MEET THE TEAM : Rhonda LeGrand

Due to Rhonda’s expierenced years in the promotional products industry, many of our distributors know her, but for those who do not – meet our energitic, intelligent and FUN Sales V.P. of the South, Rhonda LeGrand ya’ll……

 

1. What is your favorite promotional product and why?

Frizzy finger duster because it’s unique, fun, colorful and attracts attention

2.  Where do you live?

San Antonio, TX

3.  What is your territory? 

TX, OK, LA, AR, MS, TN, AL, GA, FL, NC, SC

4. What is one unique fact about you that no one else knows?

I’ve visited all 50 states, and 14 foreign countries

5. Pint of beer or glass or wine? 

Glass of wine

6. Favorite show for work? PPAI Vegas? Orlando? Chicago?

Orlando

7. Favorite kind of music? 

Country and jazz

8. When did you start working with Beacon?

12 years ago, was one of the original investors

9. Sweet treats or salty snacks? 

Sweet treats

10. Because you travel so much, what is the craziest sight you’ve seen?

My rental car floating down flooded streets in New Orleans during a tropical storm with me in it!

11. What do you like best about working in this industry?

Usually working on fun event promotions

12. What would you do if you weren’t in sales?

Train therapy dogs

13. What is your favorite market for selling promo products? Financial? Education? Healthcare? Real Estate?

Travel, hospitality

14. Alaska or the Mexico beach for vacation?

Mexico beach

15. Favorite hobby outside of work?

Anything involving water: swimming, boating kayaking

New Corporate Gift Brands – TREK, Tumi, and FitBit Products!

Our Corporate Gift line features some of the most recognizable brands in the country. From Bose to Bulova and Stanley to Sony.

When working with clients who are looking for higher end name brand gifts with a larger budget, we recommend you start with a few basic but important questions:

1) Quantity – how many pieces are they looking for?

2) Blank or decorated– will the gifts be imprinted or blank?

3) Price Point– What is the price range per gift or per recipient the customer is looking to achieve?

4) Demographics of the recipient– One of the most important (and frequently overlooked questions) concerns the recipient demographic.  A group of 22 year old recent college graduates may not have the same interests as a group of established professionals.  ASK – are the recipients blue collar, white collar, men, or women?

5) Event or in-hands date– when are the blank or imprinted gifts needed?

6) Delivery method– and how will the gift(s) be delivered?

The more you learn about the event and the recipient, the more you can recommend a truly meaningful gift or award.

We are excited to announce that we are adding 4 new vendors to our offering this April – TREK bikes, Tumi, FitBit and one more to come……stay tuned! 

 

 

Those of you looking for high end gifts for health and wellness programs will love TREK and Fitbit.

What are your favorite brands for promotional giving? Look here for more information and brands you’ll love: http://www.beaconpromotions.com/corporategifts.html

 

Beacon Name Badges

Of Beacon’s many product lines, according to our customer care and sales teams, table covers and badges are the two with the most inquiries. Badges can seem hard to sell and annoying to figure out with the many options posed.

“Do you want plastic, metal, laminated or reusable?”

“What size would you like?”

“What backing option? Magnet? Pin?”

… You get the picture…

Well, we’ve got news for you. We are happy to help you swim through all the details and options of this product line.

Why?

1. Badges are extremely profitable. They have the highest margin for you, the distributor. A/P coded pricing.
2. They are used in almost every industry/market you can imagine! Insurance, Retail, Technology, Real Estate, Education, Auto, Healthcare, Hospitality, Travel, Restaurants, etc. People need badges everywhere.
3. Badges are EASY with Beacon Promotions! Sell them once and you are done with our BadgeWarehouse Release program. This program allows you to bulk order badges with your customer’s logo and then we store them and ship them as you need with new names. All paid upfront so there is no PO’s or hassle months and years down the road.

Check out the informational video on our BadgeWarehouse Release Program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WZ5qe1vDQc

11 DAYS LEFT!

Did you know that table covers are the number one 24 hour rush item?

Yes, they are. This tells us that we are forgetting to address this category of the business. Every single business needs a table cover. Whether they use it once a month or once a year, it is the identity of their business. Between tradeshows, health fairs, job fairs, college orientation, 5K walks/runs, college recruitment, home shows, open houses, grand openings, holiday parties, seminar registration tables, etc. a table cover is the best opportunity to maximize ad space. When your customer arrives at their next event, don’t let them get caught with a naked table.

