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ProfitMaker Speeds Your Monthly Close

Filed under: Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI

In today’s fast-paced marketplace, anything that speeds and simplifies business is a huge plus, which is why I’m excited about the new automated features in ProfitMaker that make running a business as easy as one, two, three.

ProfitMaker, the premier order management and accounting system, now allows distributors to schedule month-end reports to run automatically.  Users can choose to start the processing immediately or at a specific day and time, and reports will be stored in a corresponding and easily-accessible directory.   

The new enhancements also include:

  • Payments using credit cards: distributors and suppliers can order a payment to a credit card company, while simultaneously removing the open invoice for the related vendor being paid by the credit card. No paper involved.
  • Automated email alerts: distributors and suppliers can setup email alerts for key events in ProfitMaker to provide information to decision-makers when they need it. Examples include alerts for order follow-up, past-due invoices from customers and reorder notices.
  • Vendor document folders: documents, graphics files and scanned correspondence for each vendor (or item) can be stored in one document folder and accessed anytime within the order entry graphics tab.

According to David Wirth, president and chief operations officer of ASI Computer Systems, ProfitMaker gives distributors, suppliers and decorators more time for selling since it cuts time spent on order management and office tasks.

For more details, please read the press release here.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with ProfitMaker, so post a comment or email me here.  I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.


New 70% savings on UPS Freight…the Real Deal

Filed under: Member Benefits, News About ASI

A keen competitive edge can often make the difference between closing a deal – or closing up shop – which is why I’m happy to announce that we’re now providing 70% savings on shipping with UPS Freight. 

Yep, 70%.  That’s more than any other industry shipping program. 

Whether you’re shipping something that weighs 150 pounds – or 10 tons (which pretty much covers everything from Oscar de la Hoya to a very large elephant), the discount is the same. It covers all shipments billed collect to a member company, prepaid from a member company, or billed to a member company as a third party.

Further, this program can be customized for every member and these special rates aren’t available anywhere else.  I’m especially pleased to continue a partnership with UPS first forged in 2004, when we first started helping members save thousands of dollars each year with exclusive shipping discounts.  

In addition to the actual shipping, UPS provides ASI members a menu of workflow products and features that leave more time for selling, including:   

  • Online tracking and desktop shipping.
  • On-time performance within the continental United States, backed by a no-fee guarantee.
  • Reliable offshore coverage, with complete service to NAFTA countries.

To read more in the press release, click here.

Let me know your experiences with UPS or any of our other dozen member benefits by posting a comment now.  Of course, you can also connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.


Suppliers can now View all Suppliers’ Products in ESP Online

Filed under: Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI

If you’re a supplier – check this out.  We’ve made some changes to ESP Online and I think you’ll love them:

—  You can now view products (without pricing) from all suppliers in ESP Online, to help you benchmark your offerings versus the competition.  If your product lineup is ahead of the curve, now you know.  If it’s behind, now you know, and you can adjust your marketing accordingly.

—  In addition, you can also view all ASI Supplier Ratings, so you see where you stand among other suppliers in the system.

Take advantage of the new enhancements today and improve your business so you can sell more.

The latest upgrade is being delivered automatically to current users and will be completed over the next several weeks.

To learn more about ESP Online and for a free demo, click here  To read the press release, click here.  I’d like to hear about your recent experiences with ESP Online, so post a comment or email me here.  I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.


Inside Look – ESP Image Improvements

Filed under: Guest Blog, Member Benefits

From Candace Hershey, executive director, ESP Online Information Team:

It’s hard to believe fall is here.  But, rest assured, the ESP Online Information Team here at ASI never stops working to improve not only the data in ESP, but also the quality of our images.

Many of you have provided suggestions to improve the overall quality of product data and that feedback has resulted in countless improvements over the past year. 

The following accomplishments represent just a few of the changes we’ve made:

  • Reduced items without pricing by 21%
  • Reduced items without images by 19%
  • Improved supplier training videos on ASICentral.com
  • Improved pages in ACE (All Catalogs Electronically)

We love feedback and strive for perfection.  We want 100% of products in ESP Online
to have images and prices, so we will continue to work hard to get suppliers to provide accurate pricing and quality images. 

If you run across an image or ACE page in ESP Online that isn’t as impressive as it should be, please tell us.  Email the ASI number and the product number to espupdate@asicentral.com, and we’ll take care of it.

We listen, so keep the comments coming.  I’m confident that if you have ESP Online, you have the best business-building tool in the advertising specialty industry and the best product data and image quality available anywhere, hands-down.  Learn more about ESP Online here.

