10 Types of Promotional Products Distributors

Scooter Scooper - Table Scraper at Trade Shows

Within every industry, the level of professionalism varies between between the involved individuals and businesses. As you look specifically at the sales approach, you find many different styles, some good and some not so good. Within the promotional products industry, this is no exception.

In this light-hearted article, Bill Petrie of Brandivate and I dive into the various types of promotional product distributors. When we put our heads together, our goal was to classify every type of distributor within our great industry. As we thought of friends and colleagues within the industry, we wanted to make sure we didn’t leave anyone out.

Hopefully you find the category in which you best fit. If you don’t, ask a co-worker which category he/she feels you fit. You may learn a thing or two that you want to change or, hopefully, you find your reputation precedes you with great quality traits.

10 Types of Promotional Product Distributors

  1. The Suit – This is the sharp dressed man (or woman), but he’s all business. He has little time to play around. With his stiff upper lip and super smooth clean-shaven face, when he shows up you know he means business. It’s all work and no play for fellow distributor.
  2. The Elephant Hunter – Far too quick to eschew medium sized “bread and butter” accounts, the Elephant Hunter is always focused on landing only the biggest of accounts. Even though the sales cycle is long and the margins are slim, this person is far more concerned with the prestige of working with a Fortune 100 account. Regrettably, the Elephant Hunter rarely lands his prey, but that won’t prevent him from sharing the huge opportunities in his pipeline.
  3. The Serial Promotrepreneur – This entrepreneur started his distributorship, became successful, then quickly looked for the next challenge. He hired the right management team, then promptly started half a dozen other businesses within the industry. His advice is highly respected and often sought after by other industry professionals. It’s all but a given that whatever this guy touches turns to gold.
  4. The Big Idea – This person always has a seemingly endless supply of great ideas, but is unwilling to do the work necessary to bring those ideas to life. Always present at industry events and trade shows, they spend little time focusing on their own individual sales. The Big Idea usually has more industry certifications than the populate, but cannot leverage that education into increased revenue.
  5. The Non-Profit – We’ve all lost an order or two to this distributor; however, we weren’t sad at all to lose the order since we don’t want those types of cheap clients. This is that distributor who sells promotional products part-time, while sitting around his house in his underwear. He makes sales for pennies over cost just to say he made a sale. If you add up the profit from his sales and subtract his expenses, he’s so far in the red he resembles a Starbucks holiday cup.
  6. The Blamer (Also known as The Rear View Mirror) – The people in this group always have a rucksack full of reasons why success always eludes them. Rather than focus on building their own business, they prefer to point the finger at nebulous outside forces like the internet, millennial buying patterns, or supply chain concerns. This is also the group that loves to whittle away time longing for the “good old days” of the industry.
  7. The Bright Light – These are the people that are always seeking to help others. They know that by leveraging their own success to empower others makes the industry as a whole stronger. Lastly, this group not only participates in important industry conversations, but drives them.
  8. The Scooper (Also known as The Table Scraper, Scooter Scooper, or The Collector) – Most of these distributors aren’t really in the business any more. They just attend tradeshows annually to look for goodies to bring back to their grandchildren. Why else do you need to cram 17 sample glow bracelets in your overstuffed bag? Suppliers spot these trade show attendees from a mile a way and begin clearing their booth to protect their assets.
  9. The Media Mogul – This person understands that the industry is in a constant state of flux and it is critical to find new ways to add value to clients. By adding video, social media, branding, and other “traditional” advertising services, the media mogul has built a boutique agency where promotional products play a key role.
  10. The Party Animal – This is the distributor that always seems to have an entourage at industry events. Everyone loves this person because he/she knows how to have fun and finds success all at the same time. If you follow this person through social media, there’s frequently a photo with a beer in hand or a fun activity of which to be jealous. While this person does know how to have fun, his/her job is always done well.

About the Authors

Patrick Black - Perfect Imprints - Twitter - PeriscopePatrick Black – Patrick is the CEO/President of Perfect Imprints, which he began in 1999 with a primary focus on eCommerce. He has made it his mission to unite the world eCommcere sales with personalized service for his clients in a way that rivals and exceeds traditional face-to-face promotional product distributors. When he takes off his creative hat, you can often find him enjoying time with his family or paddle boarding along the beautiful waters of Florida’s Emerald Coast.
Connect with Patrick: Facebook  Twitter   LinkedIn   Instagram   Commonsku

Bill Petrie - brandivateBill Petrie – Bill brings over 15 years of experience in executive leadership positions within the promotional products industry. He currently utilizes his expertise and experience to help mentor small to mid-size businesses to become more profitable, reach goals, and help grow their businesses. He is the CEO and founder of brandivate.
Connect with Bill: Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Instagram   Commonsku

 

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