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Thursday
June 11, 2009 Act Now – Physician Payments Sunshine Act Could PassFiled under: Education, Guest Blog My father always told me to be prepared to fight for what I believe in and I’ve And while there are many causes and challenges to commit to, there’s one facing our industry that needs action from nearly every distributor and supplier: the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2009. This act would require drug companies and medical device manufacturers to disclose the value of payments or gifts of ANY amount to physicians, including all advertising specialties. While there is some consideration the House might provide an exemption for items under $5, this amount is still too low, and the Senate bill still does not exempt any promotional products of any value. So, either way, we have to push to increase the exemption to $25, in order to save thousands of industy jobs. Any drug or medical device company will be prevented from handing out promotional items at trade shows or in the office, because no one will want to take the time or painstaking effort to report the value of every single promotional item given (like pens, clipboards and mugs.) This bill has good intentions, however, it also has far reaching ramifications. Since I’m obviously against bribing my doctor to give me medicine, I support the spirit of this bill. But, the way it’s written will damage pharmaceutical promotional products sales for our industry, which will further impact the overall economy. In addition to the revenue lost by distributors who sell to these companies, suppliers will obviously lose revenue and overall declining sales could lead to even more industry job cuts. Doctors are constantly bombarded with messages and new information. Frankly, I want my doctor to be able to keep a pen or portfolio that will remind him of a drug or device that may make a difference to my health. I hope you recognize how significant this issue is to you and to the health of our overall industry – whether or not you sell promo products to the pharmaceutical market. So what can you do? Small things done by 100,000 of us can go a very long way and I’ve put together a few easy links for you to contact your representative. Take a quick moment to send them your thoughts, using these links and the draft of my letter below, and be sure to pass this information to your sales and support staff. Please comment on this blog to indicate that you’ve sent a letter to your representative. Together, we can make a difference. – Dale Denham is senior vice president at ASI. Email him here. To email your Senator: 1. Click here and select the link after each of your Senators to contact them using the web form. 2. Insert your information and send your version of the letter below. Draft of Letter: Dear Senator [Last Name]: I oppose S.301, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, and ask that you strongly consider the potentially devastating effects on those of us in your constituency. While the intentions of the bill are commendable, there are significant negative ramifications that may not be clear to the drafters of the bill. I am not a manufacturer of drugs or medical devices, but I am in the promotional products industry and this bill will drive out hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and result in a significant loss of jobs. Specifically, the proposed law does not establish a minimum dollar amount related to the “transfer of value,” which will cause manufacturers to stop providing promotional products. Promotional products are very cost effective advertising items, not a “free trip” or other “gift” that has no advertising or educational value. If you support this bill, I strongly urge you to allow tangible forms of advertising and education to be exempt from the bill, or at a minimum exclude those under a reasonable dollar value. With over 30,000 promotional products businesses across the United States, many of them entrepreneurial small- and medium-sized businesses that now help drive most of the business growth in this country, and the thousands of jobs potentially at stake in the 19 billion dollar industry if this act passes, it is a very important issue. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, [Your Name]
Tuesday
June 9, 2009 Do you know Word – Really?Filed under: Education, Guest Blog, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits Now is the time to make sure your company is positioned to take advantage of the Examining and streamlining processes, raising efficiency, and putting in checks and balances, at a time when business is a little slower, is a prudent decision. And, you can be certain that the tools and systems you have in place provide more functionality and can offer more information than you are already using now. I wrote this in Microsoft Word before posting it, but I don’t know all of Word’s other features. I’m constantly using only a small percentage of its capabilities, because I’ve yet to see the value of taking time to learn more. This is true not only for Word, but any software program, including our industry-specific ProfitMaker program for instance (which ASI Computer Systems provides for distributors and suppliers to use for entering orders, tracking inventory and producing business reports). So if you’re a ProfitMaker user, here are recent improvements you might not have used yet that can really help you out: More resources than ever
ESP Online Search
New Activity Manager
Reports
ASI Services directly integrated
Direct Supplier Website Integration
If you’re not a ProfitMaker user, visit www.asicomp.com to learn more about how it can streamline your operations and provide you with more time for selling. Look around your office and think about what programs and resources you already have that can contribute more to your operations, and ultimately, your profitability. – Dave Wirth is president and chief operating officer of ASI Computer Systems. Email him here.
