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How to get blood from a turnip.

Trying to have a conversation with someone who is unable or unwilling to have a conversation with you is awkward and challenging. We’ve all been there and it’s painfully uncomfortable. What’s worse is when this conversation partner is your prospect or customer. If you can’t have a conversation with this person you can’t bond, if you can’t bond you can’t develop a relationship and, if you can’t develop a relationship, you won’t sell a thing.

If you’ve met me personally, you may find that I’m a fairly gregarious guy. This helps my career for sure but there are times that my conversation partner, customer or prospect is either disinterested in having a conversation or they are simply have a low key personality or they have poor conversation skills. The truth is that my outgoing personality and ability to develop a conversation is learned behavior and I’m happy to teach it to you.

I am by no means a communication expert but I’ll tell you what works for me. Since most people can easily talk about themselves, I think of an acronym, FORM, to get people to open up about themselves. Once you get them talking about themselves, you can begin the probing questions you need to ask to facilitate the potential sale.

First, I try to get the participant to talk about their family. Most people can talk about their family both positively and negatively and often this opens the doors to other topics. I ask them the basic stuff: where are they from, are they married, do they have kids, siblings, etc. Some of the things I’ve heard about my customer’s family members has been amazing including several of my customers have family members who are professional athletes. The cousin of one of my customers is a mega-star celebrity.

Then, I ask them about their occupation. I ask about what got them interested in their job, how long they’ve been doing it, did they have any schooling, training, etc. I ask them about their customers and co-workers. Maybe they’ve been recognized with an award. I have found that some people are very passionate about their work and love to talk about it.

Then I move on to what they do for recreation. People are really into their hobbies. One of my customers is a champion target shooter. Several of my customers have traveled the world. One of my customers is an Elvis impersonator. Many of my customers volunteer at a charity. One of my customers is a Civil War expert. Ask about your customer’s hobbies and you’ll find a treasure trove of stuff to talk about.

Lastly, I ask about what they view as their meaning; their purpose in life. I don’t actually say it in those terms because I want to keep things light but I ask about where they see themselves down the road, what their plans are for the future and what gets them out of bed in the morning. Again, this can open doors into your conversation partner’s life and help you get to know them on a deeper level.

When using the FORM technique, the big idea is that you need to find some building blocks in order to create the foundation of a relationship. As you get to know your hesitant conversation partner better, you may find that you have some things in common and this will facilitate the relationship as it progresses.

Promotional Pens – Cost Effective Marketing

I’m sure you’ll agree that we are bombarded by marketing messages. When you go to the internet, you see banner ads and pop-up ads on just about every page. When you drive down the highway, you see billboards and flags. If you’re like me, you mute TV and radio ads. In fact, you might even DVR or subscribe to a service like Netflix in order to avoid ads all together. The deluge of marketing messages is real and overwhelming.

If you really want to get your marketing message seen, perhaps you should invest your marketing money into promotional products. As mentioned in a previous blog, the most powerful aspect of using promotional products to market your business is that you can cut through all the noise and put your marketing message directly into the hands of your prospect or customer.

Of all the categories of promotional products there are in the marketplace, imprinted promotional pens make up a large percentage of total sales of all promotional products. The reason is simple: imprinted promotional pens are extremely cost effective marketing tools.

The Study of Writing Instruments in U.S. Households by Promotional Products Association International examined the importance of writing instruments in everyday life and their effectiveness as an advertising medium. The survey responses revealed some powerful facts about imprinted promotional pens:

Nearly 70% of promotional pen recipients who had received one pen in the past year remembered the name of the advertiser.
Nearly 53% remembered the message imprinted on the pen.
Thirty-two percent said the pen affected their decision to contact the advertiser.
Forty percent reported the intention to do further business with the advertiser in the future.
Forty percent used the promotional pen they received at least one time per day and up to 5 times per day.
Fifty-six percent reported that they keep their promotional pen for as long as it writes.
For a promotional pen that costs the advertiser $1.00, the impression cost per 1000 users over an entire year is $.436. This means that the overall cost for each impression is only a fraction of a cent at $.000436.

Insurance Card Holders: Vinyl Colors & Set-Up Charges

Vinyl insurance card holders are one of our most popular items. The most common question buyers have is what colors are available.

