In this first week of the New Year CSW Corp wishes you a prosperous 2012. We want to be part of a great year for you. What can you expect from CSW Corp?

Think of us as your go to company for branded tangible marketing ideas. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business when it comes to branded promotional products.

For tradeshows we often recommend companies stop giving out high volume, low perceived value items. You may refer to these items as “trinkets and trash” or “swag.” The volume of items needed to make this type of advertising effective just does not make sense for most companies in today’s environment. Instead, focus on identifying qualified leads at the show, then follow-up with a post tradeshow branded item targeted and tracked in order to achieve a greater impact for your business.

Any branded item given away at a tradeshow should be useful to the recipient and set you apart from other exhibitors. Instead of printed catalogs consider downloading the same material on a branded usb drive. Save print and high shipping costs and your qualified lead will not file the usb drive or throw it away. We have other great tradeshow ideas.

We want to help you with all your branding efforts. Improve employee loyalty with recognition awards and company apparel. CSW Corp can provide the right branded advertising specialty item for any event or purpose you have in your 2012 marketing strategy.

CSW Corp’s One Idea Blog shares ideas for improving customer loyalty and integrating social media marketing with your current outbound marketing plan. In our One Idea Blog we also introduce you to outstanding suppliers we rely on for our client’s tangible marketing needs. We want you to consider CSW Corp as a resource for integrating outbound marketing with inbound and tangible marketing.

CSW Corp’s One Idea Newsletter keeps us in touch with you on a regular basis. In the newsletter you can expect to read intros to the most current One Idea Blog. We will profile a supplier and provide access to their websites to help you identify tangible marketing options. We’ll share tradeshow ideas like using QR codes or Facebook best practices in the current newsletter. And, we’ll demonstrate using social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get access to exclusive specials and great content.

In the coming weeks CSW Corp will provide original downloadable educational material to help you increase revenue and profits in 2012. These include training materials for your company’s customer contact personnel to improve customer loyalty. We will also share tangible marketing best practices to make your advertising specialty budget get more results for your money. Look for an upcoming white paper that explains how to “Integrate Outbound Marketing with Inbound and Tangible Marketing.”

If you are new to b2b or b2c social media marketing CSW Corp offers affordable packages to get you started and provide professional real time monitoring of the channels for inbound marketing. The packages are completely customizable to fit your need and budget. It’s like having a full-time social media marketing professional at a fraction of the cost. Get a free consultation.

We are excited and optimistic about this New Year. Our success depends on our ability to assist your business. Together, let’s make 2012 a prosperous year.

Scott F. McFadden, Ph.D. is President of CSW Corp.

Why is Jenny From the Block Branding FIAT? This question clouds my brain every time I see television ads. Especially when I watch the current ad for FIAT.

You may ask, “What difference does your opinion make regarding Jenny and the FIAT?” or “Why don’t you like it? You are small enough to fit into a FIAT.”

Well, let me tell you why: Why J-Lo? After all, this is the girl most well known for the ‘junk in her trunk’ (or famous posterior) and she is spouting off about a vehicle with no trunk! Duh!

Why J-Lo? For anyone who knows current events, it is a recognized fact that J-Lo doesn’t drive a FIAT. She takes to the road in a chauffeur driven Rolls and is know to give them as gifts to boy friends. She also spouts the virtues of Ford on the famous American Idol show. What am I missing here when it comes to customer loyalty?

Why J-Lo? The famous ‘Jenny from the Block’ appears to be dancing on a FIAT driving down her block! Wrong. It looks like a Hollywood sound stage in front of a LCD screen. Come on FIAT. At least take Jenny to the right block. Then they admitted it wasn’t J Lo at all but a body double.

Didn’t anyone learn anything when Chrysler hired Steven Tyler (AeroSmith) to convince Dodge Truck drivers to buy Dodge? I am willing to bet Ford was more on track with Toby Keith. Maybe that is why Ford sells more trucks than Dodge? Maybe it’s just me…considering I would buy anything Mike Rowe has to offer. I believe he knows something about the product he endorses.