Polyester or Poly Cotton, both display ads in a very strong, bright manner. The polyester is a quality poplin polyester material that is washable and flame retardant. It meets the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 701 standard for flame resistance. This material drapes nicely and can be silk screen printed on any color material or full color dye sublimated on white material. We offer 15 different material colors in polyester. The fabric colors will not fade. The poly/cotton twill is a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton twill. This is a heavy material that will withstand a lot of use. We offer 16 different material colors in the poly/cotton blend. The products that use this material are cut and sewn in the United States, right here at Beacon. These products are finished with a rolled hem so the edges won’t fray. The poly cotton twill can only be silk screen printed.

The final main question after figuring out what material you want is if you want a flat or fitted table cover. If you are going to use the same size table every time you use the table cover then the fitted style will work. If you expect variation in the size of tables you use (e.g. sometimes a 6’ and sometimes an 8’ table) then order different sized table covers, a longer flatone or a convertible.

Until the 29th of Feburary (11 more days!!!), we will be offering free freight on any and all table covers. Combine this with your special pricing and you’ve really made a sale. See attached flier below for details.

Lastly, table covers also allow chances for crossing selling. When your customer tells you they need a table cover or have new artwork and need to update their existing one; it is the perfect opportunity to ask about name badges. Selling badges is a one and done sale with Beacon Promotions Badge Warehouse program. Because identity and brand recognition is the driving force of our business, name badges are the next identity piece.

 

Top 5 Products Recap

PPAI, Las Vegas, already two weeks past and life is anything but boring. People, products and promotions were everywhere you looked. The energy on and off the show floor was contagious and we want to help keep you motivated. Remembering all the products, people and promotions you encountered and the e-mails/phone calls you’ll return to from the week gone starts to hit you. By now you’re back to making sales calls and ready to pitch the newest products you saw at the show. Let us recap the hottest products, in case you forgot, for you.

1. USB Portable Water Bottle Humidifier. Item#TEC151H – “Best in show”

This item was the Best in Show! This humidifier looks like smoke is being released, but no- it is H20! We couldn’t believe the number of people taking pictures and videos. Every distributor who walked through our booth would stop and stare. Many distributors were rambling off variety of their client markets that they are eager to show this product to. Top industries were healthcare, followed by travel, meetings/conventions and financial just to name a few.

2. Thumbs Up Phone/Tablet Holder. Item#BA79PH

People found this accessory very unique from a phone/tablet holder standpoint. It is constant reassurance that whatever you are doing on your phone or tablet is a go! It’s two bright color options caught people’s eyes.

3. USB Fan. Item#BA90F

A techie item with extremely strong useful appeal. It is the perfect size and price point. Distributors were impressed with the power of this item and the safety of its foam blades. Perfect for traveling, the office and your home.

4. Full Color Unisex Tube Socks. Item#HC351S

With apparel continuing to grow in the promotional industry, full color socks were a hit! They are unique and fitting for the group event marketing in today’s society. A marathon, a sales event and useful gift and more (that’s our Rhonda below wearing her new Beacon socks).

5. Double USB Wall Power Adapter. Item#TEC39WP

Not single, but double the use on this USB adapter. It resembles the Apple design, but doesn’t even compare in price at two dollars and some change. Large full color ad space and the perfect giveaway.

 

 

 

Check our website for more new product ideas!

 

 

 

 

 

Vernon Visits Beacon

Last week Beacon had the pleasure of meeting a group of Vernon AE’s from the Midwest region. Their visit included a campus wide tour and a new product showcase. It was so fun and these AE’s got a sneak peek of what we are launching come January 1, 2016.

From the supplier side, we are continuously reminded how many of our customers, large and small, aren’t aware of all the products we offer.

                “I didn’t know Beacon offered badges!”

                “When did you start selling leather?”

Do you as a distributor feel that it is a challenge to keep up with your favorite supplier and all of their new products/sales? What can help with this? ……A SITE VISIT!

Please be our guest and let us treat you to a visit. We’ve got a lot going on here and we are proud to show it. A visit is a win-win for all! It allows us to get to know you/your team better while presenting you with an up close and personal look at our facility and processes. It gives you the opportunity to see how items are printed, meet more people, learn about new products and gain some freebies along the way. Most of all, it is fun!

