Looking For a Sweet Excuse to Make a Sales Call?

Stopping by with refill for this cool candy tower would be a great excuse for sales call! (Made in USA, too.)

Having a difficult time getting in to see your key customers? You’ve heard all their excuses: “I don’t have time (budget, approval, etc.).” As a salesperson you really don’t want to be a pest, but you do want to keep in touch and keep visible for when they are ready to buy.

Here’s a simple technique, using promotional products, you can use to stay in touch with your customers that is lower pressure and may even make them look forward to your visit.

Select a promotional product that needs refilling. An candy jar imprinted with your company name, logo, marketing message, and contact information would be ideal. Fill it up with candy or other treat and hand deliver it to your customer or prospect. Add a note or tell them that you’ll be back within a specified amount of time (one month, quarterly, or whatever interval is appropriate for your business) to refill the jar when you are “making calls in the area.” By indicating that you are making calls in that area, it helps relieve some of the “sales call” pressure your customer may feel. Then do what you said you were going to do!

What does this do? By showing up when you say you are going to, you demonstrate your reliability and help build that all-important trust factor. Secondly, everyone likes to get something free, especially if it’s something delicious. So they may mentally or literally mark the calendar for your next visit.

Another spin on this technique would be to use holidays. Sure, Christmas or Halloween are natural times to make goodie deliveries. But how about Earth Day, Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras, opening day for baseball? Be creative and tell them you’ll be back for the holiday or event you specify.

Here's another great container that's USA and Union Made!

Don’t be deterred if your customer is not available for every time you stop by. Simply leave the delivery with a note. Also, you might want to mix it up a bit so they don’t tire of seeing you. If you bring a different treat each time, you’ll also get the element of surprise working for you, too. Maybe occasionally send a refill via a delivery service. Sometimes that can create excitement at the front desk (“There’s a delivery for you.”). And don’t underestimate the power of receptionists. Be pleasant, be kind, and don’t forget they often like treats, too.

Most important point: This is all about your branding. So make sure the initial gift and follow-up refills are well-identified with your name and business card. Imprinted promotional candies can be a sweet excuse to deliver your sales message to key customers and prospects.