Before I start the list, keep in mind that navy is a dark blue, royal blue is a few shades lighter than navy and medium blue is a Carolina blue.

Here’s the list of colors available for each style…

The style 807, 807T and 807E are available in red, navy blue, green, black, maroon, grey, white, medium blue, orange, purple, yellow, teal and royal blue.

Styles 806, 806E, 806T, 808, 808W, 803L, 803, 803P, 805 and 805P are available in red, black, green, navy blue and royal blue.

Style 809 is available in red, navy blue and black.

Styles MCR215, MCR216 and MCR217 are available in clear, red, navy blue, green, black and royal blue.

The MCR800-1-1C is available red, dark green, royal blue, navy blue, black.

The MCRI818FO is available in 2 colors: royal blue and black.

The MCR800-1 is available in red, navy blue, green, black, brown, maroon, gray, white, medium blue, orange, purple, yellow, bone, royal blue, teal, pink, lime, gold or silver.

The MCR800-2 is available in red, navy blue, green, black, brown, grey, white, medium blue, orange, purple, yellow, bone, royal blue, teal, pink, gold, silver, maroon.

The MCR800-3 is available in red, dark green, navy blue and black.

Lastly, the pricing on the insurance card holders includes up to 5 lines of text and a stock logo (excluding the 808W). Stock logos are typically insurance company logos and associations. There is no set-up charge to use a stock logo.

If you’d like to use your agency logo, there is a $50 set-up charge. The set-up charge is a one-time charge which will not be assessed on future orders unless you make a change to the logo, the text or the item.

The 808W is not customizable. The “What to do at the scene of an accident” imprint is a stock imprint and cannot be altered. Additionally, when using that imprint on the 808, there is no room available to print any custom information.

For a free sample of an insurance card holder, please call 877-558-6002, ext. 1.

806 Insurance Card Holder

The 806 insurance card holder is one of our more popular vinyl insurance card holders. It is 9-1/8 inches wide, by 4 inches high. It features squared corners. This item fits very nicely into a number 10 envelope, so if you ever have an insured that you need to mail out an insurance card, it will fit very nicely into that number 10 envelope. It is available in five colors, red, green, black, royal blue, and navy blue. The first side is the solid vinyl and that’s where the item is imprint. On the second side there is a clear pocket which will accommodate the insurance card and registration information. It opens along the 9-1/4 inch side.

The imprint area is 3-1/2″ high by 6″ wide and that can accommodate quite a bit of ad copy. Most folks have them printed with their agency name, address and phone number. Some folks add their website and some add a tagline like “Auto * Home * Business * Life”. We have about a dozen of stock logos available like The Big I logo and Trusted Choice logo just to name two of them. The pricing includes up to 5 lines of text and a stock logo. The 806 can be custom printed either “landscape style” or “portrait style”. You can have them imprinted with your agency logo and that would be considered a custom imprint which would incur a set-up charge. The set-up charge is a one-time charge that is not assessed on future order orders UNLESS you make a change to the logo, the text or the item itself. Standard production is approximately 10 working days but sometimes the factory can get them out faster but sometimes the factory needs a few extra days.

We do have free ground shipping available on the 806-1 insurance card holder. It’s the same item as the 806 but, when you order 1000 or more units, you get free ground shipping.

If you’d like a free sample of this item, please call 877-558-6002, ext. 1.

Here’s a video that explains more about the 806 insurance card holder

Water Bottle Labels – An Inexpensive Solution to an Expensive Marketing Problem

Handing out bottled water at an event is a brilliant marketing idea. I have customers who call me regularly interested in purchasing custom labeled bottled water. They make a great giveaway because when you hand them out at a public event, folks will see other folks with the bottles and they’ll wander over to your booth or table to get some of that water, especially on a hot Summer day. It’s a nice way to attract people to your table or to your booth.

The downside of purchasing this great giveaway is that the overall cost of custom labeled bottled water is astronomical. The price you’re paying for the item is not only to print the labels and affix the labels to the bottles but you’re also paying to ship the bottles to you. Have you ever picked up a case of bottled water? Pretty heavy and thus pretty expensive to ship. Can you imagine how much it would cost to ship them?

