With leaves on the ground, it is time to maximize your sales efforts for the last months of 2011. Here are some suggestions to make that happen!

Increase efforts in the Golf Market—talk to individuals who you know that are involved in golf tournaments and tell them that you want to help increase attendance for their event. All tournaments reward players with shirts that are worn during the day’s activities. Tell your customers to place their shirt order early and suggest they give them to participants when they sign up, instead of waiting until the day of the event to do so. Most players would love to wear their commemorative shirt a few times before the tournament. When the shirts are worn ahead of time, a wider audience will see them and that will increase the number of player sign ups. The additional exposure created by the shirts being out early will also increase sponsor numbers and that adds revenue. The days of doing things the same way and expecting different results are over. I bet if you pitch this idea to buyers, they will tell you they have never given shirts out beforehand.

Become a Specialty Seller–pick out a line of shirts that you like and develop a pitch that tells buyers the benefits that are associated with purchasing them. Let’s use placket shirts as an example. They are an inexpensive advertising medium when compared to other promotional products because they reach a larger audience than items such as clocks and mugs. Those products offer limited exposure when compared to shirts, since recipients are many times the only ones to see them. That is not the case with shirts, because when worn, they become portable billboards. Since styles of shirts change frequently, there are always new materials and colors available. Make sure that you stay abreast of what’s new and pitch those styles and decorating techniques based on their advantages. By doing this, you will increase the number orders that you write before the end of 2011.

Sell High Performance—there are many styles of high-performance gear around, but one style that will generate orders feature wicking capabilities. This type of clothing is perfect for customers that desire comfort during outdoor activities, since they help manage the level of perspiration that someone experiences. They can also be used as reward items in safety programs and sold to construction and trucking companies–industries where excessive perspiration is an everyday occurrence. Their wicking abilities make them unique and useful to a wide audience. Sometimes the best way to sell anything, is to grab it by the horns and run with it. I would be running with wicking shirts to increase my order flow.

Go Organic—Garments made from environmentally friendly resources are on the minds of many customers and it appears they are here to stay. Organic shirts are eco-friendly because they are made of bamboo, organic cottons, hemps and even plastic bottles. The greatest thing about selling this product line is that is gives you the chance to approach customers with something that is unique. There are many other eco-friendly promotional products in the market that are made of recycled materials to augment your sales.

Back to Golf—to WOW customers you must show them products they have never seen before or have not thought about in years. Since there are only a small amount of new items available, to impress your prospects, you must show them older products that appear to be new. A great item to pitch are high quality tags that golfers would love having. Inexpensive plastic tags have flooded the market and are like commodity items that are special to no one. Avoid the inexpensive approach and present customers with two-sided custom imprinted double baked enamel finished tags that feature depth and luster. These handmade tags are offered in gold and silver finishes and instead of coming with plastic straps like cheap tags, feature leather straps and come individually boxed. Other tags are available in antique finishes and feature leather straps, too.
Show products like this to prospects and let them know how quality tags are appreciated by recipients and keep their advertising message around for years