Capture Client Information to Maximize Your Sales Potential.

We all know the value of promotional marketing.

Or do we?

Sample BRP customer satisfaction survey

Think back to the last promotional marketing campaign you ran. Can you say with certainty how your organization benefited from that campaign? Do you know how much your return on investment was, how many leads you gained, or how your customer retention rate was affected? If the answer to these questions is no, then you may be missing out on a huge opportunity to get much more from your promotional marketing campaigns.

Much of the secret to realizing success in the promotional marketing world is to design your promotions to have a measurable end result. Without an expected end result, and a legitimate to track the results, you can never be sure of a campaign’s success or failure. The examples below are a perfect illustration of why measurable results matter:

A. Salesman A attends the trade show every year. Between travel, fees and promotional items, he invests a significant amount of money into the trade show. He always orders some high-priced pens to take with him, so he has something nice to give his potential customers. Throughout the day, he talks to hundreds of people, handing out almost all of his promotional items, and at the end, he goes home to await the phone calls that inevitably come after the trade show. He knows that he gets more business, but has no idea how much, or what kind.

B. Salesman B attends the same trade show, brings the same pens, and has essentially the same booth, but instead of just handing out the promotional items, he politely asks for a business card in exchange. Once he arrives back at his office, he enters his stack of contact information into his computer – along with notes on who the potential hot leads may be. Throughout the next year, he tracks what sorts of customers he has gained from the trade show, and he can follow up with his hot leads immediately. He knows exactly how much income his trade show appearance is responsible for. Next year, he can make an informed decision whether the investment is worth it. He also has a gauge by which to determine the next year’s relative success or failure.

Mathews Special Offer Example

There are so many ways to gather information on your promotional marketing campaigns. If you run a store front, you could offer a promotional item as an incentive with a purchase of a particular item. You can then track your sales throughout the promotion, and compare it to recent sales data to determine the relative profitability of the promotion. If it is successful, run it again at a later date. If not, scrap the idea and try something new.

Reward your customers for completing a survey. You will get more respondents, plus you’ll get valuable data about how you are perceived by your customers. You’ll also get feedback on how to better serve your clients and improve retention rates.

Getting more from your promotional marketing initiatives isn’t difficult, it just takes a little more planning on the front end. Plan for some way to achieve a measurable result, and set goals for the promotion. When it comes time to make a decision on what sort of promotion to run next, you’ll have reliable data to help you create a more successful campaign. To learn more about capturing customer data during your next promotion, contact Powertex. Give us a call today at (800) 588-7111, or email us a customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

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.

Trade Show Branded Merchandise

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 key chains 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, T-shirts, etc… Fortunately the truth of the matter is that there are literally thousands of different promotional items available. 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.

Promotional Trade Show Items

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. 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. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Sample Trade Show Promotional Item

It’s coming up on that time of year again. It’s time to start planning out your trade shows. It’s hard to imagine showing up to a trade show without some sort of giveaway, but what should you give? This can sometimes be a very difficult question, and it can be hard to choose the right promotional giveaway.

In order to determine what type of giveaway will be most effective, you first need to identify your goals. Is it prospects you are after? Do you want to make a big splash with a new product or service? Do you want to just strengthen your brand, and get out in front of people? Whatever your goal is, your promotional item should be one designed to help you accomplish it.

A few examples:

If you are at a trade show to introduce a high dollar product, it makes sense to offer something of a little more perceived value. A stylish roller-ball pen with a nice cushy grip could be an excellent high-perceived-value reminder of your visit with them.

If you are at a show trying to promote your brand name, you would want to make sure that the gift has something to do with your brand. For instance if you were an office supply company, you would want to go with a nice letter opener or mini stapler. It also makes sense, in this case especially, to not only brand the item, but to put a brand-reaffirming slogan on it as well.

Trade Show Gift Items

Companies that go to trade shows primarily in order to get contacts can benefit from having a slightly higher premium giveaway that prospects would sign up for. That information would then be captured for use after the show to follow up with the contact.

Contests also work well for capturing contact information as well. For instance, you could offer a customized gift card that would allow access to an online incentive store where the lucky winner could buy everything from $1000 watches to accent lamps to plasma TV’s.

Just match your giveaway to your target audience and your brand for success. Above all, don’t just hand them out, say thanks, and walk away. Use the item to open a dialogue, and move on to capturing lead information. If you don’t have some sort of plan that allows you to follow up with your leads, then being there is pointless.

You have to remember that the people who walk around these shows see possibly hundreds of booths in a single day. There is no reason to assume they will remember yours. The proper promotional item can go a long ways towards helping to jog their memories, and bridging the gap towards a long business relationship.

Powertex’s knowledgeable and helpful sales representatives can help you find the proper promotional items to accomplish your trade show goals. Give us a call today at (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.or visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.