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Thursday
March 29, 2012 Tip of the Day - 7 Ways to be IndispensableFiled under: Tip of the Day
This month’s Advantages magazine went in search of ways industry distributors can really set themselves apart from the competition and ensure their clients won’t be looking anywhere else. In the article titled “7 ways to be Indispensable,” Advantages lays down some important strategies for sales reps to follow. Want to keep your clients around a long time? Then follow these 7 strategies:
For the complete breakdown of all 7 strategies, click here.
Thursday
March 8, 2012 Vote Now! Best-Designed Promotional ProductsFiled under: Awards
So what are you waiting for? Exercise your rights and get votin’!
Friday
October 7, 2011 Top 10 States for Nonprofit OrganizationsFiled under: Tip of the Day
This month’s Advantages magazine has a feature titled “Sweet Charity” that gives distributor sales reps the inside scoop on how to strike up profitable relationships with non-profit organizations. Full of tips and expert analysis from those who’ve had success in this market, this article is a must-read for distributors looking to branch out during tough times. Check this article out now! And here’s a list of the top 10 states that feature the most registered nonprofit organizations (August 1995-July 2011):
Source: National Center for Charitable Statistics
Friday
April 8, 2011 Small-Business Tax AdviceFiled under: Tip of the Day
If not, this month’s Marketwise section of Counselor magazine has a few pointers that small-business owners will want to keep in mind to ensure they are getting all the tax savings they deserve this year. Check out the story now. And while I have your attention, here are just a few of the pointers:
Hope this helps!
Monday
November 15, 2010 Tip of the Day - 4 Tips to Increase Your Profits in 2011Filed under: Tip of the Day
Step 1: Negotiate Better Terms Of course, suppliers will be more apt to cut distributors a break if they can guarantee a certain level of business, early payment terms or other carrots, says Shaun Smith, managing director of Leadas Business Advisors, a business consultancy in New York. When Akers asked a supplier recently to “tighten up a bit” on an order of 10,000 T-shirts, the supplier offered Tip-Top a pricing discount. “If 20 other factories carry the same items, typically you’re more apt to get them to price match or come down a bit,” Akers says. In fact, distributors like Akers, while espousing the virtues of service, don’t think relationships – in this price-conscious market – drive business decisions about price cuts as much as the need for orders in a tight market. When it comes to bargaining for free spec samples, rebates, reaction time or other requests, he says, “If a supplier wants the business, people will get very aggressive whether they know you or don’t.” That fact, he says, can give distributors a leg up on boosting order margins. Step 2: Get More Strategic With Sales For example, greens might be fine, the yellows might need more sales attention and the reds might represent cases of customers – potentially lucrative – whose accounts need serious attention. Then distributors should direct sellers to focus their attention accordingly, so that they can target accounts that have the most potential to not only turnaround, but also provide the best margins, Byrnes says. The key, he says, is not to give salespeople too many demands at once. Just one thing to fix on a few key accounts is plenty. “The first thing people think of is, ‘How can I fire 40% of my customers,’” Byrnes says. “But that’s the wrong thing to think about, because the most important thing is to take those good customers and make sure you never lose them, because your competitors will be going right after them.” Step 3: Outwit Bad Buyers For example, Bachenheimer says, when electronics retailer Best Buy noticed certain types of shoppers would buy a TV to watch the Super Bowl and return it the next day, the money it cost to service the returns and restock those items was a drain on its profits. So it started charging a restocking fee to discourage customers who had no intention of keeping the products they bought. Distributors might consider imposing fees, for example, for clients that repeatedly demand multiple samples, art proofs, shipping returns and other profit-reducing services. Step 4: Stop Competing on Price When a recent client’s business-card order was printed with the wrong finish, for example, Synergen not only paid for replacement cards, but doubled the client’s order at no cost. By not reducing the price along the way, the profits allowed Scivetti to cover that kind of mistake. “When you run a business on 2% margins, you can’t do that,” he says. From Education Adviser, vol. 33
Monday
