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POSTED BY GREG MUZZILLO, FOUNDER OF PROFORMA 

I recently read an article from TheLadders.com written by Michael Thompson, who explained a story about Steve Jobs and what he believes to be the one thing that separates the doers from the dreamers. See the excerpt below (emphasis mine):

When Steve Jobs was 12 years old, he wanted to build a frequency counter, but was lacking some of the necessary parts to complete the project.

Instead of giving up, however, he did the only thing he could think of: He looked Bill Hewlett’s number up in the phonebook and gave him a call.

To Steve’s surprise, Bill, the co-founder of Hewlett Packard, personally answered the phone. After Steve explained who he was and what he was up to, Bill agreed to give him some spare parts for his project. Not only that, but he also gave Steve a summer job at HP putting nuts and bolts together on the assembly line that built frequency counters.

While sharing this story in 1994 with the Silicon Valley Historical Association, Jobs stressed the importance of asking for what you want:

“Most people never pick up the phone. Most people never call and ask. And that’s what separates sometimes the people who do things from those who just dream about them. You gotta act. You gotta be willing to fail. You gotta be willing to crash and burn. With people on the phone or starting a company, if you’re afraid you’ll fail, you won’t get very far.”

The moral of this story? If you don’t ask, you won’t get.

Let me add to that. If you don’t ask, ask again and then ask again, you won’t get what you want.

Polite asking and persistence is the key to success.

When most people think about taking a chance, they paralyze themselves thinking about all the negative things that could happen.

They allow their self-talk to be flooded with “What if” statements like, “What if I get rejected?” “What if they laugh at me?” and “What if I’m not ready?”

The people who make an impact, however, silence their doubts by focusing on the potential positive outcomes: “What if they say yes?” “What if they know a friend who can help me?” “What if this is my big break?”

They do this because they know the old adage “Good things come to those who wait” is out of date.

The people who get what they want have the guts to ask for what they want…and then keep asking with polite persistence.

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Creating the Perfect Kit

POSTED BY MATTHEW SHUMAKER 

Over the past few months, the practice of “kitting” has become increasingly popular across a number of industries. As people continue to work from home, and events like graduations and tradeshows are pushed to a virtual format, companies and organizations are sending people custom packages or “kits” that include a variety of products as an alternative to the in-person event they’re missing. These kits can be fully personalized to a company’s branding and include anything from apparel and printed collateral to high tech promotional products like mobile chargers and wireless earbuds.

The process of creating these kits involves working with a distributor to find the right products and packaging for your specific goals. From there, you’ll provide the distributor with a list of contacts you’d like the kit sent to and find the right timeline for when you want it to go out to those contacts.

We recently spoke with Mike Milluzzi of GlobalNet Logistics and Randy Hearley of JP Graphics to learn more about why customers are sending out these kits, what they’re including in them and the recent kitting projects they’ve done.

What are some of the main business objectives for sending out these kits?

Mike: A lot of our clients are using these kits for employee recognition purposes, care packages for their customers and gifts for their prospective clientele.

Randy: We’ve seen a lot of these kits being used as “welcome back to the office” packages that include PPE and other safety items. We also see them being used for season ticket packages, virtual graduation and virtual trade show gifts.

What products are most frequently included in the kitting projects you’ve been a part of?

Mike: Tumblers, pens, backpacks and company literature are the most popular, but we’ve also had customers include more high-end items like Bluetooth® speakers, headphones and duffel bags as well.

Randy: Branded apparel is huge, especially for companies who are still hiring, but can’t have these new hires in the office yet. We’ve also seen a lot of drinkware and technology items like mobile chargers and earbuds.

What industries in the past three months have you received kitting orders from?

Mike: A lot of the clients we’ve seen doing kitting are in the beverages/food packaging, financial, entertainment and technology industries.

Randy: A lot of universities have used kits for their graduations and freshman welcome events.  We’ve also seen professional sports teams and subscription-based companies increasingly use them over the past few months.

