This guide is to help you come up with some ideas to market your business.  I work for a Central Florida based company called Office Source USA, we are a full line office supply dealer, and promotional/ad speciality dealer.

Promotional products are seen everywhere, 95% of all companies with 5 or more employees have some sort of promotional product or line of products.  Examples of promotional products that you see every day.

1. Imprinted or Embroidered shirts/caps basic apparel.
2. Uniforms
3. Pens (we all probably have some kicking around on our desk or ladies in your purse)
4. Writing tablets or post it notes with company name and info.
5. Calendars
6. Magnets
7. Mugs
8. The point is I can go on and on, we have all seen them.

So with all these in mind how do you chose what is best for you.  If you dont make a choice you will end up with something that is plain Jane.  Every one has pens, have you ever asked why?  For one thing they are cheap and no thought is needed to place an order for pens. 

Have you ever been to a trade show, or business expo.  Like a home show, at your local convention center.  This is a good place to pick up promotional products, and you are guarenteed to come home with a dozen pens.  What do you remember about vendors at these shows, other then if the product is something that hit home for you, you remember the conversation with the vendor and the promotional product handed to you.  Thus if it is just a pen, no one will remember, you better have a very unique product that they walker by got to understand or you better be the best converstationalist there that day.  Tradeshows, If you have a bag to hand people you will be seen by many many people in fact they will ask the walker bys where did you get that bag.

How do I sell the RIGHT product to people.  First I think about their type of business.  Let me give you an example.  I met with a VP of  local bank recently, I talked with her for a while and we decided we wanted to think of some unique gifts for both there walk in clients and their larger business clients, so I suggested several bank ideas. 

1. Squeeze toys (banker, and bag of money)
2. Caribeaner Dollar sign key chain
3. Nightly depository bag

No where in that list did you see a Pen

Another question, what is the goal of this promotional product?  You must think of that, where and how are you going to use it.  Do you have a specific intention with this product.  A good friend of mine was going to read through the local business paper for leads of things happening in Orlando Fl., then he was going to send a nice letter to inform the business of his line of work.  He had ideas to share with them so he sent in a nice box along with the letter this little guy.  How clever.

Can we help you? I am sure of it, what type of business are you in.  Feel free to give me a call, John 407.967.6065.  Or email me at jclark116 @ cfl.rr.com

If you have any ideas on how to make this guide better please let me know, and please vote if this guided was at all helpful to you.