Coaches Corner
by Fred Albrecht
Proforma Albrecht was ranked #45 on the 2015 Promo Marketing Top 50 Distributors in the Industry. Suzie and I are proud of our Sales Team and all of our employees who work so hard to make it possible for us to earn industry recognition. One of the questions that I have heard is "Why continue to grow?" Truly our plan is to continue to grow. We know that our employees want to earn more. Benefits costs increased over 25% in April of 2015, along with costs to do business in general. Fortunately it is our sales growth that allows us to continue to invest in our company and maintain the benefits we offer our employees and sales team members while absorbing cost increases like we experienced the last two years in healthcare alone. We continue to invest in technology. In the first 4 months of this year, we have invested over $100,000.00 in new technology, some of which has been implemented and more is to come in the next 30 days.
We continue to adhere to our firm commitment to grow our internal team faster than we grow our sales team. We believe that is the key to our success and our ability to maintain service as we are prepared for growth. We have new team members in training and we are in the process of hiring more home office support team members as well. Our growth over the last 10 years has helped us create a network of KEY suppliers that not only recognize us as a Proforma owner, but the largest owners providing us with additional sales, marketing and customer service support. Therefore, growth is not only good, it is VITAL to the long term well-being for every employee and sales executive. We are different from our competitors who grow by simply adding "numbers" of reps and numbers of customers. We prefer to grow by adding one GREAT person at a time and continue to be selective in choosing those people looking to commit 100% of their loyalty to us. Most important to Suzie and I is that we help our existing sales team members and employees reach their personal goals and achieve their dreams. Our growth is well-planned and part of our 5 year business plan. Together we can achieve unbelievable success!
We are also proud to be part of the Proforma network of owners with total sales reaching close to $500 Million. Proforma was ranked #2 by Promo Marketing with Promotional Product sales exceeding $397 Million.
Let's grow together,
Coach Fred
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A Note from Harry Lee
 Thank you Suzie & Fred for the recognition of my service in the US Navy. It was a pleasure and I always felt proud putting on the Uniform. I enjoyed working with and training the future leaders of our Military. I might add that two of My Brothers also served in the USA Army, Estill Glen Smith in the USA & Germany, and Paul Walter Smith in the USA and Korea. My youngest brother Dale Smith could not pass the physical due to injuries in a plane wreck at age 14. Military Service has always been a calling in our family. Stephen Smith served 3 years in the revolutionary war with the First VA Artillery. Alfred Huston Moore in the Confederate Forces in TN during the civil war. John C. Smith in WWII from KY. We have enjoyed working with Suzie and You since Feb 2000. We have made many friends in the Albrecht Organization. I also must give my partner Gail Smith a "Bravo Zulu" for her help over the past 20 years. Couldn't have made it without her. |
Rock 'N Roll
Bob Aronesty knows the power of selling printing. He rocked the record books with one of the largest print jobs in our history, with two orders of custom "take away cards" for his client who is a "Smokeless Electronic Cigarette" manufacturer. These point-of-purchase cards are being branded with two different brands, totaling 77,000 cards, with the orders totaling over $103,000.00. They are being printed by PLP supplier RR Donnelly. A big "shout out" to Bob.
Mark Rich capitalized on a "point-of-purchase" sale as well. His order is for Custom Wire Display racks from a non-ASI supplier, Angola Wire Products in Angola Indiana. His client is a Distillary, the order totals over $34,000.00. By the way, the great benefit of a point-of-purchase product, they tend to repeat, this was a repeat of an initial order from November.
Josh Frey, our Swag Coach came through with a victory in his quest for a lottery client. His order totaled over $16,000.00 for lunch bags, wallets and flashlights. He won them using PLP's Hit and Leeds.
 Cathy Rossner has a great recurring order for "Sharpies", this one for 10,000 totaling close to $10,000.00 from Sanford. The client is a Financial Company, they hand them out to prospects and clients who attend "benefit fairs." It is always great to identify a product that ends up being used and consumed on a regular basis as part of her client's business and branding strategy.