I’d like to propose an idea that’s an inexpensive solution to this expensive marketing problem. My suggestion is to have custom water bottle labels printed. We have available labels that are specifically made for water bottles. They are made from a material that can hold up to the ice in your cooler. They are printed in full color and have a large imprint area. The water bottle labels are printed in several sizes to accommodate different bottle sizes and we can help you order the correct size.

Once you receive your labels, simply go to Costco, BJ’s, Walmart or wherever and buy some cases of water. Then remove the labels on the bottles and affix your own label onto the bottle. It may take a little practice. Also, I recommend buying a few single bottles to test the removal process since some labels are easier to remove than others.

Please watch our Marketing Munchy Video about custom water bottle labels:

807 Insurance Card Holder

The 807 insurance card holder is an amazing, often under appreciated marketing tool. Over the years, I have been asked a countless number of times “if I only have $X.XX dollars to spend, what promotional product should I buy?” or “I’m just starting out, what’s the first promotional product I should buy?”

My answer is simple and always the same: vinyl insurance card holders.

They’re not very glamorous or sophisticated but their strength as a marketing tool is their simplicity and affordability. Depending on the style you choose and the quantity you order, the price you’ll pay will be from the $.75 range down to the $.23 range per unit (as of this writing) but this is small change when compared to their value.

Insurance card holders are very popular because they offer a convenient way for the insured to keep their insurance information and registration together in one spot for easy access in the event they get pulled over or they get into an accident.

When you give your insured the insurance ID card holder, they’ll keep it in the glove box, over their visor or in the center console for a very long time. Each time they swap out their new insurance card for the expiring insurance card, they’ll see your name and contact info.

One of our most popular items is the 807 insurance card holder. The 807 is 5-3/4”wide by 4-1/16” high. It’s available in thirteen different colors, we also have some stock imprints for insurance companies and also associations. This insurance card holder features and opaque vinyl side and your imprint will go on the outside and a clear side. The 2 sides form a pocket and the information is inserted into this pocket. The 807 can be imprinted landscape style like or it can also be imprinted portrait. The item opens along the 4-1/16” side.

We do have free shipping available on the 807-1 insurance card holder. It’s the same item as the 807 but, when you order 1000 or more units, you get free ground shipping.

If you’d like a FREE sample of any insurance card holder, please call 877-558-6002, ext 1.

Here’s a video that explains more about the 807 insurance card holder

Uncomplicated Marketing

Do you know how to do “search retargeting” is? Do you know what “web analytics” is and how to use it market your insurance agency? How about a “heatmap”?

Me neither.

While marketing your insurance agency on the internet is important and can be effective, it’s getting more and more complex. Nowadays, the amount of stuff you need to know in order to market your insurance agency on the internet could fill a library and it’s ever changing. It’s truly overwhelming but, if you want to market your insurance agency on the internet, you basically have 2 options:

You could learn enough about internet marketing to make a decent stab at it. You’ll have to decide which articles and videos are the most relevant and beneficial to you (and there a many to choose from). This will take a huge chunk of time. Then, once you find resources you feel are trustworthy, you have to devote time to learning. Yet another big chunk of your time. Then, once you feel comfy, you can venture into trying to do some internet marketing. You’ll bumble around and have a few successes and you’ll make a few mistakes (which cost money of course). You will have to invest both time and money. Eventually, the importance of servicing your customers will pull you away from your new (and sometimes frustrating) internet marketing efforts. You’ll then put those efforts on the shelf and get back them at a later date (or not).
You could hire an expert. There are tons of them in the marketplace. You’ll have to do the research and chose one that you think will work best for you. The upside is that you will no longer have to become an internet marketing expert. A good expert stays on top of the latest trends, changes and options and can create a program that fits to your needs. Hiring an expert is an investment but, nonetheless, you still have to come up with the cash in the first place and wait for the return. Additionally, the expert has other clients to service along with you so you’ll need to be patient – your results may take longer than you’d like.

I hope you’re not thinking I’m beating up on internet marketing. I love all marketing including internet marketing. I’m picking on internet marketing to prove a point. It’s complicated marketing that takes expertise in order to be successful.

