LISA K. HORN freelance journalist
portfolio: Features 2009
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PUBLICATION: PPB
ISSUE: January 2009
Leading Women
Six women from some of the largest supplier and distributor firms share their experiences, views and lessons learned during their more than 140 collective years as president of their respective companies.
Forty years ago, the promotional products industry, like most other fields, was a man's world. But look around today, and you'll see just as many—and perhaps even more—women as men...
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PUBLICATION: Brand News (a special supplement to PPB)
ISSUE: January 2009
Busting The Top 10 Incentive Myths
What you know about the incentive marketplace may surprise you. Once the top 10 myths of incentive sales are dismissed, you'll see the opportunities to expand your business are real.
Business growth: it's what drives business success in any economy. With new customers even harder to find in today's market, it is imperative to sell deeper into your current client base. But if you've fulfilled all of your customers' promotional products needs, the only way to get more business is to add to your offerings. Selling incentives is a natural line extension that opens up new lines of revenues while building on your skills as a promotional products professional.
Many promotional consultants have shied away from selling incentives because there are misconceptions on how the industry works, the effort involved and the real dollars to be made. But the reality is that distributors who don't include incentives in their product mix are leaving money on the table—as well as opening the door for competitors.
To help set the record straight, we've busted the Top 10 incentive myths so you can be armed with the facts about the role incentives sales play in business growth.
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PUBLICATION: Promotional Consultant
ISSUE: January/February 2009
Million-Dollar Baby
Want to hit a million dollars in sales this year? Follow these nine tips and see your sales soar in 2009.
It's 2009. What are your sales goals for the year? While success can be found at any sales level, there's something magical about crossing the million-dollar sales threshold. For those aspiring to log $1 million in sales, how can you hit the mark? And for those million-dollar producers, how do you continue selling at a high level?
To find out, Promotional Consultant went to the source—three promotional consultants who have consistently hit the million-dollar sales mark—to find out their secrets to success. Here's what they had to say.
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PUBLICATION: INStore
ISSUE: January/February 2009
The 21st-Century Toolbox
The right tools can help tech-savvy retailers streamline operations, produce ROI and separate them from the competition.
Many decades ago, general stores used the trusty pencil and paper to keep track of sales, inventory and expenses. While today's retailers can survive using hand-written receipts and basic electronic spreadsheets, they lose much efficiency and power that today's technological tools provide—not to mention how the lack of technology impacts stores' image and branding.
"Any retailer that has suffered or gone out of business due to competing with Wal Mart or Best Buy can tell you the ramifications of being a laggard when it comes to continuously evaluating and adopting new technologies," says Mike Hrabe, co-founder of Quantum Retail. "Retail is a tough and competitive business, and gaining an edge is critical when supporting merchants and marketing as well as enhancing the customer relationship.
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PUBLICATION: Promotional Consultant
ISSUE: March 2009
Dynamic Duos
By combining business with pleasure, these couples have found success in the office and at home.
Working with your spouse can be a blessing...and a curse. But it is possible to have a thriving business and be happily married—at the same time.
Want proof? Promotional Consultant interviewed eight couples to learn how they work the business, what obstacles they have overcome and what advice they can give to other husband-wife duos trying to make their way together in the promotional products industry. Here’s a little insight into what makes a dynamic duo.
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PUBLICATION: Your Business From Home
ISSUE: Volume 4 Issue 6
Tool Time
EIRO Research’s comprehensive system of training, tools and support are the foundation for business success.
Chefs need the right ingredients, cutlery and cookware to prepare a gourmet meal. Hairstylists need professional shears to sculpt hair into the most flattering cuts. And salespeople need the training, tools and support to build a successful business. EIRO Research offers its associates a proven system of tools to grow their home-based businesses to the level of prosperity they desire.
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PUBLICATION: Promotional Consultant
ISSUE: April 2009
Saving Green
With these 10 eco-tips, you can help keep the planet green and your bottom line black.
There are so many ways to make your office environment more eco-friendly—buying recycled paper, printing double-sided pages, turning computers and lights off at night, changing to compact fluorescent light bulbs and using filtered rather than bottled water. And these just scratch the surface.
With all the operational changes needed to reduce our ecological footprint, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at times. But if each of the 20,000+ practitioners in our industry implements small changes in our business operations, collectively we can make a positive impact on the environment.
And being green is easier than you think. Here’s proof. Promotional Consultant asked eco-experts as well as suppliers and distributors for their favorite lesser-known green business tips. The result is 10 quick tips that require little investment, improve the planet and, in many cases, boost your bottom line.
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PUBLICATION: Promotional Consultant
ISSUE: April 2009
Turning Green Into Gold
There’s more to selling eco-friendly products than you might think. Here’s what you need to know before jumping on the green bandwagon.
With all the environmental emphasis in the media and green items flooding the marketplace, you may feel pressured to jump feet first into selling eco-friendly products. But there’s more to this niche market than meets the eye.
To find out more about the challenges and opportunities the green market presents, Promotional Consultant spoke to four distributors who specialize in eco-marketing. While each of their business styles is different, there are some common denominators.
All have a passion for being ecologically conscious, and they practice what they preach in both their professional and personal lives. And they all emphasize the importance of being educated about not only the products you sell but also the green movement as a whole. Here is their insight so you can determine if expanding into the green marketplace is the right move for you.
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e-mail: lisa_k_horn@hotmail.com phone: 214-674-8400 Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakhorn