Did you know that you can start offering promotional products for your customers without touching a single product?
The promotional products industry is arguably larger than the apparel decorating industry. A consumer interacts with more printed promotional products on a daily basis than printed garments.
Believe it or not, you can sell promotional products very easily.
Here is how you get started:
Sign Up for a Promotional Products Solution
We have found that most shops are either members of SAGE or ASI. These are promotional products solutions that allow you to become a reseller of these goods. Think about it like a Sam’s Club or Costo membership. Promotional Products Printing companies are linked to the service, and you can search and scour for every item you might imagine. They create customer-friendly material to make selling simple and easy.
The Membership Pays Itself Off Quickly
For under $1,000 a year you can buy your membership, and these solutions can integrate with your website. In a matter of days, your customers can literally go in and order goods directly from a website that is white labeled to look like your business. Their pricing, mark up, and fees are set up so you can make money instantly. Margins on promotional products are incredible. While you can use some free sources like Distributor Central, having a membership gives you credibility when working with manufacturers.
Get The Word Out
Once you have set up with a solution, you will be set up and have a catalog built just for your business. Use a tool like MailChimp to let your customers know you offer these products. As you get better start using Email Campaigns to get the word out there.
Learn Logistics
Playing the promotional products game is all about moving products across states and countries. You will need to familiarize yourself with shipping rules, freight costs, and how long ground shipping takes. You should set up a formal shipping account via UPS or FedEx so that you can easily give that shipper number to vendors.
It’s All About Communication
Promotional Product Companies have very strict rules they abide by. They do not normally go direct-to-consumer so they have set fees for screens, running charges, artwork specs, and minimums. Make sure you read through them and live with them. Most of the vendors will work with you via email and will not process orders that are not placed properly. This means they need correct artwork and will require approvals in a timely fashion. If you miss an email they send, your order will stay on hold. Be sure that you are staying very organized so you can easily and quickly bring in products.
Image source: California Marketing Group
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