Every medium to large sized business has employee promotional merchandise needs. Branded jackets, pens, pencils, coffee mugs, etc. are commonly used promotional items and are usually easy to find and purchase. However, when it comes to processing payments, managing inventories, and distributing these items to your employees and clientele, it can easily turn into a headache for the program administrators. Even worse, promotional items can, through inefficiency, turn into a significant cost center.

Vendor Managed Promotional Items

Fortunately, there are vendor managed online store models that can help mitigate these costs while saving your team members money on the branded merchandise.

How it works:

Every business is different, which is why every vendor managed inventory program will have a slightly different structure. Powertex manages several larger merchandise distribution programs like these. Although they each have different specifics, there are a number of commonalities in each.

In a vendor managed program, a company that specializes in employee promotional items would help you to: build and maintain the online store, identify employee promotional item needs, source the correct branded items, warehouse, manage the inventory, merchandise and market the items via an online store, and distribute the merchandise. Employees would be able to visit a website, enter their order, pay via the approved payment methods, and get the merchandise delivered either to their distribution centers or the client’s homes.

The Benefits:

1. Increased efficiency: The process of ordering items, merchandising the products, and managing the inventory is more automated and happens without any effort on the part of the organization. Administration needs to take no action other to help define what kind of merchandise is available as online reports continually update merchandise available and the built in Min/Max levels trigger automatic reorders as needed. This leads to a more easily managed order fulfillment process, resulting in decreased delivery times.
2. Decreased costs: Once the website is built and populated, order fulfillment goes smoothly within the framework of the provider. Companies like Powertex have the infrastructure to deal with cost-effectively managing the online order and fulfillment process. Plus, marketing costs can be reduced due to a diminished need for printed materials.Plus, the ability of a provider to coordinate spot-buys, leverage vendor relationships(domestic and abroad), and gain access to overseas production facilities can lead to decrease in the cost of the promotional items themselves.
3. More flexibility: The online platform offers a number of options to cost effectively utilize your program to its fullest extent. One example is the ability to set up electronic gift certificates for your employees. You can reward your employees or give a holiday gift as easily as entering a few online gift certificate codes and sending them out in an email. Your employees can then redeem the coupon online for their favorite branded merchandise with ease.
4. Increased support: From customer support to coordinated email campaigns, a company like Powertex can make sure you have all the resources you need to ensure a successful program. Since your vendor company has a vested interest in helping you sell your branded promotional items, you can rest assured that they will assist you in any way they can.
5. Total transparency: Powertex designs their programs so that their involvement is, as much as possible, invisible to the end user. The goal of this type of program is to build your program, not your vendor’s. From the design of the promotional materials to the packaging, an effort is made to promote the program as YOUR program.

Proper distribution is critical to program success

Online merchandising programs are designed to make corporate branded promotional item distribution as simple and efficient as possible. By utilizing an online store as the primary distribution interface, your company can reduce costs and have a more timely, up-to date catalog for its employees. By having one central order and distribution point, your company can drastically reduce its labor commitment to what otherwise may be a time-consuming and logistically complex program.

If you are interested in building an online employee merchandise distribution program, call Powertex. We can help you build, implement, and maintain your online promotional program. Give us a call today at (800) 588-7111, or email us at: customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Click here to learn more, and here to see some of the other online stores we manage.

The best types of promotional programs are built around a specific need or problem. One of the most effective types of promotional programs is the Promotional Employee Incentive Program. Why are they so effective? Because Incentive Programs start at the source; your employees’ motivation.

Employee Promotional Gifts

Many studies have been performed that prove what common sense tells us to be true: if you want to increase performance while decreasing accidents and increasing profitability, your employees need to be motivated and alert while on the job. Promotional Incentive Programs, when applied well, can be extremely effective at raising the profitability of your organization. Here are some basic tips to help you build your next Employee Incentive Program:

Motivation Is Key

As was alluded to earlier, the best place to start when trying to solve human resource-related issues is with employee motivation. For example: in a recent study conducted for the United States Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it was found that programs aimed at increasing employee motivation in trucking companies showed the most promising and effective results in reducing accidents and increasing productivity.