May I propose an alternative? How about trying some uncomplicated marketing like distributing promotional products?

One powerful benefit of promotional products is that they deliver your marketing message over and over long after you paid for them. You only have to pay for the advertising once. For example, an imprinted promotional bag generates 6,000 impressions during the useful life of that bag. Imprinted pens, on average, have the lowest cost per impression at a cost of $.001 per impression (that’s one tenth of one cent!). Promotional products are one of the most cost efficient marketing mediums in existence.

Probably the most powerful benefit to marketing your insurance agency with promotional products is that it is incredibly easy and takes no expertise or special training. You simply have to buy them and have a plan to distribute them to your customers and prospects. It’s really that easy.

Here are only a few ideas on how to use promotional products to market your insurance agency:

1. Hand out promotional pens when you patronize local businesses. For example, give few pens to your favorite server at the local diner the next time you eat there. Servers always need new pens because people steal them all the time. Soon after, your pens will be filtering through your community.

2. Whenever you write an auto policy, insert the insurance card into a vinyl insurance card holder and give it to your insured. Tell them that the insurance card holder will keep their insurance information organized and readily available in the event of an accident or they get pulled over by law enforcement. Insureds tend to hold onto those insurance card holders for years and years.

3. Wear custom corporate apparel with your agency name embroidered on the left chest. You’d be surprised how many conversations you’ll start by simply wearing a shirt, jacket or sweater your agency name embroidered on it.

4. Whenever you correspond with an insured via mail, insert a refrigerator magnet into the envelope. Additionally, add “PS” at the end of letter asking the insured to put the magnet on their fridge so that they will have your contact info handy should they need you.

5. Give new and existing customers Mr. Tote Recyclable Grocery Tote whenever they come to your office. People appreciate these bags and they are useful and durable so they will be used over and over again.

The Smartphone Ring Stand Holder – The Coolest Gadget Ever!

Since we all use our smartphones many times a day, The Smartphone Ring Stand Holder is a great way to market your business. It’s the coolest smartphone gadget ever. The item number is MCHCT588.

It’s a ring that’s attached to a base. The ring raises and lowers and swivels 360 degrees. The imprint goes on the base and it’s got an epoxy dome over it which protects your imprint. It affixes to the back of the phone via an adhesive. You just slip your finger into ring and it prevents your phone from slipping out of your hand. You can also use it as a stand in either portrait style or you can swing the ring around and use it as a stand going landscape style. It’s pure genius.

I found this item by happenstance.

A few weeks ago, I was at Sunday dinner at my Mother In Law’s house and my sister in law had one affixed to her phone. She showed it to me and told me how much she loved it. She handed me her phone and I played with the Smartphone Ring Stand Holder and I thought to myself that this item is a total WINNER! She said bought it at a retail store but I knew that the item could be available in the promotional products world. After some research, I found it, I ordered a sample and when it arrived, I found it was identical to the item I saw that Sunday.

Now, I’ve had the Smartphone Ring Stand Holder for a couple of weeks and I’ve been using it ever since and I love it. I think this is a really great item. Your customers are going to love it too because it’s useful and they’ll keep it for a really long time. I’m sure you’ll agree that the longer a recipient keeps a promotional item, the more they’ll be exposed to your marketing message. Your customers and prospects will see your marketing message every time they use their phone.

You can view a short demo video below

Insurance Card Holders are the Best Bang For the Buck

One of the most popular items we offer are insurance card holders. These vinyl sleeves are often called insurance card wallets, insurance registration holders, insurance card wallets, insurance card envelopes or auto ID card holders.

Regardless of what you call them, I’ve been told many times how much my customer’s customers LOVE them and, best of all, these insurance card holders are just about the least expensive way to market your insurance agency, auto repair, auto sales or auto title & tags company. Even when ordered in the lowest quantity, these custom printed insurance policy information holders are priced inexpensively but the biggest benefit is that your customer will keep the plastic insurance card holder in their car for a really long time. Your customer will see your company name every time they change out their insurance card, get a new registration or get their car inspected. They are even less expensive if ordered in higher quantities.

