At conventions and courses, as well as to clients and prospects, agents are always handing out promotional items. What ones do you keep, and which ones get immediately thrown into the trash?
The most useful for me is this 4" x 5" foldover card that Pete Doty gave me a few years ago, which I keep in my desk drawer. When you open this card, you hear a phone ringing. It keeps ringing until you close the card again, and sounds just like a phone ringing. Why would you like this? Have you ever been stuck on the phone for a l-o-n-g time, waiting until you can make a polite exit? Well, here it is. Oh, Sorry - my other line's ringing. I have to go. So, if you want to give something useful that they'll hold on to - this is a good one.
Another favorite of mine is a computer calendar - the long skinny ones that you stick right on your computer monitor. They come either on a calendar year or from mid-year to mid-year. Also handy, useful, and a constant reminder.
What's YOUR favorite promotional piece?
Sally - since I've never ordered this, I don't know where to get it. I'd check some of promotional suppliers catalogues. All it says on the back of the card is "TRC 1150 - Patent No. 5,275,285". Doesn't even say what it's called.
OK - that wasn't very helpful - or very fair. I just went and googled "promotion phone ring" and found this one:
http://www.promoplace.com/ws/webstore.dll/PrDtl?DistID=8428&RecNum=5&Rec=551429948
I like the refrigerator magnet with my contact information on it, not the generic one with nothing but contact information, but the ones that have a blank area that you can write with a dry-erase marker on it. I give them out to clients and prospects to put on their fridge, so that they can write "to-do's" on it, or even write down a grocery list. Every time they go to it, they will see my face and contact information. The important thing is make them thing positive things! If I had a website I would list it (my boss bought them).
I found one.... http://www.magnetstreet.com/land/magneticmemoboards/sibB_magneticdryeraseboards.shtml
Sharon, I like that. I hope nobody uses that to get me off the phone. lol
I like key chains because in this business I'm always giving and getting and leaving keys for people.
Jonathan - how many transactions a year do you get from these?
Sally - more for you to do ...
Mitchell - the beauty of it is that you'll never know! Which keychains that you get from other people do you keep?
Sharon - Welcome to the 200K club! I think more will be joining us soon!
....His Lovely Wife would like to be able to speak to him :)
I keep the pens. They never stop mailing us pens. I love the big fat ones with the huge TTR logo on them :)
TLW...ROAR!
Sharon ~ now we know your secret for getting off the telephone! I think that is a hoot, how creative!
kk
Sharon -
I have to agree, that is very creative and quite comical at the same time. I need me one of those too!
Mitchell - if you don't keep other people's keychains, does that make you wonder about yours? Or is the answer to attach them to keys to a new house?
Tony, thanks! I hadn't noticed until your comment - thought I'd be writing another blog or two to get there, and was thinking about how to make it significant. The points crept up - thanks to you and others for your rating on my recent blogs - so now I'm over and no longer pressured to write THE great blog.
TLW - glad you have a supply of pens. I like the market type pens from Anclote Title Company - they write extremely well and have a long life. Actually, our team fights over them.
Kristal - you may use my secret. Don't need it for e-mail and blogs.
Cynthia - actually I rarely use it, but when I do, it's wonderful. I've even been known to take it out to ring by other team members when they're caught on the phone for a L-O-N-G time.
I find it interesting that so often when I'm called to someone's home to list their property, that they have everyone else's refrigerator magnets on their frig and everyone else's pens on the counter. I don't give them either, but they still call me.