Monday
May 11, 2009 Cut Costs on Credit Card ProcessingFiled under: Education, Guest Blog, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits Do you know what you are paying in credit card processing fees for your customer orders? I can tell you most distributors, suppliers and decorators significantly underestimate the rate they are paying associated with accepting credit cards. Your monthly merchant account statement will have a rate posted on the front page. However, hidden additional fees are typically on the back pages. Hidden fees can be confusing and may not even be posted as a percentage. When you add the posted rate and the hidden fees, the effective rate can very easily double and even triple. The ASI Merchant Account Program, provided by Access Group, can help you understand your current costs by providing a FREE, no-obligation savings comparison that will identify your current rate and all of the additional hidden fees. The program typically saves members on average 30%, and can be as much as 50%. Take a minute now to complete the savings comparison form. Also, see how the ASI member program stacks up against other programs and how it provides you with the most value – click here for an analysis. Especially in times like these, I encourage you to take a serious look at this ASI member benefit and see how much you might be able to save automatically on something you’re probably doing everyday in the course of your business. For more member benefits from ASI, click here. – Cathy Martino is affiliate relations manager for ASI. Email her here.
Wednesday
April 29, 2009 Interesting Research ResultsFiled under: Education, News About ASI, Research While the headlines this week were about industry sales being off, we dug deeper to figure out what separated the winners from the losers. Of all the reasons we checked, here are two numbers that matter: Among those distributors reporting an increase in sales for the first quarter of 2009, 71% had ESP Online. Among those reporting a decrease in sales, only 59% had ESP Online. Our research geek says “the difference is significant at the 95% level of confidence” — which he patiently explained to me translates to “this is definitely NOT a coincidence.” If you’re using ESP Online from ASI, you’re using a business management tool that truly sets you apart, and gives you a real advantage in finding ideas that matter and creating proposals that close business — now more important than ever. If you’re not yet using ESP Online, visit asicentral.com/esp to learn more and sign up for a free demo to see what you’re missing. Also, look through the other recent blog posts for useful resources, marketing tools and business tips to help you in this challenging economic time. Tell me how you’re boosting business by posting a comment on the blog now or emailing me here.
Monday
April 6, 2009 Words of Wisdom for These Challenging TimesFiled under: Education, Members, Research
During the current economic downturn, you have an incredible opportunity to INCREASE SALES and BUILD MARKETSHARE. But don’t take my word for it…here’s some proof to back-up the common sense. Click here to download and use the “Recession Sales Sheet” with results of studies encouraging companies to increase marketing now, including the information below. • 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s – Buchen Advertising tracked advertising dollars vs. sales trends for the recessions of 1949, 1954, 1958 and 1961. They found that sales and profits dropped at companies that cut back on advertising and, after the recession had ended, those same companies lagged behind the ones that maintained their ad budgets. • 1970’s – An American Business Press study showed that companies who advertise and market aggressively can maintain and increase sales during a recession and in the following years. • 1980’s – McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 B2B companies and found that those who maintained or increased advertising grew significantly…both during the recession and the following three years. In fact, by 1985, sales of companies that advertised aggressively had grown 275% over those that didn’t. • 1990’s – A MarketSense study concluded the best strategy for coping with a recession is balancing long-term branding with promotions for short-term sales. The study shows brands like Jif and Kraft Salad Dressing experienced sales growth of 57% and 70% respectively after increasing their advertising during the recession. • 2009 – The results are up to you! ASI Marketing has created an informative sheet with additional “recession-busting” information for you to personalize and share with your clients and prospects. To access and use the “Recession Sales Sheet” now, click here .
Wednesday
March 18, 2009 Promo Products to Keep us Focused – VideoFiled under: ASI Shows, Education, Members, Using Ad Specialties
The beauty of our industry is that promoting your business during downturns is cost-effective with promotional products, and now is the time to educate your clients about the high ROI advertising specialties provide. I mentioned earlier that my friends and I decided to take a break one weekend from the doom and gloom of the recession coverage in the media and I hosted a “Recession Calls it Quits” gathering. We traded ideas and looked at our glasses as half-full. For attendees I ordered – what else? – promotional products, and I wanted to share them with you so you could see what several industry suppliers created to help make the event memorable:
And during our recent ASI Show in New York, I found a clever bumper sticker saying “I Refuse to Participate in a Recession,” from Gill Studios (asi/56950). Click here to watch the video with the sticker now. I’ve had numerous conversations with people about what they’re doing to build their business. Tell me your ideas – post a comment now or email me. Also, visit YouTube to watch my video of hot products from New York and share it with your clients.
Wednesday
March 18, 2009 ASICentral Enhances Navigation, Education and SearchFiled under: Education, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI, Research One thing that really makes my day is when I visit a website that’s well-designed, easy to navigate, and provides useful information – which is why I’m delighted to announce ASI’s recent upgrade of ASICentral.com. The new website is all part of our commitment to provide the best industry education for our members and to also help buyers and prospects understand the power of promotional products – especially now.
The user-friendly design and enhanced content enables suppliers and distributors to find the tools to help them grow their business, and provides more interactive videos and educational articles and webinars from the award-winning Counselor magazine and all of ASI’s six publications. Here are some more great enhancements:
There’s lots more. Click here to read the full press release. Let me know your favorite websites by posting a comment on the blog now. |
subscribed to that theory throughout my life.
turnaround from this challenging economic period. Every organization can find areas where improvements are possible and needed. 