Lisa Gilreath has a long standing relationship with the marketing team at the Special Olympics. He recent order is for 170 PC380 Performance Tees from San Mar decorated by Two Fish in Cincinnati. It was not that long ago that th is client would be using the G5000 or some other cotton tee, it is great to see them upgrade to a Performance Tee that people will love to wear. I spoke to Lisa and she tells me she has been using the "good, better best" approach to sell T-Shirts and it has worked. In the past this was strictly a "bid and buy" T-shirt order, the person with the lowest bid on the cheapest T-shirt won it. Lisa presented the concept to provide a performance shirt that will be worn and she earned the order without a bid! A great approach that should be offered every time a t-shirt is specified or requested.
 Lisa is on a roll, she booked a $7500.00 order for a local "FOP Lodge" for 500 GB600 Weekend Garment Bags from the Brentwood Line ASI 88245. Great Order! Lisa has been working very hard on "planting seeds" and I can see she is reaping the benefits! Great Job Lisa. Lisa has been communicating with Chan Williams, who recommended a little known but awesome supplier, "Brentwood Line, the Sourcing Department." She presented this product which is a higher-end gift for a 100th Anniversary celebration. Originally the buyer was leaning toward a "bag with something inserted". Lisa recommended the higher end gift to allow the client to provide a higher perceived gift within the same total budget.
John Lucking has a great and fun client, he sells to "QVC", the home shopping network..hopefully he does not spend more than they buy :-). He sold 1450 PC 61 T-Shirts from San Mar, decorated by Two Fish in Cincinnati. The order totaled over $7600.00.
John Snodgrass sold his long time client, a marketing services company, 5070 Custom Mini Paw Shaped Antenna Toppers with a bulldog face from ASI 54886 Foamworx, totaling over $9400.00. 4620 3265 Pet Waste Bag Dispensers, totaling over $9600.00 from ASI 52840 PLP Evans Mfg and 5450 6621-31 Dual Function Key Holders from ASI 66887 PLP Leeds for over $13,000.00. He shared the wealth with both Alpha with 1400 DT104L District Threads and 2800 G640 from San Mar totaling close to $30,000.00. All in, the total sales came to over $68,000.00. Way to go John!
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| SCHEDULE:
Opens: May 29
Closes: June 12
Mail Date: June 26
ASSIGN CONTACTS:
ProSMART / PROvision |
| PRICING:
$12.00 per contact (US)
$15.00 per contact (CA)
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| 2Q Bright Ideas Kit Campaign
The Bright Ideas Kit campaigns are designed to get you in front of prospects and customers by showcasing all of the products and services Proforma has to offer such as promotional products, packaging, print, fulfillment and creative. These multi-dimensional campaigns are offered quarterly, and there are two campaigns that will be available focused on: 1. Prospecting to potential customers and 2. Cross-selling to current customers.
The Bright Ideas Kit campaigns will feature several unique promotional products featuring Proforma-branded box and romance cards unique for prospecting and cross-selling focus. The mailing label and romance cards create a 1:1 mailing, addressing the prospect / customer directly and including the Proforma marketing contact's return information.
BRIGHT IDEAS KIT PREVIEW
To learn more about the Bright Ideas Kit campaigns, contact Danny Trizio at the Proforma Support Center. |
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| 8 | July SA Closes |
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| 12 | 2Q Bright Ideas Kit Closes |
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HIT Introduces the new Snack Attack Tumbler
Now you can keep up to 6 oz of your favorite snack food securely nestled in right into your drink container. Just pop it open! The tumbler comes with a screw on, spill resistant lid and a matching 10" straw. Click the top image to check out the video! Click below to see in on the web.  |
Who is taking up your time? What's in your Wallet?
Here are some helpful tips to help you analyze your client base and improve it from our friends at PLP TENEO Coaching.
"Identifying Your Ideal Clients"
By Lisa Leitch, CSPx2
When salespeople plan to prospect, many think they need to read out to anyone  who will listen and possibly be interested in their products/services. Prospecting has become one of the most challenging aspects of sales today. When you prospect, we want to help you focus on the ideal profitable companies that make the most sense for you and your company rather than chasing anyone and everyone!
