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 GET CREDIT LIVE
– 8 points
 Would you like to know how you can reach your peak both personally and professionally? Do you wonder what it takes to lead effectively? You’ll learn all this and more when you attend ASI’s first-ever full-day sales session lead by Tony Robbins, at the ASI Show Chicago. On Tuesday, July 17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Robbins – the world-renowned authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiation, organizational turnaround and peak performance – will deliver a program that’s sure to improve your success in the ad specialty industry, and in the rest of your life. To attend this exclusive training event, register for the ASI Show Chicago now. |
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GET CREDIT ONLINE
– 1 point
In our online, self-paced course, “Rev Your Engines: Sell to the Booming Automotive Market,” you’ll learn how to harness the power of the automotive market, a profitable come-back sector. Click here to take the course.
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Nicole Rollender, ASI’s executive director of professional development, discusses strategies for selling to automotive clients. |
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Case Study:
Slam Dunk
When InkHead Promotional Products (asi/231159) was approached by the Slamdance Film Festival to sponsor its event, InkHead was ready for some fun. The Slamdance Film Festival is an annual event held in Utah at the same time as the Sundance Film Festival. Slamdance is reserved for independent films.
Every year, Slamdance orders branded lanyards to hold the passes for the event. Kelly Calligan, sponsorship and marketing manager with the organization, did an Internet search to find a new provider this year and InkHead caught her eye. She noted that InkHead had a very inviting and organized site and offered a wide variety of what she was looking for.
“This year the festival's theme circled around candy, and our main imagery was similar to a LifeSaver. We had the idea of handing out Slamdance candy at the festival, so I decided to check out what InkHead had available. Much to my surprise, InkHead could print labels on actual LifeSavers that looked identical to this year's central artwork. This was without a doubt one of the coolest things at the festival this year, and it earned our marketing team a lot of praise,” says Calligan.
InkHead provided three items for the event: custom-label LifeSavers candies, lanyards with a bull clip, and a concert pass holder. Two days before the event, Slamdance reached out for 200 more lanyards and concert pass holders. SnugZ/USA (asi/88060) printed the lanyards and had a suitable alternative concert pass that InkHead was able to deliver to Park City, UT, in less than 24 hours.
The distributorship is very pleased with the amount of buzz that’s been generated. “What’s more, the partnership with Slamdance represents an area we’re focusing on heavily this year – events and event marketing,” says Michael Ollinger, Internet marketing coordinator for InkHead. “So far, we’ve received 10 orders from filmmakers directly as a result of the sponsorship.”
Biz tip: Remember your suppliers
"You never know what the client will need in the eleventh hour before the event. For example, we received a request from Slamdance organizers two days before the event was set to start for more lanyards and badge holders. Thanks to our relationship with the great folks over at SnugZ, whose facilities are located less than 50 miles away from the event, we were able to go above and beyond for the client," Ollinger says. |
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1-Minute Case Study |
In a new video report, Advantages is presenting a 1-Minute Case Study each month that focuses on quick success stories that will boost your creative energy. In this month’s edition, we spotlight ways to deal with high-pressure clients.
Advantages Staff Writer Jennifer Vishnevsky discusses a successful campaign produced for the Super Bowl. |
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Social Networking |
 Like Us on Facebook
When you become a member of our ASI Education Facebook fan page, you’ll connect with us and lots of other distributors, suppliers and decorators who are developing innovative approaches to sales and marketing. You’ll get the latest ASI Education news, view our latest webinars and educational videos, read case studies and pick other fans’ brains for their most effective strategies to increase your sales – and your bottom line. Click here to join us now.
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GET CREDIT LIVE
– 1 point
 At some point, every salesperson and every business reaches a level of sales they can't seem to break through. Whether you reach your sales plateau at $15,000, $150,000 or $1.5 million, this action-oriented session will provide you with specific strategies for getting your sales and profits to the next level. Attend “Crush It: Push Past Your Sales Plateau” at The ASI Show Chicago on Wednesday, July 18, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. to learn sales-success secrets from David Blaise, a popular industry speaker, author and business consultant. For more information, click here. |
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GET CREDIT ONLINE
– 1 point
 In our informative webinar, “Protect Your Clients and Your Company: Product Safety Made Simple,” attorney Leeton Lee will guide you through the CPSIA laws and Cal Prop 65, offer cautionary tales of working with overseas vendors, give examples of highly regulated products, and simplify the critical steps you should take to ensure your products are safe, protect yourself from liability and avoid litigation. This class is a must for distributors and suppliers alike. Click here to take the course.
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Case sTudy:
A Snowball's Chance
Sometimes, a unique find yields great rewards. When Kris Robinson was living in Los Angeles, he purchased a snowman kit in a retail store in Santa Monica. The chief sustainability officer and executive vice president with PromoShop (asi/300446) noticed that there wasn’t anything similar out in the retail/wholesale world. And luckily, PromoShop still had it around all these years. PromoShop created the complete snowman kit (minus the snow!). A burlap sack contained a corncob pipe, red felt scarf, three purple buttons, two black eyes and a carrot nose. The company imprinted a unique slogan on the sack: “Doing business with PromoShop and ecopromos.com is like building a snowman…it is always fun and the outcome will make you smile! So what are you waiting for? Let’s have some fun and build great things.”
