A recent blog post by Matthew Barnes of Promo Marketing Magazine has some fantastic advice for all of us during these uncertain economic times, and it’s this…

My advice to everyone is simple. Stop. Take a deep breath. And then, well, keep on going. This is not the time to panic or freeze up. The truth is, on both sides of the equation, there is still business to be done.

Businesses who stay focused and will prevail against the current economic pressures, keep a watchful eye on the times to come and stay committed to quality. Stay close to all your customers and work to add new ones to your customer base. Never sacrifice quality or cut corners to save a bit of money… this short sighted strategy always ends up costing your business in the long run.

Stay true to who you are and what you do.

Promotional products are an effective, affordable way to continue to promote your business… to get your name out there. Now while others are cutting back, you have an opportunity to step in and get yourself noticed… and remembered. No matter what you do, a quality item with your company name and message can be a valuable investment for your marketing dollars.

Picture this. You’re out having a coffee with a friend. An acquaintance of your friend happens to walk in and sits down for a few minutes to chat. After you finish talking about the weather and last night’s sports scores, the inevitable question comes up: “So, what do you do?”

You’ve got 60 seconds. What do you say?

If the best you can muster is sales manager or consultant, then you’ve just blown a golden opportunity to find your next client. After all, everyone in the world is either a potential client for you or in a position to refer a potential client to you.

A symptom of a fundamental sales and marketing problem.

So does that mean you have to be in “sales mode” all the time? No, especially if you think that being in sales mode means being pushy and aggressive. But the reality is, if you can’t articulate in a compelling manner who you are, what you’re especially good at and why anyone would want to do business with you, then the problem is worse than just blowing an opportunity to get a new client when you go for coffee.

Entrepreneurs, consultants, emerging companies and indeed most salespeople are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to how to describe their business or introduce themselves at a networking event.

To start with, there’s no way you can sum up everything you do in a neat little phrase. And to make things worse, once people know what you do, they lump you in with a half million other people who, on the face of it anyway, appear to do the same thing!

But if you can relate to those challenges, then you should recognize it as a symptom of a fundamental and hugely critical sales and marketing problem. Chances are, the same uninspiring “non-sales” arguments permeate your entire business — on your web site, in your brochure and in your advertising.

To prove it to yourself, take a look at your web site as well as the sites of some of your competitors. Do you see anything that engages your audience and speaks to their interests? If you’re like most businesses, the answer is probably “no.”

Throw away the rulebook.

The biggest reason why people have so much trouble with positioning and articulating a compelling message about their business is that they are working from somebody else’s rulebook. No doubt you’ve heard very specific instructions on the “correct” way to create a positioning line, or the “correct” way to write an elevator speech or infomercial. And of course, everyone knows that you have to focus on high-level benefits and avoid negative statements, right? Well, aside from very few universal principles of communication, it may be all wrong for you.

What might have worked for someone else has no guarantee of working for you. And besides, if you use the same rules as everyone else, then you end up sounding like everyone else. And you’re back to square one.

Instead of trying to apply someone else’s rulebook, wouldn’t it be much more valuable for you to figure out the set of rules that work for you? How? Once you throw away the rulebook, here are three things you can do to help you find your way:

1. Go to lot of networking events.

If you think that networking events are for collecting business cards and finding new business, you’ve just found another reason to throw away the rulebook.

The most valuable thing you can take away from a networking event is not a bunch of business cards, but rather all the research you could be accumulating on your essential message. Think of a networking event as a giant focus group that you could use to discover what resonates most with people about your business and what the true value is about what you offer.

As you work the room, emphasize different aspects of your business. Ask a lot of questions about the kind of service the person you are speaking to would like to receive. And most importantly, pay special attention to the reactions you get. If you truly listen, you might be surprised by what people find most interesting and appealing about your business.

2. Ask your best clients and customers.

Clients aren’t usually shy about telling you why they like doing business with you and what attracted them to you in the first place. If you’re shy about asking them, get over it — or hire someone else to do it for you. Tell your client that you need their help to understand your business better. Be clear that the purpose of getting together isn’t about asking for new business or referrals, although new business and referrals often result from these kinds of meetings.

Be prepared to probe. When they tell you that they like the quality of your work, ask them what they mean by “quality.” Keep asking “Why?” “How come?” and “What do you mean?” to get the specifics that weren’t obvious to either you or your client before. That’s when you know you’ve surfaced the hidden value you provide.

Remember, what may seem as no big deal to you may in fact be extremely valuable to your clients.

3. Lighten up.

A big part of getting your essential message is allowing more of you to show up in everything you do. That simply won’t happen if you’re too serious or overly concerned with appearing “professional.”

No matter what you do to improve your sales and marketing messaging, however, it’s important to keep working on it. Unless you have your essential message right, it doesn’t matter how many salespeople you hire, how many ads you run or brochures you send out, or how many people view your web site. You won’t get the results you need to move your business forward.

The bad news is that it’s not as simple as copying someone else’s formula. The good news is that it works.

This article was written by Michael Neray for Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Michel Neray is the creator of The Essential Message. The Essential Message is like a value proposition on steroids, helping turn more people into prospects and more prospects into sales. Neray has helped thousands of independent professionals and growing corporations find a better way to differentiate, position and brand themselves. For information about his workshops, keynote speeches or e-workbooks, or to sign up for his free newsletter, visit www.essentialmessage.com.

Faced with shrinking profits, companies invariably try to cut costs by reducing staff, paying suppliers more slowly or “cheating” the customer by using inferior quality materials. These quality shortcuts can cripple and even kill a company in the long run.

Earnings shortfalls make everyone look for a quick fix. They settle for cheap tricks that damage the company’s reputation instead of focusing on ways to simplify, streamline and optimize the business to cut costs, boost profits and retain customers.

