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 GET CREDIT LIVE
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 Winning sales pros know how to sell, who to sell to and what to sell them. Learn tips and proven methods that today’s top sales pros use to achieve sales of $100,000 or more each month. Attend “How to Sell $100,000 Every Month” at The ASI Show New York on Wednesday, May 9, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Industry expert, author and longtime distributor Don Sanders will lead the session, showing you how to find the real decision-makers, craft powerful direct mailings, determine the hottest markets to sell into and more. For more information, click here. |
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GET CREDIT ONLINE
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 In our informative webinar “Making Sense Out of Branding,” Paul Kiewiet, business coach and former PPAI chairman, speaks about how successful companies move their brands to new levels of engagement with customers by reaching them through multiple sensory touch points. Open your eyes – and ears, nose, etc. – to find out how to integrate all five senses into your marketing mix to deepen connections with your audience. Click here to take the course.
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Case sTudy:
Put Your Finger On It
When Emilio Del Vecchio saw the construction of a brand-new restaurant chain, he decided to make himself heard. The VP of national accounts for Fusion LLC (asi/199836) stopped in and handed the owner his card. “He was interested in basically just getting some T-shirts. That rolled into me suggesting caps, aprons and promotional products,” he says.
Fat Fingers, a retro, 1950s-style restaurant, opened its doors in Saugus, MA. Fusion LLC outfitted Fat Fingers’ employees with red T-shirts and caps. Since the opening, Del Vecchio has seen other opportunities pop up. The restaurant has a chalkboard to go along with the retro theme, so Del Vecchio suggested a mug with a chalkboard.
And while it wasn’t a large order (around 100 pieces total), there is great potential for future business. The restaurant owner is opening up several other locations. Since he was pleased with Fusion’s turnaround, he will use the company to promote the new locations. The owner has also approached Del Vecchio about doing shirts, aprons and promotional products that can be displayed or sold in the restaurant.
For now, Del Vecchio has earned a few thousand dollars from the new client. He’s also reinforced an invaluable lesson in business. “Never assume that a new business is all set. I’ve learned that by stopping in or picking up the phone, you can grow sales. This was a five-minute conversation that turned into a relationship,” he says. The owner was so busy with the construction part of opening the doors that he forgot all about ordering the shirts. When the owner called Del Vecchio on a Monday, Fusion stepped up and got the T-shirts by Wednesday.
Biz tip: Crossing paths
Del Vecchio recently worked on a promotion for a hot sauce company in Massachusetts. He thought it was a great idea to connect the hot sauce company with Fat Fingers. Now, they’re in negotiations. “One thing we do at Fusion is try to get businesses to work together. It’s all referral business. You never know when you may be able to get another lead,” he says. |
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| ASI Education Is Looking for Dynamic Speakers |
Do you have what it takes to be a top-notch industry educator? Do you have a passion for sales, marketing or business management? Are you an industry consultant or skilled ASI distributor? If so, the ASI Education team is looking for you!
We're looking for candidates who can deliver compelling webinars on the most effective tools and techniques used in business today. We want you if you're a thought-provoking sales, marketing or business-building guru who can showcase your talents in ASI's Online Learning Center. This is a priceless opportunity to help brand you as an expert in your field – and also provide amazing networking opportunities to grow your bottom line and your career.
Click here to connect with us. |
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GET CREDIT LIVE
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 If you’re new to the ad specialty industry or could use some fresh confidence and motivation, “Transform Yourself Into a Promotional Expert” is a must-attend. Led by well-known author and business consultant David Blaise, this session will take place at ASI New York on Tuesday, May 8, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. You’ll learn the proven diagnostic approach to selling and the rapport-building tools and questions you need to position yourself as a confident and professional promotional advisor. For more information, click here. |
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GET CREDIT ONLINE
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 In our webinar, “Green A to Z: Become an Eco-Apparel Selling Expert,” you’ll get an information-packed crash course in natural and recycled fabrics from Howard Headden, vice president of sales for Ash City USA. Also, learn valuable tips on eco-friendly decorating techniques and processes. To watch the webinar, click here.
