Now that I’ve fully immersed myself in the AAF life (aka finally learned the name of the Stallions’ quarterback), I feel that there’s no better time to take a look at the promotional marketing efforts behind the league…
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When I used to be heavily invested in music, teachers would often say, “The more you put in, the more you’ll get out.” This is true with my career, in my relationships and with my health. This is equally valid with regard to digital information. For example, the more online digital information I knowingly or…
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The promo industry has come a long way from the days of cheap giveaways, the proverbial “trinkets and trash.” The best companies have put the focus on value, quality and responsible sourcing, helping the industry to a record-breaking $23.3 billion in 2017 revenue. So why can’t it shake the nagging perception that it sells mostly cheap swag—and why does it matter?…
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It’s a new year with new opportunities to make 2019 your most successful year yet, and the first step is to get rid of the “but” in your vocabulary and stop making excuses. Many times I find people give excuses without even knowing it by making statements such as, “Last year my goal was to…
Read MoreBuilding brand awareness can be hard if you aren’t up to date with the latest business tools, including social media. That’s why we’re diving into ways to use Instagram—perhaps the most popular social channel—in order to reach your ideal audience. Instagram is not only a great way to connect, but also a helpful tool for promoting your business…
Read MoreWe’ve said it before, and we’ll probably be saying it forever at this point, but The Walt Disney Co. knows the ins-and-outs of marketing just as well as they know the key to everyone’s childhood heart. This includes meeting the ever-changing demands of its ever-growing audience. We couldn’t help but notice all of the new…
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Question: I have sales reps that I pay based on gross profit. Can I do these reports in QuickBooks? Answer: Unfortunately, no, QuickBooks does not calculate gross profit by sales rep for non-inventory items, which is 98 percent of our industry. I am working on a solution to this problem for some of my clients,…
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In business we must continually plan, execute and evaluate. 1. Plan: Most business folks have some sort of plan. Some have long-range plans. Some have annual plans. Most have at least a “to do” list to help plan their day. 2. Execute: Most business folks also execute. The key to good execution is good planning.…
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How do you spend your lunchtime? Many distributors and sales reps think lunch is a great time to eat a sandwich at their desk and catch up on their work. In my view, this is an incredibly bad use of the potentially most valuable part of your day. We are all in the relationship business.…
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Roger Bannister passed away a few weeks ago. His life holds a powerful lesson for all of us. In the early 1950’s it was considered physically and mentally impossible for any human to run a four-minute mile. But in 1954, Roger Bannister became the first person to break the four-minute mile barrier. Within months, another…
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