Tell us a story about a unique kitting project you’ve worked on in the past three months.

Mike: We recently put together and shipped welcome kits to new employees for one of our clients. Normally we ship these kits to offices and their managers deliver them by hand, but with the current work-from-home model, the client requested we ship them directly to the employee’s home.

Randy: One really interesting order we recently did was for an employee appreciation kit. The theme for the kit was “Piece of the Action” and we actually included a pizza cutter along with other promotional products in the kit. In total, the order included 4,500 pieces and was shipped to 46 different countries.

What is the most common type of packaging being used for these kits?

Mike: The most common are corrugated cardboard cartons. Many clients order custom printed tuck-fold cartons, while some others are okay with poly-mailers. It all depends on the contents of the kit and the value the client puts on presentation. The top of the line product is definitely a printed carton with a custom insert.

Randy: Our laminated litho wrapped mailer boxes are the most common. But we now produce one and two-sided litho wrapped boxes without lamination, which really reduces the price for those competitive situations.

Have requests started to change as parts of the country are opening back up?

Mike: Although, parts of the country are beginning to open up, we’re still seeing an increase in the quantity of requests for kitting services.

Randy: Absolutely. Keep an eye out for what happens with back to school events in your area. Homework boxes might be the answer for transporting documents in a safe way!
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You Don’t Need a Movie Studio to Create Great Video

POSTED BY REID SMITH 

Video marketing has become such a powerful force in online marketing that it may be a good time to revisit your video marketing campaigns and determine if there are better ways to produce your videos and get better results.

There’s a common misconception that video is hard to do or takes a lot of technical expertise. In the age of iPhone and Facebook Live, simple video tends to be one of the easiest ways to create short-form content quickly. And, counterintuitively, quick and easy (i.e. non-professional) video is typically viewed with greater trust, since there’s an authenticity that shines through in these types of videos.

There will always be a time and place for an impressive, high quality live capture video production, but the point here is that video can be utilized by any and all businesses today.

While it is true that doing any type of video used to be good enough — regardless of quality — the growing use and improvement in technology is making it more important to get video right, even when cheap and simple.

The advances in video technology have allowed most consumer-level products, such as our smartphones and handheld cameras, to capture sharp and crisp, professional-level video content, with just a little bit of know-how.

Lighting is key

If you’re on a budget, the first thing that you should consider spending money on would be lighting. Good lighting with a decent camera almost always beats a great camera with mediocre lighting.

Subvert their expectations

In regards to your message, video has to be concise and attention-grabbing from the start. It’s best to begin your video with a pattern interrupt. A pattern interrupt is something that will grab attention and even seems out of character for what the actual video is about. The idea here is to create curiosity and interest, but also keep viewers on their toes as to what’s coming next. This use of pattern interrupts will help in gaining more attention and keeping viewers focused.

Do it like the teachers

The use of multi-modality content is a great way to keep viewers engaged after the pattern interrupt and as the core of the main message. This strategy is used by teachers to help students learn and retain more information. Instead of teaching information just one way to students, they’ll do it multiple ways, to make sure each student is retaining information, regardless of their learning style.

This approach works with video content as well! So the quick takeaway is to use interesting visuals, as well as sound and audio, and any other of the senses that you can pull into the experience when creating video content. this way, you’re making sure your message is being received by everyone who watches.

Have a great call to action

A crucial piece to the closing of your video is the call to action. It should be included in the finish of any videos that you create to generate the response that you want. Now the actual call to action may be different offers, or not even direct offer but rather some step to advance the relationship between you and the viewer.

Some examples of calls to action that are not actual sales offers would include asking your viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel, requesting a “like” on Facebook or a “follow” on Twitter or Instagram. In each case, it moves the subscriber a step closer to you, as to grow a stronger bond with that prospect.


