Friday, July 17, 2009

The Simple Business Card for Networking in Kelowna


For many years a pet peeve of mine is the fact that I run into many people who do not have business cards. This is the first step of promoting and branding you and your business,
Here is a great article by Donald Robichaud of Floodlight Consulting
Bruce Falkins

In this technical age with instant communication, cell phones, email, the internet, Facebook, Twitter and the like, it seems that the more people are into technology the less attention they pay to the old standby – the simple business card.
In a recent business meeting I saw people struggling to find their business cards, or even worse, express that they had run out. With printing companies located all over the Okanagan and with online ordering, how can you run out?

The business card is exchanged at the end of every introduction. It is your introduction to the world of doing business. How many people do you meet daily who can use your services? At every chance you get you should have a business card ready to hand out to potential clients. Networking with your business cards is the best way to add value to your marketing efforts and to stay top of mind with both clients and business associates.

A business card can help a person be recognized and promote the services one provides. Whether you are a one-man operation or a member of a large company, it has a few basic features such as your name, the company name and logo, and contact information including a telephone number, fax number (if relevant), web site and email address.

To make you and your company more memorable, you might include key words or a tag line that sums up your key value proposition. And when you order your cards, order in bulk. It will save time and money. There are three simple rules to networking with business cards for success:

Be Prepared - Never leave home or the office without your business cards. Keep a stack of cards at home, your office and in the car. For men, the breast pocket of your suit jacket, your shirt pocket or the right or left back pocket of your trousers. For ladies, a card holder may be preferable which is easily accessible from your handbag.

Be Alert - You will never know when an occasion to hand out cards to important people may arise. The person standing in line at the checkout or in the elevator might be your next biggest supporter and client. A simple networking event or your usual Saturday trip to the hockey rink may lead to doing business.

Be Remembered - You spend time marketing yourself and your company so that you look presentable to your clients. You should also do the same with your business cards. They have to look good and be worth keeping since this card will represent you whenever you are not around.
So never leave home or the office without your business cards. If your business card is simple and attractive, those who see it will immediately get your message and you will “Build Your Business”
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Donald Robichaud
President FloodLight Consulting
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/

Monday, June 22, 2009

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS - What are they? When is the right time to use them?


The greatest value of Promotional Products comes from their ability to get an effective, targeted marketing message in front of the prospects and clients you have to reach, without the wastes high costs associated with other media.

The definition of “Promotional Products”, is any useful item showing off your company logo, name or advertising message, however the best promotional products don’t just brand, they generate actual, measurable results.

WHAT IS A SUCCESFUL PROMOTION?

• An audience-appropriate product. – The most compelling marketing message in the world is lost on the recipient if the promotional item is not appropriate to your target audience.

• An effective message. – Very often, a promotional product shows only a company name or logo without any strong benefit statement, advantage or call to action. It usually costs no more to add these things to the imprint, but it can have a dramatic effect on the entire campaign.

• Targeted, Qualified recipients. – Very few companies can afford to market to everyone, so each promotion should be geared towards your target audience.

• Timing is everything. – A perfect marketing message delivered either too soon or too late does not produce positive results. I.e.: Calendars!

When you imprint an audience-appropriate product with an effective marketing message and deliver it to motivated recipient at the proper time, you dramatically increase your likelihood of success. Falkins Advertising helps our clients to master the four factors of a successful promotion!

WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR PROMTIONAL PRODUCTS?

There are over 650,000 items available providing a wealth of choices to fit any target audience and message.

According to the PPAI (Promotional Products Association International) the top 10 promotional product categories in North America are;

1. Wearables 29.3%
2. Writing Instruments 10.6%
3. Desk/office. Business accessories 7.6%
4. Calendars 7%
5. Bags 5.9%
6. Glassware/ceramics 5.5%
7. Recognition awards, watches/clocks etc. 4%
8. Magnets/buttons/badges/stickers 3.5%
9. Automotive accessories 3.5%
10. Sporting goods/leisure products 3.3%

If you would like to enhance your image and achieve a stronger bottom line through the use of promotional products please contact Bruce at;

Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Promotional Pens Kelowna


Writing instruments continue to be the number 2 Promotional item in North America, they come second only to Wearable’s.

The goals of your business should be kept in mind, there are thousands of different pens available so it’s important to differentiate between plastic and metal pens, stick pens and click style pens, there are so many options. The appearance of your pen needs to compliment your business and style, this is not to say that a less expensive pen is not desirable you just need to decide on its function and work from there.

The use of Promotional Pens now exceeds $2 billion. Promotional clothing is still ahead of pens, however consider how many pens with other businesses names do you find in your brief cases, desk drawers, your purse, or your home. Where did you get these pens? There’s a good chance somebody else owned them first and with the daily exchange of a pen you ended up with it.

Some people have suggested with the computer age pens may become obsolete and yet they remain a necessity in our world. Pens are needed at home, in the office, in restaurants, law firms and Doctor’s offices. Pens remain one of the most universal of Promotional Products!

Promotional pens are very reasonable especially as they travel between so many hands; the cost per impression is very low. Prices of pens vary from as low as $0.50 each to over $1000.00 each, but it doesn’t matter what your budget is, there is a promotional pen you can put your name on.

The most important thing is to display your company name and or logo proudly along with telephone or web information. I always recommend to my clients less is more when it comes to decorating your pen.

