You have heard of the 7 Deadly Sins. Well on today’s DMJ 1 on 1, we break down 7 mistakes we see organizations making when buying branded merch. We want to help you avoid these mistakes and level up your marketing. Watch or listen below! Oh, and please subscribe to the Youtube channel so you never miss an episode…or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts by searching “Delivering Marketing Joy.”
7 Mistakes Organizations Make When Buying Branded Merch
Watch the video and take notes, but we have also broken them down for you here. Let’s dive in!
They Don’t Identify The Perfect Customer
Many organizations talk about the budget, the timeline, and the event, but they skip a crucial step. Who is the piece of branded merch for? And when you truly understand that…how do you want them to feel? When you really understand the perfect customer, then you can make a much better decision on what piece of branded merch will dazzle them. We dive deep into how and why to do this here.
They Don’t Give Themselves Time
The good news is that the branded merch industry has gotten better at doing fast, last-minute orders. That’s great. But that doesn’t mean it should be a way of life. We know that it happens sometimes. We get it! But many organizations habitually wait until the last minute to order everything. It creates stress, costs more money, and makes them settle for worse branded merch. Give yourself more time than you think you need on your next order…and it will be a better experience!
They Don’t Set a Budget (and Share it)
As we mentioned, things pop up. And when that happens, you might not have an established budget. But obviously, it’s best to have a budget. And when you have that number, don’t keep it a secret. Share the budget with your distributor so they can guide you to the best items for your pocketbook. In addition, they can help you understand what it will cost to ship the items and land in time and not break the bank.
They Do Not Have Good Vector Art
If you don’t have great art, you won’t have great merch. So either provide great art or be willing to invest in it. If not, your merch (and your customer’s experience) will suffer for it.
They Don’t Request A Proof (And Look At It)
We all get in a hurry. I understand. But it’s worth the 2 minutes to request a proof and really give it a look. We request a proof on every order. But the fact is, only the client can really tell if it’s exactly what they want. So if you are going to order branded merch, request that proof. Then take the time to make sure it’s exactly what you want!
They Don’t Think About Distribution
If you order amazing branded merch, but then it sits in the corner, it does you (and your brand) no good. Take the time to think about how you are going to get the product into the hands of your best customers. Are you going to have to ship it? Will you deliver it? And how will you package it? You want it to look special when it arrives. Consider those factors if you want your next campaign to knock their socks off!
They Don’t Have A Theme or Message
While you certainly CAN just slap your logo on a shirt, not everyone will want to wear that. When you create a theme or a message that your brand can rally around, your best customers will want to rally around it too. Build a theme into your campaign and you will give it extra life and extra value.
So those are 7 Mistakes we see organizations making when buying branded merch. We hope this has helped shine a light on how to do better branded merch. Let us know if we can help!
And as always, we want to provide you with value. So if you want to create marketing campaigns (and appreciation gifts) that really hit the TARGET, check out our TARGET marketing playbook here.
Every year we welcome some of our very best suppliers to join us in Coshocton, Ohio for our annual Customer Trade Show. The show this year was amazing! But we understand that not every person can make it the day of the show. Life gets busy. So we did some of the work for you. Here are a few of our favorite products we saw at this year’s show. You can check them ALL out on our shop here.
5.5″ x 8.5″ Seed Paper Bound JournalBook
The 5.5″ x 8.5″ Seed Paper Bound JournalBook features a seed paper cover and 80 sheets of FSC®-certified recycled lined paper. Includes elastic band, pen loop, ribbon page marker, and back pocket. This was a great item to give to our guests as they walked in the door. Learn more here.
Thor 40oz Eco-Friendly Straw Tumbler
The Bullet Thor 40 oz Eco-Friendly Straw Tumbler features durable double-wall construction to keep your beverages hot or cold in any environment. Food-grade recycled straw is included for easy reuse daily. The Thor has a 40-ounce capacity for fewer refills and features a slim base that fits into most cupholders, a comfortable carry handle, and a splash-proof press-on lid with two openings and a swivel closure, friendly to both Sippers and Chuggers!
12-Month Custom Planner
You might love the calendar on your phone, but many people still love to have the monthly planner calendar to keep things straight. This one includes a full-color imprint on the front and back cover in order to show off your brand.