Return on Investment

When designing your program, make sure to factor in some sort of plan for analyzing its effectiveness. At the end of the year, compare your program expenditures against the financial gains/losses and the increase/decrease in efficiencies. Obviously, you want to get as high a return as possible on your Promotional Employee Incentive Promotional Program, so it may take a little tweaking after the first year or so to get the results you need. It is not uncommon, in some industries, for these types of programs to show a 3:1 benefit to cost ratio. This means that for every dollar spent, 3 dollars will be shown in savings or profits.

Commit To It

Employee Gift Examples

Employee Incentive Promotional Programs usually hit their peak stride in their second or third year. Why? Because it takes time for a staff to fully get on board and get involved with a program. Understand that, in order for a program of this type to be successful, your people have to believe in it and be excited about it. Developing that level of trust and enthusiasm can take time and experimentation. Employees talk amongst each other, and if people start having positive experiences, they will start sharing them with others. The excitement will build and snowball almost by itself after that.

Plan, Plan, Plan

Implementing a program of this sort can be a daunting task. Planning is essential at the beginning stages. Make sure to do research on successful programs within your industry and try to identify what elements were successful. Look as far ahead as you can to try and identify potential trouble spots. If you are a smaller organization, or don’t have the time or manpower to devote to planning an Employee Incentive Promotional Program, be sure to bring an experienced outside consultant to help you plan and build your program. There will always be adjustments, but having to reengineer a failing program can drastically reduce your employees’ trust in your Employee Incentive Program.

If you are interested in learning more about Employee Incentive Promotional Programs, contact Powertex. Our professional staff will help you identify your opportunity areas, and help find ways to increase your profitability through Employee Incentive Promotional Programs. We can, from start to finish, help you build, implement,and maintain your program. Give us a call today at (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Sample Incentive Items

Employee incentive programs can be an excellent tool for increasing company morale, gaining boosts in productivity, and increasing safety-consciousness within your company. All of these are obviously great things, but keep in mind not all employee incentive programs are created equal. It can be a daunting thing to come up with an incentive program that will work for you and your business. Take a look at some examples below (taken from the Advertising Specialty Institute’s (ASI) website) of successful program ideas and the results that can be realized:

“* Safety programs. One construction company annually rewards each employee with a clean safety record a beer mug imprinted with the company’s logo. There were approximately 60 men who worked in this particular construction company, and all were avid beer drinkers. It became competition among them all to see who could collect the most mugs before the style was changed each year. A $3 glass mug made the difference, reducing accidents at the company by more than 60% over two years.

* Sales incentives. Another company had a policy of offering new sales team members a high-quality leather diary when they started, and every month they achieved individual goals, their bonus was a Parker Pen – always presented as a special award during the monthly sales meeting. Sometimes company executives would change the bonus item to a wallet or an address book to match the diary. Not only were the rewards motivational but when winning sales reps would meet with a client, they felt their accessories helped them look more successful. The program made a huge difference in the reps’ closing numbers, which were about 30% higher than the industry average.

Employee Promotional Incentives

* Training programs. Training is another area where promotional and incentive items can be used with great success for many industries – and not limited to sales teams. Imagine offering a rewards program for your office administration staff based on their individual attention to personal development. For instance, every time they gained a new qualification or took a training class, a letter could also be included in their personal folders (made of high-quality leather and embossed with the company logo) from the company that endorsed their efforts and value to the company.”

These are just a few of the ways that you can implement these types of programs to enhance your business. The sky’s the limit. Just remember that every business is different, and what your employees will like will differ as well. Just try to fit your programs to your employees and your needs. If you are interested in starting an employee incentive program, please call call (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Sample Promotional Incentives

It’s not always about the money. Many times it’s the more tangible benefits that can motivate your employees. It’s been shown time and time again that incentive programs that focus on incentives other than cash bonuses work, and work well. Take a look at the excerpted article below (taken from the Advertising Specialty Institute’s (ASI) website). of things to think about when giving gifts to customers and colleagues:

“Scott Testa knows what motivates salespeople. The COO of Philadelphia-area intranet software company Mindbridge has run numerous successful incentive programs for his company’s 35 sales reps. “We go for the mind set of something that’s big, something that touches this person’s life and their family,” Testa says. “You can’t do it all the time, but giving a gift check for something they can actually show off to friends or family makes them more motivated to sell and to stay with us.” And that jibes with what many studies have found.