There is a better way that doesn’t take forever or cost a fortune. Here’s how:

1. Simplify

Every work area collects out-of-date equipment and materials. Keeping that junk around costs money and clutters the workspace. To trim costs and boost profits, start by going through every nook and cranny and throwing out everything that isn’t related to the current way work is done. Once the clutter is gone, it’s easier to streamline the workflow.

Then, organize and label the materials and equipment into consistent locations. It’s not unusual for work materials to be spread all over a workplace, making it difficult to find what is needed, when it is needed.

2. Streamline

The next step is to streamline the business by removing barriers and redesigning the work to minimize resistance and delays in workflow. All businesses suffer from Lazy Product Syndrome (LPS). While employees work on the product or service for perhaps three minutes out of every hour, the product sits idle for the other 57 minutes (the 3-57 Rule). That’s why the elapsed time from order to delivery can take weeks instead of hours; hours instead of minutes; or minutes instead of seconds.

Take this test: Follow a customer’s order from start to delivery, and notice just how little time is actually spent working the order. Notice how much time it spends in an inbox or an outbox or a queue somewhere. Notice how much time it spends waiting on the next step in its journey. The order spends 95 percent of its time waiting for something to happen.

Have employees wear pedometers and record how far they walk each day. Then rearrange the materials and equipment to reduce their travel time by half. Using this technique in a 2,400 square-feet hospital lab revealed that technicians traveled three-to-four miles per day. Redesigning the workspace freed up 400 square-feet for other uses. After redesigning the space to put high-volume equipment closer to arrival area, they were able to reduce travel by almost 60 percent. In a year, the savings per technician equaled the distance from Denver to Pittsburgh. It also saved seven hours per day.

Simplifying and streamlining the workflow can cut costs by 20 percent or more, and double productivity. Oddly enough, businesses can be faster without working harder. Simplifying and streamlining also reduces mistakes and the high cost of rework by up to 50 percent. It’s an easy way to start cutting costs and boosting profits.

3. Optimize

Once the workplace and workflow has been simplified and streamlined, it’s time to start optimizing the work process. Every business makes mistakes, errors, defects, glitches and hitches that result in rework, scrap and lost profit. To optimize the delivery of products or services, start counting and categorizing the mistakes, errors or defects.

Count: How many mistakes are there in the product or service? Include everything from the initial sales order to customer acceptance.How many times a day do fast-food outlets fail to provide everything ordered at the drive-through window? How many products have a shortage or oversupply of the nuts and bolts required for assembly?

Categorize: What are the most common type of errors, mistakes or defects? Where are they most often made? At which step in the process? How costly is each type of mistake? By categorizing defects in a variety of ways, it’s easy to discover that they aren’t spread all over; they cluster in a few key areas. Only four actions out of every 100 cause more than 50 percent of the mistakes, errors, defects, scrap, rework and lost profit (the 4-50 rule).

One wireless phone company had thousands of order errors every day. Only six of 200 error types accounted for more 90 percent of all errors. One New England hospital had three wrong-side brain surgeries in one year. Not that many mistakes, but probably costly ones. While it might seem easy to blame the surgeon or nursing staff, the root cause lies elsewhere.

People don’t make mistakes; processes do.

Properly designed, a process will not let a person make a mistake. This is called mistake proofing. Most modern cars will not start unless the driver’s foot is on the brake and the transmission is in park or neutral. That’s mistake proofing. Electrical plugs have a fat and a thin blade to ensure that they are inserted correctly into outlets. Mistake proofing! Grocery shoppers use shopping lists to make sure they get everything they need in one trip. Mistake proofing!

Tip: Fix your process, not your people.

By letting error categories narrow the improvement focus, it’s easy to identify the root causes and potential solutions. Oddly enough, one rarely needs more money or more people or more training. Changing the process to prevent problems often solves the issue.

One business switched from stamps to an online postage service, which not only provides postage, but verifies addresses before sending anything. That cut returned mail by 75 percent. And it provides delivery confirmation for free!

Double Your Profits

While companies may not be able to control what happens in the economy, they can control what happens inside of the company. Even profitable companies spend $25-40 out of every $100 on their “fix-It” factory. By simplifying, streamlining and optimizing operations, any business can cut those figures down to $5-10 out of every $100. Adding 20 percent or more back to the bottom line could easily double your profits. And it doesn’t have take forever.

Aggressive application of these principles can cut costs to these levels in six to 12 months.

Tip: You don’t have to fix everything, just start with the important ones.

The good news is that any company can start today by simplifying and streamlining. These two steps will take profits half the distance to the goal.

So get started today, even if it’s just your own workspace. Talk about these concepts with co-workers. Stop waiting for permission to make work better, smoother and faster. Start simplifying, streamlining and optimizing today.

This article was written by Jay Arthur for Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Jay Arthur, the KnowWare Man, is author of “Double Your Profits: Plug the Leaks in Your Cash Flow.” He has spent the last 20 years helping companies maximize revenue through the “Lean Six Sigma Simplified System,” a collection of audio, video, books and software. Arthur is also the author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and created the “QI Macros SPC Software” for Excel. To plug the leaks in your cash flow, sign up for free Lean Six Sigma lessons here or call 888.468.1537.

Adweek has the story on a just released new study conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute that found promotional products beat out all other forms of advertising — powerhouses like TV, radio and print — as the most cost effective way to promote a business. The research was conducted by a team of interviewers who talked with 600 travelers in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The majority of respondents were businesspeople over the age of 21.

ASI figures have advertising specialties (i.e promotional products) accounting for 13% of the advertising market. In 2007 these products generated $19.6 billion in sales. 

“During a time when we’re facing turbulent economic conditions, this research advises marketers and business owners to invest in advertising specialties now more than ever,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of the Advertising Specialty Institute.  “Advertising specialties provide measurable results for a very reasonable investment.” 

