5 Common Mistakes Made When Ordering Promotional Products
When ordering promotional products, people think it’s an easy process. Maybe for them, but on the backend, it’s a lot of work. There are so many little details that need to get worked out between the manufacturer and the distributor before it can be shipped. Common mistakes made when ordering promotional products can cause trouble for both parties. Here’s a few that can be avoided next time you are looking to make a purchase.
Not Allowing For Enough Time
Everyone has deadlines and expectations to meet. Make sure you are planning well enough in advance when placing an order. There are multiple factors to take into consideration from the time the order is in, to the time you receive it. Between checking samples, custom branding, packaging, and shipping, a healthy amount of time is needed to get it all done right. Full kits compared to single items take longer because there are more pieces involved.
Custom puzzles are a popular gift. Deciding the best picture to use for the puzzle may require some back and forth communication. Try to have that settled from the beginning to save time. Then you’d pick out a nice box and packaging after looking at many examples. Manufacturing time needs to be considered as well. It can take at least a month from the time you place an order to the time you receive them.
Don’t try to rush charge items. Rush fees can throw you off budget for the extra labor on the back end. Place the order earlier. If you place too late, you could also run into low or out-of-stock issues.
Not Properly Communicating The Event
Often the purpose for giveaway items is not communicated well enough. If you explain the event in detail and who the audience is, client representatives can better understand what you are looking for. Is the event B2B, B2C, on a holiday, or a fundraiser? No detail is too much detail! An event on Valentine’s Day will be expected to reflect it. The client rep will help find pieces that not only represents your company, but the holiday. They’d look for red or pink items, heart shapes and things romance related like nice picture frames. This helps tie in everything and set you apart from competitors, making you more memorable to your target audience.
Not Being Organized From The Start
Too often orders are placed, started on, then shortly after a change from the client comes in. It slows the process and creates greater room for error. Budget, quantity, location for shipment, color scheme, and overall brand feel needs to be fully understood before ordering. If you come prepared, then the process can be a lot easier and quicker for everyone. Send over your company’s brand style guide to aid the client rep. Then it’s easier to find exact colors when looking for the best product.
Not Having A Plan B
Not all logos can come in full color. It depends on the manufacturer, materials and will likely be an extra cost to your budget. That leaves you with black or white, or if you have a secondary color. The same goes for the color of the product. For example, you need 3000 hats in green with a white logo but there are only 2000. You can switch to black, white, or your secondary color, say red. Another option is to split the units with the colors, half green and half red. You can remain on brand in either of these options. Always be prepared to adjust incase the stock cannot reflect your needs.
Going The Cheap Route Too Often
You pay for what you get. If you want to have nice quality items, be prepared to pay a little more. Most of the time, you want to spend more on products unless it is for a trade show. Keep trade show giveaways less than a dollar. Attendees have been seen bringing in a wagon and leaving with it filled with hundreds of pens, shot glasses and other small trinkets. People gravitate towards free things even if they don’t need it. If you know clients will be in attendance, have more expensive, select items for them. That way you can show off a good quality product, but not waste money. For corporate or employee gifts, and your standard promo items, don’t be frugal. Set aside a budget that will allow for a good representation of your company each time someone receives your items.
Learn from these mistakes made when ordering promotional products. Make sure you are prepared and know what you want. It sets you up on the fastest track to receive items, makes it easier for the laborers and keeps you budget smart!
Featured Image: ONNE Beauty on Unsplash