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POSTED BY REID SMITH 

Sustainability has never been more important for companies than right now. Customers are hyper-aware of the products they buy and are always looking to partner with brands that contribute something positive to our world. According to a study done by BusinessWire, “83% of consumers believe it’s important or extremely important for companies to design products that are meant to be reused or recycled.”

But for these hyper-aware consumers, it’s not enough to simply say that your brand is “green” or “sustainable.” They want brands that walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Luckily, it’s never been easier for your marketing strategy to fall in line with sustainability efforts. Here are three different types of sustainable promotional products that will have customers enthusiastic about your brand.

Reusable

At the top of the sustainability movement are products that can be used over and over again. Reusable straws, for example, are so popular that they were even named the 2019 Promo Item of the Year.

Upcycled

Upcycling is taking existing things that you’d otherwise toss, and creating something useful out of it. Products like this journal are made from apple pulp and other organic materials that are usually discarded.

Recycled

We all know about recycling, but what you may not know is how many promotional products, like this tote bag made of recycled plastic, are out there. Keep an eye out for items like this, so you can add them to your marketing strategy.

While customers are looking towards reusable, upcycled and recycled products, not all are made the same. Use these three tips to find the perfect eco-friendly product for your brand.

1. Is it something your consumer wants?

Just because something’s sustainable, doesn’t mean all your customers will appreciate it. The most environmentally-conscious consumer probably won’t keep a promotional wine bag if they don’t drink wine, even if it’s made of recycled material.

2. Do your research

Recycled products aren’t just limited to reusable bags and straws. Clothing, tech items and recognition plaques can all be made from recycled and biodegradable materials. 

3. Is it within your budget?

While recycled products have a reputation of being expensive, that’s actually a myth. As more and more companies join the eco-friendly movement, sustainable products are becoming cheaper and cheaper. That being said, there are now a wide variety of eco-friendly products for every budget.

 

Here are three eco-friendly products that your customers will love.

Tips for More Effective Research

POSTED BY REID SMITH 

As any good marketer knows, research should be at the core of everything you do. Sometimes you need to research the product you’re selling, sometimes you need to research who your audience for a product or service is, sometimes you need to research  your audience itself, the list goes on and on.

However, a lot of people know that research is necessary and they attempt conduct it whenever possible, but sometimes, we can do research in the wrong way. Here are a few simple things to avoid when conducting research so you can make sure you’re staying on the right track.

Make sure you’re researching the right audience

When conducting your own research, it can be very easy to get so caught up in the challenge of information gathering that you forget to ask yourself if you’re actually collecting information from the correct group of people. A great example of a company completely missing the mark on this comes from Tourism Australia.

Tourism Australia was trying to create a campaign that would entice a broader worldwide audience to visit Australia and help grow their booming tourism industry. The company wanted to provide its audience with a uniquely Australian invitation to come visit their country. However, the one mistake Tourism Australia made when conducting their research was that they included a lot of Australians in their research for the campaign. This resulted in the campaign’s tag line being, “Where the bloody hell are you?”  Obviously other countries had some issues with this.

Many of the campaign’s target audiences included people who found this phrase to be very offensive. Television commercials created by Tourism Australia that featured Aussies saying this tagline were blocked in several of Tourism Australia’s targeted nations as they were deemed inappropriate. This led to Tourism Australia losing millions of dollars on this failed campaign. Thus, demonstrates the importance of gathering your information from the correct sources because sometimes it can cost millions.

Look for secondary research you can apply to your situation

It’s a misconception that you always need to put out a survey or find some other way of generating novel information for whatever situation you may be researching. While this can be necessary, it’s also very important to have a heavy focus on looking for secondary research. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, secondary research is research that has already been conducted for something else, but it is still applicable to your situation.

One of the biggest benefits of secondary research is that it already exists so you don’t have to do any more work than finding and reading articles, and secondary research is (usually) free to access! This can be a valuable tool that is often overlooked because as marketers, we often jump on the idea that we need another customer survey or another focus group and money ends up being spent when it may not need to be. Sometimes a simple google search can tell you everything you want to know about your target audience.