• 84% remember the advertiser on a product they’d received.
• 42% have a more favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving a promotional product.
• 24% are more likely to do business with an advertiser based on the items they receive. 
• 62% have already done business with the advertiser on a product after receiving it.
• 81% of promotional products were kept because they were useful.
• More than three-quarters of respondents have had their items for about 7 months.
• Bags were reported to be used most often, an average of 9 times a month.

And if these numbers aren’t enough, consider the cost of promotional products as compared to other advertising choices you might make…

The average cost-per-impression of a promotional product is $0.004, compared to Nielsen Media data that quote a national magazine ad at $0.033; a newspaper ad at $0.0129; a prime time TV ad at $0.019; a cable TV ad at $0.007; a syndicated TV ad at $0.006; and a spot radio ad at $0.005.

When it comes to which products the respondents mentioned most often, writing instruments are the most common, with 54% having them, followed by shirts, caps and bags. 

So…as a business owner, promotional products appear to give you a better return on your investment, you don’t have to spend a lot per unit, and people really remember who gave them that neat pen or handy flashlight. More than this, you’re working to build loyalty that shows up in repeat patronage and lasting business relationships.

Maybe the effectiveness of promotional products lies in the fact that they are able to break through the glut of information… touch a customer (or employee) in a very personal way. Maybe these survey results show us that being able to hold an item in your hand… to look at something every single day… has a value no one expected. And the best part is that promotional products offer you so many affordable, creative ways to get your business noticed… and remembered.

To see the full results of the Advertising Specialties Effectiveness Study from ASI, visit www.asicentral.com/study. If you need additional information, you can get in touch with Larry Basinait, executive director of research for ASI directly at lbasinait@asicentral.com.

Even with money tight, cutting back on marketing is a dangerous tactic in an economic downturn, warns Glenn Selig, founder of Tampa, Fla.-based The Publicity Agency.

Studies consistently show that companies that continue or boost their PR and marketing efforts during economic downturns outperform competitors that cut their marketing budgets.

“If consumers and other businesses don’t know about you and your company they can’t find you,” says Selig, dubbed the public relations “guru” by CNN’s Nancy Grace. Hard economic times, says Selig, may be the best time to launch a public relations campaign.

Despite his advice, Selig says the reality is fewer companies will actively market their companies during the economic downturn, which leaves the field wide open for those who do.

“For most businesses it doesn’t make sense to wait for things to get better,” says Selig. “The economy may be slowing but it’s not stopping. The pie may be smaller but there are still many pieces of it to be had.”

This article appeared in Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Source:
The Publicity Agency

Now that the election has come and gone, Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. When he takes office January 20, 2009, he will have a majority in both halves of Congress to pass his legislative policies. How will the imminent changes affect the promotional products industry?

Here are some of the major changes Obama has proposed:

• Allowing employees to withdraw up to 15 percent of their 401(k) and IRA funds through 2009
• Increasing the payroll tax on higher-income workers by applying it to any extra income that exceeds $250,000
• Rolling back tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000
• Increasing the capital gains tax to 20 percent for workers earning $250,000 or more
• Giving tax credits to working families
• Eliminating income taxes for elderly workers making $50,000 or less
• Reimbursing employers for catastrophic health costs and providing subsidies for low-income people
• Requiring employers to provide insurance or contribute to the cost, exempting the smallest businesses
• Creating a health-insurance buying pool with the choice of competing private plans and one public plan, such as Medicare

Reactions to Obama’s election are mixed, but some small-business owners in the industry fear that the tax code changes will discourage investment.

Others have pointed out that Obama generally favors more government oversight of the markets, which could affect marketers and branders. He has proposed an end to the corporate tax deduction for advertisers, more Internet privacy legislation to target spammers, restricting pharmaceutical advertising (because it “wastes” health care resources), and making the Federal Trade Commission more litigious.

To learn more, check out these resources…
Promotional Products Business: What Will The Next Four Years Hold For Promotional Products?
Brandweek: Obama Promises Change; Is It Bad for Marketers? 

This article appeared in Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Of course, with the economy being what it is, many business owners are looking for ways to do some holiday shopping without overspending, and that can be easy when you choose quality promotional products as corporate gifts.

Business gifting isn’t all that different from what you do for family and friends. 

Know who you’re giving to — make a list so that you know who you’ll need to buy for… clients who spend only a certain amount? hot prospects ready to buy? employees? Put some serious thought into who you will be buying business gifts for this year. Once you have a good list, see if you find some common themes that will help guide your gift selection. 

Think about budget — how much are you able to spend per gift? Even if you can’t spend all that much, there are many quality, affordable gifts you can consider. Buying in larger quantities usually brings the price per item down, so consider gifts that offer quantity discounts as a good way to get a nice gift and a nice price too.

Look at the options — there are no shortage of promotional products suppliers, but you want someone who can bring you quality products… people who know what questions to ask and have a track record of delivering when promised. Naturally I’d recommend www.bigpromotions.net, but then you didn’t expect me to be totally impartial, did you?

Decide on the message — you want to convey. This comes through in two ways (1) in the item you choose and (2) the written words you imprint on a gift. The message should be in line with the positioning of your business all through the year… so if your edge is personal service, deliver the gifts in person. If affordability is your style… don’t give elaborate gifts now. Tie the gift to your business type if you can, or to something you know your customers care about. Anything that can be used right out of the box as well as over the long term (ice scrapers every winter, flashlights or pens) are always worth the investment.

Remember everyone — your employees work hard for you every day all year long, an acknowledgment of this now goes a long way to keeping your staff motivated and building a sense of loyalty that’s hard to beat. The gift doesn’t have to be expensive so long as it is something truly useful. An offbeat idea is to fill an imprinted mug or glass with treats you know are a favorite and leave one at the workspace of each employee. 

Whatever you choose to do about your business gifts this year… now is the time to get started with your planning. We welcome your questions about unique business gifts… we’ll be glad to help solve your gift giving quandaries… or act as a place to share your own ideas and success stories with business gifts. C’mon, let’s talk!

