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Wearables University Imprinting Tips for Tiny Garments While everyone thinks decorating kids' clothes to mimic their parents' promotional apparel is cute, few people pause to appreciate the effort and expense of creating a complementary design fit for the tiniest of garments. Let's be clear. The full-chest design of a monster truck racing across an adult large shirt isn't going to magically shrink to fit the 4T boy's tank top. Yet, clients act surprised by the extra charges incurred in resizing the art. The issue is a matter of proportion. This is the first key to improving your kids' wear acumen. All artwork should be sized proportionally to the imprint area. The exact three-inch, embroidered brand name on the left chest of an adult's shirt will reach across to the center chest or further on a toddler's shirt. Take time to explain these issues when you plan to imprint infant and toddler clothing. Here's your second tip: You can also use the discussion with your client to share ideas about how a child's garment can be much more fanciful with its decoration. While adults tend to prefer more subtle imprints, kids love glitz. Take that corporate logo that appeared in a sophisticated matte gray for the adult version, and add some glitter for a silvery effect to intrigue young audiences. Puff inks or color-change inks are also kid-friendly options. If you really want to involve young recipients, consider creating an "outline only" design, and then distribute the T-shirt with fabric markers so that kids can color in the promotional message themselves. Finally, consider the safety of the inks you choose when imprinting garments for children. A newborn infant's skin, for example, can be very sensitive. Imprints should be soft, and the inks chemical-free. Water-based inks are the least toxic choice. By showing your clients that you've got their best interests in mind, right down to the inks you choose, you'll generate goodwill and loyalty. Keep these three tips in mind and you'll find that decorating such small apparel can provide big benefits for you and the customer. For more apparel sales strategies, trends and decorating tips, attend Wearables University, a full slate of apparel-themed courses at both ASI New York on May 6 and ASI Chicago on July 22. Top Distributor Management Become a Fast-Growing Distributor The industry grew 5.4% in 2007. Not a bad percentage, but what distributor doesn't want to see year-over-year growth of 10%, 20%, even 500% or more? How does a company achieve that kind of jaw-dropping growth? Here are some strategies to consider from distributors who have enjoyed strong growth, year after year:

Seminar Spotlight Free upcoming seminars for ASI Show attendees include: Wearables University ASI New York May 6, 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. & ASI Chicago July 22, 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Secrets from the Fastest Growing Distributor Companies ASI New York May 6, 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. & ASI Chicago July 22, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tap into the Diversity Market; Benefits of Becoming WBE Certified ASI Chicago July 22, 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Keynote Speech: Building a Brand from (Literally) Scratch By Barbara Corcoran, real estate queen ASI New York May 8, 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Selling Eco-Friendly Products ASI New York May 6, 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. Note: For a complete list of seminars at upcoming ASI Shows, visit asishow.com.   Free Webcasts Supplier Webcast: How to Have a Successful Trade Show Click here to view.   Free E-Newsletters Counselor® PromoGram® Advantages™ Hot Deals Wearables Style Successful Promotions® Trend Report™ Stitches Small Business™ Embroidery Business Insights™ Uniforms Trends Report™   Industry Magazines Counselor® Advantages™ Successful Promotions Stitches Wearables Uniforms

• Have a plan. That's the expert advice from Dennis Borst of Patriot Marketing Group, a distributor whose business grew 900% in 2005 and another 100% in 2006. Borst says many distributors "fly blind" when it comes to setting goals and forecast growth. Patriot Marketing's goal has been pressing hard on a new niche – advertising agencies. "We've been partnering with creative agencies, whose clients are moving away from traditional media campaigns and into logoed products," Borst says. And that tight focus has paid off for Patriot: Last year, the company sold its biggest program in history, partnering with a creative agency to sell more than $1 million in logoed dog tags to a haircutting chain for a back-to-school promotion.
• Motivate reps with the right rewards. Borst recently set up an incentive program called "Operation Agency" for his reps to go after creative agencies. The reps earn gift cards for every agency lead and sale they generate. But the real carrot is the end-of-year reward: Whoever brings in the most revenue from creative agencies wins a week-long trip to the destination of their choice. "It's winner takes all," Borst says, "and you can bet that's a big motivator."
• Keep an eye on cash flow. Sharon Steelman of Bama Jammer Promotions avoids debt at all costs. "Have little or no debt," she says. Steelman has recently begun asking some customers to pay 100% upfront in order to maintain positive cash flow.

For more strategies to grow your distributorship, click here to watch a video of Counselor magazine Editor Andy Cohen interviewing Dennis Borst. Also, attend a new session, "The Secrets of Fast-Growing Distributor Companies," on May 6 at ASI New York and July 22 at ASI Chicago.