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14 Ways To Make 14 Days At Home Work For You

POSTED BY SANMAR GUEST BLOG 

So how is working from home going for you? If you’re like me, the new normal of staying inside all day, every day is both a dream come true (No long commute! More time with my wife!) and vaguely upsetting (How many days has it been? Do we have enough coffee to make it through?).

14 Ways To Make 14 Days At Home Work For You At the very least, it raises some good questions. How can you stay productive when you’re not in the office? How do you maintain that all-important balance between work and life? Who’s making the coffee this morning?

We may not have all the answers, but we’re here to help you with staying productive and making the most of your quality time at home.

1. Maintain Your Daily Routine

We all have habits we do every workday. Waking up when you usually do, taking a shower and getting dressed in clothes you didn’t wear yesterday are all simple acts that can ground you in your routine and set you up for a good day at work.

2. Recycle Your Commute Time

Your daily commute is not going to be a factor for now, which leaves you with some time in your morning. Use that to connect with your family, read a book, listen to a podcast, or simply relax before you officially start your day.

3. Establish Your Workspace

It’s important to have a space in your home where you know when you’re there, you’re working. This puts you into a naturally productive mindset, and also lets others around you know that you are working, even if you’re sitting only 10 feet away.

4. Set Boundaries

Let those around you know that you are not available when you’re working, particularly when you’re engaged in a meeting or working on a creative idea. Setting reasonable boundaries will help keep you focused and productive. tools & resources to stay connected

5. Stick To Your Schedule

Start working at your usual time and keep your appointments and meetings throughout the day. This helps keep you in a productive headspace, and lets colleagues and customers know they can depend on you to be there when you normally would.

6. Eat Your Frog First

Mark Twain speaks to our modern-day work experience surprisingly well: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Meaning: do your most unpleasant task first and the rest of the day will be easier.

7. Set Achievable Tasks

As you progress through your day, crossing things off your to-do list is both motivating and immensely satisfying. Make your tasks realistic and bite-size to prevent being overwhelmed, and to make sure you feel productive throughout the day.

8. Take a Break. Take Two!

Resist the natural urge to be connected ALL THE TIME when you’re working remotely. You take breaks to eat, stretch your legs or find a scrap of sanity while you’re at work. Allow yourself those same basic kindnesses while working from home.

9. Allow Time for Interruptions

Boundaries or not, sometimes the cat runs outside and the baby’s got a face full of soggy cereal and you need to drop everything and lend a hand. You’re often interrupted at work too – interruptions are a part of your job. Try not to get frustrated when they happen at home.

10. Business Unusual

Have you seen the box? I’m not sure where it is, but I’m pretty sure we’re all out of it. It’s the perfect time to do some out-of-the-box thinking. As Karen Costello said: “Creativity and impact blossom where problems live.” Let this unusual situation inspire you to try something different.

11. Stay Connected

It may seem like you’re alone, but nothing could be further from the truth. There’s no shortage of tools and technology to keep you connected to colleagues, customers and friends. Take a look at our blog post about Tips & Tools For Staying Connected for a few pointers. tools & resources to stay connected

12. Ending Your Day

Consider Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands to fill the time available.” Ending your workday makes you more focused and productive during the hours you’re working. When you would usually head home, close up that laptop and let it go until tomorrow.

13. Keep an Eye on the Future

Once you establish that routine at home, it’s easy to get caught up in your day-to-day duties. Set some time and effort during your week to plan for the future, and set yourself up to hit the ground running when business is booming again.

14. Appreciate Now

There will be a day – soon – when we all find ourselves in the office, wondering what happened to all that time we were away. Take some time to enjoy our current situation for its benefits, to appreciate those around you, and to simply be. Take a breath. Take a moment. Take a sip of that coffee.

And then do it all again tomorrow.