It’s really a simple concept: Do a good deed without any form of compensation; instead, ask the deed’s recipient to do good in return for three other people. The 2000 movie of the same name with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment brought mainstream attention to the practice of Pay it Forward, and the promotional product industry’s own Charley Johnson has breathed new life into the movement.

Most of us who know Johnson, vice president and co-owner of Salt Lake City-based SnugZ, also know he’s a good guy. By now, many of you probably know of his involvement with the Pay it Forward Foundation board, which he joined this summer after creating and distributing silicone wristbands to encourage random acts of kindness on his own. Established in September 2000 by Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the book, “Pay it Forward,” the foundation has taken off with help from Johnson and his company. In the last year, SnugZ has covered the costs to manufacture and ship silicone Pay it Forward bracelets to more than 50 countries.

“We started with 10,000, then 100,000 and now have sent out more than 350,000 bracelets — all out of our own pocket,” Johnson reports. “We are in over $60,000 for bracelets and shipping.”

Johnson began his quest to make a difference with the bracelets back in June 2007. While driving on Interstate 15, he thought about how “the world is overloaded with bracelets supporting a cause,” such as the famous, yellow Livestrong band. Regardless of the influx, Johnson felt that wristbands were the best way to create a reminder for people to do something good. Even better, they can be shared, spreading the goodwill even further. “The passing on of the bracelet is what really sparked new interest in creating another cause bracelet,” he says.

Despite SnugZ’s generosity, the campaign has become too big for one company to bear alone. With bracelet requests coming from around the globe, Johnson has teamed up with another supporter to generate additional funding.

A few weeks ago, Brady Hughes requested bracelets from Johnson, just like thousands of people before him. Johnson relayed to Hughes that SnugZ was out of bracelets but looking for sponsors to fund future orders. “His next e-mail told me he had a better plan for raising funds,” Johnson says. “From that day forward, he has taken over.”

Hughes is a father, social worker and teacher living in Minnesota. He also runs a business on the side, and he is deploying to Iraq very soon. “He has all this going on, he’s about to leave his family for an extended amount of time, yet he spends any extra time he has on this project,” Johnson says.

Hughes and his company, Helloworld.com, will broadcast a 12-hour webcast on Nov. 18 in the hopes of raising more than $100,000 — enough to create more than 1 million Pay it Forward bracelets.

Wanna watch? The free webcast will be available at http://tinyurl.com/PIF-webcast on Nov. 18 from noon to midnight, CST. You can expect tons of talking, cameos and calls from celebrities and famous authors, live band performances and plenty of pictures. “It’s a 12-hour telethon simply to make sure all parts of the world will be awake and ready to donate,” Johnson says. “All we need is people to visit, donate and move on with their day. A simple $10 donation makes it possible for us to purchase 100 more bracelets.”

In addition, these dedicated men hope to bring attention to the Pay it Forward movement and to show people how simple yet powerful the concept is. “It’s going to be a world-changing day, and together we can impact the world like no one ever thought possible,” Johnson says.

According to the research, these wristbands change hands an average of five times. That means that if Johnson is successful in raising enough money to distribute 1 million bracelets, he’ll be able to affect the lives of 5 million people. And as for you? “Your $10 donation affects 500 people in the world. Pretty inexpensive but amazingly powerful,” Johnson adds. “You better believe this will simply increase the need for these bracelets, and our ultimate goal is 1 billion bracelets in the world.”

Ever grateful for all support, Johnson credits Hughes with the idea and much of the manpower behind their endeavor. “He is an amazing person and Helloworld.com is an amazing company. Without these two this would have never happened,” Johnson says.

Taking care of others has helped put his own life into perspective, and Johnson says it’s improved his own happiness. “I know this world is a crazy and busy place, but I promise you, you don’t become happy by trying to be,” he says. “You become happy by taking care of others around you, and it’s a trickle down affect for everyone in your life when you choose to pay it forward.”

Interested in some great Pay it Forward success stories? Check out www.payitforwardtoday.org and choose from hundreds of stories from all over the world.

This article was written by Debrah Rosen for Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Research has shown that BPA may well mimic estrogen and be linked to cancer, reproductive problems, developmental delays in kids and cardiovascular disease. This comes from work published this past September in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found those with high levels of BPA in the body were more likely to have heart disease or diabetes. High BPA levels upped the risk for these diseases by 39%, but no one can be sure it’s the bisphenol A that’s the culprit — still the link is there.

What started all this, in case you’ve forgotten, was the April 2008 U.S. National Toxicology Program report that was a follow up from an expert panel review completed in 2007. Both the expert panel and the NTP reports similarly concluded a low-rate risk, or negligible concern, for adults and some concern for infants and children. 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. And yet the controversy, stubbornly, didn’t go away.

Canada just announced plans to go ahead with regulations that prohibit the import, sale and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles with bisphenol A. The regulations should take affect in 2009. Several U.S. states aren’t waiting for government say-so and are moving toward bans of BPA as well. In the U.S., the FDA has taken a difficult to comprehend position, even though nearly 100 studies  as well as the U.S. National Toxicology Program mentioned above found that there was “some concern” that BPA could effect the brains and behavior of fetuses and young children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to stand behind (for the moment anyway) a draft report that claims products (like baby bottles and re-usable water bottles) containing the chemical are safe at current levels of exposure. But an FDA Science Board subcommittee that peer-reviewed this draft report said last week said that the FDA assessment had “important limitations.” Another way of pointing out the FDA draft relied on chemical industry funded research and ignored other reliable studies. The report concluded that “the Margins of Safety defined by FDA as ‘adequate’ are, in fact, inadequate.”

So what the FDA told us in August, that BPA in baby bottles (or re-usable water bottles) and such was safe… was wrong. Too bad we can’t turn back the clock and un-use all those bottles. And what if you’ve put your company name all over re-usable water bottles in an effort to promote your business and do something for the environment? 

