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The Sales Evangelist

August Wittenburg, Donald Kelly, The Sales Evangelist Podcast, Promotional Product A lot of salespeople apparently don’t see promotional products as a great sales tool. And this is where we underestimate how powerful they can actually be. In fact, promotional products can help you throughout your sales process, only if and when you’ve done the proper planning necessary.

That’s why I’m bringing in August Wittenberg, a promotional products distributor who has been in the industry for a couple of decades, as we try to delve into the deeper side of promotional products so you can better understand how you can use these to really drive sales and how this can give you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

Here are the highlights of my conversation with August:

How to use promotional products well:

  1. They should not be a transactional business.

You should be engaging with your vendor and bringing solutions.

  1. Be aware of your money and how you spend it.
  1. Do a research of who your prospects are.
  1. Change it from a cold call to a warm call.

Put together a mailer with a small gift in it. Sending them a gift creates an opening because it creates an obligation of reciprocity and this gives you something to talk about.

  1. Give your personal touch.

Write handwritten notes saying you care about your customers and they can trust you.

Creating an obligation of reciprocity:

This is especially important in the beginning of the sales process as this allows you to turn a cold call into a warm call. This also, gives you something to talk about. Also, you can send them as gifts when you’re closing the call or when they’re sending you referrals.

L.J. Market Research used a study around the use of promotional products with these findings:

  • 52% of people given a promotional product will ultimately do business with that company
  • 48% are most likely to do business with that company

Another study by Baylor University shows that companies that use promotional products in the sales process boost their sales by 22%.

The power of promotional products:

  1. Appreciation

People are appreciative of being given promotional products.

  1. Great advertising

They are the only form of advertising that people say thank you for.

  1. The subliminal effect

Giving your prospects something where you have your company name written on it has a subliminal effect on them. You become top of mind so you become an indirect sales tool.

Things to consider when purchasing promotional products:

  • Is this useful for your target market?
  • Are your prospects going to keep it around?
  • Where are your prospects going to see it so that when they’re making a buying decision they have it? (ex. desktop, notepad, picture frame)
  • What is your budget? How many are you going to need? (Look into your close rate and prospecting)

Companies that can benefit greatly from promotional products:

  • Pharmaceutical companies
  • Financial companies
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Gamification – Use them within your sales team as a way to create competitions using promotional products (Journals work great!)

August’s Major Takeaway:

Think of promotional products just as the same as any form of advertising or marketing where you need to spend time on it. Plan on what you’re doing so you can get the most use of your money.

Episode Resources:

Connect with August through email at august@saynomorepromotions.com or on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter @SayNoMore.

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The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly, Donald C. Kelly

About the Author The Sales Evangelist

Donald is the host of the popular sales podcast,"The Sales Evangelist". He is the founder of The Sales Evangelist Consulting Firm where he helps small companies develop killer sales process to scale their business and increase growth.

Donald is also an award-winning speaker, sales trainer, and coach. He's a big fan of traveling, South Florida staycations and high-quality family time. Donald has a belief that “anyone” can sell if they have the desire and receives the proper training.

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