If you work in the promotional products (a.k.a. advertising specialties) industry, you are more than a sales rep, you are a solution provider! While your customers will not expect you to know everything off the top of your head, they expect you to find the perfect information to fulfill their promotional needs in an effective and timely manner. They consider you the expert, and you are.

Sometimes a client knows what they want, sometimes they don't. When they don't, it will be your job to make suggestions. Sometimes what they want does not fit their application as well as something you can recommend. You will need to be able to (tactfully) point out another product or method that may work much better for them and still fit their budget and time line. Your guidance will go a long way to getting your customer from problem to solution to satisfaction.

Consultation aside, your customer is counting on you to watch over their order to ensure that things go smoothly. If necessary, they look to you to expedite things and to solve any problems that may arise. Bottom line - your client wants their order on time and on budget, with no hassles. Your job is to make it easy for them. If your involvement doesn't solve a problem and make buying promotional products easy, a customer has no reason to call you.

You have much to offer your customers:

• Logo and layout design
• Consultation and program development and implementation
• Quotations, proposals, presentations and/or samples
• Product, price and supplier sourcing
• New product alerts
• Order monitoring and expediting
• Competitive pricing
• Problem solving and buffering - liason between customer & supplier

Your customer will also expect to be able to call you with any concerns or questions. If you are repeatedly unavailable, they will get frustrated and stop calling altogether.

Retaining a loyal client is quite simple. Give them great service and value every time.