6 Promo Items Entrepreneurs Need To Know About!

As an entrepreneur, it's hard to stay on top of it all.  We get it.  You are working to balance sales, employees, payroll, accounts payable, marketing and much, much more!  In addition, if you are like a lot of business owners, you want to be on the cutting edge when you can.  It makes you look more professional and in touch.

But it's hard to make the time to do it all!

So at Hasseman Marketing we did some of the homework for you on Promo!  Here the 6 promo items you need to know about right now!

16 oz Persona Tower Travel Mug:  We have all seen the cheap tumblers in the promo industry.  They are fine, but they don't really do the job of keeping coffee hot.  What does that mean?  It means your customers won't really use them, so your marketing dollars are wasted.  The Persona will become your clients favorite coffee mug.  It keeps coffee hot for over 5 hours...so when you are on the road you want this mug!  This is the mug that will give you marketing impact when you give the gift...and for all the miles down the road!  These tremendous tumblers are on special for $13.89 (setup $55) right now.

 The Wedge Mobile Device Stand:  The fact is, some of the most valuable marketing space today is around your mobile device.  Want your client's attention?  Be near their phone!  This high quality phone stand offers a great full color decoration and even a screen cleaner on the bottom.  Want to tell a story?  Want to drive traffic to a website?  Just want to have VERY valuable ad space on your clients desk?  This fits the bill.   These are in the current HMC flyer for $6.45 (setup $80). 

Economy Retractor:  Once you get one of these you will be surprised how often you can use it!  The Retractor is a great item for trade shows or events.  You will also find that you can use it in your office, networking events or even sales calls!   These are an extremely affordable way to "silently sell" new services or add on products.  With the right design, these can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.

Clip It Vent Mount:  Have we mentioned the power of marketing around the phone?  This is not only a perfect tool for that, but also helps with safety.  The clip it vent mount holds your phone so that it is always within arms reach.  It is functional and easy.  In addition, it keeps your logo (or message) in front of your clients all the time they are in the car.  This is one of our favorite new products in the industry!  You can get these in the latest HMC flyer for $2.75 (setup $50). 

The Juicebox:  Want to be a hero in someone's eyes?  Give them a charger when their phone is about to die!  You may have seen some of these on the market in the past, but the Juicebox is a nice phone charger (will charge your phone 2.5 times) and it comes in a FUN package!  If you want to grab attention and keep it...this item is perfect.  And think outside of the (juice)box.  These are awesome for trade shows, golf outings, traveling...anytime someone will need their phone and cannot plug in!  Oh...and did we mention this marketing piece revolves around their phone!  :) 

365 Performance Pique Polo:  You want your team to look like a team, but you don't want to spend a fortune.  Sound familiar?  Here is a low cost performance golf shirt for under $17 (with embroidery)!  Lots of colors and sizes.  This makes outfitting the team a lot easier.

So there you have it!  These are 6 items that are sure to keep your name on the lips of your customers and prospects.   Now get back out there and keep up the hustle!

Last Week at HMC 6/7 - 6/13

It's the place to keep up with content from the week that was at Hasseman Marketing.  Let's jump into an exceptionally busy week.

Weekly Word:  Yes, we have the Weekly Word!  This week we talk about Values!  Do yours line up?

Voices I Listen Too:  This is one of highest read blogs we have ever put out.  Check out the voices that we listen to in business...and in life!

8 Ways to Get Your Work MOJO Back!  We all get in a rut sometimes!  Here are 8 Ways to get out!

ASI Radio:  ASI does a weekly radio show and this week Kirby Hasseman was the guest.  You can listen to him talk about video marketing, social and more...here!

Delivering Marketing Joy:  On this week's episode we talk with Patrick Black about social marketing, blogging and more.  It's a good one and you can see it here.

The DMJ Podcast:  Speaking of Delivering Marketing Joy, we have had requests to turn the show into a podcast so you can listen to the interviews on the go.  It's a process, but it's one we have started!  Here are the first 15 episodes!  Enjoy!

The Cost of Bidding:  We all think of bidding as a process designed to save money.  But does it?  In this post we discuss how it costs you money!

Kirby is a Rising Star:  In the midst of this week, we also received news that Kirby was named as a Promotional Products Industry Rising Star.  Great news for Kirby!

As we said, it was a busy week!  It's time to get back at it this week!  Time to embrace the hustle!  Have a great week everyone!

Consider the Cost of Bidding

When creating a promotional campaign, you want a creative powerful promotion that will wow customers and affect human behavior.  That is what a great Promotional Products campaign can do...affect change.  The best campaigns can create an increase in direct mail opens, engagement on social media, create a safer work place or increase sales!