Colorwav Soundbar
The ColorWav sound bar adds a new dynamic to your home sound system with its slim black construction and RGB-illuminated grill. Its multi-colored lights behind the grill light up your logo and create an impressive statement while high-quality sound fills the room. The compact size is perfect for various spaces, and the full-color packaging makes it an ideal gift for staff or VIP clients.
27 oz Denali Stainless Steel Vacuum Tumblers
Help your clients get excited for their morning commute with these 27 oz. Denali stainless steel vacuum tumblers! This attractive mug features double-wall vacuum insulation and a clear lid to keep your beverage at your preferred temperature and prevent any spills while on the go. The Ridge Deco-inspired design makes this tumbler stand out from the crowd of travel mugs and a product that people will be proud to bring everywhere. Not only is this tumbler secure, eye-catching, and large enough to hold as much of your favorite drink as you need, but it is also environmentally friendly with a BPA-free construction! Promote your brand on a mug you and your clients can feel good about!
And as always, we want to provide you with value. So if you want to create marketing campaigns (and appreciation gifts) that really hit the TARGET, check out our TARGET marketing playbook here.
What do Harley Davidson, Yeti, Nike, Apple, and Jack Daniels have in common?
These brands are all larger than life. And they have a huge group of Enthusiastic Brand Ambassadors who love their brand. The company doesn’t pay people to wear their brand. Their customers pay them for that opportunity! Those are enthusiastic brand ambassadors. There is incredible power in having that type of brand.
So, now that you have started to gain customers intentionally, how do you start to build Enthusiasm for your company? How do you build a real brand?
Let’s start with the foundation.
Step 1: Fulfill your promise.
If you don’t do what you said you would do…you are dead on arrival. You have to deliver. Say what you will do…and do what you say. It’s basic…and it’s foundational. If you don’t do this…you are done.
This is one of those moments when everyone nods and says, “Yeah…I know that.” And I am sure you do. But then why, as customers, are we so often disappointed? It’s because even though we know we are supposed to live up to our promises, we don’t always do it. So, if you want to build a brand that lasts, you have to start there.
Step 2: GLUE
A friend of mine named Stan Phelps talks about this concept in his book called The Purple Goldfish. It helps you create a brand “that sticks.”
It’s an acronym that stands for Give Little Unexpected Extras.
Now that you have delivered on your base promise, it’s time to level up the experience. When you take just a little extra care of your customers, they stand up and take notice. The bad news is, we hear all of the time about the lack of customer service in the business world. The good news is, that means it’s easy to stand out!
Let’s break it down.
Give: Provide some extra value. Do just a bit more than advertised or promised. When you do,
you surprise and delight your customers in a wonderful way.
Little: Great news…it doesn’t have to cost a lot! It can be an extra sticker in the box. Maybe it’s one extra item for free. Maybe it’s an extra special email response that makes them laugh.
Unexpected: It shouldn’t be every time. If it’s an every time occurrence then the customer will come to expect it. Just occasionally…make them smile.
Extra: As we said, find a little way to do just a little bit more. A little bit more can mean a lot.
The fact is, when you add GLUE into your marketing, you give people a reason to talk about you in a great way.
Step 3: Own Your Mistakes.
No matter how hard we try, we will all screw up sometimes. None of us are infallible, as a person and as a brand. When that happens (not if), own it and fix it. Don’t play the blame game.
Again, I know this sounds like a no-brainer. But it’s not. We all want to fight the urge to be blamed for mistakes. But the sooner we lean into the mistake, the faster we can fix it. And problems that are fixed quickly and respectfully turn haters into enthusiastic ambassadors.
As I tell my team, “Remember, everyone looks good when everything goes right. When things go wrong, we have a real opportunity to shine.”
Appreciation Marketing
Now that you have the foundation set, it’s time to supercharge your opportunity to create real Enthusiasm around your brand. Showing real appreciation to your customers is a pretty easy thing…but so few companies really do it. As a matter of fact, check out this statistic.
69% of customers that leave you, will do so because of perceived indifference.
Think about that! Nearly 7 in 10 customers will leave because they don’t know if you care. So, gratitude and appreciation are superpowers in business. I find myself singing Billy Joel as I type this and urge you to “Tell Them About it!”
And while it’s important to show appreciation for every customer and every order, your bigger customers might mean even a little bit more.
