October 2008

Brand Builders

 

Smart distributors do more than take orders; they become marketing consultants for their clients’ brands. Top distributors share their secrets for being a client’s go-to branding guru.

By Julie A. Cajigas

Three years ago, Wayne Greenberg, MAS, president of JB of Florida (asi/109480), heard one of his favorite questions: “Can you help us with a shirt?” His client, a local credit union, had decided to take its annual charity golf tournament to the next level by inviting 26 nearby credit unions to expand the event. The combined credit unions pledged to use the event to raise $1.5 million to help build a new wing for the local children’s hospital – and they were looking for a golf shirt to attract sponsors and participants.

Three years later, Greenberg provides the credit unions with everything from logoed golf shirts and glassware to custom putters and portable grills. The event has become one of the most sought-after tee times in Tampa, FL, and his client is thrilled. “Our goal has always been to provide a memorable experience,” says the executive director of Credit Unions For Kids, who asked that her name be withheld. “We count on Wayne and his team at JB of Florida for the creative ideas. We’ve found that by thinking out of the box – by not doing the typical golf umbrella or head covers – our golfers walk away from our event looking forward to the following year. We love it when we hear, ‘They did it again.’”

The biggest testimonial to the success of Greenberg’s solution, however, is the repeat business. Not only has this client continued to order from him, but they’ve also referred him to seven other area golf tournaments. How did he turn a small request into a complete solution? By being a consultant instead of a salesman.

Greenberg explained to his customer that offering more opportunities for sponsors to brand major tee gifts would grow the revenue of the event and improve the participant experience. By approaching the initial order as a consultant, he successfully sold a program and helped his client achieve the ultimate goal: raising money for the children’s hospital. “Now when the invitations go out, it only takes 10 days before the roster is full on two courses,” Greenberg says. “I’m very proud.”

When your client comes looking for a shirt, will you be ready to step in as a marketing consultant, increase your sales and help the client achieve their ultimate goal with a comprehensive solution? The next time your customer asks, “Can you help me with a shirt?” employ these six tips from distributors who’ve done it.

1. Avoid assumptions. When a client places an order, it might be easy to assume that you know how the company will use that product. A local condominium association called Greenberg looking for shirts for its maintenance workers. “Anyone would think that the shirts were a uniform,” he says. Instead of assuming, he asked what the shirts were for. The company told him that the shirts were a reward; the buyer admitted that the company wasn’t great at recognizing its employees. By avoiding assumptions and learning more about the client, he was able to identify a bigger sales opportunity and provide the client with a complete recognition program.

2. Ask the right questions. Evaluating your client’s needs often boils down to asking the right questions. Greenberg has two winning questions: “Let me know how you’re using that; I’d like to learn” and “Why that particular product?” These questions open up dialogues that help him learn about the client’s goals and allow him to propose bigger and better solutions.

Lee Ann Peter, president of FiF Marketing, an affiliate of iPROMOTEu (asi/232119), focuses her initial questions on the item the client has requested. “Ask them how they plan to use it and who will be wearing it,” she says. After they’ve answered those questions, you’ll know enough to step in as a consultant and propose a broader spectrum of services.

3. Slow and steady wins the race. When your client asks for a T-shirt, you might not want to launch into a full proposal before he finishes his sentence. Michael N. Kaufman, owner of Wear It’s At (asi/356021), approaches each order with an open mind. “I don’t go in with my guns loaded, trying to sell them everything under the sun,” he says. “If a client asks for a T-shirt, I try not to be presumptuous.”

Instead, he brings a few samples and uses a soft-sell technique. “I went out to see a project management company and brought a representative sampling of products,” Kaufman says. “They wound up buying several different items.” Instead of putting the customer in a high-pressure sales situation, Kaufman takes it slow. “You have to approach this gingerly,” he says. “No one likes to be sold things they don’t need.”

