Several charity golf tournaments that my company provides shirts for suffered a drop-off in attendance last year. What can be done to help increase the number of golfers they sign up this year?

The best way to increase attendance is by creating more awareness for the events. Nearly every tournament being held for charitable purposes furnishes players with commemorative shirts that are worn during and after the day's activities. Suggest to your customers that they place their order for shirts early this year and then give them to players when they sign up, instead distributing them on the day of the event. Most players would love to start wearing the shirts as soon as they receive them. By doing so, a large new audience will notice them and this subtle form of advertising will increase the number of golfers who sign up for this year's tournament. The buzz generated by pre-event publicity like this also increases the number of sponsorships that are sold, thus bringing in even more revenue. The days of doing things the same way as last year and expecting great results are over. I bet that when you pitch this program to these buyers they will have never thought about giving the shirts away ahead of time.

I have been in business for twelve years and during that time have sold a large amount of promotional products but my sale of plackets has lagged. What do I need to do to energize more of these sales?

Look at the product line to make sure that you completely understand what it actually offers to buyers. After thinking about plackets, you will realize they are an inexpensive promotional vehicle when compared to other products because they reach large audiences when being worn. Many promo items such as desk items and mugs offer limited exposure because recipients are primarily the only ones who see them. That is definitely not the case with shirts. Since styles of wearables change frequently, there are always new selections of materials, colors and decorating techniques available. Make sure that you stay abreast of what's new and pitch those styles and embellishments based upon their advantages. By doing this, you should start picking up nice orders from the product line.

What is the best style of placket shirt to sell? I know that's a pretty general question but I want to show one that really sells and not waste time on ones that are not popular.

It is hard to pick one style of shirt to sell but if I had to do so, it would be ones that feature wicking capabilities. They meet the needs of large numbers of customers who want comfort during outdoor activities by managing the level of perspiration. Besides being worn for leisure activities, this style of shirt can also be sold as a reward item in safety programs and to construction and trucking companies--industries in which excessive perspiration is an everyday occurrence. The wicking characteristics associated with them are the selling point that makes them both unique and useful to many prospects. Sometimes the best way to sell anything is by grabbing it by the horns and running with it. I would run with wicking shirts if I wanted to reach a large audience.

Do you think there is a solid future for sales of organic shirts? Some product lines come along and then fizzle. Will this be true of shirts that are made of alternative materials?

Shirts made from environmentally friendly resources are on the minds of many customers these days; and from all indications, they appear here to stay. Placket shirts are at the head of the pack in eco-friendly items since they are offered in numerous choices such as bamboo, organic cottons, hemps and even ones made of plastic soda bottles. The main thing to keep in mind is that they offer you the chance to approach customers with products that are probably new to them. This gives you the chance to appear knowledgeable and on top of the industry. As with any hot product, remember that to show other eco-friendly fabric products such as organic towels and caps. Pair these items with some of the other golf-related promo items to compliment your sales.

I am tired of being undersold by competitors on the products I show to prospects interested in golf items. Is there a hot new item to push that WOWS people and makes them want to buy from me?  

The products you show to customers are just one part of the selling equation. What really helps close a sale is the way products are presented to a customer. There are only so many new items around at any one time, so the trick is to show old products in ways that makes them appear new to prospects. I think you should start showing high quality bag tags that golfers would really like to have and plan to keep. Inexpensive plastic and vinyl tags have flooded the golf market and have become like commodity items that are special to no one. Take the opposite approach and start presenting two-sided custom imprinted, double baked enamel finished tags that feature depth and luster and will last for years. This type of durable and handmade tag is offered in both gold and silver finishes. Instead of being affixed with flimsy plastic straps, these tags come with leather ones and are individually boxed. Other quality tags are available in antique finishes and also feature full leather straps. Show products such as these to prospects and explain why a quality tag is something that is appreciated and keeps your customer's message around for years.