You see, most businesses follow Pareto’s Rule when it comes to revenue. That’s the 80/20 rule. It means that 80% of your revenue likely comes from around 20% of your customers. If one of those 20% leaves you, it can be a big blow to your bottom line. So, it’s even more important for you to make sure you show those customers real appreciation.
Quarterly Appreciation Program
The fact is, we all get busy. So even though we want to show gratitude, the whirlwind of life can often get in the way. That is why I recommend creating a quarterly appreciation program to really make sure your 20% is recognized regularly.
How does it work? It’s pretty simple.
First, decide the budget. How much can you spend on each client per year? Remember, this is one of your best clients. Consider this your marketing budget for reaching them. The fact is, we all spend a lot of money on new client acquisition (and we should). But maintaining our current (and best) clients is often just as important, and creates a higher margin!
Now that you have that number, simply divide by 4. This establishes your quarterly budget. Now, choose a piece of branded merchandise that fits in the budget for each quarter.
Why a piece of branded merch? First, because it lasts. You want your top clients to see this item and remember you (and your appreciation) every time they use it. And second, because this is how you start to build a tribe of raving fans. You want this group carrying these cool items and repping your brand…everywhere they go.
Now that you have the items selected, make sure they are ordered to be delivered a couple of weeks before the beginning of each quarter (or when you want to ship them or deliver them). This will give you time to work that into your schedule, so they are delivered in a timely fashion.
Then, just like in sales, the fortune is in the follow-up. Follow up with this top 20% with a call and just let them know how much you appreciate them. This personal touch will push this idea over the edge.
These are the steps to taking your brand to the next level and creating Enthusiasm for your organization.
Want to dig deeper into this? I cover it in my new book Hit The TARGET. Head to HitTheTargetBook.com/video to sign up for the video course today. We will email you a short video for each letter in the TARGET marketing framework in order to help you level up your marketing faster.
“Nothing happens until someone sells something.” This blog is part of an ongoing series of blogs featuring the TARGET Marketing Framework. You can get our TARGET Marketing Playbook for FREE here.
While this quote has been attributed to several people (including Peter Drucker and Thomas Watson), the person who said it first is not as important as the message. No organization can succeed without sales.
Sales is not a dirty word.
Let’s start by breaking down some misconceptions. We have all seen the sleazy salesperson that is portrayed on TV and in the movies. This person doesn’t care about you or your needs. They just want to “get you into this car!”
While there are certainly people like that in the sales profession, that is the exception…not the rule. We need to break the stereotype because it’s chasing people away from the profession. And if “nothing happens until someone sells something,” then we need great people in sales.
The Latin term for sales references “serving.” This is a definition I can get behind. Let’s move away from the idea of manipulation, and step into the idea of helping someone get what they need. The best sales professionals I know generally listen (and care) about the people that they want to serve. They are experts in their fields and can confidently make recommendations that are in the best interest of their customers and prospects.
This is the kind of salesperson I want to be.
Recently, my wife and I went to a local tractor store to look for zero-turn mowers. I have a lot of grass to mow, and I wanted to find something that could help me speed up the process. I had done some research online and found a zero-turn model that had a steering wheel. Since I had never used a zero-turn mower, this appealed to me. So, we went to the store to see them in person and learn more.
The salesperson came out and we discussed the problem I was trying to solve. He asked several questions about what we wanted and gave us some information.
Then he said, “How much are you mowing?”
When I told him I was mowing at least 10 acres, he said “Oh…then that’s not the mower you need. You will burn that up in 18 months.”
Then he guided me to a mower that would better fit my needs. It was still a zero-turn, and it still had a steering wheel. That is the one I bought…and I am very happy with the purchase.
He listened to the problem I was trying to solve, and then made recommendations based on that need.
I didn’t feel sold. I felt served.
Everyone Is in Sales
Sales is not just a department. Don’t get me wrong. There are probably people in your organization that are on your sales team.
These are the people who might be responsible for proactively going out and making offers to your customers and prospects. Or maybe these are the folks who actively take the incoming calls to sell to your audience.
But make no mistake…we are all in sales.
Let’s take a car dealership, for example. Yes, there are commissioned sales team members. But once they have helped you find the car of your dreams, there are so many more people you will interact with. If the finance guy or gal is grumpy, that affects the whole experience. If you call in and struggle to get the service team to take care of you, you will be frustrated. Or maybe it’s as simple as how they answer the phone. All of those interactions color the customer experience. All of those people are in sales, whether they know it or not.