But in addition to making sure you create a campaign that "hits the mark," most organizations want to make sure they are getting a fair shake on price.  No one wants to over pay...and no one wants to be taken advantage of!   So many organizations create a bidding process to ensure the best price.  While this is understandable, in theory, it's important to consider the cost of such a campaign. 

Yes...there is a cost.

First, it's important to note that if the first part of this equation is NOT true (you have an effective promotional campaign), then the second part (the cost) really doesn't matter.  You are now just spending money to spend it.  No good would come from that...agreed?

So if you have a trusted promotional advisor (and if you don't, we can help!) then their job is to help you create those effective campaigns.  The best relationships like this are like partnerships.  You share the themes, goals, and budget with them (if you don't create them together) and they provide you ideas that help you reach those goals.  It's a win-win, because you get great ideas (hopefully) and they get the business.

But when you take their creative concepts and bid them out on the individual products, it's a different relationship entirely.  The relationship becomes entirely transactional.  That is fine (if that's what you want) but you start to rob yourself of the value of the advisor.

If you take their ideas and bid them out, they are not likely to bring you ideas again.  And if they do, they won't put the time and effort into them.  After all, you have told them (by your actions) that the ideas are not what you value.  So they may decide not to provide you ideas at all.

"Let me know when you decide what you want," they might say.  "Then we will be glad to provide a bid."

What does that mean, in dollars and cents?

Let's say your hourly rate is $15 per hour.  In order to get a creative and effective promotional campaign, you could easily spend a day looking for ideas.  Then you might spend another day going through bids to make sure they are accurate (and comparing apples to apples).  So that's two days of your time.  In most cases, pricing between competitive promotional distributors is going to be close.  So you might save a nickel per piece.  If you ordered 1000 of whatever promotional item you decide on, you have "saved" $50.  But you spent $240 to do it.

Of course this does not factor in your creativity.  It doesn't call to attention that a good partner is probably attending industry shows (and seeing the latest and greatest promotional items) and you are not.

But at the end of the day, you have lost a free, trusted, creative, outside source.  It's a choice.  And it's yours to make.  Of course if you don't have that trusted source, that's a different conversation.  But if you do, you might be wise not to drive them away.

So just ask yourself...what is your time worth?

Last Week at HMC 5/24 - 5/30

As the year moves quickly down the tracks, we are trying to keep up the content.  Here is a look at last week!

Commencement:  Last week we start with a look at Kirby getting the opportunity to speak to the graduating class of 2015 in Coshocton.  Here is a look at the video of the speech.  Would you rather just read it?  That's here!

Weekly Word:  It was a short work week last week because of Memorial Day.  But here the Weekly Word reminds you about Service.  Thanks to the Men and Women of our Military for their service...and what can you do?

Delivering Marketing Joy:  This week we met Aubrey Collins.  Aubrey works with Media Tree.  She is a blogger, marketer and mom.  We talk to her about the challenges with that...and the lessons.

Birthday Girl:   Amie (or as we call her, Moonbeam) had a birthday last week too!

Fixing the Potholes:  It's Orange Cone season in Ohio.  What does that mean?  It means inconvenience...and progress.  Read more here.

So that was this week?  What will next week hold?  Check in to find out!

Last Week At HMC 4/26 - 5/2

Let's take a quick look back at the week that was at Hasseman Marketing.  As always, we are trying to keep the hustle up!  What do you think?

A Good Sore:  Sometimes you have a sore that hurts for no good reason.  But when sometimes...the sore feels good!  Here is what we mean!

Be Happy:  Sometimes people think that if they are successful, they will be happy.  But studies show that is not the case.  Learn more on the Weekly Word.

Why Vision Matters:  Have you ever been in a meeting (with good people) where everyone was frustrated?  It might have meant that the vision was not aligned.  Learn more about why that matters here.

Awards:  Did you know we can help you with all your AWARD needs?  Here are two recent examples of awesome awards we have done to help our clients recognize special people. 

Delivering Marketing Joy:  In this episode Denise Tashereau tells us why she focuses on a very specific niche in her business.  Really enjoyed this one!

Social Media Audit:  This is brand new!  We are going to reach out to clients to help them do Social Better.  We will do a FREE Social Media Audit of your company or organization and give you 5 actionable tips to make it better.  Just click here and sign up!

Not a bad week.  But enough of the recap...time to get back after it!

Customer Retention Using Marketing Joy

Let’s start with a statistic that should really make you think.  Studies show that 69% of customers that leave you (as a customer, donor, supporter, etc.) will do so because of “perceived indifference.”  They will leave you because they simply don’t think you care.  Seriously, think about that.  Nearly 7 out of ten lost customers come down to the fact that you didn’t show them that you gave a crap about them.

This statistic both frightens and excites me.