Let’s face it, statistics prove people do not buy because of the spokesperson on the television (With the success of DVR most people cut out the commercials anyway.)

The major reasons people buy a certain product is based on word of mouth, friends and family recommendations, past experience and number one—The way they are treated by the businesses they buy from before, during and after the sale.

Aha! Now I get it. The next time…(actually the first time)…I see someone driving a FIAT 500, I will just assume they are BFF’s with Jenny from the Block.

The holidays have slowed my thinking process.

Cindy Williams – CSW Corp.

Prior to joining CSW Corp, Cindy spent fourteen years as a top retail development
specialist for Chrysler. She coined the slogan, “We’re Better, We’ll Prove It” for
Chrysler’s national Five Star program and certified the first Chrysler Five Star dealer.
She is a proponent for increasing long term profitability through improving customer loyalty.

I have made my list. The problem is, I keep losing it and find myself starting over with a brand new list. It’s my list of things I see and experience that companies should monitor to make a customer’s experience positive and enjoyable. In other words, here are a few things that make me go crazy during the holidays.

1. Never allow any guest to enter your business without a warm, friendly and genuine greeting. In that greeting, remember to be aware of the different religions and ethnic groups we have among us today. Please educate yourself and meet the customer’s wants. The same applies for phone contact as well.

2. Don’t be negative. If the customer says, “How’s business this year,” at 9:00pm and you have been on your feet since 8am, tell them “it’s great!” with a smile to back it up. Stay positive and maintain a sense of humor.

3. If you ask me, “is there anything else?” I am going to say, “No thanks.” Better for you if you suggest one item that logically goes with what I am purchasing. Example: “We carry the best lures in the city. How is your supply of lures for this type pole you are buying?”

4. If you wake up with a bright red nose (no…it doesn’t mean you are Rudolf the reindeer) it will probably be followed up with a deep raspy cough and a lot of icky sneezing. Your company peers and that valuable customer doesn’t want it. Stay home.

5. Don’t complain about holiday music. I do not want to walk into a business and hear a beautiful tune or carol playing only to hear an employee say, “I am so sick of hearing that stupid music.” I will bet your boss put that music on for the customer. We don’t care right now if you like Rap… It’s going to be Holiday Music.

6. Constantly be on the lookout for trash on the floor, a display in disarray, a safety issue and take care of it immediately. Now, I do not mean you have to stop waiting on the customer to fix a running toilet. I mean if the gum wrapper is right in front of you, drop down quickly, pick it up and put it in your pocket. Didn’t take a second and showed the customer that you take pride in your place of employment.

7. Check the mirror one last time before you walk out to greet guests. Nothing upsets me worse than messy, wrinkled clothes with either high top, untied tennis shoes or shoes that are not polished. Show me what a professional looks like.

8. I once heard someone say, “If you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say it.” It may sound funny, but it is true. Gossip going on in the next cubicle and overheard by a client could kill deals for both of you and hurt the business. Just remember, no gossip.

9. Forget the word “No” unless you have a plan to present that you feel confident will satisfy the customer. For example, if the company policy is “no refunds” on returns. Don’t tell the customer “No” when they ask if they can return it. Say, “Sure. We offer store credits or merchandise exchanges for the convenience of our customers.” Now you haven’t told them what you can’t do. You have told them what you CAN do.

10. Check your baggage at the front door. The customer really doesn’t want to hear your problems. They want to get information, answers and hopefully the exact item you have to offer. High drama is best enjoyed on Broadway or the movies.

I’m not the Grinch. In real life, I’m one of Santa’s favorite elves in charge of North Pole customer loyalty. However, I’ve noticed during the holiday season we get busy and perhaps even slack off a bit. So put on your best smile, enjoy the season, and wish the next ten people you see, “Happy Holidays.”

Cindy Williams – CSW Corp.

Prior to joining CSW Corp, Cindy spent fourteen years as a top retail development
specialist for Chrysler. She coined the slogan, “We’re Better, We’ll Prove It” for
Chrysler’s national Five Star program and certified the first Chrysler Five Star dealer.
She is a proponent for increasing long term profitability through improving customer loyalty.

