up throughout the years and, as an extra bonus, most of these marketing tools are free or mostly free.

I should note that we made a marketing tools list a while ago, which people having been asking for more tools since then, so here’s my version of the requested follow-up.

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Marble, gold, and silver are common for awards and plaques, but few people realize that they can (are typically are) too expensive for the budget. That’s especially so when the client wants something “more along their branding and company’s personality." That sounds more like a custom piece.

However, if custom is not possible, distributors have to find alternatives to the heavy marble awards to stand on desks or the shiny silver plaque that hangs up on the wall. However, there are ways to get that look without having to deal with the hefty weight, as well as avoid having to spend large amounts of money.

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Order-Taker – it’s not an endearing term, yet it satisfies the job description for many in the promotional products industry. From the Swag-Getters to the Branded Products Retrievers, our industry is flooded with people who just take orders without any question or real thought behind why their customer wants those tchotchkes.

Dave wrote a blog a while ago – Welcome to McPromoland, May I Take Your Order? this hit a little too close to home for some. Why? He called out many promotional products companies for being no better than a fast food joint.  

“If you are showing pictures and taking orders by number, and there is no personal relationship with your customers, then you are operating a McPromoland.”

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With all of the industry changes, distributors are left with a choice. You are standing at a crossroads right now. And you have two roads to choose from.

One is to continue to outsource your goods; whether it’s your cups, glasses, and certificate frames, or even your custom goods.

The other is to work with US manufacturers; ones who do not have to wait for overseas shipping, tariffs, or foreign holidays that shut down the country for weeks. In addition to satisfying the growing demands for products made in the USA.

As you are aware, there have been a few of articles written about this choice.

So, which road will you choose?

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Relationships are the lifeblood of this industry. With the age of Amazon on our doorstep, you have to define your value to customers (which has to be more than price, especially with the tariffs).

For some, it’s about approaching their clients and the relationship like a consultant or agency; which is wise in this ever-changing industry.

Despite so many concurring that we need to build relationships beyond price, many don’t know how to do so.

That’s why I’ve written this blog about building relationships. Now, since I’m in the custom awards & displayable recognition segment, much of what I say will apply to that. However, you can easily glean plenty of info from this blog.

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While on the various Facebook groups, Twitter chats, and blogs, I’ve noticed a few key topics.

1. Tariffs
2. Interesting Products
3. Sales Tips

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(This blog was originally published on Dec. 14, 2016)

‘Twas the night of the banquet, when all through the room
Not a soul could be found, but they’d be on hand soon.
The tables were dressed in fine linens with care,
In hopes that everyone soon would be there.

The recipients descended all dressed to the nines,
While visions of grandeur danced in their minds.
As the host for the evening, I went over my notes,
Complete with some wit, and a few pithy quotes.

When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
Away to the foyer I flew like a flash,
To see what was troubling this well thought-out bash. 

Estimated Read Time: 8 Minutes

I was inspired by Dave’s blog – in topic and imagery. The main image of the blog has a reaper, which is rather poignant for his argument.

Despite the perfect symbolism for the blog, I can’t help the Blue Oyster Cult song “Don’t Fear the Reaper” playing in my head each time I look at the photo.

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From scheduling meetings with prospects to following up with clients and suppliers for orders, distributors are swamped. It’s easy to get caught up in the grind and lose sight of some key aspects to prospecting and sales.

Even the Sales 101 tactics that we all (or certainly the majority) agree upon get buried under tasks, meetings, and client communication.

Now, we all know prospecting is a crucial part of your sales funnel. However, it tends to be more than just time-consuming. There is waste –wasting time and energy. Which, time is one of our most limited resources. So wasting time and effort on a prospect that is not worth it is not only a time-suck but is also damaging to you and your company.

So let’s use a rifle bullet to target the prospects you want, rather than using the exhausting shot-gun approach.