 

Thanksgiving Week is Here!

November and December are the months we really want to say thanks to our customers, supporters and friends. If you haven’t already, this is soft reminder. A thank you is the simplest way to place a smile on someone’s face and the simplest way to be remembered as well. Did you have a banner year with a customer and need to be remembered for next year’s business? Does your customer need a gender neutral homerun gift idea?

This year, give a quality gift with Omaha Steaks Gourmet Food. This is a new brand for us at Beacon in our Corporate Gifts. We select trusted brands that all can enjoy. Omaha Steaks dates back to 1917 and is well known among many. See flyer and directions below:

 

The Collections from Omaha Steaks make excellent choices for a corporate gift. Each of these collections allows the recipient to choose ONE of multiple gourmet selections. A variety of choices are available including beef, chicken, seafood, desserts, and more! There are also options for personalizing certificates and shipping and handling is included to any address in the Contiguous U.S.!

Step 1. Choose your collection, shipping method, and personalization options Step 2. Recipient receives a beautifully designed tri-fold certificate with food choices and redemption options directly to Omaha Steaks Step 3. Omaha Steaks ships the recipient’s food choice directly to them in a cooler

A FREE MAGLITE…..Read on!

Can you recall the last story you heard from someone?  We all love a good storyteller. They can lighten the mood, make you laugh and reminisce on favorite past times. Your customers love this too. They love to hear a  story about the products you are showing them. So, instead of focusing on the specifications of the product, focus on a really great story about how this product was used by another client or another market. Research shows that people want to hear stories about how the product was used for someone else. These are called case histories. They are growing like wildfire in the promo world and it makes sense. People love stories and want to apply them to their next sale. It’s all a part of the process. Share a case history on your favorite product of ours or elsewhere and the first 10 people to do so will receive a free Maglite Flashlight. Comment below and we will get a hold of you for your gift.

A Spotlight on Customer Care

Customer Care is generally defined as specialized attention before, during and after a purchase. It takes a very strong customer care team to handle the ups and downs of all customers. People in customer care roles are the encyclopedias of their company. Imagine the breadth of knowledge our Customer Care team has for Beacon’s multitude of products!

Our customers are number one – always have been and always will be. And taking care of our customers is a top priority! Located in the heart of the Midwest, our friendly team of customer care personnel knows what “Minnesota Nice” is all about.

Here’s what a few of our customers said about our service :

• Thanks to the staff at Beacon for handling rush orders.  They were professional and helped me meet all of my deadlines.
• Took care of a rush order great – actually canceled the order form a different vendor.  Should have used Beacon first.
• I use them for all my tablecloths – never had a problem.
• A brand new customer had me look for and order table cloths in 1 day. The table cloths arrived on time and looked beautiful! We now have a new, happy customer because of Beacon Promotions. Thank you so much Beacon!

Share your thoughts about our customer care team.

Leather Experts Right in Your Own Back Yard

Think of us at Canyon as your leather experts. We will help you reach your business goals in finding just the right product to thank, reward and incentivize your clients. The advantage and importance in working with Canyon Outback Leather is that our products will cross all demographic categories and offer a wide array of price points to meet any budget. Hides used for Canyon’s traditional products are 100% drum dyed, full grain hides. This drum dying process is essential to leather quality. After the lengthy drum dying process, the hides are put through our unique buffing process which yields the soft buttery hand feel of the product. Highest quality zippers and other hardware are used on all our products.

The Canyon Outback Leather Brand continues to grow and expand its product offering each year with new and different styles, designs and materials. We use only the best quality in all our leather materials and enhancements, and carefully monitor the manufacturing process to achieve the perfect look and feel on each and every bag. A bonus in working with Canyon Outback Leather is the opportunity to take the next step of ultimate personalization by branding your leather goods with corporate logos. Year after year we win awards and are proud of our top ratings for service and delivery. Rest assured you will be taken care of from start to finish.

 

 

We feel so passionate about ALL of our leather products we offer to you that we are currently offering a promotion that can’t be beat. We know that when selling leather it’s important to touch, feel and smell the quality; so we are offering free freight on all samples. You have nothing to lose ordering some today. Valid through the next month!