How to Be Successful Selling Promotional Products

If you’re looking for a guide for how to be successful selling promotional products, the experts at Kaeser & Blair have put together their top 10 tips for success. Check out these tips below and improve your sales and overall business strategy!

1. Know why you want to sell promotional products.
   Why do you want to sell promotional products? Many people begin a direct sales career because they want to make a quick buck but continue doing it because they love helping businesses promote themselves. You’re not only selling products; you’re selling tools that will help businesses gain more sales and success.
2. Use your existing network.
   Something that often turns people away from direct sales is the thought of having to sell unnecessary products to their friends and family. While friends and family are great resources, promotional products are necessary advertising tools that you won’t feel bad about selling! They are a true need for many businesses and something they already purchase. Friends and family can introduce you to people who need your products.
3. Promote yourself.
   How will people find you if you don’t promote yourself? One of the best ways to do this is through social media. Interact with your audience, post new products, and keep yourself top of mind for your followers. You can even create your own promo products and business cards to promote yourself!
4. Ask for referrals.
   If a customer has an especially positive experience with you, don’t be afraid to ask them to refer you to their friends! Word of mouth advertising remains the number one marketing strategy in almost every industry. People trust their friends and personal connections more than an ad or what a company says about itself. It is difficult but rewarding, and this is a great way to build relationships and develop a wider customer base.
5. Research the industry.
   This may seem obvious, but you should research both your industry and that of your target customer. Researching the promotional products industry will help you be prepared for anything that your customers may throw at you. Researching your target customers’ industry/industries will not only impress them, but will make it easier for them to describe what they need when they know they’re talking to someone who knows their industry. Understanding their industry can allow you to bring new ideas to them, not just wait for them to come to you with a specific need.
6. Educate yourself about print methods.
   What’s the difference between embossing and debossing? What product will a logo look best on? Depending on what your customer is interested in, make sure you can recommend products that their logo will work on. Depending on the shape and size, some printing methods will look better than others.
7. Memorize facts and figures to use in your sales pitch.
   No one wants to spend their hard-earned money on something they don’t know will work. Using facts and figures in your sales pitch will increase your customers’ trust in you. They will be more likely to utilize your services if they know that promo products actually work! Tip: a great fact to bring up is that 90% of people who receive a promotional product can recall the company they received it from!
8. Personal customer service.
   Sometimes, mistakes happen. Whether it’s your fault, the fault of the printer, or a mistake on the part of the client, make sure you do your best to make things right again. Whether you’re selling promotional products on your own or as a part of a larger business, the way you fix a problem will determine whether or not you retain that client.
9. Go outside your comfort zone.
   Is there an industry you want to break into? Are you uncomfortable with cold calling? Whatever you consider to be your comfort zone, do your best to break out of it! Even if something doesn’t work out, you may learn more about yourself and your business in the process.
10. Learn what your strengths are and strengthen them even more.
    Do what works for you. If you’re really good at networking, go to networking events! If cold calling is where you shine, spend some time learning more techniques to get your foot in the door and make the sale.

If you’re interested in learning more about the promotional products industry, check out our blog or our industry overview. For the entrepreneurs, get started selling promotional products today with Kaeser & Blair!