On one hand, it means that my customers could leave me because I have just been careless and lazy.  It means that if I am not careful, my competitors could swoop in and take my revenue…just by caring more!  Am I doing enough to show customers (regularly) that I do sincerely appreciate their business?  Are you?  That can be scary.

On the other hand, it is an entirely fixable (and improvable) situation.  If I am not doing enough to show them, I can fix it!  It is totally within my power to do so.  That’s a good thing.  I don’t have to wait for some cosmic shift in the economy, or some other outside force to change.  I can do it all by myself.  I just need to care more!

On the third hand (is that even possible?) I see this as an opportunity.  It means likely that most businesses are NOT caring enough about their current customers.  That means I (and now you) can create systems that allow you to gain market share…through caring! 

How cool is that?

So how do we do it?  Let’s talk about some very concrete ways to make sure your customers know they are appreciated.

Send Cards

 It’s funny.  Sometimes the things that make a big difference in your customer’s eyes are the simplest.  Send your customers a card on their birthday.  Send them thank you cards for their business.  Send them a holiday card.  Send them a thanksgiving card.  Most people open their mail standing over the trash can, because all we get are bills and junk mail.  A heart felt thank you card really stands out. 

The reason most people don’t send out cards regularly is they lack a system.  Let’s face it; most of us have good intentions.  But those intentions go out the window when we can’t find the right kind of card, or we can’t find a stamp, or we don’t have the person’s address.  We need to schedule a specific time each day (or week) that we send out cards. 

One of my favorite practices is to try to create a reason to send out at least one thank you card each day.  Sometimes it will be for a purchase that a customer made.  Sometimes it will be just because someone helped you.  It’s a fantastic practice. 

Two things will happen.  First, your customers will NEVER think you don’t appreciate them.  And second, you will have a better attitude about life.  If you spend every day trying to find something to be thankful for—guess what—you will become more grateful.  That’s not a bad side benefit for doing something to help you increase your business!

Quarterly Thank You Program

If you are like most businesses, you have 20% of your customers or clients that produce 80% of your sales.  It’s not a universal rule, but it is surprising how often it is true.  So those 20% are the clients you REALLY want to show that you care.  So in addition to sending them a birthday card, a thanksgiving card and thank you cards, you want to reach out and “touch” them at least once a quarter. 

So establish yourself a budget.  How much are you willing to spend over the course of a year in order to say “thank you” to these top clients?  Remember, these are your bread and butter.  This is probably not the time to go cheap.  This number will be different for every business, but in my experience, you don’t have to break the bank. 

Got it? 

Now just for argument sake, let’s assume this number is $100 per year.  You are willing to spend $100 over the course of a year to say thank you to these top clients.  Now just divide that number by 4.  So you have $25 per quarter to get some sort of gift to give to these clients.  This is more than just a gesture.  This promotional gift will not only show your appreciation for them.  It will also showcase your logo and remind them each and every time they use the gift that you are a great company to work with!

Now just tailor the gifts to your audience.  You are now touching these clients 4 more times a year with a great tangible piece of appreciation. 

How does this work?  Let’s give you an example.  Let’s say you are an insurance agent that has a wide variety of customers.  You have business professionals, farmers, families and more.  This diverse group of customers gives you an idea of things you do and don’t want to give.  So your quarterly gifts might look like this:

Quarter 1:  Roadside Safety Flashlight.  This makes sense because you are not only promoting your brand, but you are showing you care about your client on the road.  http://us.starline.com/catalog/product/16757

Quarter 2:  High End Travel Mug and Cooler Bag.  This is a cool combo because your clients might be thinking of vacations or road trips for the warmer months.  Great way to remind them that you are with them through the miles and smiles! 

http://us.starline.com/catalog/product/32789

http://sevillegear.com/product-details/12-Can%20Convertible%20Duffel%20Cooler/7/0

Quarter 3:  BBQ Set.  At this point they will be in barbecue season with tailgating just around the corner. 

http://us.starline.com/catalog/product/1278

Quarter 4:  Executive Calendar and Tumbler.  These two gifts are sure to stand out in the office and the home. 

http://norwood.com/product/3211/Motivations/

http://www.goldbondinc.com/tubehc

Obviously these are just a few ideas to get you thinking.  There are thousands and thousands of options.  But these are some cool things that transcend generations and gender. 

*Also, here’s a quick tip to make this easier for you.  Get with your promotional products consultant and tell them your plans.  Then see if you can order all of these at once.  Ask to see if they will ship them about a month before you need them.  This will allow you to budget a bit.  And it will “poof” create a reminder system so you remember it’s time to say “thanks” again to your clients.  When the boxes arrive it’s time to start!

There are lots of ways to thank your clients.  These are just two.  Feel free to get creative and have some fun thanking your customers.  You will be glad you did!

 This was an excerpt from the book Delivering Marketing Joy (Using Promo To Grow Your Business the Right Way).  You can (and should) get your copy on Amazon!  

