Promo Items for customers?

Shawn G.

New member
So far, I've done the T-shirts.....

Would like to know what other things actually work for promo items, and how customers respond to the gesture.

Mugs?
Pens?
Calendars?
Tickets to sporting events?
Other?

Do you use them for repeat customers? for potential customers? for Damage control if there is a problem?

Hope to hear from everyone on this one, I want to know how to spend the few dollars i have wisely.

Thanks in advance for your input.
 
Yep, forgot to put magnets on my list. Definately want to try that one.

Anyone use clothing items? Hats? T-shirts? stuff that can be worn in public as advertising space?
 
I might be tempted to use t-shirts for commercial customers who spend big bucks every year, but not for residential customers, unless they happen to be golden where referrals are concerned.

Magnets are my favorite. They hold up the kid's art, they are right next to Domino's or Pizza Hut, and chances are you take a few steps to head out to the deck from there. They see your name often.

Rod signed up two more commercial accounts today, and took a stack of flyers and magnets in with him when he picked up keys and passcodes to the building...... Now he has two more decks to do, before they even put them out for the rest of the employees!

:cool:

Pens are good too, but when they run out of ink, you company goes into the trash unless you manage to replace it or they also have.....your magnet.

:)

We used www.fridgedoor.com Ask for Chris. Tell him we sent you. Great service. Reminds me it's time to order again! lol

Beth

;)
 
Hand outs

I have tried shirts(expensive)
magnets (still use them)
pens ( use them)
but the best way to get a smile from the wife is pot holders
every time i do a estimate I give a pot holder to the wife she says wow what a great idea, I think they cost me 75 cents per unit
in lots of 1000, unfortunitly the company i got them from is no longer in business. I think i can get the same deal from the guy that makes up business sweat shirts.
 
For those clients who refer other customers I usually
buy small plants. On my way to or from various places
I pass "farmers" who sell their wares and at usually a
very reasonable price. Mums 5 for $10.00 in the fall and
small blooming plants in the spring. Most of my clients
have quite a bit of money so the plant thing works since
giving a cash incentive is no real incentive to them.
 
Man did I ever get this thread subject wrong. I was scanning the threads and read "Porno Items for Customers", naturally I clicked on the thread to read it... :)

This would probably work with most of your male customers who would never forget your company name. You'd be the hit of the neighborhood. But I don't think their wives would fully appreciate the promotional value of some new additions to their video collection. :)

Getting back to the real subject, mistermagnets.com is a good place for magnets at a great price. Call them up and ask them to send you samples and they will send you a bunch. I've got some magnets now on the fridge from some pizza place in Phoenix. Lot of good it does me out here in Pittsburgh. I'm thinking about calling them up and ordering some pizza's for Ron and Scott... :)
 
Lance,

You made me go back and check what i called this thread. Whew !!........Thought you found a typo there.

Hey Tuna, I thought of something similar to offer to referalls. I was thinking of a small gift basket or the equivilent amount in a home depot gift card. (figuring some wives may want fruit and cheese rather than free tools.......)
 
Shawn, don't get too tied up in offering gifts and cheese logs and plants and stuff like that, remember your customers are hiring you to do a good job on their property. That in itself is worth much more than any promotional item you can give them. No amount of plants or cheese baskets or anything else is going to entice them to use you again or give your name out if you've done anything less than a great job for them.

Stick to the basics that have worked for years for all the rest of us, hats, t-shirts, lettering on your truck, magnets, business cards, direct mail, yellow pages, brochures, web site, etc. Most of the time our customers could care less if they are getting anything like a hat from us, they just want their house clean, deck sealed, brick restored, etc.
 
I think Lance is right.

I used to give these cool baseball hats with my logo on it and they cost me alot of money. Next thing I know some guys where I wash wanted jackets with the same logo on them. I didn't do the jackets and stopped giving away hats.

I've washed trucks at that company for a long time and am glad I stopped doing that.

Let your good work be the gratuity.
 
I disagree, I think the right things can make you money. Jackets for a ten dollar account wont work. But a few calenders and some magnets. your numbers is always around.

Let me explain at how many time i have gotten a call from and account i dont do. Every week!!!!!!!! at least one sometimes two.

they are calling from the calenders they have hanging on their wall. I dont service these people but they call us by accident. then we inform them that we are not their regular guy. about 20mins goes by and thy call back. they say they need and emergency grease spill and the regular guy cant gt to it. or they cant reach him like they could us. Well, thats the end of the story.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
 
For residental customers I dont know what their called , but those round rubber things that help you get a tight jar lid off with your company name & # on it?
 
Ron M.

Ron I think magnets, calenders, jar openers, etc. are fine.

The account I was speaking of is a big commercial account (government money) and when those hats weren't enough and they wanted jackets I stopped.

I also was called by their Human Resources person and told that giving those kinds of gifts was considered a gratuity and against their rules. I'm sure a calender or magnet would not be considered a gratuity.

Guess I should of finished the story the first time.
 
If you do it right, every time the customer looks at your work, your name will come to mind.
 
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