Tech Talk

Take Control of E-Mail

Leave your office for a few hours, and sometimes even minutes, and your inbox will be filled with e-mails. Good e-mail management is really about good time management. The following time-saving tips will help you gain control over e-mail:

• Avoid constantly checking your e-mail to see what has come in; instead, check your inbox once every hour or so.
• When you do check your e-mail, don't immediately respond to every message. Separate out those that need an immediate response and save the rest for a designated time of the day that you put aside for answering e-mails.
• Avoid handling e-mails multiple times. Handle it once and be done with it.
• When you return from vacation, check in with a colleague before answering e-mails to find out what happened while you were away. Some of the issues you think you need to address in your e-mails may already have been handled.
• Use your e-mail folder program to organize yourself and quickly track online discussions. Create folders for projects, vendors, suppliers and colleagues with whom you frequently correspond.
• Make productive use of your e-mail subject lines – they can save you and your reader valuable time when communicating simple items.
• Write your e-mails in short, quick points; use short paragraphs and bold text to communicate important issues.

Business Toolkit

Is Your Business a Candidate for WBE Certification?

Did you know that major corporations and government organizations are actively seeking women-owned businesses as their vendors? They have entire diversity departments set up to scout out companies that have obtained WBE (that's certification lingo for Women Business Enterprise) status.

Are you a good candidate for WBE certification? Here are the key criteria that both the government and corporate certification programs are looking for, according to Rosalie Marcus, the Promo Biz Coach:

• Business must be 51% women owned
• Must be managed on a daily basis by a woman
• You sell business to business
• Your business targets large corporations
• You can finance large orders and meet their requirements
• You are willing to share your financial information

Obtaining WBE certification is a great way to get your foot in the door of large corporations and government agencies. If you meet the above criteria and want to learn more, start by visiting the Women's Business Enterprise National Council Web site, www.wbenc.org. This organization provides corporate certification for women-owned businesses and is believed to be the most valuable certification to get because it is nationally recognized and is the certification of choice for companies that do business-to-business sales. The site will tell you all of the documentation you need to get started. This process will take up to six months to complete, but providing complete information will help to expedite it.

Learn more about becoming WBE certified by attending Rosalie Marcus' session, "Tap into the Diversity Market: Benefits of Becoming WBE Certified," at ASI Chicago on July 22 from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. Also get free sales tips at Marcus' Web site, www.promobizcoach.com

Supplier Clinic

Reduce the Challenges of Cross-Border Shipping

Cross-border shipping can be challenging and costly if you don't do it right. These five tips, courtesy of Shelley Gares, vice president of brokerage for UPS Canada, will help you ship right the first time:

• Make sure the product you're shipping will be allowed into its destination country. Many nations have product restrictions for public health or economic reasons. Always check before you ship; consult the country's border agency for detailed information.
• To ease processing and avoid delays, choose an international shipping provider that has a vast international network, and one that allows you to track the location and progress of your shipments online at any time.
• Customs declaration forms should declare everything in the package being shipped. Omitting items from the declaration form can result in your package being detained or seized at border crossings.
• Consult with a customs broker. Licensed brokers can advise of new regulations and rules and can explain all that could be required in order to clear the shipment.
• Every package must be clearly labeled with the name of the recipient, his or her address and the destination country, which is often forgotten. Even something as simple as not having the phone number of both the shipper and the receiver can hold up a shipment.

Keys to Success

Make It Big Like Barbara

How does a waitress with no money in her pocket become a multi-billion-dollar brand? That's what Manhattan real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran has accomplished. Corcoran, who started her real estate company with a $1,000 loan from a boyfriend and sold it for more than $60 million 20 years later, says she's received most of her selling advice from her mom. Here are some of her best tips:

• People want to do business with someone they like. Don't be misled into thinking that sales are all about the product. It's not. It's all about the people. It's as simple as this: If people like you, they're going to want to do business with you. And if they don't, you're going to have an almost insurmountable obstacle to overcome.
• Selling is nothing more than playing up the good and playing down the bad. If you know how to do it naturally, you're a born salesperson, and if not, it can be learned.
• Great salespeople fail well. We get knocked down like everyone else, but take a lot less time getting up.

To hear more valuable selling tips – and learn the steps Corcoran used to build her super-successful brand – attend her keynote speech at ASI New York on May 8 from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.

Hot Niche Report

Make Sense of the Eco-Friendly Movement

"Green is here to stay; it's not a fad that's going to fade," says Chuck Fandos, president of Gateway CDI. But how do you educate clients – and yourself – on the terminology of the green movement? Here are some things to keep in mind when pitching green products, courtesy of Fandos, and Kris Robinson, vice president of PromoShop:

• Clients often ask the difference between the terms eco-friendly and green. "Eco-friendly is an adjective, whereas green is a way of life," says Fandos.
• One problem that the industry has is that there's no standard for what constitutes a truly green product. In an effort to help, Robinson said his company developed an E-scale based on the percentage of recycled material used in each product. For example, a product with the rating of E-1 is 100% organic. An item that's rated E-5 is not made with any recycled products, however it has properties that are earth-friendly – a fan that uses solar energy instead of batteries for instance.
• Fandos said that green may not be the easiest sell due to higher costs and longer turnaround times, but he said the effort will be worth it. "Research and tell clients the best reason to buy these products is that you're saving the Earth," he says. "Always show a green option when making a sales call; don't give up."

Click here to see a video of Counselor magazine's Andy Cohen interviewing both Fandos and Robinson following their popular workshop, "Selling Eco-Friendly Products," at ASI Las Vegas. Missed their Vegas session? They'll be repeating it at ASI New York on May 6 from 10:15 to 11 a.m.

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