Features | Promotional Consultant

Features

Have Your Cake And Eat It, Too
Author: Lisa Horn, CAS (June 2010)
Entertaining clients should be an engaging experience that is the perfect recipe of thoughtfulness, creativity and fun—all without...Full Article

Scapegoats Of Spending Scrutiny
Author: Jen Alexander McCall (June 2010)
When budget decisions go under the microscope, how can we show end users that promotional products aren’t the bad guy? Corporate...Full Article

Street Smarts
Author: Lisa Horn, CAS (May 2010)
Next time you hit the road for another business trip, remember the sale starts with your suitcase. Pack appropriatetly. Whether you are a seasoned road warrior or only travel for business once a year, being a smart traveler is … smart...Full Article

Book Review: The Dirty Little Secrets Of Sales
Author: Staff (May 2010)
Dirty Little Secrets, Morgen Publishing, 2009 Now and again, somebody adds something new to an overcrowded field and sales is certainly that...Full Article

The Last Word
Author: Pamela Fields Webb (May 2010)
Last week I had a revelation—promotional products work. No, this isn’t something new. I’ve read the research—and I believe it. I know they work...Full Article

Are You Ready For a Disaster?
Author: Robert D. and Carol Anderson (May 2010)
In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy in 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death...Full Article

Social Media Mashup
Author: Brittany Glenn (April 2010)
Should you use social media as part of your marketing toolbox? Here’s what social media experts and industry sources had to say. Ten years ago, everyone was talking about why it was necessary to have a company website...Full Article

Bring On The Buzz
Author: Cassandra Johnson (April 2010)
I remember the days when I had to yell for my kids to come to dinner and they conveniently didn’t hear me. Well now there are no excuses...Full Article

Communication Tips To Click With Your Client
Author: Dianna Booher (April 2010)
Prospects size you up personally while making their buying decision. They are asking themselves, “Are you credible? Competent? Interested in their situation?” What you don’t want when talking to prospects is the blank stare of disengagement...Full Article

The Domino’s Theory
Author: Dan Adams (March 2010)
What Your Company Can Learn From The Customer-Driven Pizza Turnaround When the pizza giant, Domino’s, asked consumers to tell the truth, it ended up back at the proverbial drawing board...Full Article

Shooting For Gold
Author: Cassandra Johnson (March 2010)
On the eve of the 2010 Olympics, I grabbed the popcorn and rounded up my family to watch Miracle, the movie version of one of the most famous moments in Olympic history when a young U.S...Full Article

Does Being Nice Pay?
Author: Brittany Glenn (February 2010)
When it comes to business, is being nice always the best policy? It’s important to be nice. We are nice to our co-workers and customers...Full Article

The Recipe For Profit
Author: Cassandra Johnson (February 2010)
Sometimes you learn something when you least expect it. For example, I remember one Christmas break, baking cookies with my grandmother...Full Article

The Happiness Factor
Author: Brittany Glenn (January/Expo 2010)
What’s behind happiness and how can we create more of it in our lives? Happiness: It’s what we seek—but it can sometimes be elusive...Full Article

Face Time
Author: Lisa Horn, CAS (January/Expo 2010)
This article is the third in a three-part series on social networking and how to use the sites to your advantage personally and professionally...Full Article

A Winning Experience
Author: Cassandra Johnson (January/Expo 2010)
Prepare, Endure, Survive—Tips To Make The Most Of Your Tradeshow Experience Two tribes. A distant location. It might sound like “Survivor,” the popular reality television show that tests the endurance of contestants stranded on a remote island...Full Article

LinkedIn Or Left Out
Author: Lisa Horn (November-December 2009)
This article is the second in a three-part series on social networking and how to use the sites to your advantage personally and professionally...Full Article

The Introvert Advantage
Author: Brittany Glenn (November-December 2009)
Believe it or not, extroverts don’t always make the best salespeople. Here’s why introverts sell well. When you hear the word...Full Article

Good Old-Fashioned Marketing
Author: Cassandra Johnson (November-December 2009)
Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings, where old and new generations gather around the table to share. We’ve all spent hours listening to Grandpa tell stories about how his family survived the Depression, or how Aunt Millie worked during the War...Full Article