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Case Study:
Repeat Business Through Uniforms
While event apparel may mean reliable business several times a year, handling a company’s uniforms can mean even more frequent orders. But with a product like uniforms, which can require customization depending on shirt size and many other factors, clients will continually return to those distributors who make handling them as easy as possible.
Jim McNeil, owner of J&E Uniforms Inc. (asi/382193), sources uniforms and apparel for one company that orders at least once a year, for orders ranging from $3,000 to $122,000 of business. While the apparel he offers could be ordered elsewhere, McNeil has ensured the client comes back to him by putting in extra effort in organizing the uniforms.
“We separately wrap each shirt in a plastic bag and add a computerized label specifying the department head, so when they get them they can just pass each box to the right person,” says McNeil.
This contrasts with what had happened a few years earlier, when the client tried to order 1,700 polo shirts online for an employee appreciation event. They all arrived in a few huge boxes, which required the client to assign workers to the task of organizing and distributing the shirts, a chore that took three employees an entire week to accomplish. The appreciation for the extra service McNeil provides the company has kept it loyal to him ever since.
Event Print (asi/299826) recently began offering online ordering for its apparel products so that its customers could save their frequently-ordered items and get their orders in any time of the day. The company has also moved its production on-site, which cuts down on the turnaround time even further. “Most people forget to reorder uniforms until the last minute, especially our bigger customers,” says Jake Trowbridge, director of marketing and community relations for Event Print. “We are constantly trying to add value to the service so they want to keep coming to us.”
Uniforms are also getting more varied, even within the same company. “The uniform business used to just be navy pants and light blue shirts,” McNeil says, “but now there might be four different pants, five T-shirt colors and three different caps in just one department.” A distributor who can make sourcing a range of items and styles simple for an organization makes it more likely the business relationship with last.
Biz tip: Make their lives easy
No one wants to do business with someone who makes things difficult. By taking care of all the details, such as organizing, labeling and packaging clients’ orders, you’re ensuring that they’ll want to come back to you again and again. |
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| ASI SHOW NEWS |
Join us for our “Women’s Networking Reception: 10 Ways to Grow Your Contact List” at the ASI Show New York on Tuesday, May 8, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. After a brief, informative presentation, you’ll enjoy drinks and snacks and connect with like-minded women in the ad specialty industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to build your supplier and distributor network of women in this industry and watch your business grow. To register for the ASI Show New York, click here.
What good is a catalog if your audience isn’t looking at it? Gain valuable tips for improving your print and online catalogs from “The Catalog Doctor: A Private Critique with ASI’s Catalog Pro.” This is a consultative session for pre-registered suppliers, who are asked to submit their catalogs to ASI in advance so Tom Augeri, ASI’s marketing director, can develop a plan to make the marketing materials stronger and more appealing. Meet with Tom at the ASI Show New York on Tuesday, May 8, between 9:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. For more information, click here. |
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| ASI SHOW EDUCATION |
| Enjoy a full trade show experience in one day with the Advantages Roadshow. The Roadshow is making over 40 stops in 2012, and each stop on the tour is worth five points toward your BASI certification. To see when the Advantages Roadshow is coming to your area, click here. |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
Look for these interactive classes on the ASI Education Online Learning Center:
Wearables University: The Ins and Outs of Performance Wear
Sales: Selling and Sourcing Printing
Click here to get started. |
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| Distributor Success System |
 ASI's educational Distributor Success System is the ultimate "crash course" for new distributors entering the industry.
Led by several ASI executives, and supplemented with interviews with successful distributors, top industry experts and end-users from the Fortune 500, the education content provides new distributors with a clear roadmap to jump-start their business.
This self-instruction series for new distributors is available online so it can be accessed 24/7. Each section contains valuable insight and content developed for new distributors.
Click here to try out the system. |
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