Last Week at HMC 3/15 - 3/21

March Madness is in full swing on the court and the madness is at Hasseman Marketing too!  Here is a quick list of the cool activity that happened last week!

Don't Argue with Non-Believers:  There are people who will love what you do.  Some won't buy it at all.  Don't argue with the second group.  It's not worth it.  Here's why.

The Way NOT To Earn Business:  How do you earn more business from your clients?  Here is a way NOT to do it.  

Winning Cures Everything...Or Does it?  If you follow sports you have heard the term "Winning Cures Everything!"  Sometimes we feel the same way about sales for a business.  But more sales doesn't cure everything.

Weekly Word:  If you want to be a writer, you have to write every day.  Whatever you want to be great at, you have to do Daily. 

Delivering Marketing Joy:  That's right!  It's time for a new Edition of Delivering Marketing Joy.  This week we meet up with Promotional Industry Hall of Famer Paul Kiewiet.  It's a great episode and it's right here.

The Power of Calendars:  Want an advertising tool that is targeted, cost-effective and powerful?  Of course you do.  Check out this discussion about the power of Calendar Advertising...and why YOU should be using them.

Improve Brain Function:  Want to have a better brain?  Duh.  Of course you do.  Here are three quick ways to improve your brain...and you can make it happen!

What do you think?  Which of these was most impactful to you?

Last Week at HMC 3/8 - 3/14

We are back at it at Hasseman Marketing!  Here is another week of hustle.

Not Their Job:  Want a better job?  A better company?  A better community?  Then do something about it!  Stop waiting for "they" to do it.  It's not their job.

Weekly Word:  This week we take a look at the word Focus!  The fact is, in life you get what you focus your energy and attention on.  Check out that video here.

Online 18:  So if you ever wonder to yourself, "Does all this hustle even matter?  Does anyone notice?"  The answer is yes...and yes.  Kirby was recognized as one of the 18 biggest influencers in the promotional products industry.  Thanks Dale Denham for putting together this list! 

Delivering Marketing Joy:  In this week's episode of Delivering Marketing Joy we get to talk to Ted Rubin.  Ted is one of the top 50 Social Media Influencers (according to Forbes) and he has a LOT of great information here.  You will want to spend the time to check that out!

Choose Yourself:  In response to being named to the Online 18, Kirby shares some thoughts about the honor here...and why you should choose yourself.

The Thing About Trolls:  But here's the thing.  If you do put yourself out there, there will sometimes be Trolls that try to tear you down.  Here are some thoughts about them...and why you should do it anyway. 

Bonus Video:  And just in case that isn't enough, here is a new video that we are sharing here first!  Check out why Kirby thinks you should NOT argue with people who don't believe in your organization, or industry or product.  What do YOU think? 

Last Week at HMC 2/15 - 2/21

Here is all of the content from this week in one place...just for you!

What is Reasonable?  If you want to start your own organization or excel in sales, you need to STOP asking yourself what is reasonable.  You need to just put in the work.   Here's why!

We also celebrated Christine Hasseman's Birthday!  Happy Birthday!

Our Hustle Is For YOU:  When people approach us and ask us why we have been on the road so much, we tell them, "Our Hustle is for you!"  Want to know what we mean?  Check out this video.  

Do You Set SMART Goals?  Kirby spends a little time explaining why he doesn't like the concept of SMART goals.  Check that out here.  

Weekly Word:  This week we talk about how each of us is a Media company.  Are you acting like it?  Check out that video here.  

Delivering Marketing Joy:  And PLEASE check this one out if you have a business.  On this week's show we talk to author Mike Michalowicz about his book Profit First.  If you haven't read it, you NEED to watch this one.  We hope you enjoy!

Just One More:  Wait...you want just one more?  We agree!  Check out this post from WAY late in the week.  If you want to be successful, take on the mantra of "Just one more!"

Another great week...we will keep it coming!

Delivering Marketing Joy Show

Several months ago, we decided to start a new web show.  The show, called Delivering Marketing Joy, combines our love of business, promotion and learning.   The goal was to create some great information and great content. 

We have been so pleased with the results so far!  We have had the opportunity to interview some great business leaders from several different industries.  We have even interviewed best-selling authors, like Jeff Haden.   (More great authors coming soon!).

If you have never seen the show, here is latest episode.  But if you want to start from the beginning, here is the playlist!

Hopefully this will inspire you to learn and grow.  Please let us know what you think...and if you have any great leaders you think we should interview!

Enjoy!  #marketingjoy

Last Week at HMC 2/8 - 2/14

Well last week felt like a blur...so was it?  Let's take a look at the week that was at HMC!

