Strategy June 28, 2017
Promo Talk: Norman Larsen, The Northstar Group Inc.
Norman Larsen
- President, The Northstar Group Inc. (asi/285358) in Lake Zurich, IL
- 35 Years of Industry Experience
What I Wish I Knew When I Started …
I wish someone would have told me to start selling print and promotional items as a package. I would have been able to retire by this point, and I would be light years ahead of my competition!
What Frustrates Me the Most …
The client who uses us as a home shopping network to receive free samples under the pretense that they’re going to order one of the items. Honesty would be nice. If a good client wants a sample but is not going to place an order, we have no issue with that because they may place one in the future. But for others, save me the time of working up virtual proofs, pricing and following up on the item.
I’ll Never Do That Again …
I will never accept an almost-impossible delivery from a small client or a first-time client without doing my homework on them. We all work too hard to have an item delivered in the nick of time and then hear, “Is this the best you can do on price?” or “I realize I needed it the next day, but do I really need to pay for the next-day air charges?”
If I Were King of the Industry…
I would do away with “We can ship this in 24 hours, no problem.” This leads to our clients failing to plan and we end up choosing an OK but not great item. Rush orders are a matter of fact in our business, but we need to get away from the “Would you like fries with that?” mentality.
What I Wish I Could Say to a Client …
“Do you really think we can fit all of this copy into the allowable imprint area of this product? We can do it, but you might want to order the magnifying glasses as well.”
Best Advice I Received …
Be totally honest up front and set the client’s expectations about what can be done.
Worst Advice …
Just take the order not knowing if you can make the delivery or meet a price. The theory is that once you have the order, you go to the vendor and ask (mostly beg or leverage a relationship) for an improved delivery time, price concessions or both. Too many things can go wrong and jeopardize your relationship with the client, the manufacturer or both. It’s a great way to lose money and a client, and to take a couple of weeks, months or years off your life.
What Suppliers Can Do Better …
To be totally honest, I’m not sure what our suppliers can do better. They work with us to meet clients’ expectations and they’re willing to do almost anything to get the job done. A marginal supplier is not one that we tend to work with in the long run. We like to reward performance with volume.
Most Overrated Trend …
The new Fidget Spinner. This is an item we can sell, but in six months it will be the next Pet Rock as schools and parents ban it. People who constantly use these are as irritating as my children texting while they sit next to each other!
Stereotype About Salespeople I Hate the Most …
That we’re dishonest and lazy. Most salespeople tell the truth, but sometimes our clients refuse to listen to what we have to say or the options available. Many of us work 12 hours a day and if we don’t sell anything, we get up the next day and start over. We attempt to bring real solutions to our clients and this takes time and money. A client taking what we present as a unique and novel idea and then sending it out for three bids does nothing to help our industry. Our time and our ideas are worth a lot.