– Candace


New office products discount program for ASI Canada

Filed under: Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI

We’re very proud of our commitment to our Canadian
members – both distributors and suppliers – who are our “True North” neighbors. 

So I’m delighted to announce another new member benefit that gives ASI Canada members substantial discounts on over 250,000 items through office superstore Grand & Toy.

Unless you’ve spent time in Canada, you may not have heard of Grand & Toy, but ASI is proudly partnering with the 127-year-old company to offer this exclusive discount program.

Here’s what you get:

  • Substantial savings on value-priced office products, including tech items and customizable office interiors.
  • Custom pricing on items most frequently used by ASI members.
  • Free, next-day delivery on in-stock orders over $50.
  • A dedicated business advisor.
  • Access to multiple ordering options, including online, phone, fax and in-store.
  • Secure, fast and easy ordering online.

Jay Ostrow is our executive director of distributor services for ASI Canada and he’s most pleased with the testimony offered by Grand & Toy customers attesting to the company’s service, reliability and competitive pricing.  As Jay puts it, “This program delivers first-class service and provides savings instantly.  It’s another huge plus for our members in Canada.”

The office products discount program joins other member savings programs for ASI Canada, including discounts on UPS® small package and freight shipping, UPS customs and brokerage services, email marketing tools, digital artwork services and credit card processing.  I urge you take advantage of as many savings programs as you can – they really add up and save your business time and money.

To read more in the press release,  click here.

I’d love to know what your experience has been with this and other member benefits so post a comment now or email me here


New Email Marketing Tool for Distributors

Filed under: Education, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties

Today we’re launching a new, easy-to-use email marketing tool that allows distributors to quickly create and send email marketing messages and promotions to customers with the click of a button.

The latest ASI distributor benefit was unveiled on our first day of ASI Show Chicago.

Read all about it in the press release, by clicking here.

ASI chose RatePoint, Inc., a leading provider of user-friendly, Web-based communication tools, to provide the program to ASI distributor members.  RatePoint is providing the program at a substantial savings, exclusively for ASI distributor members. 

I’m especially pleased with this powerful marketing tool because it costs about the same as the price of lunch, and you can choose from over 100 ready-made templates or can create a custom template. 

The new program includes:

  • Ability to easily upload contacts from nearly any application
  • Industry-leading message delivery rate (CAN-SPAM compliant)
  • Detailed reporting and tracking of messages
  • Over 100 free, customizable email templates
  • Free, unlimited customer support

Additional features include customer feedback tools that allow your clients to easily provide testimonials and feedback that distributors can use to promote their Website and LogoMall site, and at no extra charge. 

The new email marketing tool is available immediately, with a 30-day free trial for distributors with no further obligation.

This latest distributor member benefit joins more than 12 other member savings programs from ASI, including discounts on UPS® shipping, group health insurance options, office supplies at OfficeMax®, credit card processing and digital artwork services.

To check it out, visit asicentral.com/ratepointFor more information, contact Dale Denham, senior vice president, at dale.denham@asicentral.com.

I’d love to know what you think.  Post a comment on the blog or email me here.


ASI Enhances ASI ContentBridge Platform

Filed under: Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties

When someone like Dave Regan, vice president of sales at Counselor Top 40 Distributor The Vernon Company (asi/351700), gives a product a thumbs up, you can bet it’s worth a look.

Dave recently told us that ASI’s newly-enhanced ASI ContentBridge platform, which allows distributors to build customized websites and use all of ASI’s product data and education content to stream into their own systems, has helped Vernon boost their online presence and improve operations. 

Jack Nadel International (asi/279600), also a Top 40 distributor, recommended the service’s versatility.  Craig Nadel, president, calls ASI ContentBridge “great for our company.”

See their full comments and learn what the buzz is about in the press release – click here.

ASI ContentBridge is now more powerful, faster and easier.  It makes order management a snap – because ASI does all the hard work using our enhanced data stream – and you can also showcase more products and make changes in near real-time.

The service offers the same quality data that powers ESP Online and LogoMall websites and includes information such as pricing, set-up fees, product images and supplier ratings. 

Also – a real benefit for suppliers – when suppliers update their product and pricing information with ASI, it’s automatically forwarded to distributors with ASI ContentBridge to feed their websites and business systems.  In turn, the latest product data reaches distributors and end-buyers faster.

The bottom line is that larger distributors using ASI ContentBridge are growing their business and improving their customer service with fewer errors.

For more information, visit asicontentbridge.com, or contact Dan O’Halloran, senior vice president of distributor services, at dohalloran@asicentral.com

Tell me how ASI ContentBridge is helping your business and post now, or email me here.


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