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POSTED BY GREG MUZZILLO, FOUNDER OF PROFORMA 

We are all learning some new vocabulary during these times. Words like “shelter in place,” “social distancing” and “herd immunity.”

Another word I strongly recommend people learn is PIVOT. Pivot simply means to “turn.” Many people reading this need to learn to pivot or turn. To pivot to new types of companies wide open for business. To pivot to new types of products businesses need. To pivot to new types of decision-makers who are buying the new types of products that businesses need.

I’ve heard many people say that they are waiting for things to return to “normal.” Unless you’ve been binge-watching Netflix, you must know by now that we aren’t returning to “normal” any time soon, maybe never.

Let me encourage you to not look at pivoting as if it is something bad. Perhaps pivoting may be the best thing you ever do for your business.

Here’s a great story about a famous company that pivoted to profits.

YouTube was originally conceived to be a video-based dating service where users could upload short videos describing their ideal partner and also browse for potential matches. Their slogan was, “Tune in, hook up.”

Eventually, they saw the potential in a much larger and different business model that we know today. That pivot helped the founders of YouTube build a company that sold to Google for $65 billion dollars.

Pivot to Profit.

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Motivate Your Team While Working from Home

POSTED BY VERONICA JANOSEK 

Allowing employees to work from home has always been a somewhat controversial subject, dependent on the company. But now, with stay at home orders for non-essential employees being in effect, companies that have never had a work from home policy in place, find their entire workforce being forced to stay at home. While this creates a number of challenges, one of the biggest is finding ways to keep your team motivated. That’s why we’ve compiled some tips to help you along with this transition and keep your team in good spirits.

Communication is KEY

Communication is really important at this time. Not being face to face or in the same building can make it hard for your team to be on the same page in terms of complex projects and other tasks with multiple moving parts. This communication lag could lead to frustration and even a drop in morale for your team.

To combat this, make sure you have open lines of communication for all of your employees. Holding bi-weekly or even weekly video meetings where your team can all get together to communicate important details and see each other’s faces will help remind employees that they’re part of a team.

If you’ve got the big meetings covered but want another option for minute-to-minute communication, we recommend messaging apps like Slack or GroupMe. Both have free options and make it easy for your team to quickly share updates on projects or other tasks they’re working on.  

Empower Your Team

Another downside to working at home can be a lack of collaboration. Odds are, you’ve hired professionals for your business who are good at their job and are more than just order takers. One way to remind them of this is to give them some freedom in how they do their job. Asking for their input and suggestions will make them feel important and thought of.

Keep Setting Goals

Lastly, it will help your employees to know what the company’s overall business goals are during this time. No one knows when they will be able to go back to the office and return to some semblance of normalcy. To alleviate this, try setting some goals for your team. Asking them to reach a sales goal by a certain deadline, or get all the collateral pieces for the next month done by a specific date are just two examples. Your team will see that you are still eager to make the best of the situation and are still working hard to achieve those goals. It will help people see the finish line and give them that extra push to stay on track that they needed.

Overall, this is uncharted territory for the global workforce, but having open lines of communication, setting goals and letting your team know you believe in them, will motivate them to continue to work hard for their business.

 

Looking for other ways to motivate your employees while working from home? Proforma has access to thousands of the best work from home accessories on the market, including wireless chargers, Bluetooth speakers, privacy webcam covers and more. Send us a quick message and we’ll see how we can help.  

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Four Unique Ways to Say ‘Thank You’

POSTED BY VERONICA JANOSEK 

With the current state of things, it’s easy to get caught up with whatever the next thing is that we need to do. Maybe it’s the next step in the project your team has been working on for months or running through your client presentation for the umpteenth time to make sure it’s perfect.

While all these things are important, they can make us lose sight of the people behind that project or presentation that make your business possible. That’s why we’ve put together this handy list of some different ways you can say thank you to the people who make your business thrive.