What’s Your Integrity ROI?
Author: Roger A. Shapiro (October 2009)
During the past decade or so, many studies reported the impact of ethics, culture, trust and integrity in large global companies...Full Article

Finding The Motivation To Stay Motivated
Author: Brittany Glenn (October 2009)
How to stay positive when clients aren’t spending It takes mental dexterity and a high degree of emotional intelligence—not to mention courage—to succeed in sales...Full Article

Confessions Of Volunteer Junkies
Author: Cassandra Johnson (October 2009)
I thought I had kicked my addiction—until tonight. You see, autumn is here and that means I start volunteering. I grabbed my eight-year-old and headed to school for meet-the-teacher night when my hand started twitching...Full Article

What Business Are You In?
Author: Lisa Horn (August-September 2009)
There are companies that sell on a transactional basis, and there are those that sell based on relationships. But they can’t be...Full Article

140 Characters Or Less
Author: Lisa Horn (August-September 2009)
Ten tips to help build your business community—one tweet at a time. Twitter has become a worldwide phenomenon—one that has even entered the promotional products industry...Full Article

Entrepreneurialism On The Edge
Author: Brittany Glenn (August-September 2009)
Yearning to strike out on your own? Consider the advice of those who have. If you aren’t already an entrepreneur, you may have thought about striking out on your own...Full Article

Exercising The Idea Of Innovation
Author: Cassandra Johnson (August-September 2009)
This year I entered a new season in life … the big 4-0 … so I decided it’s time to get fit. I’m not one who thrives on sweat and pain, so I started where I would get the most results for my efforts—my brain...Full Article

The High Price Of Discounts
Author: Lisa Horn (August-September 2009)
If you’re using discounts as a primary means of marketing, you may be undermining the very foundation upon which your business stands. Special offers, clearance sales and limited-time coupons are prevalent ways of discounting in the B2C world...Full Article

Grow Your Business To New Heights
Author: Stephen Edwards (June-July 2009)
Buck the old system and embrace a new mindset. Despite what the news media may report about the corporate world’s...Full Article

Run With The Big Dogs
Author: Tama Swan (June-July 2009)
Learn how to position yourself as a creative consultant: Lessons from PPAI’s Promotional Consultant Academy and Learning Lab. After...Full Article

Survival Of The Fittest
Author: Lisa Horn, CAS (June-July 2009)
Avoid these seven sales mistakes and you can close the deal in any economy. Losing business … losing a client … is never good...Full Article

You Can Fight City Hall
Author: Anne Lardner (May 2009)
Today in Washington, lawmakers are debating and voting on new laws that threaten your interests and your professional livelihood...Full Article

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Won’t Work
Author: Jen Alexander (May 2009)
You don’t make them, you just sell them. Is this your argument when someone asks if your products are safe? This excuse...Full Article

Profit From Publicity
Author: Brittany Glenn (May 2009)
Sure, you want to grow your business, but it’s not easy—especially now, in the “new economy.” Customers are reducing their budgets, clients are dropping like flies, credit is harder to come by and competition is stiff...Full Article

Saving Green
Author: Lisa Horn (April 2009)
With these 10 eco-tips, you can help keep the planet green and your bottom line black. There are so many ways to...Full Article

Turning Green Into Gold
Author: Lisa Horn (April 2009)
There’s more to selling eco-friendly products than you might think. Here’s what you need to know before jumping on the green bandwagon. With...Full Article

Turning Combat Into Collaboration
Author: Brittany Glenn (March 2009)
An article in the May 2008 issue of Human Resources Executive Online reported that frustrated employees may represent 20 percent or more of the total workforce...Full Article

Dynamic Duos
Author: Lisa Horn (March 2009)
Working with your spouse can be a blessing ... and a curse. But it is possible to have a thriving business and be happily married—at...Full Article

Get Better Or Get Out Of The Game
Author: Ron Karr (March 2009)
“There is only one boss: the customer! And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down simply by spending his...Full Article

To Print Or Not To Print?
Author: Cassandra Johnson (JAN-FEB 2009)
This past holiday season, when my kids were preparing their Santa lists it reminded me of the day my mom would hand me THE book—you know, the Wish Book...Full Article

When Good Ideas Run Amuck
Author: Brittany Glenn (JAN-FEB 2009)
It happens to every distributor sooner or later. Your client comes up with an idea for a marketing campaign that includes a promotional product and gives you a call...Full Article