The distributorship imported the kits from one of its overseas CPSIA factories. All products and printing included in the kits are CPSIA tested and compliant. “We created the piece and then pitched it to clients. It was our concept,” Robinson says.
PromoShop started selling the kits a few years ago, and the feedback has been great. The initial order of 2,500 kits sold out, and another 2,500 were ordered. Many have been sold to ski resorts and hotels. The tally so far: about $40,000 in revenue.
Biz tip: Be creative
If you’re looking to follow in Robinson’s footsteps, let your mind wander. “Create whatever you want, as there is no limit to ideas and creativity. Make sure you do your due diligence on factories and make sure they are CPSIA registered, compliant and tested,” 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
– 1 point
 Want to offer your clients a service they can’t get from your competitors? By creating an in-house design and/or decoration department, you’ll become a one-stop shop. And, you may be surprised to learn how affordable in-house decoration solutions can be. Carleen Gray of Stahls' ID Direct will present “Take Control of Your Decorating” at the ASI Show Chicago on Wednesday, July 18, from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. In this session, you’ll discover ways to make personalization easy for you and your clients, the secrets of producing crisp, full-color digital logos with no per-color fees, and a lot more. To register for the ASI Show Chicago, click here. |
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GET CREDIT ONLINE
– 1 point
 In our webinar, “Sell More Made-in-the-USA Products,” moderated by Advantages Editor Kathy Huston, you'll learn how to tell if a product is really U.S.-made and the hottest markets to target. To watch the webinar, click here.
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Case Study:
For the Troops
The art of self-promotion lies in coming up with creative campaigns that appeal to your clientele and prospects, says Jean Moore. As the owner of a Fayetteville, NC-based distributorship that generates about 55% of sales from the military, Moore’s promotions often have an angle that speaks to the armed services.
Last July, Moore Exposure (asi/276255) seized on military appreciation night at a game of the Fayetteville Swampdogs, a collegiate summer league baseball team, to craft a fun and memorable self-promotion. The game also happened to be “Dog Night,” meaning many attendees brought their pooches. With both themes in mind, Moore Exposure created military-inspired camouflage doggie bandanas. Featuring the distributorship’s logo and website address, more than 200 bandanas were given out. “All of the dogs were wearing them,” says Moore. “They looked like little soldiers.”
Another time, the television show Extreme Makeover came to Fayetteville to build a new home for a former Navy chaplain who provides shelter and assistance to homeless female veterans. Moore Exposure donated 900 blank T-shirts for volunteers, many of them active military, who were helping with the project. While wearing the shirts, volunteers were photographed by media covering the event. The shirts didn’t contain Moore branding, but the distributorship was mentioned in the credits of the popular show. Plus, word of Moore Exposure’s involvement spread fast through the Fayetteville area, a locale with strong connections to the military. “We were part of an event that meant a lot to people in the community,” Moore says.
Biz tip: Give and you shall receive
Moore says the return on investment from such promotions is that they resonate well with military clients and the people tied to them. “We’ve had clients say to us, ‘The reason we work with you is because you’re so good to the military,’ ” says Moore, a mother of two Army cadets. “It’s also good for employee morale and is just the right thing to do. Our first goal is to be a good corporate citizen. And if we do that, it’s like karma – good things back to us.” |
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| ASI SHOW NEWS |
TIME Magazine reports that former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley “is widely viewed as the nation’s top urban executive.” During his more than 20 years leading this major metropolis, he has governed proactively and implemented forward-looking policies. His innovative efforts have been emulated globally by government officials and business owners to generate substantial growth in job creation and business development. Don’t miss Daley’s inspiring Keynote at the ASI Show Chicago on Thursday, July 19, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m, where you’ll receive a hands-on lesson in leadership, crisis management and in preparing for future business challenges. To register for the ASI Show Chicago, click here.
If you earn your BASI or MASI certification before the ASI Show Chicago, you’ll be invited to attend an exclusive BASI/MASI reception at the Show, hosted by ASI President and CEO, Tim Andrews. Join your fellow BASI/MASI recipients on Wednesday, July 18 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for free drinks and snacks, and connect with some of the most dedicated people in the ad specialty industry. To take online classes toward your BASI or MASI right now, click here. |
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| UPCOMING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES |
| The ASI Power Summit is the premier event dedicated to bringing together the industry’s most knowledgeable, most influential and most thoughtful people to delve into many important topics, issues, and trends that are impacting the advertising specialty marketplace. Join us at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, FL from November 11-13, 2012 to make business and personal connections that will last a lifetime. Click here to register for the 2012 ASI Power Summit. |
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| THE LATEST ONLINE CLASSES |
Look for these new, interactive classes in the ASI Education Online Learning Center:
Hot Niche Markets: Sell to High-Tech Buyers
Wearables University: Create a Complete Apparel Program
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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