Contrary to popular belief, the entire world is not your target market unless you are Bill Gates who once said, "...a computer on every desk and in every home..." A significant factor to successful prospecting is to target the right companies. We've discovered that the best way to achieve that is to conduct an ideal profitable analysis. When coaching many salespeople and business owners,this analysis never fails to be a key learning and our clients quickly realize the importance of it!
Here are a few tips and questions to help identify your ideal profitable clients. You will need your client list from the past 2 years.
- Sort your client list from the highest to your lowest revenue clients.
- Determine your average client revenue and/or profit/margin/dollars.
- How many clients do you have that exceed this average?
- Who are the clients below your average client size?
- Who are your top 10 and your bottom 10 clients - how much time do you spend with each of these clients? Do you have any "high maintenance" clients" I'm sure you have a few!
- What are the similarities among these accounts?
- What industries do they represent?
- What products do they most often purchase?
- Create an ideal profile/persona based on the results of your analysis - for example, we focus on companies with sales teams of 10-100 salespeople in the manufacturing, agricultural, or marketing industries who want to become industry leaders and change their sales culture.
Taking the time to conduct an ideal profitable analysis can help you focus your prospecting efforts. It can save you time. It can increase the profitability of each sale. And it can make it easier to exceed your sales targets!
Action item: Review your top clients (revenue, profit and your time allocated for these clients) and align your prospecting efforts so you are targeting your Ideal Profitable Clients.
P.S. Let us know how this concept has helped you improve your prospecting efforts.
Lisa Leitch, CSPx2
Sales Strategist, Trainer & Coach
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FROM THE DESK OF LAURA TURNER
Hello everyone!
It's a wonderful time of year and I'm very excited to be addressing you, our valued customer partners, in June's issue of Essentials.
I love June.... this is the time of year that I literally stop and smell the flowers. In my part of the world, it's lilacs, apple & cherry blossoms and hyacinths among others... Fragrant and beautiful and drawing our thoughts to the lovely summer to come. Wherever you are, I hope you get a chance to stop and smell them too.
But none of us get to stop for too long because we've got so much on-the-go! And the alphabroder Marketing team is no exception.
We're busy preparing for our mid-June Occupational Launch which will bring 17 brand new Harriton® styles to market. Positioned as part of a larger collection, and designed for the tough duty and hospitality industries, these styles really are "Built to Work." Watch for more details via email, social media and through your local sales rep soon.
We also have our new Sample Program launching shortly. This is a best-in-class program that will allow you unprecedented access to CORE365™, Harriton®, Extreme®, North End®, Devon & Jones®, North End Sport® Red, North End Sport® Blue and Team 365™ samples. We know that samples are a key selling tool and are critical for you to build your business, so this program has been designed to ensure that you do just that. More details will be released in the coming weeks, so watch for them!
That's a quick snapshot of the biggest news we've got for this month. I know you'll find our Occupational launch and our new Sample Program to be business drivers, and just two more examples of how alphabroder is working hard to provide you with the product and tools you need to succeed. We know that this is a true partnership - we only succeed if you succeed.
Have a wonderful month and thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Laura Turner
VP Marketing, alphabroder
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SUMMER HOLIDAY STYLE
Represent your country in style! From corporate to casual, this customizable storyboard has some color coordinated product ideas you can present that are perfect for this time of year.
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SUPER SOFT WITH A MODERN FIT
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EVENTS
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CATCH US IN THE NEWS!
 - Feature article alert! In May 2015's issue of Printwear (page 40), Elson Yeung (Director of Private Label Design & Merchandising at alphabroder) contributes a 3-page article on the Evolution of Corporate Women's Wear and how new styles/designs have changed the market.
- Looking to break into the hospitality market? Get a few tips from Joe'l Bastien, our very own Director of Strategic Accounts, in Stitches' State of the Industry Issue (page 50). The same edition also features the Harriton® Ladies' 8 oz. Full Zip Fleece (M990W) in the Marsala Look Book Trend Showcase (page 35).
- In the May 14th episode of The Joe Show, Managing Editor Joe Haley shows off great items for summer promotions. Looking for an idea you can pitch to resorts and beach clubs? Need some products for outdoor events? Click here to get these ideas, and to see the North End® Excursion Crosscheck Performance Woven Polo (85120/75120) in action!
