FollowWhether you’ve been in the promotional products business for 10 days or 10 years, you know that this is a business where it is easy to get overwhelmed. The day-to-day operations of running a successful promotional products distributorship can be challenging.
Here are five proven strategies to help you get more done in less time and avoid being overwhelmed:
Overwhelmed by clutter? If you’re buried knee-deep in samples, catalogs and piles of paper, here’s a quick organizing tip. Pick one area to start with. If it’s your follow-up list, prioritize the calls and emails. If it’s the top of your desk, work on one small area at a time. Set a timer for 10-20 minutes and just take action. It’s amazing how much you can get done in a short amount of time. To keep the momentum going, put on your favorite music while you’re getting organized. It will energize you and help you stay on task. To eliminate even more paper clutter, consider paying invoices online and accessing your supplier catalogs digitally.
Overwhelmed by email? Turn off the email alerts and vow to check your email ONLY at certain times during the day, such first thing in the morning, lunch or at the end of the day. For questions that you get asked frequently, set up an FAQ page on your website that you can refer customers to. Also, consider setting up an additional email address for non-urgent emails.
Overwhelmed by social media? Who isn’t these days? Set a time limit for yourself. I recommend no more than 30 minutes a day during business hours. If you post to more than one social media site, use a social media management tool such as Hoot Suite. Save the real socializing for the evenings when you’re not working.
Overwhelmed with small orders and smaller profits that take up too much time? Do a client profitability analysis. Some customers and their orders may not be worth the time they take. Consider setting a minimum order limit and turning down business that doesn’t meet your profit goals. In the long run this will free up your time for more profitable orders and customers.
Overwhelmed trying to choose the best supplier? Choose two to three suppliers in each of the top selling categories. Give those suppliers the bulk of your business. You’ll get better pricing and service when you’re loyal to a core group of suppliers.
The real secret to dealing with overwhelm is to block time on your calendar every day for your most important revenue-generating activities. Schedule and prioritize your day ahead of time. Work ONLY on revenue-generating activities first. These are the things that directly relate to bringing money into your promotional products business such as client meetings, follow-up and proposals.
What are your best tips for eliminating overwhelm and dealing with the day-to-day operations in your promotional products business? I’d love to hear your comments below!
© 2011 – 2013 Rosalie Marcus
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Not sure which program or product is right for you? Contact Rosalie for a brief, no obligation, personal consultation. Reach her at Rosalie@promobizcoach.com
Rosalie Marcus, The Promo Biz Coach ™ is a promotional products business expert, coach and speaker. Combining her skills and years of experience in promotional sales, she helps her clients sell more at higher profit margins and dramatically increase their incomes! Get a FREE special report: 10 Big Mistakes Promotional Professionals Make and How to Avoid Them and a FREE Skyrocket Your Sales audio download at http://www.promobizcoach.
Reach her at Rosalie@promobizcoach.com or 215-572-6766.
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