If you promote or advertise your company shouting that you provide excellence in customer service, are you setting yourself up for failure? You know you can’t even please Santa all the time. (or at least that’s what Santa told me one time.)

Recently, while driving from Oklahoma City to Dallas I stopped in Norman for my favorite Iced Tea at the Sonic. Parked in one of the customer spaces I noticed a pickup with the slogan, “Growth through Customer Service” printed on the tailgate.

I didn’t know what the company sold, but I wondered if the bold display made them more profitable or a target for those people who are not happy at Disney World? I thought, “Are you setting the bar to high?”

I noticed a person sitting in the vehicle, so I knocked on his window and asked if I could ask about his business? With a big smile, he said, “Sure!” and he hopped out of his neat and clean Dodge truck. My first impression was excellent. I judged it as if I were judging a physical plant.

He was clean cut, short hair, no facial piercings or earrings or tattoos (at least that I could see.) He was dressed in pressed corporate attire of a navy shirt and khaki pants.

I asked him first about his company, Fastenal. He gave me the 3-minute drill without a hitch. He said with pride, he had worked for them for about 3 years (which I compared to the looks of his age and assumed he probably started right out of school.) His position with the company was Outside Sales Support. The company had 2500+ storefronts.

I asked why an outside sales person was necessary with 2500+ storefronts. His answer was that the company had found they needed to provide immediate access to locally stocked products for their major buyers. They are even willing to stock particular items a local company buys on a regular basis to reduce their customer’s stocking needs. He also said that sometimes his experience comes in handy when the builder runs into an onsite problem.

He and all other Fastenal outside sales representatives live within the community of the storefront they represent. They get to know the customer and the workers who use their products on their own turf (anything from a screw to toilet paper-anything a builder may use). He feels it is his job to provide those local businesses with his suggestions for problem solving. If his clients succeed then Fastenal succeeds.

He said they like to make sure customers see the company as the local resource regardless of how many Fastenal store fronts or their web presence.

I asked about the slogan on the tailgate. “Does that ever set the bar too high for you?”

“Absolutely not,” he said. He informed me that they ensure product quality through ISO 9001:2000 programs of certification. Having been through these programs and taught some of them myself, I know how detailed they are and the importance of adhering to these standards.

“We can even provide a broad range of standard and customized reports to aid both us and the customer” he went on to say. “It’s just value added.”

He also told me the company utilized social media channels to engage their customers. In addition to the Fastenal website for customers who choose to search for their own products or to order them the company used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. He said being active with social media marketing gave him additional ways to communicate and assist his customers.

I asked again why the company felt a need for so many outside sales support people with so many stores and the web available to them.

He laughed a friendly laugh and said, “I make friends in the field. They know if they have a need they can count on me. If a part shipped incorrectly, you can bet I am in my truck with the right part and on my way to the site immediately. My customers know this and it is so important when a builder has a deadline to meet.”

I asked him to be completely honest with me and tell me if the slogan had ever created a level of expectation he could not meet.

“No!” With a sly chuckle he said, “I only want my boss to hear great things about me. This company promotes from within. I want to grow with this company.”

Great people and a management philosophy that encourages its employees to be leaders is a company I will bet on to succeed.

I asked if I could take a photo of the slogan and of him. He agreed and about that time his smart phone rang. That quick and he was back on the job.

I felt great the rest of the trip. Joseph McGuinness had just shown excellent customer skills to the most passionate customer service advocate on the road.

Good luck, Joseph. In my opinion you will achieve your goals. And, looks like Fastenal has the bar set just right.

Cindy Williams – CSW Corp.

Prior to joining CSW Corp, Cindy spent fourteen years as a top retail development
specialist for Chrysler. She coined the slogan, “We’re Better, We’ll Prove It” for
Chrysler’s national Five Star program and certified the first Chrysler Five Star dealer.
She is a proponent for increasing long term profitability through improving customer loyalty.