Creative Promotional Incentives

Contrary to what they may tell you, salespeople are motivated by more than money. Sure, compensation is very important. But for top sellers, whose incomes are generally more than comfortable, it’s the non-cash rewards that inspire them to perform. Think about it. When you’re talking about being recognized at work, you’re not going to say, “Oh I got a bonus for such-and-such amount.” That’s just tacky. But, when someone visits your home and sees a flat-screen TV, you can take pride in saying, “I earned it for being the top sales rep at my company this year. And, see this photo of me in Jamaica …”

Furthermore, non-cash rewards also work better over time. When people are given cash rewards, they tend to put it toward paying bills or buying everyday essentials, but highly coveted items like plasma TVs remain as reminders of an achievement for years to come. The 2005 Incentive Federation study found that 60% of survey respondents said that cash bonuses are perceived by recipients as part of their compensation package, but 80% said that travel and merchandise incentives are remembered long after cash rewards are forgotten. Here are just a few ways companies can use promotional items and other rewards to achieve stunning sales results.

Use Promotional Products to Incent your Employees

Truthfully, sales incentive programs do much more than increase sales. They help create an inspired and engaged sales team that knows you appreciate the hard work they do for the company. And, feeling appreciated goes a long way toward more satisfied employees who are less likely to run off at the first offer from your competitor. In fact, a recent study by Maritz Incentives proved just that. It found that 53% of respondents had left a previous employer because of a lack of incentives or recognition. When you start to think about accounts lost and all the money and time it takes to find and train a new hire, the savings become more apparent. “It costs us more not to do incentive programs” Testa says. ”

You don’t necessarily have to buy a plasma TV to get your employees motivated either. Just try to make it something that they can, and should be excited about. Many times it can be interesting, even if it’s not a terribly expensive gift. With incentive programs, a little forethought can go a long ways. If you are interested in starting an employee incentive program, please call (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.

Sample Promtional Items

Promotional gifts can help to cement long term business relationships, show appreciation, and close deals. However, not all promotional items will generate the same response. You want to tailor your offering to the specific persons or organization you are giving it to. Take a look at some general guidelines below (taken from the Advertising Specialty Institute’s (ASI) website) of things to think about when giving gifts to customers and colleagues:

“Think you’ve got the perfect gift? You just might. But it helps to keep the following gift giving rules in mind when picking out the ideal present for valued clients.

Practically Speaking.
Want your client to remember you every day? Then give him a gift that he’ll pull out on a daily basis, whether it’s a great pen or a USB port that he can use regularly.

Make It Personal.
No, that doesn’t mean a Victoria’s Secret nightie. But it does mean sending gifts that reflect your client’s personal interests. Leisman Insurance Agency sends baby presents whenever one of their clients has a child.

Watch the Budget.
Some companies still put limits on how expensive a gift their employees can receive ($25 is a common cap). If your client works at one of those firms, you’ll need to watch your gifting budget, but some of the most clever gifts come in way under $30.

Gifts Aren’t Billboards.

Sample Promotional Products

Yes, you want to get the message across that your company is valuable to your client, but plastering your logo all over a gift to do so may not be the smartest move. Rather than put off your customer with glaring marketing messages, place the decoration subtly.

Give Gifts Year Round.
Giving gifts during the holidays is nice, but your company might stand out more if you give gifts at other times of the year, such as Valentine’s day or the Fourth of July. Send out corporate gifts in the middle of December and your otherwise memorable item may get lost in the mad gifting shuffle.”

Just remember that if you are going to give a gift, you want it to be one that they will remember, and even better, use often. Gift giving is more than just self promotion, it is creating daily top-of-mind presence that can go a long ways towards building and maintaining relationships. If you are interested in starting an employee incentive program, please call call (800) 588-7111, or email us at customerservice@powertexgroup.com. Visit us at: http://www.powertexgroup.com.