Quick Tip: Track your Cold Calling

Most businesses at one time or another will have to make cold calls to drum up new prospective clients.  For some, it can be the single, most terrifying thing to do as it can be very intimidating to call people and pitch your product or service for fear of getting rejected or just encountering downright rude people.  But not to worry, we've all been there and know exactly what you're going through.  While some will never get "use to it" nor do they want to, there is one thing you can do to minimize uncomfortable situations when cold calling....keep track of your calls.  Make sure you keep track of who you have called and when and take excellent notes on what was discussed.  The last thing you want to do is repeatedly call the same business or person when they've adamantly shown no interest.  Doing this can quickly turn a cold call into a heated call.  Make sure your sales team is on the same page as to who's calling who and if a follow up is needed.  I can't tell you how many times we receive calls on a daily basis from vendors that want us to open an account with them.  The kicker is we already have an account with a lot of these companies which they would know if they kept better records of their cold calling efforts.  Cold calling is hard enough as it is....make it easier on yourself and take good notes just like we were taught in school.  Thoughts?

Quick Tip: Logo Colors

When designing your company or organization's logo, one of the more challenging decisions that will come up is, "what color combinations will work well together?"  Our quick tip today is to look to your favorite sports teams or colleges for inspiration.  The marketing powers that be at those organizations have already done the work for you.  If you're a Florida Gators fan, why not go with the BLUE and ORANGE?  Maybe you graduated from the University of Hawaii, then BLACK and GREEN it is!  As for our logo, I'm a HUGE Lakers fan but couldn't convince myself to go with a PURPLE and GOLD logo so I settled for BLACK and GOLD.  Hey, those are my high school's colors so I'm representing in some way. :)  So the next time you need to decide on a nice color combo, you'll know exactly where to look.  At the very least, you'll have a lovely background story as to how your logo came to fruition.  Already have a cool story about how you chose your organization's colors?  Feel free to share. 

Promotional Product of the Month: Zippered Portfolio with Calculator

What separates a person who knows exactly what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be from a person who's constantly doing 360s in the middle of the room?  A Portfolio of course!  Get organized or help your group get organized with this month's PPOM.  Have a trade show or conference coming up?  Why not arm your attendees with all their tools in one nifty zippered portfolio so nothing ever goes missing!  Notepad...CHECK, calculator...CHECK, pen loops...CHECK, extra pockets...CHECK and your company name for everyone to see...CHECK!

6408 Zippered Portfolio with Calculator

- Includes 30 Page 8 ½" x 11" Writing Pad
- Elastic Pen Loop, Card Holders, Mesh ID Holder And Calculator
- 3 Interior Pockets: One With A Zipper And One Is Expandable
- Outside Zipper For Security
- COLORS AVAILABLE: Black.
- IMPRINT COLORS: Standard Silk-Screen Colors
- APPROXIMATE SIZE: 10" W x 13 ¼" H

Normal Production Time:
10 Working Days

Product Size:
10" W x 13 ¼" H

Product Weight:
10 per carton @ 15 lbs.

Setup Fee: $35.00 per color

Min. order 20 pieces
$14.13 each 

*shipping cost not included

 

Quick Tip: Logo Design - Ask for Vector...

No, Vector is not a person, it's a type of file.  One of the most exciting things about starting your own business, aside from being able to make your own hours and having celebrities knocking on your door (just kidding) is seeing your company logo on things like shirts, signage, letterhead, stickers, pens, calendars, cars, etc.  Somehow, seeing your logo on real tangible items makes the dream more real.  If you've already started your business or are thinking about starting one up, you'll eventually need to have a logo created so that you can create a recognized brand and stand out amongst your competitors.  Whether you decide to design it yourself or hire a graphic designer, make sure to design or ask for your logo in a vector format (eps, ai).  Vector files are most commonly created in Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw.  A vector file creates the image in shapes and curves so that the image can be resized without distorting the image.  This will allow you to use your logo for something as small as a pen to a full car wrap.  Files created in photoshop are raster files (bmp, jpg, png) and are created with pixels.  This is terrific for pictures as every pixel can be a different color but when you try to resize it for different applications, the image will become pixelated or blurry.  I'm big on metaphors so think of a vector file as a swiss army knife that is so versatile that you can use it for almost any application whereas a raster file is that plastic knife from McDonald's that is only good for spreading jam and butter on your morning breakfast.  Lastly, a vector file must be created in a vector-based program such as Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw.  Just like me calling my home charming doesn't make it bigger, simply saving a jpeg as an eps or renaming the file does NOT make it a vector file.  Ask for vector, you'll thank me for it later.  ;)

Source: www.eznetu.com