- Spring has officially sprung, and fitness products continue to be in high demand as people not only ready themselves for swimsuit season, but also pledge to be fit and healthy. Identity Marketing's May 8th online article explores this topic, and includes apparel advice from Jenna Quaranta, Territory Manager at alphabroder.
- It's official. Army green isn't just for GIs anymore - it's become increasingly popular in recent couture collections. Suppliers in the promotional industry have also been incorporating the color into their own fashion-forward apparel lines, including us at alphabroder. Check out the article, featuring insight from Andrea L. Routzahn (VP of Portfolio & Supplier Management) in Wearables' April 20th newsletter.
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SELL SHEET WIZARD
Get noticed by your customers! Create unique sell sheets online at www.alphabroder.com with our Sell Sheet Wizard. This free tool gives you total flexibility to create and design your own promotional sell sheet from scratch or you can use any of our pre-built templates.
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WHAT'S YOUR WORK STYLE?
Occupational outfitting is not a new concept, but this industry has historically been serviced with apparel that meets the needs of the end-user at the most basic level. Garments have typically been made to be either disposable or extremely rugged, with little comfort and fashionability in mind. With our Harriton® brand, we want to bridge that gap between form and function, by offering a number of style solutions that are comfortable, durable and thoughtfully designed, so that staff members enjoy wearing the product, and employers are pleased with the value and longevity of the styles.
One major end-user vertical in the occupational industry is the Resort & Hospitality segment, in which our rayon/poly-blended camp shirts are an easy fit. Both the Barbados Textured Camp Shirt (M560/ M560W) and the Bahama Two-tone Camp Shirt (M575) are comfortable lightweight wovens, with wrinkle-resistant performance, and a color offering that has a fun, tropical feel (perfect for resort staff outfitting). Sometimes, in resort environments, layering options are needed as well, and something like the Microfiber Windshirt (M700) is a great option for outdoor workers, who need a light layering piece, that's both comfortable and breathable, as well as water-resistant.
While the Resort & Hospitality segment is generally more focused on customer-facing end-users, the Food & Beverage vertical is more focused on the back-of-house end-user. Styles with a little more performance and durability are excellent options for this segment, such as the Easy-Blend Woven Twill Shirts (M500/M500W/M500S/M500SW), available in both Men's and Ladies' options, with long or short sleeves. These durable shirts are made with wrinkle-resistant performance, as well as stain-release technology. Also important to note, for our Harriton® assortment, is select IL (Industrial Launder) styles. The M500 family is one of those additions, tested to a rating of IL 50, according to AATTC (American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists) industry standards and protocols.
Another vertical that may not be what people think of right away as "workwear" is the more polished look of the Business Identity segment. Harriton®'s great selection of polo's are a natural starter piece for this vertical, like the Easy-Blend Polos (M265/M265W/M265L/M265Y). These polo's are made from wrinkle-resistant, cotton/poly blended piqué, and feature a matching flat-knit collar and cuffs.
For layering, the 8oz Full-zip Fleece Jacket (M990/M990W/M990Y) is an easy addition to the Business Identity ensemble. This jacket features soft, spun-polyester fleece with no-pill finish, dye-to-match zippers, and drawcord at the bottom hem. Or for an alternate option, try the Adult 8oz ¼-zip Pulover (M980). With an IL 50 rating, these items are also durable enough to stand up to the needs of the user, if used in a more rigourous setting.
Now, with up to 26 colors, many styles available in extended sizing (Tall, Ladies' and even Youth), along with select IL notated styles, we've got a great assortment for the growing Occupational Industry, and we encourage everyone to put Harriton® to the test!
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All Devon & Jones styles are 5% off for the entire month of June!
Special ends June 26th, 2015.
Adding them to a program? Contact Marissa or Danielle to lock in special pricing for the rest of 2015.
Marissa Brooks
267.414.1816
Danielle Augustine
daugustine@alphabroder.com
614.716.8749
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If you would like to review any of our past issues, we now have them archived.
Click Here for the archive page. |
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