Three Tips for Successfully Giving Away Promo Products

If there’s one thing people hate, it’s having something shoved in their faces-even if it’s a promotional item. This tactic is often used at places like conferences and trade shows, and examples can even be found at your local supermarket or warehouse club. Think about the last time a person approached you on the street and forcefully shoved a flyer into your hand. What was your first reaction? If it was to walk to the nearest trash receptacle and thrust the flyer in, you’re not alone.

The last thing you want is for potential clients to associate a pushy, obnoxious incident with your business. That kind of approach can turn people off no matter how cool or useful the promo item is. Here are three ways to hand out promo items without being irritating.

1.    Make the promo product attractive enough to stand on its own. 

People respond to brightly colored objects and signs. An easy way to amp up a “boring” promo item is to have it produced in brighter colors. For instance, a black flash drive is a useful item and a nice thing to take away from a conference-pre-load information about your company, product, or service on the drive and you can advertise while giving people some extra portable storage (never a bad idea). Standard black or metallic flash drives may not attract people walking through a crowded conference halls, but neon-colored ones certainly will. You won’t have to shout to get people to stop by and pick one up. A suttle yet effective way to attract attention to your promos is by use of an indoor advertising flag which you can customize to bring attentinon to your booth without being annoying.

2.    Instruct salespeople to be pleasant and confident, not pushy.

Sometimes you have no choice but to have representatives for your business stand in the middle of a highly trafficked sidewalk

or showroom. While this will increase the likelihood that salespeople can simply reach out and press promo items on passersby, there’s an art to doing so. Anyone handing out promo items in the midst of a crowd should, first and foremost, be aware of the way the foot traffic is flowing. Standing slightly off to the side won’t cause a rage-inducing bottleneck. Second, allow people to choose whether to take an item. Hold promo items out away from the body, but don’t thrust them into people’s hands; avoid faces completely. Announce the item you’re giving away in a clear voice, but don’t shout. Nothing is more annoying than a salesperson yelling a stream of features and personal questions in your ear.

3.    Pair your give-away with a bag.

At conferences in particular, everyone is trying to get the name of their business or product into the hands of the attendees. Even if the conference provides a bag for registered participants, those bags can be stuffed with flyers and promo items in short order, leaving little room to add anything else. In addition to making it easier for people to carry promo items, a sturdy bag (think reusable grocery bags) can be reused again and again post-event. Place promotional flyers or items in the bags before people begin walking by, but be sure to leave some information and items on the table to give people a chance to linger if they choose.

There are times when it’s important to have in-depth conversations with potential clients. Other times, in crowded or fast-moving venues, the main concern is passing out as many promo items as possible. If the gathering is just too large for one-on-one interactions to be effective, use these tips to put items in hands. At the same time, you’ll be assuring that the impression of your business clients and customers leave with is a positive one; the most essential element of all.

Special thanks goes to Richard Larson who is Brand Manager at the UK’s leading online supplier of promotional umbrellas and printed clothing, Go Promotional. His insight helped with the strategies presented here.