The IT industry is very competitive and IT companies are very used to receiving promotional products.
The issue for many IT firms is coming up with creative cost effective promotional gifts that are affordable, practical and impacting.
All IT businesses receive pens, cups and these are great, they serve a practical purpose and are used daily. The problem is that there are lots of them and they do not serve their marketing purpose. There is a need therefore for IT companies to come up with innovative ideas that can impact sales and cause their customers to respond.
Creative Options For IT Companies
Making IT gifts relevant to customer is something that IT companies need to do, rather than just sending the same old cheap gifts to prospects that have a phone number or website on them, consider how they are received.
- Make Gifts Relevant
If you are sending gifts to a software company, think of gifts that are relevant to software (CD's, a T-shirt with 'software' screen-print on it. If you are sending gifts to a hardware company, maybe something like a mini fridge for the office with the website on and screen-print 'hardware' onto the front.
- Make Gifts Quirky
Being creative with branded gifts is always good, as it shows that you have put some care and thought into it as opposed to them being on a mailing list of 1000 businesses that have all been sent the same stuff.
- Make Gifts Personalised
Each gift that is sent should be personally targeted (rather than 'the marketing manager') to a named individual and where possible, the gift having the name of the prospect on it. This shows that thought has gone into the gift and it will be noted once the gift is followed up with a sales call.
IT Companies Using Branded Gifts
Promotional gifts can be powerful sales tools, or expensive luxuries.
Used correctly IT companies should have very good closing rates when the sales calls follow up the gifts being sent out. Prospects will have taken notice and may well say 'thank you' for sending the gift, 'very thoughtful'.