Don’t Try to Sell Those That Don’t Want What You Sell
This is a hot take that often raises eyebrows. But I have no interest in trying to convince people who absolutely don’t want my product or service. There are just way too many people that will. I see so many people trying to convince the inconvincible. This is not only frustrating for this prospect, but it’s a total waste of your energy. Now to clarify, if there are some objections to overcome…that’s different. There are often times in a transaction that you will need to work through some details. That is not the time to walk away.
On the contrary, I believe in walking away on the front end. You read that right.
When I run into a complete non-believer in marketing, I am not going to waste my time trying to convince them that social media can be a great tool. They will never believe it. And to be honest, by the end of the conversation, they will just frustrate me by being obtuse. There are just too many prospects that believe in what I am selling to waste my time.
Make The Offer
Now that we have established that sales is vital, no marketing plan would be complete without sales being a part of it.
This is a place where people sometimes get hung up…and I think it’s about clarity. You want to make a compelling offer that serves that perfect customer. That kind of offer addresses a pain point that prospect has and (hopefully) solves it.
Now just make the offer.
Too many inexperienced salespeople, entrepreneurs, or marketers want to get clever here. They want to soften “the ask.” I find that this is just insecurity. Just push through and be clear with what you are selling.
As Donald Miller (author of Building Your Storybrand) says, “When you confuse you lose.” Make the offer.
The Fortune is in the Follow-up.
Finally, don’t forget to follow up. Now that you have made the offer, you will find that some people are just not ready right then. Don’t take it personally.
Unfortunately, rejection is a part of the job.
But remember, often it’s not “no.” It’s “not now.”
When prospects or customers say “not now” to me I am diligent in my follow-up. Studies will tell you that it often takes 13 touches before a prospect turns into a customer. And yet, the average salesperson only follows up once. If you continue to follow up, you will stand out and often get the business.
My rule is simple. You have to tell me “No.” Sounds simple, right?
The thing is a lot of people don’t want to tell you no. They want to be nice and hope you will give up.
But remember this. Nos are fine. Yeses are great. Maybe’s will kill you.
Once you have made your offer, stay with that prospect until you hear yes or no.
It’s simple. But not easy.
Want to dig deeper into this? You should check out our TARGET Marketing Playbook here for free. We break down what makes up a great marketing plan and how you can implement it. And you can check out the entire book on the subject. “Hit The TARGET” is a parable that outlines how to take all of these tactics and implement them in real life. Learn more here.
You know what time it is! It’s time for Thirsty Thursday! Thirsty Thursday is the award-winning piece of content from Hasseman Marketing where we take a mystery drink out of a piece of branded drinkware! Be careful…it’s not for everyone. It’s often colorful and it’s always fun. This time, we go on location to Huck’s Tavern and join forces with Peyton Johnson and Marley Cumbee to try some drinks from one of our favorite watering holes! Watch the latest episode here!
We love our Thirsty Thursday!
It was really fun to be on location at Huck’s Tavern! As you can tell, Kirby loves it there! If you want to learn a bit more about many of the cool locations that Coshocton has to offer, check out the Choose Coshocton website here.
At Hasseman Marketing we are so excited to announce that Kirby Hasseman is releasing his new book “Hit The TARGET.” The new book, which is a parable, is based on the TARGET marketing framework that we teach our clients in order to market their organization better.
“I am so excited about this new book,” says Kirby Hasseman, CEO of Hasseman Marketing. “I have never written a book like this and I hope it will make our TARGET marketing framework relatable to everyone.”
The new book is about Michael Mark. Michael’s life is in shambles. His wife died in a tragic car accident, and his business is falling apart. Michael gets a call from the bank and learns that he is about to lose his family home…and he has 3 weeks to save it. Michael meets Charles and begins to learn to take control of his life. Charles teaches Michael about the TARGET marketing framework in order to help him turn his business (and his fortunes around). While the lessons are powerful, will Michael be able to turn his business around in time to save his home? Will he be able to Hit the target?
Kirby Hasseman is the author of several other books including Delivering Marketing Joy,Fan of Happy, and the Give First Economy. In addition, he is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing. Hasseman Marketing is a full-service marketing agency in Coshocton, Ohio. Learn more about Hasseman Marketing at HassemanMarketing.com.