CSW Corp - Advertising Specialty Brokers

Etched bottles of wine or olive oil can impress an upscale client base and are most appreciated by the recipient. When your company wants to say thank you to clients or employees a unique etched product can deliver an effective and memorable message.

“Our goal is end user satisfaction, and nothing else is acceptable to the team at EW&S.” Stuart Newcomb, President of Etching Wines & Spirits.

Not all glass etching is equal. Every EW&S etched bottle is made by skilled artists here in the USA and are USA-certified. Each bottle is handcrafted with the careful attention to detail that makes their products appreciated for years to come. Detail is what turns a design into art.

The degree of difficulty involved in creating high quality detailed etching means there are only a few companies out there that do it right. Etching Wines & Spirits will always be on that list and is CSW Corp’s preferred supplier for this branded promotional product category. Their work is outstanding because Stuart Newcomb demands the highest quality results from his staff. He is always accessible to CSW Corp to make certain our clients are completely satisfied and the finished product exceeds expectations.

All Etching Wines & Spirits’ fantastic custom products can be purchased through CSW Corp. Let’s talk about how your company can integrate etched bottles in your marketing strategy to promote brand awareness and brand perception. We can provide you with relevant product information to make an informed decision. From there, we work with EW&S to make sure the design is exactly what you envisioned and that your order is delivered on time.

Consider CSW Corp your resource for branded promotional products – what we refer to as “Tangible Marketing.”

CSW Corp - Advertising Specialty Brokers

CSW Corp would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

We appreciate the opportunity to share our One idea: newsletter.

Our goal is to provide relevant ideas that help you integrate your outbound marketing strategies with inbound marketing and tangible marketing. We also share concepts that will help improve customer loyalty.

Let us know of topics you consider important to help with your business responsibilities.

For those in charge of the turkey on Thanksgiving Day here are the Three Worst Ways to Roast a Turkey.

Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and be safe.

- CSW Corp

I love a great waitress/waiter, don’t you? Sure, great food is important for my loyalty to a restaurant. But, a great wait staff will really make the all-important difference in my returning and telling friends and family about the restaurant.

A friendly greeting, a great smile and most importantly knowing the menu, even the dishes they admit are not their favorites. For those times, I like it when I hear, “it’s not my favorite item. However, I had some guests a few nights ago that said it was the best they had ever eaten.”

I happened upon one of those waitresses last week (Sidney). She was so good I even remembered her name. She had a vast knowledge of the menu. I explained the diet I follow and she immediately had 3-4 highly recommended suggestions. She then said she would ask the cook to adjust my selection to meet my needs exactly.

I thought this young lady must have been there a long time. Surely Sidney was a manager or on management track. Nope, only eighteen months in a service position. I think the restaurant manager saw the value of having her right where she was—selling food directly to the diners.

Sidney made it her first priority after her friendly greeting, to get each customer’s name and to give her name to them. I would hear her asking where someone was from and if they were there on business. If so, she offered a couple of suggestions that would enhance their time in her city.

She found a common ground with each customer she waited on. She was helpful to the other staff. Helping them out with a smile when she could see they were stressed for one reason or another. Never did she say, “That’s your job!” And I would be surprised if any person working there that didn’t consider her their friend and mentor.

For me, a sense of humor is so important. Her light-hearted tone exuded from her fantastic attitude even after 8 hours on her feet.

At shift end rather than abandon her customers, she took the time to explain that her shift was ending, but if there was anything they needed, she had no problem staying a little later. I observed every customer saying to her that everything was great and to go ahead and close the ticket, even when they planned to stay a bit longer. Guess what? She just got the tip on those tickets and not the next server that came in at the end of the meal. She was smart. Sidney acted as if she loved her job. She also knew making money was what fed her own family.

She was quick to thank each of her customers for allowing her to leave and she came back with each final check and thanked them again for their substantial tip. She also made sure to give her name one last time and tell them to make sure to ask for her if they were back in town. I listened as everyone she closed out said, “Sidney, you can be assured I will be back. And for sure we’ll ask for you.”