September 27, 2010 Tip of the Day - 4 Ways to Overcome Eco ObjectionsFiled under: Tip of the Day
Here are four talking points and details Chiu recommends sharing with clients to overcome objections:
From WearableStyle, vol. 132
Monday
June 28, 2010 Tip of the Day - Make Money By Working for FreeFiled under: Tip of the Day
Middaugh put this into practice with a nonprofit called Indiana Women In Need (IWIN), which provides grants to women while they undergo breast cancer treatment. “They have a flower sale every year, so one year I offered my parking lot to them for the pickup of flowers,” she says. “On a Saturday, cars would come in, and my people would be there to load the flowers, so we actually physically helped them to raise money that day. That was the beginning of our relationship.” Middaugh also volunteered her staff to raise money for the organization twice a year at no cost. This gave her an in with IWIN. “They sell T-shirts for their fundraisers, so they naturally came to us and asked if we can make their T-shirts,” she says. So many companies focus on building revenue that they often lose sight of how giving back to the community by building an awareness campaign or donating to a cause can be a means of revenue. “When making business decisions of how to thrive in a down or stalled economy, be sure to focus on giving back to the community and creating awareness of how your company supports causes,” says D.J. Heckes, CEO of EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts (asi/191105). One thing that EXHIB-IT! has done locally is an annual business-to-business networking event, which started with the grand opening of its new location in June 2008. It included 400 attendees, such as members of the local chambers and organizations, plus political officials and business owners in the community. At the event, EXHIB-IT! gave away a free exhibit display valued at $1,200 to a selected nonprofit organization. These kinds of events demonstrate to local citizens and business owners that your company is really connected to the community, Heckes says. “This not only shows a true commitment, but it also demonstrates sustainability and that you can grow your business network,” she adds. A key to winning business with nonprofits is to be a part of their events and follow up with them, Middaugh says. “What does do you good is to have some of your staff there asking if they can call on them, and getting back to them afterwards,” she says. “That’s how you get these things to pay off in a big way.” Middaugh also has the advantage of having an employee that was a part of a nonprofit organization called Noble of Indiana, which serves Indianans with disabilities. “This gentleman worked 17 years with Noble,” she says. “He’s a part of our regular staff – he works in the warehouse and chips in whenever something needs to be done, including volunteering in events. So, when they buy thank-you gifts from their donors, they come to us.” To Middaugh, this kind of volunteer work is essential – not only to her business, but to her community. “I feel like we have to support the people who are already supporting us,” she says. Shane Dale is a contributing writer for Wearables. From Wearables June 2010 issue.
Tuesday
May 4, 2010 Tip of the Day - Where Demographics MatterFiled under: Tip of the Day, Uncategorized Here are 4 occasions where demographics matter:
From May 2010 Advantages University.
Friday
March 12, 2010 Win Cash and Prizes Just for Taking Our SurveysFiled under: Research, Uncategorized
But this research would not be possible without the data, which is why it’s so important that any and all ad specialty professionals should be taking the time to fill out our surveys — we want as many submissions as possible so that we know the research is accurate. Of course, filling out surveys can be time consuming and we know time is money. That’s why Counselor is offering an added incentive to both distributors and suppliers to take the surveys. Here are the details.
Please take the survey that applies to you today and help Counselor produce the most important research report done in the ad specialty industry each year. –TeamCentral |
When it comes to work, everyone likes to think they’re indispensable, but are you really? (Things that make you go hmmmmm ….)
Distributors, a special notice from 
Just because “non-profit” organizations sound like they have no money, doesn’t mean it’s true.
April 15th is right around the corner - have you done your taxes yet?!
Here are four strategies for boosting profits.
Jennifer Chiu, product manager for Ash City (asi/37127), offers some smart talking points for distributors looking to sell their clients on green. “Clients need to understand the true essence of green products and also, from a business point of view, the marketing value of it,” she says.