4. Take your program to the next level. Sometimes, becoming your client’s consultant means upgrading their current program. “With every customer, there’s always the potential to do more,” says Victor Mogell, owner of Proforma Makay Print and Promotions (asi/300094). “First, find out how many employees that client has, and then find out how many times the employees may go through a certain apparel item. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a shirt. It can be aprons, hats, safety jackets or scrubs.”

Not only does Mogell add accessories to his programs, but he takes his programs online. “If the client happens to order numerous times a year, it may be time to think about selling an online company store as well,” he says. As a consultant, you can help your client build a better program – and increase your sales.

5. Show them the value. The quickest way to succeed using the consulting approach is by showing your customer the value. Peter offers value through comprehensive branding services. For one client, she wrote a style guide, and for another, she helped unify its brand by identifying incorrect uses of its logo. In order to show the value of her expertise, Peter sometimes includes a waived line-item charge for “consultation” on the invoice.

“A lot of times we’ll show a consulting fee or a fulfillment fee and it’ll be waived,” she says. “That way, the clients can see the value of working with us.” Pointing out this value has helped Peter set her business apart from the competition.

6. Use the news. Industry publications offer a wealth of successful ideas and case studies. Greenberg attributes some of his “golf successes” to news about his colleagues in the wearables and promotional products industry. “I believe a lot in R&D – Rip off and Duplicate,” he jokes. “But seriously, one of the great assets we have in this industry is creative people all across the country who have been in my shoes and are willing to share their experiences. All I did when proposing the program to my client was explain the value of major tee gifts and show the customer examples of other successful events. They quickly decided to give me a chance.”

Next time you have an opportunity that isn’t in your area of expertise, take a good look at your industry publications to find news you can use.

A Value Proposition Providing value is about more than just providing innovative product ideas. Here are three great tips to help you add value. 1. Be direct – Being direct, and sometimes brutally honest, is one way to provide value your client might not find with your eager competition. Victor Mogell’s client asked for “those cheap throwaway pens.” Mogell, owner of Proforma Makay Print and Promotions (asi/300094), asked him, “Why would you want to do that? Do you think you’re branding your company by giving away pens that your customers will eventually throw away?” His direct answer turned a pen order into $50,000 in annual sales. 2. Help the client “form” an opinion – Create a form to make the ordering process easy. Michael Kaufman, owner of Wear It’s At (asi/356021), created a form for his clients that focuses their decisions and helps them make the best decision for their brand. “The order form makes things much more uniform and accessible,” he says. Where before his client’s sales force ordered from random catalogs with increased costs, they now order off of one approved form. 3. Take the fright out of freight – Lee Ann Peter, president of FiF Marketing, an affiliate of iPROMOTEu (asi/232119), is always thinking of ways to help her clients. From anticipating reorders and doubling them to providing storage for a fee, Peter recommends helping customers save on fulfillment. It’s about “whatever you can do to make their lives easier, especially during these tough times,” she says.

Branch Out to Provide Solutions Lee Ann Peter, president of FiF Marketing, an affiliate of iPROMOTEu (asi/232119), believes in offering solutions and not just products. Her client, a national arborist company, had been acquiring smaller independent companies. With no corporate logo usage guidelines in place and no consistency in its apparel orders, the company was losing control of its brand and losing money. Peter transitioned from the company’s salesperson to a consultant, worked with it to form corporate guidelines and built a full company store. Where the offices were using five catalogs, Peter got them down to one, saving them money and unifying their brand. Her client is thrilled with the results. “Lee Ann and her team were instrumental in helping our company with brand consistency,” says Sue Bennett, director of marketing for The Care of Trees. “Besides advising on logo guidelines, FiF was relentless on making sure all orders were approved according to the guidelines, and any outliers were checked first with us.” When asked how she learned to write corporate guidelines, Peter had this advice: “I’ve learned a lot about brand standards and corporate guidelines by working with clients who had established guidelines,” she says. “We work with pharmaceutical companies and we’re a preferred supplier for the U.S. Post Office, which has helped us learn a lot. There are always ways you can learn more about branding.”

Julie Cajigas is an OH-based contributing writer.