Do you have those kinds of people working your front line? Take a walk through your business at least every few days. Listen to what your customers are saying about your business and your staff. Train your front line employees as much, if not more, than you do your management staff. After all, they are often the first and the last point of contact and impression that a customer will have with your business.

The right product, the right price point, the right location are all-important to the success of your company. Without great people, all those other factors you paid to develop will collapse.

Cindy Williams – CSW Corp.

Prior to joining CSW Corp, Cindy spent fourteen years as a top retail development
specialist for Chrysler. She coined the slogan, “We’re Better, We’ll Prove It” for
Chrysler’s national Five Star program and certified the first Chrysler Five Star dealer.
She is a proponent for increasing long term profitability through improving customer loyalty.

I asked Dana Zezzo, VP of Sales & Marketing for ProTowels Etc., to share his checklist of actions companies should take to make Facebook a lead generator.

Dana is recognized as one of the social media thought leaders in the promotional products industry.

Dana’s Facebook Top Ten List:

1. Complete Profile – helps connection conversion
2. Profile Picture – this is your Billboard
3. Manage your Real Estate – keep page clean
4. Match Voice
5. Try plug in Apps – example: slideshare     (http://slidesha.re/qqAiJV)
6. Try Messaging – helps with large files
7. Birthdays – sales 101
8. Use Tags and Links – Drive Traffic!
9. Content Balance
10. Connections – Always use a personal message

Pro Towels Etc. Gains Industry-Wide Recognition at the SGIA Expo.

Thanks to Dana Zezzo of Pro Towels Etc.

Scott F. McFadden, Ph.D. is President of CSW Corp.

CSW Corp - Advertising Specialty Brokers

When was the last time you threw away a towel? Think about it and what should come to mind is a unique solution for multiple advertising impressions.

Branded towels may be a perfect one size fits all promotional item to include in your next marketing campaign.

Pro Towels Etc. is CSW Corp’s preferred supplier when our clients want a branded item that has a long life, is multi-purposed, and encourages creative artwork possibilities for advertising impact.

Here are six reasons a towel may be the best place for your company logo:

1. One size fits all, unlike apparel.
2. Towels make a huge impact with large logo imprint areas.
3. Branded towels are durable and washable for repeated use.
4. Towels and fun go hand in hand for both outdoor and indoor leisure activity.
5. A wide variety means more value.
6. Towels never go out of style.

Pro Towel Etc. videos to check out: http://protowels.videofarm.tv/

- CSW Corp

The Solar Power International 2011 convention in Dallas provided insight to how exhibiting companies can improve communication with attendees and potential clients.

CSW Corp staff visited with many of the exhibitors and made three general observations:

1. Fewer than twenty companies actively posted on Twitter during the convention at #SPIconvention or #SPI2011. With more than 20,000 in attendance, 98% of exhibitors lost a major opportunity to engage attendees and increase booth traffic. Conversations with exhibitors who posted on convention Twitter sites indicated that social media channels such as Twitter significantly improved traffic and the opportunity to develop leads.

2. “What are QR codes?” That was the overwhelming response when we asked if companies used QR codes in their exhibit booth. QR or Quick Response codes enable companies to share information with attendees who scan the code on their smartphone. (10 QR code ideas for tradeshows.) The bar code links to a landing page on the company website. Those companies using QR codes typically printed them on available printed literature. We saw less than five booths that posted a QR code easily scannable by attendees. One company shared that they significantly reduced their print costs for the convention by linking a posted QR code to literature available online.

3. Branded tradeshow giveaways are an opportunity to integrate tangible marketing into your targeted lead development strategy. Most companies lack a strategy of how to provide a branded item that is memorable or that is useful over time for multiple advertising impressions. We saw many “landfill items” that would likely not make the trip back to the attendee’s office. We recommend companies evaluate how to place a useful branded item into the hands of decision makers to keep their company brand in front of qualified leads over the buying cycle time frame.

Scott F. McFadden, Ph.D. is President of CSW Corp.