What you need to know, if you’re worried about BPA, is to look for unbreakable BPA-free plastic like polyethylene, a milky, less-shiny plastic (sometimes marked with recycling code 1 and/or the abbreviation PET) that doesn’t leach BPA. Other plastics not made with BPA are high density polyethylene (2, HDPE), low density polyethylene (4, LDPE), or polypropylene (5, PP). Remember, though some (even TV new reports) will tell you recycling code 7 also denotes BPA content, it does not.

As a business owner who may be using re-usable water bottles as a promotional tool, be prepared to answer questions about BPA content. It will help to education customers and staff about the BPA controversy, and how to use water bottles safely. Urge everyone to clean bottles with soap and water, but not excessively hot water, and get rid of a bottle once it looks worn, has cracks, or starts to degrade. 

Trying to address the issue, the FDA released a statement in response to the Science Board report suggesting worried parents turn to BPA-free plastic alternatives or glass baby bottles, or to talk to their pediatrician about powdered formula. You’ll find Consumer Reports featured a test of some BPA-free bottles, and found that these products had minute amounts of BPA.

In an industry where relationships are often the foundation of success, many businesses aspire to create a workplace environment that earns positive recognition. We’re not just talking about businesses that win awards for staff satisfaction — a better definition is a place where employees look forward to coming and where they feel the confidence and support needed for success.

Such a place includes more than just a good health care plan or a nice vacation package. While those may be important components, there is something more basic and more crucial to being recognized as a great place to work.

Think back to a time when you truly felt you worked in an ideal environment. What made it so ideal? Was it the benefits package or the 401K plan? Those may have been nice, but chances are they weren’t what made the situation so great. The key element to a happy workplace is almost always the people — an environment where employees have great working relationships with their coworkers. It’s all about team.

If you build a team with employees who work together and support and motivate each other, your employees will begin to develop a sense of satisfaction that will show in their work and their loyalty to your company. But before you can get your staff in a team huddle to begin building this atmosphere, you have to put your winning team in place.

Here are three steps to building an exceptional team.

#1. Set The Foundation

The first step is to build your business from the bottom up on a proactive philosophy rather than a reactive philosophy. Consider these scenarios:

A business owner working alone builds up his sales until he is so busy that he occasionally drops the ball on an order, and his first reaction is to hire sales reps to help with the sales load. Or, a business that has already hired sales reps is still so busy that additional assistance is needed. Realizing that his sales reps are ineffective and unable to provide acceptable service, the business owner now hires customer service representatives who have to learn on the fly to support the sales staff. These are examples of a reactive philosophy.

What’s wrong with these pictures? First, throughout each scenario, the business owners have likely lost clients whose orders were either not filled or filled poorly. Client relations should be the No. 1 priority of any business, and the reactive approach to growth puts those relationships in jeopardy.

The internal structure of each business also has problems. Sales representatives brought in with little to no support are likely to become frustrated and dissatisfied with their work experience. New CSRs may also have a negative experience walking into a poorly managed environment.

Because there was no time for training, they may be fumbling through their days with low job satisfaction. Worst of all, unstable internal relations can damage client relations further by making customer service less of a priority. Chances are these business owners will end up with damaged reputations and fewer sales than when they started.

We started Proforma Albrecht & Co. with a proactive philosophy and a service model that required up-front investment, but it has paid excellent dividends. First, we built a support infrastructure. Before our doors even opened, we had hired and trained a four-member team of administrative and customer-service professionals. While this can be an initial drain on cash flow, it is an investment that will pay off soon. It’s counterproductive to hire sales reps or to bring in new business if you do not have a trained professional support staff.

Building our internal staff first accomplished a few things.

First, when orders began coming in, they were handled professionally and efficiently, boosting customer retention and providing the highest level of service at the most crucial time in a customer relationship: during the first order.

Second, we had a unique selling proposition to offer sales professionals looking to join a distributorship. We were offering the support needed to succeed. Instead of our sales team worrying about how they would place and track orders, they could focus on building sales with a well-trained support staff to follow through on the order process.

Our growth following that initial investment has been staggering. Not only has our revenue grown exponentially, but also our internal and sales staff has grown to support that revenue stream and to inspire further growth.

#2. Draft The Right Offensive Line

Once you’ve committed to building a strong internal structure before recruiting sales professionals, how do you choose whom to hire? Hiring internal staff is equally important as hiring top sales professionals. Think about a football team: They may have the top quarterback in the league, but if the offensive line is no good, he’ll never complete a pass. Your internal staff is like your offensive line; they set your sales professionals up to win.

When hiring your support staff, don’t rely too heavily on resumes. Though full of useful information, they can fool you into hiring someone who isn’t a good fit with your organization. The best evaluative tool you have is the job interview. A successful interview should be more than a few questions about strengths, weaknesses and five-year plans. Take the opportunity to ask questions that reveal candidates’ true character and experience.

Instead of having applicants recite facts about their backgrounds, ask about specific times they provided excellent service or ask them to tell you about a typical day at their previous positions. These questions offer a chance to showcase their savvy and reveal who is not a good fit. It is very difficult for prospective employees to invent answers on the spot, so you are more likely to get a true picture of their experience. You might also ask candidates to shadow current employees. This gives each candidate a sense of how your business functions and helps clarify expectations, which is crucial to retention.

Finally, always complete background checks. It’s crucial to make certain that prospective employees are being honest and forthcoming. You may do this just before making an offer, but get each candidate’s consent before interviewing so you’re prepared when you feel you’ve found a good fit.

#3. Recruit Star Quarterbacks

Your sales professionals are your team’s quarterbacks. When Proforma Albrecht & Co. looks for sales representatives, we are looking for professionals who have a substantial book of business along with the desire to grow. We believe referrals are the best way to find good sales reps. We rely on a plethora of networking opportunities, including those from existing clients, employees, sales reps and other business partners who know our philosophy and what we offer potential employees.