5 Lessons from Garth:  The week started off with the posting of one of our most read blogs.  Kirby attended a Garth Brooks concert recently.  Did he have fun?  Very much!  But he also walked away with 5 lessons from the greatest entertainer of our generation. 

The Weekly Word:  By it's very name you know this video piece comes out every week.  But this week we got more interaction than normal...and we love that!  This week the word was "Look," as in Look the part.  Are you making sure you have the right look and tone when you call on clients?  Check out this Weekly Word and keep the feedback coming!

Supplier Visits:  We take a great deal of pride in keeping up with the latest trends and products in our industry.  One way we do this is through supplier visits!  Wednesday we had a full day of suppliers that came to show us what was hot and new!

We started the day off with Kari Caruso from S & S who showed us the latest in apparel.  Next we welcomed Sarah from Gold Bond.  Finally we had Andrea from Flying Colors and Brian from Starline into the office.  It was a long day but we got a lot out of the visits.  So thanks to these awesome folks!  Now feel free to set up and appointment so we can show you what we learned!

Un-Break Relationships:  Ever had a relationship that went sideways?  Of course...we all have.  Here are two quick ways to improve that bond today.

Be Un-Reasonable:  So many times we consider opportunities through the lens of whether or not it is "reasonable."  If you do that, you will likely miss a lot of great opportunities.  Want to be more successful?  Be more unreasonable.

Delivering Marketing Joy:  Finally, don't forget about your weekly dose of #MarketingJoy!  On this week's episode (number 18!) we talk to Tee Hamilton about creativity and how to open your eyes to more!  Tee is great...so please make sure you check that out! 

Oh...and please feel free to subscribe to Kirby's YouTube channel....as we are constantly putting more and more content there.  You don't want to miss it!

Well that's why it felt like a blur this week.  We will keep it coming...so keep tuning in!

Last Week at HMC 2/1 - 2/7

Talk about a productive week despite heavy snow and ice! Unfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter. However, that didn’t slow us down here, check out what happened last week at Hasseman Marketing.

We started the week off with a bang and asked our social media outlets their opinion on Super Bowl 49, and most importantly what was your favorite commercial? Click here to see Kirby’s favorite Super Bowl commercial

Have you ever been in a situation where someone was doing what "they have to do?"  It can be frustrating when they are not doing all they CAN do to help.  Read more here.    

But sometimes you are just not feeling it!  You wake up in a funk and are not sure how to fight off the blues.  Here are 4 ways to improve your mood...and your week.  

Tuesday, we focused on Predictions and related them to the weather. We try not to focus or pay a lot of attention to predictions; we just hunker down and put in work.

HUMP DAY!! Kirby had a great chance while he was in Las Vegas to talk with good friend, Bill Petrie, owner of Brandivate about what the company is, their ideal client and, what the biggest challenge distributors face.

Having Fun yet, well we sure were! We talked about how everyone can have fun at work even if you’re not the boss! The weekly word last week was FUN!

Delivering Marketing Joy- Episode 17, Kirby sat down and had a conversation with, Mark Graham, about how to work with our spouse’s and how to run multiple businesses.

Talk about a full plate, we will let you digest that while we move onto to next week!

Last Week at HMC 1/25 - 1/31

What did you do last week?  Well at Hasseman Marketing, we were on the HUSTLE!  Here is your look at what you missed last week...and where to catch up!

Take Responsibility For EVERYTHING:  So many times, we blame other people or other factors for our situations or our lot in life.  Stop it!  The blame game creates a victim mentality.  Here we tell you take responsibility for EVERYTHING! 

Welcoming Chris:  We have a new face in the organization!  Chris Kirkhope has joined us and we announced this on Facebook this week.  Chris is interning here, but we hope to grow him into a full time Account Executive in no time!

Weekly Word:  This week Kirby reminded us that if we want success, it's all about a 4 letter word...WORK.  Are you willing to put in the work?

Want to Be Awesome?  Of course you do!  Here we tell you about Mark and Catherine Graham and how they make others feel important.  This very act makes them awesome.

Trade Show Time:  Do you have a cumbersome or difficult or (worse yet) ugly Trade Show backdrop?  How long does it take you to set yours up?  Watch this short video with Kirby...and be jealous.

When To Quit:  As you know, we are all about "go, go go."  So you might not expect us to tell you to quit.  But sometimes, it can be the right thing.  Find out when and why in this blog post.  

Welcome Joshua:  We are super excited to add Joshua Williams to our team!  Josh is our new full time Graphic Designer.  So if you need any design work, we can help.  This is an exciting new service that we can provide...and helps to make us full service for you.  You can learn more about Joshua here...and please let us know if you want more information!

Episode 16 of Delivering Marketing Joy:  That's right...16!  This week we meet with Jessica Hutwelker about women's empowerment, challenging yourself and not playing small.  It's a good one...so make sure you watch it!

