Looking for a few easy ways to create more business opportunities? We’re here to help.
To your clients, you’re a solutions provider, right? You don’t just sell branded promotional products. You create meaningful and strategic campaigns to boost engagement, increase brand awareness, and improve communication with your clients’ target consumers. You help their brand stay top of mind. You’re there as a professional consultant and a savvy marketer who knows how to present creative ideas for memorable branding.
Here are 5 ways to create more business opportunities for yourself as a promo products distributor, marketing professional, and salesperson.
1. Upsell to your current clients.
If they’ve been doing the same promotion year after year, it’s time to take it up a notch. Propose an add-on to what you’re currently offering them, and show them how and why their business will benefit. Perhaps they’re running a promotional campaign to their customers, but could also benefit from a campaign to engage employees, or encourages staff to participate in a new company wellness program or volunteer initiative.
2. Offer a product they’re already using.
If you can offer something they’re already getting from another vendor, find a polite way to let them know that you can help them fulfill this need. Offer that you can be the all-in-one solution and simplify their ordering process. If you can beat the price, even better.
If your clients ordered something from another source, ask them what they like about working with that vendor, or that specific product. Was there anything they didn’t they like? Were there any areas for improvement? If there were problems with their other vendor, you want them to remember those problems. Then, you can figure out how you can eliminate those problems.
3. Sell products that create repeat orders.
Calendars, greeting cards, and pocket folders are three top repeat order items for our distributors—and they have a high success rate with them.
Take a look back through your order history, and jot down the top 5–10 items you notice your customers re-ordering on an annual, semi-annual, or even seasonal basis. Now, are there any of your clients who don’t use these types of products? Try to work them into proposal during your next meeting, and bring some case studies from your other clients to show why they’re so successful. This is an easy way to create more business opportunities.
4. Ask questions to discover their pain points.
What’s the biggest challenge in their organization? Are they having a hard time recruiting the right team members? Struggling to break into a new niche? Not sure how to market their new product that just launched?
Start by being curious, and asking the right questions about their operations and where they would like to improve the most. You’ll show that you genuinely care about helping resolve their biggest issues. Plus, you’ll gain valuable insights that help you understand their organization, which will ultimately strengthen your business relationship.
5. Pay attention to their important event.
Create a calendar for each client with significant events that could trigger a need for a promotional campaign. Reach out to your prospects and current clients 2-3 months ahead of these events, and propose an idea or two that could enhance their branding. Don’t wait for them to ask or come to you for ideas. Show that you’re on top of their needs and already have ideas ready. If possible, come prepared with samples to increase the chance of closing the deal. For a list of 25 specific “trigger events”to watch, check out this post from Rosalie Marcus, The Promo Biz Coach.
Have other ideas for ways to create more business opportunities as a promotional products distributor? We’d love to hear them! comment below, or leave us a note on Facebook.
Best wishes for a wonderful selling season! If you need specific ideas on how to sell or pitch products from Warwick, visit our distributor resources page or connect with our team on commonsku.