We’ve all heard the adage “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” about dealing with trials. Press-A-Print Operator Jose Diaz had a similar experience recently. Here’s how he made ice cream out of the icy reception he initially received.
“We live in a small California town that has a lot of tradition and such and we are relative newcomers to the town. (We are outsiders even after living here for four years.) To make a long story short, we have struggled to develop relationships because businesses have developed personal as well as business relationships with the screen printers, embroiderers, and promotional products distributors in our town.
In my attempt to get our name out there, I joined the chamber of Commerce, and attended various mixers and networking groups. There was open hostility at many of these meetings. I talked about our business every chance I got and mentioned the virtues of SQL and how I control quality etc. etc. etc... with very little results. Created a buzz, but no orders!
I next went to advertising: vehicle graphics, flyers, mailers, etc., but still no orders. I saw an announcement for a craft fair and called to see about vendor booths; I was told that they were full of vendors but they would keep me in mind. (It turns out the person hosting it was a promotional product distributor that I had met at a networking meeting --- think open hostility.) So in comes my catch-all statement: “Really, you’re full? I am so disappointed that I won’t be able to offer the ‘customize your own free button’ program to the kids.” BAM, I was in! I was the only booth offering free product for the fair. I ended up selling customized clothing lines, wacky pens, and our own line of buttons. The free button program was a success: it cost me less than $30 in materials. I generated about three 100-shirt orders and because of my exposure we were printed about in our local newspaper, the local merchants saw our classy graphics and in house production samples, and now I have broken through to some of the old time business people in our town. It wasn’t our personality, it was the feeling that we were outsiders that was holding us back. We are now well on our way to breaking through. I was "invited" to exhibit my business at a three-hour mixer "free of charge" at an event sponsored by our Entrepreneur Club in town.
Coincidentally, our local bank called us and offered a table to advertise our business for a full week, free of charge! We are bombarding our community with our logo. Our neighbor says he keeps seeing our running man logo everywhere. Tomorrow our "grand opening" ad will go out in a color magazine book that all the established businesses use around here. The stress is starting to come down and this is starting to get fun!”
Jose Diaz
PDQ Promotions and Printing
Tracy, CA
P.S. “I forgot to mention that on the free children's customizable button, I printed our logo on the back of every promotional button we gave out!!!! Cha ching!!! 100 2.25 inch buttons, minimal cost. 100 children making and designing their own buttons on the spot: dirt cheap. Having the parents thank me for advertising my product and my business: priceless!!!!”
Hi Jose Diaz
Hello, let me introduce myself, I'm Victoria B. Laing in Leicester, N.C. I have just became an Press-A-Print owner/operator. I read your article on "When Life Hands You Ice, Make Ice-Cream!" I like your ideas very much. Also the one about using the button maker with the children. That was sharp thinking. I was wondering if I could use your ideas if the situation is similar to yours. Thank you.
Victoria B. Laing
PRINT YOUR NAME HERE
Specialty Advertising
and Promationals
Liecester, N.C.
(828) 683-0500
Fax# (828) 683-0500
Posted by: Victoria B. Laing | June 08, 2006 at 01:53 PM