Business Gifts and Promotions for Business-to-Business Companies - By: Mark Yokoyama

Business gifts and promotional products used by business-to-business companies typically differ from those used by business-to-consumer companies for several reasons. Firstly, B2B companies have a smaller, nice target audience to reach. These customers are typically more valuable, either because they make larger purchases, more frequent purchases, or both. Also, B2B companies are generally more likely to have a longer sales cycle and a more complicated value proposition. Additionally, B2B customers are also much more likely to be making purchasing decisions in the office rather than at home.
Here we address the opportunities and challenges that are specific to business-to-business companies and how they can use branded business gifts and promotional products most effectively.

Using Business Gifts and Promotional Products to Start a Dialog
Reaching qualified decision-makers is often difficult for business-to-business companies. Traditional business-to-consumer companies can rely on direct mail and telemarketing to reach a large, relatively accessible audience that may include millions of potential buyers. In B2B sales, a typical market may be senior management at companies within a particular industry-- perhaps only dozens or hundreds of individuals. If used correctly, business gifts provide a unique opportunity to gain access to a small audience like this.

To really reach this elite audience, you’ll have to spend money-- a $1 promotional pen won't make an impact on the average CEO. Also, make sure your promotional mailings are creative and relate to both their business and your own. Even an expensive business gift without the right context will be less effective as a marketing piece. Be sure to spread your budget over multiple mailings, and don't expect to get meetings after the first mailing-- it takes time to build awareness. Creative, quarterly mailings that relate to and build upon each other are much more likely to turn into sales opportunities than a single mailing.

Trade Show and Event Giveaways
While you have access to your target audience at trade shows, conferences and conventions, keep in mind that you are competing for their time and attention—both at the show and afterwards. When planning business gifts for a trade show, consider how much time you need to explain your value proposition and structure your promotional plan accordingly. For example, if you are selling a complicated service or piece of software to a small target audience, it may be worth 50 cents or a dollar per minute to speak with a qualified buyer. Based on your business, you should decide ahead of time whether it makes more sense for you to spend a half-hour selling your product or service to 100 potential buyers or a minute explaining your company to 1,000. If a larger audience is more suitable for your goals, go with trade show giveaways. However, if having quality time with a smaller audience would be more beneficial, go with trade show business gifts. Not only will potential clients have a more personal experience at the show, they'll also be leaving with a tangible product that will be more memorable afterwards.

Turning Mail-order into Direct Mail
When shipping physical products to customers, it’s a mistake for a box to ever leave your warehouse without a promotional product inside. Every time you it does, you lose an opportunity to send your brand right to a buyer's desktop. While many companies will include a catalog or coupon with product shipments, most do not take advantage of the opportunity to send a piece of advertising that won't be thrown away with the box. It's an opportunity to reach your most existing customers (your most valuable audience) while avoiding the largest cost of doing a mailing, the shipping cost.

Corporate Gifts and Customer Retention
Most business-to-business companies do understand the value of a business corporate gift. Over 70% of businesses send holiday advertising gifts to their customers and the percentage is even higher amongst B2B companies. For customer retention marketing, your gifting plan needs to fit your business. For example, this may mean using a tier system to focus your budget on your top customers when buying holiday gifts. Non-holiday business gifts may be highly appropriate as well, such as if your client is celebrating an important anniversary. If your company is only getting a percentage of your customers' total business, use a loyalty program to increase that percentage. If your customers have annual contracts, use anniversary gifts to increase their likelihood or renewing or to promote additional service offerings as part of their renewal.

About the Author

Mark Yokoyama is Director of Marketing for ePromos Promotional Products, Inc., one of the largest promotional product and corporate gift distributors in the US. This article is copyright protected.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Mark-Yokoyama/54503

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