Million-Dollar Baby
Author: Lisa Horn, CAS (JAN-FEB 2009)
It’s 2009. What are your sales goals for the year? While success can be found at any sales level, there’s something magical about crossing the million-dollar sales threshold...Full Article

Take Advantage Of The Downturn
Author: Brittany Glenn (DEC 2008-EXPO 2009)
For months now, the media have been trying to convince us we’re on our way to a recession. Certainly many companies are feeling a pinch...Full Article

Aiming North When the Economy Is Going South
Author: Rick Ebel (DEC 2008-EXPO 2009)
How do you like the trajectories for your business recessions—V-shaped or more like a U? Forget those icons for short and sharp or long and mild, Joseph E...Full Article

Course Correction
Author: Lisa Horn (DEC 2008-EXPO 2009)
The economy is cyclical. There are times of great prosperity when markets grow and opportunities seem endless. Think back to the early days of this century...Full Article

Our Economic Winter
Author: Cassandra Johnson (DEC 2008-EXPO 2009)
Have you looked at your 401K statement lately? Chances are it resembles a downward ski slope. Last September, the Dow Jones stock market indicator dropped more than 777 points in just one day—the largest drop in the history of Wall Street...Full Article

Creative, Content And In Control
Author: Brittany Glenn (OCT-NOV 2008)
Are you creative? Are you happy? Do you make things happen or do things happen to you? Creative people generate great ideas for their clients’ campaigns and goals...Full Article

The Art Of The Matter
Author: Tama Swan (OCT-NOV 2008)
Hollywood directors have long known that boardrooms are perfect backdrops for building major cinematic drama. In movies...Full Article

Is Clutter Taking Control Of Your Office?
Author: Pat Heydlauff (OCT-NOV 2008)
Does your office support you? You may have never asked yourself that question, but you should. Your office should support you energetically...Full Article

Telecommuting Transformation
Author: Brittany Glenn (AUG-SEP 2008)
As a result of record gas prices, Americans are finding creative ways to save money on fuel. From consolidating errands...Full Article

Sales Presentations: How to Hit A Homerun Every Time
Author: Cassandra Johnson (AUG-SEP 2008)
I live in a house full of boys—one husband and two sons—and they all remind me that September is the best month of the year...Full Article

The Art Of Self Promotion
Author: Lisa Horn (AUG-SEP 2008)
Is self promotion an art or a science? Probably a little of both. But the picture you paint about yourself and your business is completely in your hands...Full Article

The New Sales Rules
Author: Brittany Glenn (JUN-JUL 2008)
Lately in conversations with promotional consultants, something keeps coming up. I ask my standard question: “How’s business?” expecting an optimistic answer (these are salespeople, after all)...Full Article

How To Keep Those Sales Sizzlin'
Author: Cassandra Johnson (JUN-JUL 2008)
While I’m a marketer by trade, I experienced the front line of sales for several years. I have to admit, I did quite well in spite of myself, enough so that I earned some cash, some bling and even a few fabulous trips...Full Article

Take A Real Vacation
Author: Dr. Nancy D. O'Reilly (JUN-JUL 2008)
Terri worked for a busy sales office, often putting in 80-hour weeks to please her supervisors and clients. She was constantly on her laptop or Blackberry...Full Article

The Procrastination Puzzle
Author: Brittany Glenn (APR-MAY 2008)
Did you wait until the last minute to file your income tax return this year? You’re not alone. We all know those pesky taxes are due every year by April 15, yet many of us don’t pick up our W-2s or 1099s until it’s crunch time...Full Article

Color My World
Author: Cassandra Johnson (APR-MAY 2008)
I opened the mailbox today, and there it was—a new issue of O Magazine. It stood out among the clutter of bills and credit card offers because it was so…well…green! The background was green...Full Article

Success At Your Best
Author: Brittany Glenn (FEB-MAR 2008)
Whether you’re new to the business or an industry veteran, you probably want to be thought of as successful. But how do you define success? For some, success comes as a dollar figure; yet rarely is this figure stagnant...Full Article

Looking For Some Benefits Bling?
Author: (FEB-MAR 2008)
Have you heard the legend of the American Express black card? As urban lore goes, this card was only issued to an elite few—the Bill Gates and Donald Trump clones of the world...Full Article