As I mentioned in just about every Marketing Munchy, the key to using promotional products successfully is having a distribution plan. Here are some simple ways to distribute your custom printed insurance card holders:

Have the insurance card holders on or near your desk and hand one to your customer (with the insurance card inserted) every time you write some business.
If the transaction takes place over the phone, simply insert the insurance card into the vinyl insurance card holder and mail it to your customer. I would also recommend inserting some other marketing material as well.

It’s really that simple BUT, here’s the most important part – make sure you tell your customer what to do with the insurance card holder. I know this sounds silly but say something like “your insurance card is inserted into this auto ID card holder. Please insert your registration card into it as well and put it in your glove box. This way, should you need your insurance and registration, you’ll be able to find it quickly and it will be kept neat and orderly.”

Our pricing for the auto insurance holders includes up to 5 lines of text and a stock logo. The stock logos can be seen on the “Configure This Product” page on our website under the “Choose a Logo” dropdown. There is no charge to use a stock logo. If you want to use your logo, you will have to select “Custom Logo Setup”. There is a $50 set-up charge when using a custom logo. It’s a one-time charge which will not be assessed on a future order UNLESS you make a change to the logo or text or change the item. Lastly, please factor in shipping and sales tax when ordering. The factory does offer free ground shipping on all orders of auto insurance ID holders of 1000 units or more.

Ordering or reordering insurance card holders is a breeze. You can do it over the phone by calling our office at 877-558-6002, ordering them online, via email or fax. Each year, you will receive a reorder from us to remind you to check your inventory so you never run out of them.

Below is a list of our best-selling insurance card holders. All of the items shown below are made in the USA!

Style 803L Insurance Card Holder. This particular Insurance card holder is 9-1/4” wide by 4-1/4” tall. It features rounded corners. The imprint is printed on the vinyl side and when you flip the item over, there is a clear pocket on the second side which opens along the 9-1/8” side. This item is available in five colors, red, black, royal blue, navy blue and dark green. The 803L can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. If you’d like free ground shipping, order the 803L-1.

Style 807 insurance card holder. The 807 is 5-3/4” wide by 4-1/16” high. It’s available in thirteen different colors. We also have some stock imprints for insurance companies and also associations. The 807 can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. The imprint is printed on the vinyl side and on the 2^nd side you’ll find a clear vinyl pocket that opens along the 4-1/16” side. That’s where the insurance information and the registration information would go. If you’d like free ground shipping, order the 807-1.

Style number 806 insurance card holder. It is 9-1/8 inches wide, by 4 inches high. It features squared corners. This item fits very nicely into a # 10 envelope, so if you ever have an insured that you need to mail out an insurance card, you can do that easily. It is available in five colors, red, green, black, royal blue, and navy blue. On the second side, is the pocket which will accommodate the insurance card information. The imprint is printed on the vinyl side of the insurance card holder. The 806 can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. It opens along the 9-1/4 inch side. If you’d like free ground shipping on the 806, order the 806-1.

Style 808 and 808W insurance card holders are one of our more popular insurance card holders. The 808 and the 808W are exactly the same except for the information printed on them. The 808 can be printed with custom information like your company name and contact information. The 808W is printed with the stock “What to Do at the Scene of an Auto Accident” and cannot be printed with custom information. The 808W insurance card holder is also available in Spanish. The 808 (and 808W) is 5-3/4″ tall by 4-1/16″ wide. It features a business card pocket on one side and it has the large pocket on the other side which can accommodate the insurance card. The 808 and 808W opens from the 4-1/16” side. It is available in five colors: Navy blue, black, Royal blue, red and green. It will fit nicely into #10 envelopes so if you ever need to mail an insurance card to one of your customers. If you’d like free ground shipping on the 808, order the 808-1 and if you’d like free ground shipping on the 808W, order the 808W-1.

Style 803P insurance card holder. Insurance card holders are a very convenient way for the insured to keep their registration and insurance information handy in the event they get pulled over or they get into an accident. This particular insurance card holder is 9-1/4” inches wide by 4-1/4” inches tall, and it has rounded corners. This insurance card holder also has a business card pocket, which is accessed right here. When you flip the item over, it has the large, clear vinyl pocket, which is accessed along the 4-1/4” side. This item is available in red, black, royal blue, navy blue, and dark green. The imprint is printed on the vinyl side of the insurance card holder. The 803P can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. If you’d like free ground shipping on the item, order the 803P-1.

