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Sales agents for independent sales organizations can boost sales and make the most impact on client relationships by providing some clients high-end, experiential gifts, according to Terry Roberts, director of software integration at Fast Transact Inc., a Lacey, Wash.-based ISO. Such gifts as golf outings or event tickets are effective at closing client deals roughly 70% of the time, Roberts estimates. The expense of high-end gifts, however, limits the number of clients who receive them. Less than 5% of prospective clients receive experiential gifts at Fast Transact, Roberts tells CardLine sister publication ISO&Agent Weekly. Between 15% and 20% of clients receive mid-range gifts, such as gift cards, he says. "In terms of impact, if you give thought to the things that you give them, they will remember it," says Roberts. Low-cost items, such as logo pens or mouse pads, are least likely to affect client decisions, he says. Alternatively, some ISOs believe merchants are affected minimally by promotional gifts and take more notice of ISOs if sales agents can accurately answer their questions. "If one of my reps goes out and is able to answer questions that no other ISO can, that will stand out more than something on" the merchant's desk, says Marc Maxwell, outside sales manager for Connect Merchant Payment Services Inc., a Riverside, Calif.-based ISO (CardLine, 9/3). U.S. sales of promotional products reached $19.4 billion in 2007, according to Anne Lardner, a spokesperson for Irving, Texas-based Promotional Products Association International (CardLine, 9/3). She defines promotional products as "anything with a logo," ranging from inexpensive pens to high-end gifts, such as artwork.