Mick Jagger Killed The Mass Market
Author: Voss Graham (FEB-MAR 2008)
Yes, it’s true. Mick Jagger killed the mass market using the power of subconscious persuasion. In 1965, he wrote a song that became...Full Article

Psst... Here's A Little Advice...
Author: Cassandra Johnson (DEC 2007-EXPO 2008)
Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but what the heck—I watch Oprah. I’ve watched her for years. My favorite shows are the ones where she has a round-up of experts on various topics...Full Article

Chatter
Author: Staff (DEC 2007-EXPO 2008)
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing that’s why we recommend it daily.” -Zig Ziglar, American author, salesperson, and motivational speaker "Advertising is the ‘wonder’ in Wonder Bread.” --Jef I...Full Article

Get A Whiff Of This
Author: Audrey Sellers (DEC 2007-EXPO 2008)
Scent has nosed its way into the promotional products industry. Here’s why you should take your promotions from scent-free to fragrance-infused...Full Article

Balancing Act
Author: Brittany Glenn (DEC 2007-EXPO 2008)
Stress: The signs are everywhere. You hurriedly pull out of a parking space and nearly swipe a car; a man taps his foot impatiently...Full Article

The Blame Game
Author: Roger Hall (OCT-NOV 2007)
“That's not my job.” “Sorry…I can’t help you. That’s the marketing department's problem.” “I don’t know anything about that.” These are just a few of the phrases that reign in organizations that lack accountability...Full Article

New Yorkers On Board For Subway Campaign/ For Fledglings, A Website All Their Own
Author: Audrey Sellers (OCT-NOV 2007)
NEW YORKERS ON BOARD FOR SUBWAY CAMPAIGN SUBWAY UNVEILS NEW MENU, GIVES AWAY BIKES IN MANHATTAN Imagine being rewarded for taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking to lunch instead of hopping in your car or taking a cab...Full Article

The Three Letters That Make Big Difference
Author: Cassandra Johnson (OCT-NOV 2007)
I ran into an old colleague recently who handed me her updated business card. When I looked at it, I felt a twinge. The green-eyed monster known as jealousy was lurking over my shoulder as I scanned her information on the card...Full Article

Beyond ROI
Author: Cliff Quicksell (OCT-NOV 2007)
According to a recent article in BtoB magazine, principals of businesses are being placed on notice by their respective boards to show the true ROI (return on investment) for monies they spend, especially in the marketing arena...Full Article

The Buyers Brain Gives Up It's Secrets
Author: Rick Ebel (AUG-SEP 2007)
Confident you understand how your customers are likely to react when presented with a can’t-miss proposal? Leave it to a bunch of neuroscientists to test and challenge some long-held beliefs of marketers and salespeople...Full Article

Becoming A Trend-Spotter
Author: Cassandra Johnson (AUG-SEP 2007)
Growing up, my mother insisted that people call me by my full name—Cassandra. Not Cassie. Not Sandy. The entire name—Cassandra...Full Article

Spirit-Led Or Purpose- Driven? - -The Role of Promotional Products In Faith-Based Marketing
Author: Cassandra Johnson (JUN-JUL 2007)
It’s not about you. That’s the first line of the best seller The Purpose-Driven Life. Published in 2002, it’s the second-highest grossing publication other than the Bible...Full Article

First Born Or Last - - Does Your Birth Order Play A Role In Your Sales Success?
Author: Matt Bolch (JUN-JUL 2007)
Did you study your horoscope today? Did that special someone light up your life as foretold, or did you skip that part of the...Full Article

Body Language
Author: John Boe (JUN-JUL 2007)
The 1960 Presidential Debates between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John Kennedy were the first nationally televised debates in presidential campaign history...Full Article

Beyond The Logo
Author: Cassandra Johnson (APR-MAY 2007)
The best neighbor-spotting location at the moment is our local Starbucks. So last Monday, I entered the coffee house for my morning dose of caffeine and gossip...Full Article

Tooting Your Own Horn
Author: Audrey Sellers (APR-MAY 2007)
Practice what you preach. That’s right, you know how to sell products but do you know how to sell yourself? Self promotion is a powerful marketing tool that’s necessary for success as a promotional consultant...Full Article