Build your network now so that when the time comes you can reach out to your contacts to find top candidates.

Looking for sales professionals is more like trying to attract a talented quarterback than interviewing for a receptionist — it’s all about fit. Learn sales professionals’ goals and needs. If they’re a match, you won’t have to sell the position to them — it will just make sense. If not, be willing to walk away. Some of the best hiring decisions we ever made were those we chose not to hire. If prospective employees don’t share your goals and philosophy, avoid the temptation to hire them — even if they are million-dollar sellers.

One of the most important interview questions to ask is: “What do you need to be successful?”

This is as much about selling our business to them as it is about the candidates selling themselves to us. If we find they have a specific need or interest, we show them how we can support it. Ensuring that you can meet these needs is key to finding the best team members. If a candidate’s needs or expectations are beyond what you can fulfill, you are better off finding a different sales professional; however, when you find someone who fits with your organizational philosophy and shares similar goals, you’ve got an opportunity to hire another team leader.

If you start with a strong foundation and find the best players for your team, you’re ready to take the field with a winning club. Now that you know what it takes to build the right team, use these steps to become a “best place to work.”

This article was written by Fred Albrecht for Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Fred and Suzette Albrecht own Proforma Albrecht & Co., a multi-million dollar distributorship. With their unique people-driven philosophy, they have attracted more than 40 of industry’s top performers to their staff, which continues to grow. They have been recognized as a Best Place to Work in the Promotional Industry in Counselor magazine. Fred can be reached at fred.albrecht@proforma.com.

The company is seeking to solve a rather simple business problem. How to get sales leads in the hands of the salespeople who need them. For the web, this should be handy desktop tool shows you who is visiting your website so you can react with an email or phone call right away.

The free software widget looks like a news ticker you’d see on TV. You’ll be able to view data on who is visiting your website, their interests and very complete, accurate contact details. This information can work with your LinkedIn contact data as well.

You can customize the ticker so to create a Watch List that lets you flag existing customers, hot prospects, partners (even competitors) right on the desktop. The free software widget can be downloaded at http://www.demandbasestream.com. You’ll be prompted to supply some basic information, and be comfortable installing to a desktop tool that must run on Adobe® AIR™, a framework that allows web applications to operate outside of a browser.

After downloading the free Demandbase Stream™ tool and connecting it to your web site and to Demandbase Direct™, you’ll have a way to view who is online at your site. Because the widget lets you see this in real time, you’ll be able to react right away.

If you do decide to give this handy little widget a try… we’d appreciate your reviews. How’s it working? Is it really easy to use? And how has immediate prospecting information helped your sales efforts?

Everything really is better with audience participation.

One of the most critical yet overlooked principles in the selling process is the power of self-discovery through customer involvement. Regrettably, many salespeople use a “show-and-tell” presentation style and babble on hoping they might say something that will generate a sale. When you show or tell your prospects about your product or service, they have a tendency to doubt the information and mentally disengage from your presentation. On the other hand, when they participate in the selling process and are guided to discover a feature or benefit on their own, they will be inclined to believe it.

Car salesmen truly understand the value of self-discovery and prospect participation.

They’ll be the first to tell you that it’s the actual smell of the leather and the hands-on-the-wheel experience of the test-drive that sells the car, not the colorful brochure full of options and features. Obviously, not every product or service lends itself to a hands-on demonstration; however, there are always ways to increase prospect involvement.

Any time there is a choice between whether you or your prospect should do something, let them do it. For example, if you’ve got numbers to crunch, hand them the calculator, and let them work the numbers. When it’s time to demonstrate the benefits and features of your product, don’t just show them, find creative ways to keep them actively engaged during the entire selling process.

Recently, I heard an interesting story about a successful glass salesman named Bill Johnson. He was the top producer in his company by a significant margin. After Johnson set a new quarterly sales record, the company president called to congratulate him on his achievement.

When asked what he felt was the secret of his success, Johnson replied that he had recently added a minor change to his sales presentation that was making a major difference in his results. During his presentations, he was now using a hammer to strike the safety glass several times to demonstrate its strength and durability. Excitedly, the president asked Johnson if he would be willing to teach his hammer technique to the entire sales force at the next company training.

Several months after Johnson’s presentation, the company shattered its previous records for safety glass sales. The president was extremely pleased with the company-wide results but was surprised that Johnson’s production was still significantly higher than the rest of the sales force. When he asked the top seller if he had discovered any new techniques, Johnson replied that he had recently made a subtle change in his presentation.

“I still use the hammer technique,” Johnson said, “except now when I get to the part in my presentation where I demonstrate the strength of the safety glass, I hand the hammer to my customer and let them beat on the glass!”

By handing the hammer to his customers, Johnson discovered the secret of successful selling. He took his sales career to the next level by finding a way to keep his customer actively engaged during his presentation.

Are you keeping your prospects actively involved? If not, I encourage you to take a lesson from Johnson and find a way to put the hammer in your prospect’s hand.

This article was written by John Boe for Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. He is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker. For more information, visit www.johnboe.com or call 877.725.3750.

The Arizona Promotional Products Association trade show has always been inclusive of outsiders. For starters, the afternoon portion of the show is open to end users who come with their promotional consultant. But this year, the AzPPA board decided to bring in a fresh perspective and introduce the industry to a new audience: college marketing students.

Ten members of the Arizona State University chapter of the American Marketing Association attended the AzPPA trade show in Mesa, Ariz., this September. Among them was the ASU AMA chapter president, Heather Hellwinkel. A senior at ASU majoring in marketing, Hellwinkel had no prior knowledge of the promotional products market. As many have said when first getting involved with the industry, she had no idea how much was out there.

Hellwinkel learned about design and graphic arts during high school. She always wanted to work in advertising in some capacity, but hadn’t considered the promotional industry.

Before the show, Hellwinkel “had never given it a thought, but then after I was like, ‘This is probably about the coolest thing ever,’” she says “It got me thinking about how we can incorporate this into what we do.”