What a week!  Take a breath.  Enjoy.  Now it's time to start toward next week!

HASSEMAN MARKETING WELCOMES GRAPHIC DESIGNER JOSHUA WILLIAMS TO THE MARKETING JOY TEAM

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HASSEMAN MARKETING WELCOMES GRAPHIC DESIGNER JOSHUA WILLIAMS TO THE MARKETING JOY TEAM

(Coshocton, OH)—Hasseman Marketing has added a new face, and a new service to their talented team. They proudly welcome Joshua Williams, multi-discipline graphic designer and are proud to now offer full service, in-house graphic design.

“Joining a company like Hasseman Marketing is a realization of a dream for me.” Williams comments, “I am excited to be able to use my skills and passions to help local businesses grow.”

Hasseman Marketing has been located in Coshocton County since its incorporation in 2004.  Collectively, the Hasseman Marketing staff has well over 60 years of experience in the promotional products industry.  Since 2004, Hasseman Marketing has had a strong foundation in and around the Coshocton County area.

“We are so excited to add Josh to the HMC team!” says owner Kirby Hasseman. “He will add a whole new service we can offer our clients.”

Some may recognize Josh from his time as an adjunct instructor at COTC in the Digital Media Design program. A graduate of Coshocton High School, he studied graphic design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, earning his Bachelor degree in 2005. He currently lives in Zanesville with girlfriend Erin, step sons Asher, and Ephraim, and son Oliver. The have plans to relocate their family to Coshocton.

For more information on graphic design services, visit Hasseman Marketing at 432 Main Street in Coshocton and call 740-622-7429., or contact Josh directly at art@hassemanmarketing.com.

Last Week at HMC 1/19 - 1/24

It's all about hustle.  At Hasseman Marketing, our goal is to up our hustle in 2015.  Yes, we want to increase sales...everyone does.  But we know we need to control what we can control (talked about this here).  We can't control whether someone buys.  But we can control our hustle! 

So to showcase the hustle, and to give you one place to consume the content for the week, we introduce Last Week at HMC!  So let's take a look at just a few things from last week!

Don't Say Busy:  We started the week talking about the most over-used word in the English language.  Don't try and be busy.  Be productive.  Read more here. 

Weekly Word:  Yes...we do it every week.  The Weekly Word this week is READ.  How many books will you read this year?  Check it out here.  

Story-Selling:  You have heard of Story-Telling.  But have you heard of Story-Selling?  You should!  Here is a short video on that!

PromoKitchen Fun:  You might not have seen this come from us...but it did!  We put together a fun video from the recent PPAI Expo.  Just a little fun video with some fun music!  Enjoy that here!

Appreciation versus Sales:  Do you know the difference?  Do you know when to do one or the other or do you cross that line?  Find out here.  

Delivering Marketing Joy Web Show:  And we can't end this week without mentioning our awesome Delivering Marketing Joy Web Show with Jason Lucash.  Jason was on the show Shark Tank (yes he got a deal) and he was the 2013 Entrepreneur Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year!  Check out this awesome show here. 

So yes...we are bring the hustle and the funk!  Get ready for this week!  Who knows what it will bring!

Hasseman Marketing Celebrates 10 Years!

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(Coshocton, OH)—“It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years,” says Kirby and Amy Hasseman, owners of Hasseman Marketing & Communications.

Coshocton based marketing firm and promotional products distributor Hasseman Marketing & Communications opened its doors 10 years ago this month.  In 10 years, although promotional products and video production have always been a part of the mix, Hasseman says the business has really evolved.

“We’ve had to change with the market.  When we started, we had to create a market for video.  Promotional products is still the largest part of our business, but now, we have evolved and are working to help other companies with their social media.  It’s fun to evolve to meet the needs of our customers,” says Hasseman.

Hasseman Marketing is located on Main Street in Coshocton and has 3 full time employees and a sales team of 5.  The mission and tag line of the company is “Delivering Marketing Joy!”

“If we do our jobs right,” says Hasseman, “When the customer opens his box of marketing materials, it’s like a little piece of Christmas morning!”

Hasseman even recently published a book called “Delivering Marketing Joy” in order to help clients do “smart promo.”  This book speaks specifically about the power of promotional products and how business marketers can better utilize them in their marketing message.   Delivering Marketing Joy is available for sale on Amazon in both a paperback and Kindle edition at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J4JRHQ8.

And now is a really busy time for Hasseman Marketing, partially because of the holiday season.  Now is a time that many companies purchase imprinted and promotional gifts to give to their employees and customers in order to thank them for their support all year. 

“We love to help clients appreciate their customers and their team,” says owner Amy Hasseman.  “You can never say ‘thank you’ too much.”