Style 805P insurance card holder. This insurance card holder is 7-3/4” wide by 4” tall. It features a clear business card pocket. The imprint is printed on the vinyl side of the insurance card holder. The 805P can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. When you flip it over, it’s got a large, clear pocket that opens along the 4 inch side. Because this item is four inches tall, it will fit nicely into a number 10 envelope. So if you ever had to mail out insurance information or an insurance card to one of your customers, you could fit this item nicely into a number 10 envelope. This item is available in red, navy blue, royal blue, black, and dark green. If you’d like free ground shipping on the 805P, order the 805P-1.

Style 809 insurance card holder. This particular insurance card holder is 6-1/4 inches wide by 4-3/8 inches high. Your imprint area would go on the solid vinyl side of the insurance card holder. Then on the other side, there is a clear pocket which opens along the 4-3/8 inch side. That’s where the insurance information and registration would go. This item is available in three colors. It’s available in red, navy blue and black. The 809 can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. If you’d like free ground shipping on the item, order the 809-1.

Style MCR800-1 small fold over card case with 2 clear pockets is often used as a health insurance card holder and this item can accommodate most fishing and hunting licenses. This card holder is 4 inches wide by 5 inches high when it is open and folds to 4 inches wide by 2-1/2 inches high when it is closed. Your imprint area would go on the vinyl side. Then on the inside, there are 2 clear pockets which open along the 4 inch side. This item is available in red, navy blue, green, black, brown, maroon, gray, white, medium blue, orange, purple, yellow, bone, royal blue, teal, pink, and gold or silver. The MCR800-1 can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. If you’d like free ground shipping on this item, order the MCR800-1-1.

Finally, the MCR215, MCR216 and the MCR217 are fold over insurance card holders. They can also be used for insurance policies. All 3 items are 9 inches wide by 9-3/4 inches high when they are open and fold to 4-1/2 inches wide by 9-3/4 inches high when closed. They are all available in clear, red, navy blue, green, and black and royal blue. The MCR215 has 2 clear half pockets on the inside. The MCR216 has (2) 5 inch pockets on the inside as well as (2) 2” business card pockets. The MCR217 2 clear, full pockets on the inside that open from the center. These styles can be imprinted landscape style or it can be imprinted portrait style. For free ground shipping on these items, order the MCR215-1, MCR216-1 and MCR217-1.

For a free sample of an insurance card holder, please call 877-558-6002, ext. 1.

Market Your Agency Using Imprinted Flyswatters

I’ve been saying for years that the most important factor in successfully using promotional products to market your business is the plan to distribute the promotional products.

With Spring fast approaching, I have for you a very inexpensive, creative, guerrilla marketing way to market your insurance agency by distributing imprinted flyswatters.

This little beauty is our item number MCA42100. In various quantities, it’s about a buck apiece. The pricing includes the setup charge and a one-color print on one side. This particular flyswatter has imprinted, “We swat the competition.” The agent’s information and then an insurance company logo. This item is available with a print on the handle too.

OK, so here’s how the idea works. Go to the dollar store and buy some ribbon. Cut off about a foot of ribbon and get brochure, like an insurance company or an agency brochure and then punch a hole in it. Then take the ribbon, thread it through the hole and then through the hole at the top of the flyswatter. Then tie it off and now you’re done step one.

Here’s step two: once you have all the flyswatters and brochures done, on a nice, beautiful day, go to a neighborhood that you you’d like to write some business in and go door to door and hang the imprinted flyswatters from doorknobs. The homeowner will receive the flyswatter and they’ll also receive the brochure.

This is a perfect way to market your insurance agency on a nice beautiful sunny day in the Spring, Summer or Fall. It’s also a perfect project for some teenagers or some college kids who are looking to earn some extra money.

The big idea here is that if folks are interested in receiving a quote, they’ll have your contact information on the brochure and the imprinted flyswatter. If they are not in the market to get a quote at the time, they’ll keep your flyswatter and they’ll have your contact information available if or when that need arises.

Here’s a great video showing you how to market your agency using imprint flyswatters: