A Simple Guide to Stimulating Sales Through Promotional Items:

A Practical Guide to Trade Show Promotional Items:

Promotional items can be very effective at stimulating sales if used correctly. Unfortunately, many companies either do not take advantage of this powerful tool at all, or do not use it effectively. We've put together several simple guidelines to follow when putting together your next promotion.

1. Get them out there! Your promotional products are there for you to give out, plain and simple. If you have boxes of promotional items collecting dust in your back closet, then you are guaranteed to not get the results you are looking for. Equip your sales team with a stock of those pens and folders for giving out after meetings. Send custom keychains or gift certificates along with a thank you note in the mail to customers who have recently done business with you. Make a commitment to getting your branded merchandise into the hands of those who will promote you.

2. Promotional items are really mini billboards. The more promotional items you get out there, the more likely it is that people will see them. This includes people that have no familiarity with you or your business. Choose an item that will not only say something about who you are, but will serve to stimulate conversation. For example, a company that sells or repairs computers could give away mini USB pen drives to its premier customers. Imagine what a conversation starter that would be if someone pulled it out of their pocket at the office! Remember that each item you give away has the potential to be your first "touch" with a potential client. Make your impression a lasting one.

3. Get creative. Many people think of promotional items as being only confined to the normal realm of pens, calculators, calendars, tshirts, etc... Fortunately the truth of the matter is that there are literally thousands of different promotional items available. Take a look at http://www.powertexgroup.com/catalog.asp to see hundreds of categories of promotional items. You can find almost anything you can imagine from compasses to hand puppets. Think a bit out of the box to find something that cleverly fits you goals and your budget.

4. Buzz is better. Whether you deal mostly at trade shows, or directly with customers, one of your main goals should be to stimulate the question, "Where'd you get that?" When your client has one of your branded promotional items in their hand, it should generate interest on the part of those who see it. This is a prime way for you to get your clients involved in selling your product for you. Everyone knows the power of word of mouth advertising. Depend on your promotional items as one of the main tools in your marketing arsenal to stimulate word of mouth dialogue about your product or service.

5. More is not always better. This is especially important if you have either a high dollar premium, or a high demand promotional item. Sometimes (not always) it helps to attach a certain sense of exclusivity to a high-perceived-value item. This can help you generate excitement at trade shows or events. If you don't saturate your whole audience with your product, you can create a real sense of anticipation and reward by giving away a limited number as prize items or for contest winners.

Powertex's knowledgeable and helpful sales representatives can help you find the proper promotional items to kick off your next campaign. Click here to view our thousands of possible promotional item ideas. If you have any questions, or are interested in learning more about our products and services, give us a call at: (800) 588-7111. You can also contact us by email at: customerservice@powertexgroup.com.