Hasseman Marketing is located at 432 Main Street in Coshocton, Ohio.  They can be found online at www.HMCpromos.com.  In addition, you can follow them on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/hassemanmarketing and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HMCpromos .

8 Steps To Trade Show Success

Tell me…has this ever happened to you?  You (or your boss, or your assistant, or someone) realize there is a trade show coming up.  Then someone in the organization says “We need to get some crap to hand out at this show!”  My guess is you have heard it, or said it.  Don’t be ashamed. 

The problem of course is that if your entire strategy to a trade show is “we need to get some crap,” then your results were probably equally crappy!  So let us show you the way to have an actual plan…and get the most out of your next exhibit!

Pre-Show

When it is at all possible, get a list of everyone that has confirmed to come to the show.  Though a lot of trade shows probably have a list of last minute sign ups, they will likely have a great list of attendees that are registered and ready to attend.  They are likely making preparations (and if they are smart) creating a strategy for working the show themselves.  Get that list!  As a matter of fact, I have a couple of clients that will not do a show if the organizers won’t provide a list.  Now that you have it…

Step 1:  Send each attendee an email inviting them to come to your booth! 

Your best bet would be to be as creative as possible.  Try to wet their whistle as to why they need to come and see you.  Do you have a great promotional item?  Do you have a fun theme?  Are you giving free beer?  Whatever.  Let them know that you want them to come and see you, where your booth is located, and why they should look for you!   Depending on how long you have until the show, you might even reach out more than once!

Step 2:  Send a direct mail piece to mirror the email.

Make this direct mail piece match the theme of the booth.  I like this direct mail piece to be either a postcard (so they don’t have to open it to see it) or a personal card.  The more impactful the direct mail piece, the better the attendance at the booth!

At the Trade Show

As a side note, a quick tip for a trade show is to have people who know the product or service and are comfortable selling at the booth.  A lot of the time a company will put warm bodies at the booth that don’t know the sales process.  This detracts from the credibility of the company.  So when you are staffing…don’t just bring anyone!

Step 3:  Have a Theme!

If you want to stand out from the competition in the long rows of Trade Show Masses, think about creating a theme for the show!  This not only gives you ammunition for how to dress and what to hand out, it can help with all of your planning for the event. 

Step 4:  Have a hand out for the masses.

With this you want to have a plan too!  Do you want your handout to drive traffic to the booth?  Do you want it to have a “lasting impact” after the show?  Do you want it to do both?  Or do you want it to stay at the bottom of the trade show bag never to come out again?  It’s up to you…so make sure you actually think out the audience, the item and its impact.  Obviously, your promotional consultant can help you think this through.  If you don’t have one, please let us at Hasseman Marketing know!  We would love to help.

Step 5:  Have a VIP Gift

Sometimes at a trade show a current customer will stop by the booth.  This is a wonderful opportunity to make a big deal about their business and thank them.  You also might have leads that you have a connection or show a real interest in your product or service.  This is a great time to reach below the table and get out a VIP gift. 

You could say “Stan, I really appreciate your business and for taking the time to stop and see me today.  I am not giving this to everyone, but please take this as a small token of my appreciation.” 

Or with a prospect, “Janice I think we are on the same page.  I know you have a lot of folks you want to see today, but I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.  I am not giving these to everyone, but please take this and I will follow up with you after the show.”

These VIP gifts would be a nicer gift and you wouldn’t need that many of them.  But you can really increase the impact with those special contacts by making them feel like the VIP’s they are!

After the Show…The Fortune is in the Follow Up!

Step 6:  Follow Up Quickly with Email

This is the bare minimum follow up.  But have a system in place to follow up with everyone that stopped by the booth.  Make sure you thank them for coming and remind them who you are and what you do!  These folks have seen a lot of people during that short period of time, so do your best to remind them of you.  If you remember the conversation it would be great to reference it!  But the sooner you can follow up, the more you portray the sense that you and your company is “on it!”

Step 7:  Follow Up with a Card

This can be a really nice personal touch.  Now I understand, if there are thousands of people then maybe this is not realistic.  If not, then another touch with a direct mail postcard might fit the bill.  But this will be one more way to get across their desk and to remind them of your “awesome-ness.”  The personal card, when appropriate can REALLY make you stand out! 

If the idea of writing, stamping, and sending all of those thank you notes makes you squeamish, you can look into other automated ways of doing it.  At Hasseman Marketing we use a system called Send Out Cards.  It’s perfect for a personal follow up piece like this one.  If you want information on that you can go to www.sendoutcards.com/100300 and see for yourself!

Step 8:  Follow Up with a Call

Yes that’s right, call them!  After going through this process, this is a great way to make the final personal touch.  It’s time to reel them in!

So that’s the 8 step process to making your Trade Shows more effective.  Depending on how many emails you send in the email steps you will have touched each prospect between 7 and 12 times.  Studies show it takes an average of 7 touches before a prospect buys…so you have done a complete job!