Handwritten Notes

Taking the time to jot down a few sentences about how this person has helped your business will go a long way in making you stand out to them. A study published in Psychological Science found that writing hand-written notes “boosts positive emotions and well-being for both the letter-writing “expresser” and the recipient of the stated appreciation.”     

Video Messages

In today’s video-centric world, a short video message is another way to really make an impactful thank you. This doesn’t have to be a fancy 4K motion picture either. Just a simple “Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for _____. It really means a lot to me; I hope you have a good rest of your day,” shot off your smartphone will work just fine.

Gift Baskets

When we picture gift baskets, we tend to think of a bunch of fruit or chocolate stuffed in a wicker basket. While there’s nothing wrong with that, the gift basket industry has much more to offer. There are baskets out there for every niche demographic you can think of, including cheese enthusiasts, board game fanatics and craft beer snobs. You’re sure to find the gift basket that makes the perfect thank you for your employee or client.

Personalized gifts

If you really want to show your appreciation, there’s nothing better than a one-of-a-kind, personalized gift. This could be anything from the classic fountain pen with their name engraved on it to a pair of socks with their face on it. To make your personalized gift really pop, think about something that really interests them like their favorite sports team or TV show. Incorporating that into your gift will be the cherry on top to making it a gift they’ll hold onto forever.

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7.5 Tips for Looking Good on a Video Call

POSTED BY SANMAR GUEST BLOG 

In the last couple of weeks, how many video calls have you been on with dark, shadowy figures who are just as likely to be a cadre of James Bond villains as they are your coworkers and customers?

You don’t need expensive, studio-quality equipment to look good on a video. In fact, you don’t even need technical knowledge. 7.5 Tips for Looking Good on a Video Call.

Here are seven and a half tips and hacks to make sure you’re looking your best on video calls:

We may not have all the answers, but we’re here to help you with staying productive and making the most of your quality time at home.

1. Keep the Light in Front of You

Unless you’re threatening 007 with a giant space laser, you’ll want to make sure your face is well lit. The easiest way to accomplish this is to make sure you’re always facing the light. If you’re near a window, make sure it’s behind your camera, not your head.

2. Use Your Monitor for Extra Fill

Light Sometimes you need a little more light to make your face pop on camera. You don’t need to invest in free-standing LED lights. You just your monitor and a blank Word Doc. Open a new Word Doc and make it full screen. This will make most of your screen a brilliant white and bring out nice highlights on your face. (Note: depending on your skin tone, you might not want pure white fill light. Just play around with the page color until you find one that complements your complexion.)

3. Position Your Camera at Eye Level

Use a few books and raise your laptop so your camera is level with your eyes. This will eliminate weird angles and unfortunate views up your nostrils. It’ll also make it easier for the other people in the meeting to connect with you, and it have much better posture if you aren’t hunched over the camera. tools & resources to stay connected

3.5: Use a Post-It Note to Make Eye Contact

When we’re talking to people, our natural reaction is to look at their faces. However, if you do that on a video call, you’ll actually appear to be looking away from the people you’re talking to. You can fix this with a single Post-It Note. Draw a smiley face on the Post-It and then stick it right behind your camera. When you talk, talk to the smiley and it will look like you’re making eye contact with the other people on the call!

4. Keep Your Distance

Start working at your usual time and keep your appointments and meetings throughout the day. This helps keep you in a productive headspace, and lets colleagues and customers know they can depend on you to be there when you normally would.

5. Leave Just Enough Room On Top

Speaking of framing, make sure to leave just enough space between the top of the video frame and the top of your head. You don’t want too much space there, but you don’t want to cut yourself off either. Staying an arm’s length away will help with this, and then simply adjust the angle of your camera to tweak.

6. Backgrounds Matter

A messy background can distract your viewers from what you’re saying. At the same time, a completely blank background can make it look like you’re taking a mugshot, not leading a team conference. Take a few minutes to declutter your background but leave a little bit of visual interest to add a little depth to your shot.

