The Promo Coach

Successful companies have learned that giving employee recognition awards for a job well done builds loyalty among employees and results in higher productivity. Every company has employees who go above and beyond their job descriptions to provide exceptional service. In return, these employees really should feel that their extra efforts are appreciated. The best way to do this is to offer employee recognition awards, gifts or incentives.

Loyalty and dedication should be rewarded not just at retirement, but also all through a career. Employees often think that they are just making money for the company and if they were gone no one would miss them. Good employees are often hard to find, so companies need to recognize extra efforts from high performing and productive employees. Companies need to do what they can to retain to retain their top performers.

Simple gestures such as sending thank you cards or emails or even personally congratulating an employee for a job well done can go a long way. But boosting an employee’s self-esteem and recognizing efforts should be part of an employee recognition program, where the receiver gets a gift or reward that expresses thanks and gratitude, and also acknowledges the value and importance they bring to the organization.

Employee recognition programs that include an annual awards dinner are an excellent way to combine rewarding employees with both kind words and tangible gifts. Both large and small companies have annual award events. For larger companies this takes the form of an annual employee recognition awards banquet. But small companies, too, can have an annual employee awards event on a smaller scale. Both the large Fortune 500 companies and the small businesses can greatly benefit from a well planned employee recognition program. A gift can be worth a thousand words and is a great way to reward a job well done!

Surprisingly, employers are realizing that cash rewards don’t have a good long lasting effect and value with employees. If you’re planning to hand out cash rewards for first quarter performance, don’t expect your employees to remember them. People commonly use their cash rewards to pay bills and many receivers can’t remember where they spent their cash bonuses.

Ideally, employees would use cash incentives to treat themselves and then remember when and why they earned the specific reward. However, those good intentions often fall by the wayside when the check is cashed. The realization: if you really want to reward your employees, don’t show them the money! An employer’s best bet is personalized incentives, rewards, and corporate gifts that show appreciation and gratitude and offer something unique and special.

It is a reality that very few people enjoy spend the money on a special treat for themselves - and even less splurge on a vacation or special outing. Money may at first glance seem like the best gift, but monetary rewards fall short because they aren’t memorable. Instead of feeling personally rewarded and proud of their efforts, most employees spend bonuses on necessities like groceries and gasoline, which have no lasting value.

Motivating employees with memorable rewards is a challenge, especially given the diversity of today’s workforce. Today’s employees are most motivated by rewards that fit their individual lifestyles and desires. Allowing employees to choose rewards that have personal meaning will have significant, sustained value. So why not give something that will be enjoyable and remembered for a long while?

Whether you’re considering recognition plan for the first time or you need to revamp an existing program - take your process to the next level. Your bottom line will thank you and so will your employees. It is well worth the extra effort!

As a business, there are many ways that you can go green. For example, you can purchase energy efficient office equipment and recycle used paper. Businesses everywhere are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. One area of opportunity for going green, however, is often overlooked - advertising. An easy way to get started is to distribute environmentally friendly promotional items.

Companies have picked up on the “going green” trend and are offering a wide range of eco-friendly items for promoting your business. For business owners, marketing in an environmentally responsible way is easier than ever. Essentially, all you have to do is place an order and, since you’re already purchasing products anyway, why not make the switch to green items? There are many popular items now available in earth-friendly versions.

In addition to developing a caring image, another reason to choose eco-friendly items is to gain recognition for your company. Businesses taking proactive steps to be environmentally responsible are garnering public praise. If you vow to go all green with your promotional campaigns, you could get your business profiled by an environmental organization. You can send out a press release to local newspapers and explain how environmentally-friendly promotional items are part of your overall plan to be a greener business.

You also can’t discount the trendy factor. Being green is hip. T-shirts, tote bags, buttons and bumper stickers with earth-friendly slogans are everywhere. People want to wear clothes made from organic cotton and buy items made from recycled materials. One of the biggest trends in promotions is reusable tote bags for customers to use in place of plastic grocery bags. A reusable tote bag is a simple and affordable way to promote your business. If you handout environmentally-friendly items, you’ll ensure that your giveaway will be used. So go green and get with the times - your customers and your bottom line will thank you.

With promotional umbrellas, you won’t be exposed to the elements, but your brand will be exposed to the masses! Umbrellas are one of the most underutilized promotional products on the market. If you haven’t made umbrellas part of your overall marketing efforts, you’re really missing out. The visibility factor of umbrellas is second to none. They’re mobile billboards that offer a large, unobstructed canvas for your logo.

Some businesses may shy away from umbrellas because they’re not sure how to use them in their marketing. You wouldn’t exactly hand them over the same way you do a pencil. With that in mind, you should realize that there are several good ways to use umbrellas to promote your business.

People often get caught without a much needed umbrella in unexpected downpours. So show how much you care about your customers and walk them to their car with an umbrella featuring your logo. Choose something that’s large enough to cover the customer and their shopping bags. You can also make umbrellas part of a special campaign. Come up with a catchy slogan that ties in umbrellas. Having a big sale? Go with a ‘watch for falling prices’ theme and hand out umbrellas to the first customers through the door.

Give away umbrellas at company outings, whether you’re off to a picnic, a trip to the lake, or an afternoon ballgame, umbrellas can shield you from the sun - or shield your food from the bugs! Order some promotional umbrellas for your employees to keep as a souvenir. Happy employees are the key to a successful business, and every time they use it, your company logo will be visible to many others.

Show that you’re truly thoughtful and caring by giving your employees a useful, convenient gift. Unlike a clunky full-sized umbrella, your employees can keep a mini umbrella in their briefcases or purses at all times.

Don’t be afraid to step outside of the norm and go with a promo item that’s out of the ordinary. You’ll make a lasting impression with a marketing campaign that’s truly unique and memorable!

Summer is a busy season; the sunshine and warm weather offer a great atmosphere for all sorts of events. And of course, every big event deserves a souvenir. You want to make sure that your clients and employees remember all the fun for years to come. A perfect choice for your next summer event may be a promotional tote bag. In addition to retaining memories of the event, giving away tote bags also encourages word of mouth advertising.

People who see the tote bag are likely to ask about the event, which opens up a dialogue about your business. A reusable big grocery tote is a fantastic canvas for your logo. If the bag is particularly stylish, they might even ask if they can buy one!

Promotional tote bags are touted as one of the best promo items for continuous exposure. These bags are the most frequently used of all items. If you want to ensure that your summer tote bag is used on a regular basis, choose something in fashion and stylish.

An eye-catching design is key to maximizing the advertising power of a tote bag used to promote your business. In addition to thinking about your logo design, also consider the design of the tote bag itself. Choose something that will really stand out from the crowd, such as a backpack style drawstring tote bag. Your business will also want to choose items that are cost-effective. Any marketing campaign should offer you a high return on your investment to be worth your time and money. Tote bags come in a wide range of prices. You can easily find one that is priced right for mass summer event giveaways.

All tote bags, regardless of their cost to you, have a high perceived value. When someone receives a tote bag, they’ll be thinking in terms of what they would have to pay for it if they went to the store and bought it themselves. So you just saved them some money and built a positive image for your brand!