The Promotional Idea Showcase - Fall 2004 - Updated Quarterly

Why I Love Promotional Products ...
“ Because They Kept 97% Of My Clients Coming Back”
By Michele Bell

Vince Mannino, owner of a company that has provided security guards for trade shows for more than 20 years, learned early on in his career that the best way to keep his company on the mind of clients in town only once a year was to “visit” them monthly by sending a variety of promotional products.

Did the mailers deliver? Mannino reports that nearly 100% of his clients use his company’s services from year to year, rarely losing any to competitors. His ace in the hole, he says, is the direct mail promotional product pieces sent out faithfully every month.

Q: How did you become familiar with promotional products?

A: When I was a young sales guy at my first job, I remember that the boss’s secretary would order calendars and pens from a guy who’d come in every few months. She would make sure that everyone who came through the door left with something that had the company’s name on it – a pen, a calendar, a magnet, something. I always thought how smart that was of her – she made people feel special by giving them a little gift, and it had the company’s name and contact information on it. It was brilliant! I knew when I started my own company that that would be something I’d do, too.

Q: How have you used promotional products over the years?

A: Well, first I would schedule meetings with my staff and my promotional consultant. We would discuss what we wanted our monthly messages to be and also tie some in with holidays. For example, we always do calendars in January to start the new year and include a note about planning early for trade show security needs.

Q: Can you give me other examples of imprinted products you’ve used?

A: Sure! Candy for Valentine’s Day; umbrellas in March; some flowers, plants or seeds in April, something golf-related in May, a beach towel in June, something patriotic for July, a cooler in August, etc. You get the idea.

Q: In addition to you and your staff coming up with ideas, how does your promotional consultant contribute?

A: Well, we couldn’t do all this without her. I know how much time she spends placing the orders, dealing with the artwork, following up to make sure things are delivered on time. My schedule doesn’t allow for that, nor does my staff have that kind of extra time. However, to pay my promotional consultant to do it is just fine with me. Tell me where to sign the check and I’ll take all the credit!

Second, it was her idea to send birthday items to clients and gifts for their milestone anniversaries using us as their security company of choice. Everyone loves the monthly items, but the birthday and anniversary acknowledgments are even more special to some clients because they feel as though they’re being singled out.

Q: What about the cost for all this?

A: I set a budget with my promotional consultant for all the promotional campaigns we do for the whole year. Now, if she wants to do something special or sees an item that’s just amazing and will get a “wow” reaction, but it costs a little more, I’ll usually OK it because her instincts are dead-on and the reaction we get is always worth the cost many times over.

Q: What sort of reaction do you get from clients to your promotional mailers?

A: They never leave me – I’m not kidding! My business is the type where I see some clients only once a year when they’re in town for a trade show. They’ll hire my company to provide security for their booths. But you can forget people or the service they provide from year to year. By sending out these promotional mailers every month with a nice letter, we are reminding them, in a fun way, that we’re here and ready to help them with their security needs again next year. The few companies who don’t use my company any more have gone out of business or stopped doing the trade shows.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the only reason clients stay with my company is because of the mailers, because we do provide a great service. But I also know how many calls I get and how it’s increased my name recognition among other trade show exhibitors. Sometimes I’ll be at a client’s booth and he’ll tell his neighbor, “Hey, this is Vinny, he’s the one who sends the cool gifts every month!” And sure enough, that guy will end up calling me. Not just because of the gifts, but it’s definitely a factor.

Q: What advice do you have for a business owner who may not use promotional products?

A: Get a grip, get a good promotional consultant and wait for the accolades, sales and clients to roll in!

Michele Bell is the editor of Imprint.