In the immediate future, Hellwinkel plans to get her fellow AMA members thinking about promotional products, and she is already thinking back to previous class projects with all kinds of new ideas for how she could have incorporated promos.

“I can see how in the past I would have been able to add promotional products to projects],” she admits. In one, she designed an ad campaign to help a new company get its name out to industrial businesses. If she knew then what she knows now, she would add a custom logoed model and desktop pen holder to the marketing mix.

Though Hellwinkel never before thought of the industry as a career path, she now thinks it would be “a pretty cool path to take.”

“When we graduate and go on to companies at the lowest level of marketing, we’ll be in charge of these things,” she says. The show gave her a better understanding of what’s available so she can contribute from day one. She looks at the promotional products industry is a whole new option for being innovative and creative.

Trying to Reach the College Crowd?

Hellwinkel also sheds a little light on the best way for marketers to reach her peers. Her biggest piece of advice: “Everyone in my market is looking for environmental products.”

Hellwinkel was pleased to see so many eco-friendly options at the AzPPA trade show, especially because, as she says, “everyone’s giving out promotional products, and it’s not always the most environmentally friendly thing to do.” One of her favorite products from the show was the seed paper, which she likes because it’s sustainable. She also was fascinated by a shrimp that lives in a glass bowl.

This article was written by Debrah Rosen for Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

The 4th Annual Small Business Holiday Outlook conducted by Constant Contact, found that an unexpected 76% of respondents are planning holiday promotions and last minute offers, that’s up from 62% last year. As things tighten up, business owners are looking for ways to get customers to part with what little discretionary cash they have on hand.

“There’s no question the economy is a cause for concern, especially for U.S. small businesses that rely heavily on holiday sales. However, in true entrepreneurial fashion, small businesses are fighting back,” said Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact. 

Small businesses use a variety of ways to reach customers. Here are the types of advertising these buisness owners are planning to use…

• Email marketing — 60%
• Direct mail — 27%
• Flyers — 27%
• Advertising on TV, radio, newspaper — 21%
• Online marekting (banner) ads — 20%
• Other — 8%

More businesses plan to start promting earlier than last year, but 41% are unsure if the holiday sales season will be strong or not. This makes sense considering the uncertainty dire predictions we’re facing this holiday season, and the uncertain outlook for the early part of 2009.

According to the survey, small businesses are most concerned about:

• lower holiday sales — 86%
• high energy/fuel costs — 23%
• credit availability — 34%

These worries are show up in the sales projections, plans for hiring (just 16% plan to add seasonal staff this year), as well as plans to reward employees (down 7% from 2007). Holidays parties are as likely as not for small business owners, with just 2% more planning parties this year. These are marked differences versus trends established over the previous three years of the survey.

The 2008 U.S. Small Business Holiday Outlook survey was conducted through online distribution to small business owners who are customers of Constant Contact. More than 2,000 business owners responded to the survey that was conducted from September 23, 2008 through October 10, 2008.

As in the past, small businesses owners may well be leading the way to economic recovery, 

In an recent article in CNNMoney, the candidates tax plans were compared. According to the piece, even before the financial meltdown, budget experts were expressing concerns about the cost of both candidates’ tax proposals — which go well beyond just extending the tax cuts enacted under President Bush.

To inject a voice of impartial reason, the nonpartisan Committee for a Federal Budget, excluding the tax-related portions of the health care proposals on both sides, estimates that McCain’s tax plans could increase the federal deficit by over $400 billion annually by 2013; Obama’s could increase it by $360 billion. Not that big a difference… when you’re talking billions.

Obama has said repeatedly that he will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000, whereas McCain has blasted him for, in the past, voting to raise taxes on people making as little as $48,000. (The accuracy of McCain’s claim has been debated.)

Obama has attacked McCain for huge tax cuts for the wealthy; however, the Illinois senator neglects to point out that everyone from every tax bracket would see a tax decrease under the McCain plan. Here are the proposed average income tax changes for various income levels:

Under McCain’s plan, every income group, on average, would see a tax cut. Upper-income earners would get the biggest breaks both in dollars and as a percentage of their current after-tax income, according to the latest estimates from the Tax Policy Center.

Under Obama’s plan, upper-income earners are the only ones who would see a tax increase. Low-income earners would see the biggest benefit as a percentage of their current after-tax income. 

It seems the only thing the candidates do agree on is that there WILL be taxes… 

When Mr. Rogers first sang “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” during what would become the world’s most iconic wardrobe change, a windowless sea of beige cubicles is probably not what he had in mind. Yet, according to a new study from consumer intelligence firm BIGresearch, the American workplace is rapidly surpassing such cornerstones of neighborhood life as the front porch and the living room to become the most powerful social network available to advertisers today.

More than half of all American workers, 68 percent, report socializing with co-workers while taking a break from work, and an additional 42 percent also confess to communicating with friends and family during the workday via telephone, e-mail and texting.

This employee-to-employee networking has direct implications for marketers since 95.6 percent of at-work consumers indicate that they regularly or occasionally give advice to their peers in the workplace about products and services. Keeping with the pace, 93 percent indicate that they also seek advice from co-workers before making purchases.

“With Americans now spending a record-breaking 60 percent of their waking hours at work, the days of stopping by your neighbor’s front porch in the afternoon to discuss current events over an iced tea are over,” said Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media. “These days, time-starved consumers are more likely stop by a colleague’s cubicle on their way out for an iced coffee than socialize with neighbors back at home, where household chores and family responsibilities take precedence over casual conversation.”

The benefits of targeting consumers in such a highly connected, yet traditionally “ad-free” environment has not gone unnoticed by marketers looking to stay ahead of the pack. A staggering 95 percent of U.S. companies that have already granted advertisers access to this highly coveted demographic indicate that their employees regularly or occasionally talk about the advertiser offerings and promotions they receive during the workday, proving that individuals can become very influential and passionate brand advocates in the workplace.