It’s not rocket science, but you need to have a plan in order to get the best results! 

The Power of the Relationship

If you have been in our industry (Promotional Products) for any amount of time, this has happened to you.  You get contacted by a client or prospect saying "We found this (specific) product online and we wanted to buy it from you."  This can be very exciting because it means two things:

1)  Your competitors marketing has now provided you an opportunity!
2)  Your customer WANTS to do business with you (your relationship withe them matters).

But there is a caveat to this situation as well.  Because your client has randomly found this product (and thereby this supplier) online, you have no way to know what they are like.  Can this supplier meet the customer's date?  Is their imprinting process quality?  Will they keep their promises?  Who knows?  Additionally, by the time the client has called you, they are often very specifically interested in THAT product.  So it's tough to redirect them.  Most customers don't understand that every product online is NOT the same. 

This happened to us VERY recently.  Although we have a specific group of suppliers we try to focus our business with, the customer wanted THAT product.  So we sent the business to this new supplier.  As you might expect (since I have come this far in the story) the new supplier did NOT come through.  We were left on Thursday night, with an angry customer that would not be receiving their "marketing joy" for their Friday event.

That's when one of us suggested that we go to one of our tried and true suppliers (Gold Bond) and see if they had anything similar.  We found they had something "close enough" so we called, emailed and texted them...after hours on Thursday!  (Did we mention the event was the next day)? 

What happened next felt a little bit like a Christmas miracle!

Chase Thompson (VP of Sales at Gold Bond) worked with his internal team (until 10:30pm) to check stock of the item in question, worked to create the screens over night, and arranged for his production team to start on these at 7am the next morning.  Chase directed 3 way calls with the group involved on the project and worked relentlessly to put the details together.  His team worked to produce the order AND then DRIVE the order to the event (5 hours away!) so they would be in the customer's hands on FRIDAY!

Unbelievable.

No one wants to have to pull a miracle.  But there are lessons to be learned here.

1)  Buyer beware when you work with someone you DON'T have a relationship with...for someone you do.

2)  It is amazing what can happen when you focus your business with only your best suppliers...and leverage that partnership!

Thanks Chase and all the Gold Bond team!  All of us at Hasseman Marketing really do appreciate it!

Investing In Your Business

Recently, the Hasseman Marketing team went to a regional promotional products show at Put In Bay.  Our local OPPA group created the PAB (Promotions at the Bay) a few years ago.   This is a different kind of show for a few reasons. 

First, it is in Put In Bay!  It's a very fun atmosphere and a more laid back place to do business.  The other big difference is the investment it takes for distributors to attend the show.  There is travel, overnights, ferry tickets, food and more.   All in all, it takes a more dedicated kind of business person to "invest" the money to make this a priority.  At HMC, we are proud to be a consistent participant. 

*Let me be clear that I am NOT talking about our supplier partners here.  They spend money at all of these events and we (at Hasseman Marketing) appreciate that!  But for people on our side of the business, many of these regional shows are free.

I bring this up for two reasons.  First, if the people you are doing business are not investing their time and money to be the very best at what they do, how can they possibly be doing the best work for you?  Just something to consider!

Second, what are YOU doing (in any industry) to make sure you are on top of your game?  What trainings or events do you attend?  How are  you helping your overall industry?  It's something you (should) expect from your suppliers.  Are you doing the same for your customers?

Remember, unless you're the lead dog the view never changes.

Recognition IS KEY For A Successful Business

It's not rocket science, really.  Humans want to be recognized for the value they bring to a project, family or organization.  Whether they are a trusted confidant, customer or employee, a smart leader will take the time to recognize and appreciate the contributions of others.

It has long been said (on this very blog here and here) that studies show that 69% of customers that leave you will do so because of "perceived indifference."  This is one of those good news/bad news cases.  The bad news is, it's all your fault.  The good news is, you can fix it.  You do the little things (and sometimes big things) that let each of your customers know that you appreciate their business.

Ready?  Go!

But a new study says the same is true for employees!  A study conducted by Healthstream of 100,000 managers and employees revealed that 79% of people who quit their jobs cited “A lack of appreciation is a key reason for leaving.”  Wow.  8 in 10 of your employees and co-workers leave because they simply don't think anyone cares!

So what can you do to fix it?  A lot really. 

The simple things (that are true for your customers) are true for employees.  Just tell them.  Stop by their work station and (sincerely) thank them for their work.  Send them a card.  Call them out in a positive way in front of the team.  Show them appreciation. 

You can also create programs that will recognize them on work anniversaries and birthdays.  The fact is, there is a lot you can do.  Need more ideas?  Let us know! 

But get out there and say "thank you" today.  You will be glad you did!