A Tale of Two Pens
When is a pen just a pen, and when is a pen a marketing vehicle used for increased exposure for your business and sales. When you're making the decision to buy any promotional products, specifically pens, you need to decide whether the pen is an advertisement to increase exposure or is it a tool to increase sales.
The first pen, the economy pen, is a pen used to advertise and increase exposure. This pen should be less expensive and purchased in large quantities. The idea is to hand them out and leave them behind at restaurants, hotels, conferences, and trade shows. The pen should contain both your logo and your contact information. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR INDEPENDENT AGENTS AND BROKERS. I recommend purchasing at least 500 to 1000 pens and spending no more than $.45 per pen. Remember, the idea is to hand them out.
The second pen, or the more expensive pen, is a sales tool. Use it at real estate closings, car leases, and other significant contract signings. Financial Advisers, give out these pens when you sign a new client. Sales people should use these pens in front of prospects. When they comment "they like your pen", let them know all your new clients get these pens. The more expensive pen is normally over $2.00 per pen, however, when you use the pen as a closing tool, it is perhaps the least expensive (and most memorable) gift you can give a client.
The biggest mistake promotional product purchasers make when selecting a pen is they make their decision based upon the pens they like, as if they are going to use 500 pens personally. If you like a particular pen, ask for a sample or buy it retail but don't waste hundreds of dollars buying pens or any other promotional product that does not fulfill a marketing purpose. So remember, economy pens are for exposure and select the more expensive pens to increase sales. For more information visit www.imaginethatpromo.com.