“Let’s face it— we all wish we had more time at home, but this study reveals a really wonderful truth about human nature: We are essentially social beings who will create meaningful, neighborly interactions wherever we are,” Molnar said.

This article was taken from Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

As many promotional products can be made out of leather, it might help you to understand a bit more about the supple, luxurious material. Leather is defined as any skin that has been rendered resistant to decomposition in the tanning process. There are several ways to tan animal skin for making leather material.

Tannage Methods

Vegetable-tanned leather is a tannage using the bark of trees and ground up berries to form an extract that is then absorbed by a hide. It is normally used to make sole leather, saddle leather and some belt leathers. By nature, it is very stiff and firm like the wood it comes from.

Chrome-tanned leather is a tannage created with chromium salts along with oils and other tanning components. It is normally used for upholstery and garment leathers, and it’s usually very soft and stretchy.

Combination tanned leather uses a combination of vegetable and chrome tanning materials to make leather. The majority of leather in the market today uses this tanning method.

Leather Varieties

Full-Grain. This leather has been left as it was on the animal — only the hair has been removed. Approximately 30 percent of all hides are of a suitable quality for making full-grain leather. To enhance the beauty and natural character of full-grain leather, only dyes, waxes, oils or very slight surface coatings are used. This is the highest-quality leather available.

Top-Grain Leather. From the balance of hides that aren’t suitable for full-grain leather comes the top-grain variety. Typically, hides aren’t suitable for full-grain leather because of surface imperfections. To remove these imperfections, any unwanted surface areas on the leather are sanded, which makes the surface resemble suede. Then, a coating of pigment paint (similar to wall paint) is applied. The grain is then recreated in a stamping process called plating, which can return the leather to its original look or can make it look like many different animal skins, such as elephant, ostrich or alligator. Hundreds of different grains are available options.

Genuine Leather. This is the lowest grade of leather that can still be categorized in the leather family. In processing leather, one step called “splitting” reduces the thickness of the hide to make it suitable for whatever it will be used to make. Once the leather is split, the top portion is used to make either full- or top-grain leather. Most tanneries sell off the byproduct by the pound to split tanneries. They, in turn, will tan this lower portion and apply a polyurethane coating to the surface. This coating is exactly the same as is used on faux leather. A small portion of splits are finished with pigment. A final embossing process with a heavy grain, such as a buffalo, is added to help hide the fibrous nature of the split surface.

Bonded Leather. Bonded leather is another byproduct from tannery operations in which raw fibers are produced. The fibers are then tanned and put in to a papermaking type of equipment along with latex adhesive. The materials are then reconstituted into either sheet or roll goods. Based on rulings from the Federal Trade Commission, this type of leather is not allowed to be included in the category of genuine leathers, but must be referred to as bonded leather, and the actual fiber content is supposed to be stated by the manufacturer.

Aniline Dyes. A surface coating of dyes to color the surface of full-grain leather, this material is similar to furniture stains used on wood.

This article appeared in Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Imagine this… after an interview with a 22-year-old candidate for a position with your business, you have a good feeling. Though the experience might be limited, the candidate seemed sharp, passionate and hard-working. But before you extend an offer, you’ll have to discuss the move with some others in your organization.

Before accepting your offer, the candidate will have to do the same thing — only in your potential employees case, the people they talk to happen to be their parents. In a departure from other generations, this age group seek their parents’ input on key decisions; so that almost no Y will accept a job offer without first calling home to talk it over with Mom and Dad.

A straight talking article in BusinessWeek makes that point that employers should embrace this concept and make sure they establish a parent-friendly brand. Think about the marketing campaign of the U.S. Army, featuring the slogan “You made them strong… we’ll make them army strong.” Parental influence is recognized and accepted… a part of the process.

Here are some things you might do to win the Y’s and their parents to your side:

• Distribute packs of information for parents to students at universities and job fairs.
• Create special material directed at parents’ likely questions. (health benefits, 401(k) plans, etc.)
• Invite parents of interns and new hires to visit the young adult’s place of work and meet the boss and colleagues.
• Provide the staffing necessary to follow through with parent requests.
• Advertise with parents in mind — highlight your positive attributes as an employer. 
• Provide incentives for your current employees who are parents to refer their children.
• Include parents in employee benefits.

This article was taken from Corporate Logo magazine. Reprinted with permission.

One series that’s been running for a while now are those smart, carefully crafted ads for the Apple Mac — a mere 30 seconds of wit and white space that prove a visually simple, consistently applied branding strategy can work. And work quite well.

Of course the ads, irreverent and humorous as they are, poke fun at PC’s and their… well… stodginess by pitting two perfectly cast characters against each other. Mac, played ably by actor Justin Long, and PC brought to life by actor/writer John Hodgman present the two ccompanies and their products in a very unique way. No tech talk… no promises or price cuts… just simple, head to head comparison of one product against another.

Being a die hard Mac user, I always saw Long as getting the best of poor, misguided Hodgman.

But of late the ads have changed… the two most recent in the Apple series poking fun directly at Microsoft’s advertising campaign (the one with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates wandering the country, to be followed by the confusing “I’m a PC” series). I’m guessing the Apple ad execs could not pass up the chance to make fun of their rivals marketing mishaps.

And then, it would be good if Microsoft spent more on fixing it’s products than advertising them. 

The technology press and others online are convinced the latest additions to the campaign are a little too “inside” for us average Joe’s (or Jane’s). After viewing the ads in question, I was delighted to find that they continue to deliver, loud and clear, the brand message that Apple is cool… smarter… better. 

So as you work to brand your own business, look for inspiration to the techniques used by these two computer giants. Simple, straightforward messaging. Content that assumes some level of intelligence and a sense of humor. Not a lot of visual distraction. Consistent use of the concept over several years.

After all, if it works for them, why not for you???