7. Control the Sound

Even if you’re alone in your home office, the built-in microphone on your camera or computer isn’t designed to deliver crystal clear sound. Instead, use your earbuds or an external microphone for better audio quality. This will also reduce any ambient background noise like dogs, family members, or the upstairs neighbors who recently decided to buy their tween a drum set.

These small tweaks will drastically increase the professional appearance of your video calls. If you’re looking for more ways to enhance your calls, we recommend searching YouTube for webcam tips and tutorials. You’ll find a wealth of information, reviews, tips and tricks. it. It’s the perfect time to do some out-of-the-box thinking.

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Overcoming a Missed Opportunity

POSTED BY VERONICA JANOSEK 

Sometimes, you’ll miss an opportunity. Whether it was big or small, missing out on your next big business deal can leave a bad taste in your mouth. But luckily, there are ways to overcome this missed opportunity that will help you bounce back more quickly and stronger than ever.

Keep Your Emotions in Check

Missing an opportunity can make you feel a lot of different emotions. From being frustrated you didn’t get it to confusion about how the deal fell through and even regret because maybe a mistake was made at some point during the process. All of those emotions can circulate in your head, building a fear that you will miss the next big opportunity. Keeping those emotions in check will help you stay focused on continuing your successful business. Blair Thomas, co-founder of EMB says, “When I have carried around too many regrets, it has impacted my ability to see new ventures.” Accepting that the opportunity is gone and continuing to move forward will help you to build your business.

Stay Positive

Focusing on the positives can be another way to help you move on. It could be positives from the situation, such as your team becoming closer because of the work you all did together on the project. Or it could be something about your business. Although you missed this one opportunity, you may have surpassed your sales goal for the quarter.

Writing down a list of the positives and keeping it with you or on your desk will help remind you that this isn’t the end of the world and there are more opportunities ahead. Smiling can also help you continue to keep staying positive. Evidence shows that smiling, even if it is fake, can help you feel calmer during a stressful situation.

Learn from it

When it comes to the missed opportunity, learning from it is the best thing you can do. Take a step back from the emotions and reflect on the situation as a whole. Analyzing what went wrong and what could have changed will keep you focused on the future, not the past. Prepare a list of actions that could have been taken, or questions that could have been asked. Once you feel you understand why the opportunity was missed, move on to new opportunities without worrying about repeating the same mistake. That lost opportunity can turn into a motivator to do even better in the future.

At the end of the day, you’re in great company each and every time you turn a failure into success,

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Michael Jordan
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Why Promotional Apparel is Still Important

POSTED BY MATTHEW SHUMAKER 

It’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere! “What is it?”, you might ask? It’s promotional apparel and it’s one of the most effective ways of advertising on the planet.

If you want to create one piece of advertising that lasts long after you’ve spent your marketing budget, apparel is it. According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, promotional apparel like t-shirts and outerwear are kept an average of 14-16 months. Try and milk that out of your pay-per-click budget!

These mobile billboards also get the most impressions (# of times seen) of any promotional product category. According to that same study from the Advertising Specialty Institute, promotional outerwear gets seen on average over 6,100 times over its life!

So how do you take advantage of promotional apparel and pick items that will last the test of time?

Here are three things to keep in mind when it comes to creating apparel that lasts.

Comfortable

Long gone are the days of scratchy baggy t-shirts. Here are the days of ultra-soft form-fitting shirts like the Bella + Canvas Ladies’ The Favorite T-Shirt. Pick items so comfy that they’ll never want to take them off!

 

Trendy

While retro is always in style, there are certain trends in the apparel industry that you’ll want to follow. Sustainably sourced items like this Men’s Zip Hoodie are popular and more affordable than ever in 2020.      

         

Well Designed

It’s important to design apparel carefully or it’ll never leave the closet. Work with designers that have experience in putting together tastefully designed artwork for your promotional apparel items like these Tube Promo Socks.

 

Learn how our Promotional Products & Programs can help your company get the recognition it deserves.

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