How To Find A Great Source for Promotional Gifts – This Article Could Save You A Lot Of Money

Have you ever heard the new saying in business “Small is the New Big”?  These words of wisdom are particularly true in the promotional gifts industry.  I remember when I first started working in the industry almost twenty years ago when the promotional gift suppliers that had the most sales people on the road were also the most successful.  Funny thing is, a lot of those same suppliers are still trying to do business in the same way.  Their sales people are ordered to see as many customers per week as possible in an effort to meet their sales targets.

I am in the very fortunate position to know and talk to a lot of my competitors regularly.  In fact I consider a lot of them to be friends.  There are those from the old school who believe that cars on roads get customers and then there are those of the new school that believe a more internet based approach is the best way to ensure their customers receive the best products, services and prices.

There are of course many industries where it is important to see a salesman, especially when what is being sold is technically difficult to use.  Promotional gift are not!  The point here is that sending sales people around to visit as many customers as possible to sell promotional gifts is costly and no longer necessary.  If you use such a company, someone will need to pay for that expense and it will probably be you.

Over the past few years I have witnessed the rise of many small business gift suppliers into quite substantial and popular suppliers.  These companies have become popular because they have kept their outgoings down and tried to do as much business online as possible.  Many have never set foot in their customers’ offices choosing instead to ensure their customers get the best deals.  They have also seen that their customers received quotations, samples and visuals as soon as humanly possible. This is of course appreciated and respected by those wanting to purchase business gifts. 

By doing as much business online as possible, I am not only referring to selling products online.  Many successful small suppliers have begun to write quite informative articles and blogs about the promotional gifts industry.  The articles are then submitted to article directories in an effort to educate people so that they get the best value for their money.

Unfortunately, many of the larger suppliers with their big marketing budgets have decided to cut corners when it comes to article writing.  I know of no fewer than fifteen quite large companies that are employing ghost writers from undeveloped countries to write keyword stuffed articles for them in a hope of increasing their position in the search engines and ultimately attract your attention.  This is unfortunate because the managing directors of these companies have a wealth of knowledge if they could be bothered to share it.  Instead, they employ people who know nothing about the industry to write nonsensical articles that are neither informative nor interesting.

These are the same managing directors that somehow find it below them to answer the phone.  Last month I made a point of shopping twenty of my biggest competitors to see how their service compared to mine.  I must admit that on several occasions I was quite impressed but when I contacted the largest companies in the industry I was not surprised with what I heard.  It was as if the person on the other end of the phone was reading from a script.  They were not able to make a price decision even if it meant losing a sale in fact they did not seem to care if they got the order or not.

When we as customers contact a supplier, regardless of the product being sold we want to feel important: like our placing an order means something to the person on the other end of the line.  When we contact a company that does care we know it and it is often the deciding factor as to whether we do business with that company.  If the person at the other end is only there to pass the time of day and make a little money in the meantime it is obvious. That is why I, and for that matter many of my competitors, will never allow our companies to be in the position where they are  so big we no longer know  what is going on around us.  It is little wonder that one of the companies I was least impressed with, one of the largest in the UK business gift industry, CMC, has now ceased trading.  It appears they lost touch and continued doing business the same way they always had with cars on roads and pricy mailshots rather than quality.

Before I list what you need to do to get the best prices and service, I am going to enlighten you to one very important fact.  Most UK based promotional gift suppliers belong to a major trade association such as Promota or the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association).  The same holds true in other countries.   By belonging to one of both of the associations, we learn where to purchase promotional gifts which we then sell on to you.  The information is there for all and there are also several promotional gifts trade shows held every year.  We all know the same suppliers and for the most part we are all offered the same trade prices give or take a percentage point or two which we then put our markup on to sell to the end user..

In addition to our local suppliers, many of us have begun to look further afield in an effort to get you better prices and service.  We deal directly with factories abroad which cuts out the middleman and makes our prices very competitive.  With that said, I give you my six best ways to ensure you find a great source for promotional gifts and save yourself some money as well.

Contact as many suppliers as possible and check their prices:  This has never been more important than it is today.  One negative thing the internet has brought with it are a host of companies that have set up many different websites and called them by different company names in an effort to deceive you into purchasing gifts from them.  The three quote rule will not work anymore.  I know of one company, set up by an ‘SEO (search engine optimization) expert’ that has three websites in the top three places of Google for many different keyword searches.  All three sites look like they are different companies but they are actually the same in different disguises.  In fact, give or take a few pennies, their prices are the same so you may begin to recognize who they are as you search for promotional gifts.  It pays to look at the first few pages in the search engines to ensure you are actually dealing with competing companies.  Only then will you get the best prices.

Contact the authors of interesting articles you read:  If they actually work at the company they represent, they should be happy to speak to you and offer whatever industry advice you require.  Chances are, a lot of the authors will not only not work directly with the company, they may not have ever actually worked in the industry they write about.  If you find this to be the case, look for another supplier. 

Ignore pressure sales tactics:  As I mentioned earlier, there are still a lot of big companies out there that insist on sending a sales person it to visit you and hopefully sell to you.  This costs money.  If someone insists on seeing you, chances are their prices will need to be substantially higher than their smaller competitors.  Don’t be tempted to buy on the spot as they are trained to close the deal.  Compare their prices!

Do not be afraid to ask for samples:  One bonus of doing business primarily online is that it has become much more cost effective to send samples out.  Expect this service as it is in your supplier’s and your best interest to ensure you are happy with a product before you buy it!

Compare the service of different suppliers:  Quotation should be with you fast.  Ordering samples should never be an issue.  Color visuals should be offered to you as standard.  Ensure that the person on the other end of the phone knows their products and it able to discuss all aspects of your order freely with you. Ask yourself are they a properly trained employee that know business gifts or are they just answering the phone and giving you well scripted answers?   If this is not the case try another company that can offer you this service.

Once You Find a Supplier You Like, Consider a Corporate Gift Scheme:  You will no doubt eventually find a supplier you really like.  If you purchase promotional gifts regularly, you might like to discuss corporate gift schemes with them.  Gift schemes are different from company to company but they usually include your supplier actively looking for deals on products that fit in with your business.  As your supplier gets to know you and what you like, they may begin to send you free samples of product they think might be of interest to you.  Your supplier should always be on the look out for special offers for you so that you do not ever have to last minute panic buy.   Some suppliers even offer a storage service so that you can order products when they are on sale but not have to store them at your own offices.  They may even send you a regular product count so that you know where you stand with your promotional gift supplies.

It is important to understand that we cannot all be heros at everything.  Some suppliers specialise in pens  and stress balls where others may be better at promotional clothing.  By shopping around and getting a feel for the company are dealing with.  Most suppliers that have been in the industry for a few years will be able to offer you exceptional service for most promotional products.  Look around until you find one that does.