At CharTec, we love promo items. So… if you have any laying around… we won’t be mad or anything if you feel the need to send some this way.

Just kidding… maybe… we’re not.

But really, we do love promo items. We believe in a promo item’s natural ability to enhance your brand, improve your networking experiences, and increase your odds of being remembered. Use the right ones, in the right ways, and your business can benefit in more ways than one. And here’s why.

Promo items show your personality.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to promo items. They can be anything from mini laser guns and sunglasses to themed shirts and pot holders. If you think outside the box (as cliché as that might sound), you have the opportunity to show who your company is, what you’re all about, and why you’re different than the competition. Show enough of it, and people will start to pick up on your personality… your culture… your brand as a whole. And all of this will help them to remember your company for much longer.

Promo items keep you top of mind.

Promos won’t just make you more memorable; they can make it so that your brand actually goes where your prospect goes. Say you do send out mini laser guns to a hundred or so prospects. These mini laser guns will most likely end up proudly displayed on desks or jumping through pretend galaxies with children. These items won’t just be tossed into the trash or stuffed into some drawer somewhere. They’ll remain within eyesight, ready to remind your prospect who to turn to when they have a need.

Promo items get the conversation started.

Hand someone a branded notebook, and you might get a mumbled “thanks, man.” Hand someone a branded pair of aviators, and you’ll probably get an “awesome” or a “what made you think of this?” Either way, the second set of responses will always be better than a barely coherent “thanks.” This is because you have the chance to create a conversation out of those responses, and that’s what you want.

Promo items make you stand out.

We hit on it earlier: the possibilities are endless. Your promo items can be anything. Unfortunately, though, businesses still go for branded pens, notepads, and stress balls 99.9% of the time.

You gotta’ think, though… every person who receives one of your awkwardly shaped stress balls has another one just like it back at the office. And every person who receives one of your strategically branded pens has another hundred just like it back at the office… at their house… inside their work bag… in the middle console of their car… in that one drawer that’s been stuffed one time too many… in the… you get it. They’re everywhere, and adding yet another pen, stress ball, or notepad to the mix won’t do you or your prospects any good.