It’s Never Too Early To Spark Q4 Success

By Jim Hollis 

Now that the busy Q1 sales season is in the rearview mirror and you’re in the thick of your Q2 strategy, you might be looking forward to a well-earned summer vacation.

But we’re here to encourage you not to take your foot off the gas pedal just yet. No matter how well your 2024 goals are tracking so far, it’s essential to stay motivated as the most important buying season of the year approaches.

Planning is key.

According to ASI® research, 29% of suppliers’ sales take place in Q4, and in order to get your fair share of this lucrative market, it’s important to start planning end-of-year strategy ASAP. Placing orders early will not only give you a head start on a lot of procrastinating distributors trying to chase the last-minute rush this fall, but it’ll also allow you to avoid potential inventory issues as the holiday season gets closer.

Though we’re not quite halfway through 2024 yet, you likely have a firm grasp on your yearly spend so far and can accurately forecast your budget through the end of the year. Since most sales occur in Q4, you need to allocate enough resources to maximize success without sacrificing quality. No matter how strong your year started, try not to run out of steam!

Utilize your resources.

Once you have a Q4 plan in place, it’s time to put it to action. Implement your Q4 marketing initiatives NOW, whether its email marketing, digital advertising or any of the other services ASI has at your disposal. The sooner you reach your clients about their Q4 needs, the better prepared you’ll be to fulfill those orders.

Another aspect of your business that should have your utmost attention during this time is your customer service representation. As a surge of inquiries and orders start to roll in, it’s best to have an “all hands on deck” type approach to ensure that you’re providing the best service possible by remaining patient and transparent. Your customers’ satisfaction should be top priority, and a bit of preparation will put you in position to accommodate their needs.

Stay current with trends.

The vast majority of Q4 sales come in the form of holiday gifting and end-of-year rewards, and the best way to land the most sales is to stay up to date on the hottest trends in promo. Here’s a snippet of what buyers are looking for this year:

• Eco-friendly products: Sustainability is no longer a niche market; it’s at the forefront of most buyers’ minds. Products made from eco-friendly materials or reusable items designed to cut down on single-use plastics are more popular than ever.
  • Product ideas: Fair-trade organic cotton backpacks, bamboo-covered journals, stainless steel reusable water bottles
• Tech gadgets: Technology is advancing faster than many of us can keep up, and as a result, anything that can accommodate end-buyers’ fast-paced, high-tech lifestyle is going to be a big hit.
  • Product ideas: Power banks, USB cables, portable speakers
• Wellness and self-care items: Products promoting a healthy physical lifestyle have been top of mind for a while, but now a focus on mental health is just as important. Products designed to help relieve stress and anxiety are always much appreciated.
  • Product ideas: Sleep kits, essential oils, blankets

Reach high-end Q4 buyers with The Gift Book.

One of the best ways to reach your goals is with our highly anticipated catalog, The Gift Book®.

The Gift Book serves as a platform for showcasing high-end products from the massive $90 billion corporate gifts and incentives market. This popular catalog reaches end-buyers just in time for the busy holiday season, but it also provides year-round inspiration for employee incentives, new-hire programs, corporate celebrations, awards ceremonies and so much more. Check out last year’s edition of The Gift Book for product inspiration.

For suppliers, The Gift Book provides a unique opportunity to tell your product’s story and showcase its offerings in a visually appealing and informative matter, and it’s a prime opportunity to tap into one of the most lucrative sectors of the promotional products industry. For distributors, the catalog can act as a business card if you imprint your company name and logo on the cover and hand them out to local businesses.

Every well-rounded marketing campaign should include catalog advertising, so let ASI guide the way.

Suppliers can learn about our catalog program at asiadvertising.com/catalogs.

If you’re a distributor interested in purchasing catalogs, reach out to your Customer Success Manager.