One Size Doesn't Fit All
Author: Kelly McDonald (APR-MAY 2007)
Every company, organization and salesperson wants to increase business. One of the fastest and most effective ways to grow is...Full Article

A Year To Remember
Author: Pamela Fields Webb (FEB-MAR 2007)
Happy Birthday! With the publication of this issue, Promotional Consultant is officially a year old. What an exciting and rewarding...Full Article

He Sells, She Sells
Author: Brittany Glenn (FEB-MAR 2007)
Whether by nature or nurture, or both, there are inherent differences between women and men. Typically male and female characteristics...Full Article

Industry-Wide Scholarships
Author: Cassandra Johnson (FEB-MAR 2007)
I recently received a brochure promoting a writing workshop in Florida. For a brief second, I imagined myself sitting under a beach umbrella—laptop in hand—chatting with new colleagues about the essential points of business writing...Full Article

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Reality TV
Author: Jon Wee and Owen Morse (FEB-MAR 2007)
Turn on your TV at any time, and you’ll find a reality show— The Apprentice, Survivor, Big Brother, Hell’s Kitchen, America’s Got Talent or one of the countless others...Full Article

Chatter
Author: Staff (NOV-DEC 2006)
“In modern business it is not the crook who is to be feared most, it is the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing.” -- William Wordsworth, England’s Poet Laureate, (1770 to 1850) “There is only one boss...Full Article

Keeping All The Balls In The Air
Author: Jon Wee & Owen Morse (NOV-DEC 2006)
Do you feel like a juggler, trying to balance the pressures of work and home? You’re not alone. Between the demands of work, home...Full Article

Survivor: Destination Tradeshows
Author: Cassandra Johnson (NOV-DEC 2006)
Two tribes. A distant location.It might sound like Survivor, the popular reality television show that tests the endurance of contestants stranded on a remote island...Full Article

Eyes On The Prize
Author: Cassandra Johnson (SEP-OCT 2006)
I consider myself a marketer, and if you know anything about marketing, you know there’s always a bit of healthy tension between sales and marketing...Full Article

Carpe Diem
Author: Audrey Sellers (SEP-OCT 2006)
Check your calendar: there’s a wealth of hidden sales opportunities. Every month and most days are slated as a celebration of something...Full Article

From Salesperson To Owner
Author: Bill Jones (SEP-OCT 2006)
I like to cook hamburgers on my backyard grill. I cook a darn good hamburger. People like to eat hamburgers. People buy hamburgers at restaurants...Full Article

Sales Burnout
Author: Rick Ebel (JUL-AUG 2006)
Hi. My name is Jim. I’m a victim of sales burnout. Start a recovery program for a salesperson like Jim, and you’re likely to fill a lot of seats in the auditorium...Full Article

Mind Over Manners
Author: Cherri Gann (JUL-AUG 2006)
“Good etiquette is good business,” declares author M. Kay duPont in her professional development workbook, Business Etiquette & Professionalism. She cites a U.S...Full Article

You're Fired
Author: Bill Jones (MAY-JUN 2006)
We all have those clients who take more than they give and who have no problem placing an order but can’t find the time to write a check to pay the invoice...Full Article

Routine Procedure
Author: Cherri Gann (MAY-JUN 2006)
In the good old days, asking someone “How are you?” elicited the reply, “Fine.” Pose the same question today, and the answer...Full Article

Untangling The Web Of Technology
Author: Cassandra Johnson (MAY-JUN 2006)
I recently took my eight-year-old for his first roller coaster ride. Standing in line his eyes were wide, and he was obviously nervous...Full Article

You've Survived The TradeShow. Now What?
Author: Cassandra Johnson (MAR-APR 2006)
You survived! It was a three-hour drive, plus four days living out of a suitcase. You networked with the masses. You cruised the tradeshow floor...Full Article

Distributor Satisfaction
Author: Rick Ebel (MAR-APR 2006)
Concerned that your earnings aren’t supporting the lifestyle you think you deserve? Do like the big boys do -- have your agent...Full Article

Power
Author: Donna Darovich (MAR-APR 2006)
Sales is a contact sport. That’s how Scott Sherwin, president of Sales Mastery Consultants, Inc. in Arlington, Texas, sees -- and teaches -- it...Full Article