We have all seen pens, notebooks, mouse mats that are given away at exhibitions but in today’s on-line world are they still worth the money? If you are going to have give-a-ways, what item(s) do you choose?

Promotional items can be given to potential customers, existing customers and staff members. It is human nature to want to get something for nothing or invest a small amount in the hope of a large return. We can’t fight human nature, but we can take advantage of it and use it to increase sales. To ignore promotional items would be a mistake. Promotional items are still one of the best ways to make your company memorable and a carefully chosen item will keep your company name in front of your potential customers for some time, a useful feature when you bear in mind that customers buy when they are ready to buy, not when you want them to buy. Promotional items are more expensive, in cost per thousand terms, than traditional or on-line advertising, but they are better targeted, circulation in most cases will be restricted and, as with all advertising, it is not what it costs but how much it makes for you that is important. Keep a note of who received the promotional item and build an accurate record of the response received and the return on your investment. In short promotional items are still worth the money and should form part of your overall promotional strategy.

Having decided that promotional items are worth the investment, you now need to decide which item is best for your needs. You can print or engrave your company name and logo on almost anything: pens, pencils, mugs, key rings, caps, office supplies, calendars, usb memory sticks, CDs, DVDs and golf balls are the most common, but the list is endless.

You need to choose an item that is suitable for your business, your customer or your employee. Think about what the most effective gift would be, one that would be welcomed and kept. Look for something out of the ordinary for your gift. It the gift is to be given away at an exhibition choose two levels of gift a more expensive one for customers and potential customers and a cheaper gift for people who visit your stand but are unlikely to buy from you. If finances allow have a choice of the higher priced gifts. When talking with your potential customer try to discover the type of gift that could be useful to them. Quality gifts have a longer life than cheaper gifts. I know of envelope openers and staple removers that have been in use by customers for more than 10 years.

If your promotional item is a type of loyalty card where the customer gets the card stamped each time he visits your business. For example, if the customer needs the card stamped three times for a free gift put five boxes to be stamped on the card with the first two completed – they still have to make three visits but starting off 40% of the way to the target gives better results than starting off from cold, even when the goal is the same distance away.

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