Why not try Promotional Pens for your next advertising campaign?

Give us a call!!!

-
Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com
http://www.falkinsadvertising.com/

Beating the Credit Crunch with Promotional Products in Kelowna


In times of the recession within the UK business is expected to struggle over the next few months to a year. Businesses whether forced to or not begin to look at ways in which they can cut their budgets and this on more occasions that not can mean cutting the spending on company marketing.

However cutting down marketing efforts does not help a company in the long run. After all people still need to know about your brand and this is especially important for new business. Alas cutting down marketing spending does not offer a simple solution but rather complicates things further down the line. Businesses should therefore be thinking about ways in which they can maximise their marketing efforts, get their brand out there and to do this with a minimum amount of spending but to a great degree of success and ROI and promotional products offer this.

Promotional products refer to merchandise that are used in marketing and communication program of a business. Promotional products, also known as corporate gifts or promotional gifts, are simple artefacts that contain your company brand logo. The beauty of promotional products is that there are so many to choose from all depending on your company’s budget and they come with no-strings attached.

When thinking of promotional products people commonly think of promotional pens and promotional mugs. However there are so much more that can really add something to your company. You can have promotional games such as Rubix Cubes to other toys and games. You can get promotional USBs, computer mice and mice mats. These are all very useful pieces of equipment to have and all contain you company’s brand that people will use on a daily basis.

The perception that promotional gifts can give to your company are also one of the things that makes promotional gifts so worthwhile. If you are an IT company and you give away free promotional USBs to customers and prospective customers it shows that your company understands new technology and people’s needs as well as having a product that is very much a part of the industry you operate in.

Promotional gifts can also make your company appear fun, zany and wacky which, in the internet age, is a good way of getting noticed. Giving away promotional sweets, games, stress toys or golf balls for example is a welcome surprise and does not give your company too much of a cold corporate perception. This is a common strategy which big corporations are using now and if you go to any big exhibition you will see well known companies such as EBay, Microsoft and Google using it.

Another positive aspect of promotional products is the cost. Promotional products are very cost effective and you can pay for what you need as you buy them in batches. On top of this there are so many varieties of the same product that range in price. For example you can get luxury metallic promotional pens or a cheaper plastic alternative all of which can be purchased in different batch sizes. So for small businesses it may be a batch of 100 and for bigger businesses a batch of 10,000 and so on-it is really up to you.

Overall promotional gifts show that there is hope in this economic climate to still advertise and market your brand and that cutting the budget altogether is not the only option. There are other ways in getting your brand noticed and heard and promotional products offer a great solution to this.
About the Author:


David Woods has worked in branding and marketing communications for a variety of businesses over the past 20 years and has much experience in using corporate gifts for various budgets. More information can be found at http://www.leighmans.com/


Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Beating the Credit Crunch with Promotional Products


Author: search rankpros

Monday, May 11, 2009

Kelowna Promotional Products


At Falkins Advertising Specialties we offer the highest quality promotional products in Kelowna BC with the best selection and the most reliable deliver for those clients who want to market effectively, increase brand awareness, and promote their business.

At Falkins Advertising Specialties our specialty is in Corporate Apparel Wear, Beverage Containers, Bags, Business Gifts, Writing Instruments, Tools and Knives.
We also carry promotional items, advertising specialties, logo items, corporate gifts, promotional gifts, tradeshow giveaways, corporate apparel, logo merchandise, imprinted merchandise , embroidery,
screen printing, imprinted products, hats caps,tshirts, clothing, shirts personalized pens, tradeshow items, premiums and promotional products for the Kelowna market.
-
Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Kelowna, BC
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com

Kelowna Writing Instruments

Writing instruments are the number 2 Promotional item in North America, second only to wearable's.

For this reason a pen can be a very important part of your advertising campaign.

A Promotional Pen with your Company name and Logo can cost anywhere from $0.50 each to over $1,000.00 each but whatever pen you choose your contact information stays in your clients or prospects hands longer than any other form of advertising.


Click here to visit our full selection.

Click here to see our full selection of Hotel Pens


Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com

Kelowna Business Gifts

Promotional gifts enhance business performance. Promotional gifts help you get a foothold in the market by building an identity for your brand with constant exposure to your markets. These gifts help you stay current with your existing client base as well as entice new clients.

Business gifts are available in a wide range of products to let you tailor your campaign to your business

At Falkins Advertising Specialties in Kelowna we specialize in Business presentation, Computer accessories, Convention desktop, Convention Travel, Digital and Audio, Flash Drives, Frames, Clocks, Awards, key fobs, Pens, Portfolios, Portfolio Folders – Leather portfolios, Jotters, note books, Portfolios, Writing instruments – pens, Fine crystal products , corporate awards

Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com

Tools and Knives Kelowna

Be top of your clients’ minds by being at the tip of their fingers! We offer 62 functional and durable products for do-it-yourself home improvement that will satisfy any professional or recreational handyperson’s preference.

Our variety of tool sets, drills, measuring tapes, multi tools, emergency tools and knives deliver on performance!

At Falkins Advertsing Speacialties we specialize in Drill sets, Knives, Cutters, measuring tools, multi tools, Tool sets bags and more


Falkins Advertising Specialties
"Promotional Products to Brand YOUR Business"
Tel: 250-317-4333
FAX: 250-448-5730
bruce@falkinsadvertising.com

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