Advertising 101: Buying Promotional Items

You've thought about the type of promotional items you're looking for and you're ready to make decisions. Where do you start?

1. Never done this before?

You should start with recommendations from friends or co-workers. The best advertising is word-of-mouth, and if you know someone who has received great service and pricing from a company, then you should definitely check it out!

2. What do I look for in a promotional products distributor?

Price is always a consideration...just remember, sometimes you get what you pay for! You should look for a combination of price and service, a company that's going to stand behind the items they sell, someone who's going to be there when you have a problem or need to re-order. Look for someone who's upfront about the costs involved (item cost, set-up charges, shipping/delivery charges, taxes, etc.) and you might want to look for a company that provides art services if you don't have access to a graphic artist.

3. Compare prices

Even if you have a company that you've worked with in the past, I suggest getting a quote from another company every once in a while just to ensure you're getting the best pricing available. If you get a lower price from another company but still want to work with the folks to whom you've been loyal, just take that lower pricing back to your old friends...they'll find a way to match the prices to keep your business. One word of warning about promotional products: Always make sure you're comparing "apples to apples" when you get several quotes. There are so many products out there; you want to be confident you're getting a quality product at a good price.

4. Placing the order

You'll have to decide on product color, imprint color, logo or graphics to imprint on the item, quantity, in-hands date, etc. Make sure you are specific with what you want - if you want to buy red koozies, make sure you know what color of red koozie you're getting...there are a lot of shades of red out there! If you're unsure and you have time before your deadline, the supplier should be able to get a random sample of the item. You may have to pay minimal shipping charges, but it's worth it in the long run to know your boss will be satisfied with the product she is getting!

5. Payment options

If you've never done business with this distributor in the past, they may require full payment upfront. You might be required to put down some percentage of the total as a deposit with balance due upon delivery. Or you may be able to set up an account with payment due within 30 days. For most large companies or state government entities, you'll be able to work within your normal purchase order system.

6. And finally, my random thoughts!

• Many manufacturers reserve the right to a 5 to 10% over-/under-run. This means you order 1,000 key rings, but you'll get anywhere from 900 to 1100 if they work with a 10% over-/under-run. Printing is somewhat of an inexact science and it's hard to stop a press at exactly 1,000 pieces.

• Shipping costs are going up as I'm sure you know. Make sure you get an estimate of shipping or delivery costs as part of your quote.

• When providing artwork, please provide the highest resolution, best quality file you have. Most manufacturers require vector/eps files. If you provide something from a website or out of a PowerPoint, you may encounter art charges for rebuilding the artwork or, at the very least, a delay in getting your items in-hands.