Category: Promotional Products | Page 2

You only have one chance to make a good first impression. If it’s a social situation, you may get the opportunity to let the real you shine through over time and undo any negativity from your first meeting. In a business environment, however, there’s always the chance that a potential client may take their custom elsewhere if they don’t see what they hope for when they meet you. That’s why it’s important to get those first encounters right.

Know your subject

While you’re undoubtedly an expert in your own field, it may be that clients come to you for different services. If possible, before your initial meeting, do your homework and find out what you can about the client’s needs; that may involve setting up a system whereby someone might fill in a questionnaire before they receive an appointment, allowing you to be thoroughly prepared.

Set the scene

If you’re meeting someone at your own premises, be sure you have a clean, comfortable and welcoming environment prepared. Would refreshments be appropriate? Are toilet and washing facilities clearly signposted? If you have an appointment to meet someone in another location of your choice, make sure it is somewhere you can talk in comfort and without distractions.

Look the part

I would hope that you always present a professional exterior to the world while you’re representing your business. This is doubly important when a potential customer sees you for the first time. Depending on the type of company you belong to, you should wear clean and appropriate clothes and be well groomed; even if you do a manual job, you should make sure you have clean nails when you extend a welcoming handshake to the client.

Put on your happy face

Even if you’re having the day from hell, your client doesn’t need to know about it. Something as simple as smiling as you greet them can make all the difference and put a person at ease. Studies show that the action of smiling can make you happier and more relaxed as well, which is a good frame of mind for meeting with a potential customer.

Pay attention

There’s little more off-putting than being aware that you don’t have someone’s full attention while you’re speaking to them. Focus on your customer! Make sure they know you are listening and considering their needs. It may be that your experience allows you to realise a need they are likely to have before they know about it. If you are completely attentive, the big picture should become apparent, allowing you to make suggestions about how the customer could achieve their goals, which will make them more inclined to use your services.

Unfortunately, there’s no way of controlling everything that goes on around you. You can’t force a person to give you their custom any more than you can force them to like you, but by making the most of those factors you can control, you can lay the groundwork for a good business relationship. You will only make one first impression, so put in the effort to make it a good one.

Banaman are specialists in the printing and supply of superb promotional materials for businesses large and small. For more information, get in touch with us today and we’ll be happy to help.

Trying to get your band noticed can seem like a mammoth task, especially with the innumerable amount of acts that are vying for the attention of the public and record labels alike. However, with a few clever marketing tips, you might soon find yourself ahead of the pack. This article will look at some of the ways that you can promote your band and your music and hopefully give you a helping hand in getting noticed.

Be Unorthodox

What about giving your fans or potential fans some free products to get them on board? Smaller items like lighters and keyrings can be ordered at minimal cost, adorned with your band’s name or logo and given away for free. These can be ordered in any quantity, meaning you can have as many or as few as you want without worrying about minimum orders or breaking the bank. What’s more, the recipients of the lighters will likely use them on a regular basis, not to mention waving them in the air at one of your gigs!

T-Shirts

A tried, tested and very successful method of promoting yourself to the wider world, t-shirts allow for a larger design, making your logo or band name much more noticeable. Due to the cost of printing for t-shirts, it is unlikely that you can give them away for free as you could with smaller items like the aforementioned lighters and keyrings. However, for the extra cost you can get a high quality print that fans can wear on a daily basis, not just to any gigs or shows you might play. If the design is good, people will want to know where they can get their hands on one, which is more advertising for you!

Stickers and Badges

Small, easy to use and very cheap to produce, stickers and badges are perfect accessories for your band’s biggest fans. You may have noticed fans of certain genres of bands have their backpacks littered with badges adorned with the logos of their favourite musicians, so why not add yours to that collection? Their low production cost means you can order a large quantity without an eye-watering cost.

Here at Banaman, we are experts in providing the highest standard of promotional printing services: whether you want t-shirts, badges, stationery or keyrings, we can print your band or business logo onto them and supply them to you with no minimum order. For more information, get in touch with us today.

As an ink-drawing or pencil artist it’s essential that you choose the best tools to produce the best results, and whilst your personal preference or the type of artwork you create will influence your choice of pen or pencil, there are few staples that should be present in every studio.

Pen Types

• Ball Pens

Ball pens are a cheap choice and available in many different colours in all stationary shops. They can produce exceptional results, making them perfect for fast artists who rely on free flowing ink to keep up with their artistic flow.

For more experimental artists, there are also a range of different nibs you can choose,  for example a  firm steel split nib is a great all-rounder, whilst calligraphy nibs are more specialised and take a while to find one you are comfortable with, and a copperplate writing nib offers a softer solution that lets you create a more varied effect.

• Bamboo Reed Pens

Bamboo pens are an acquired preference as they produce broad definite lines, and the pens don’t hold much ink. This makes them more suited to minimalist artists, who prefer to give an impression rather than extensive detail. Another point is thart as the ink runs low it produces different textures and effects – so they can take quite a while to get used to, but produce great results once you’ve mastered the technique.

• Artist’s Pens

Fibre tip markers, such as the one from Faber-Castell are a wonderful way to get precise, crisp lines and beautiful colour quickly. You can buy fibre tip markers in a variety of nib sizes and brush tips, ensuring you’ll find something to suit your drawing style and artwork.

Pencil Grades

Choosing the right grade of graphite pencil for your designs can be tricky if you aren’t used to the different effects, but once you’ve learned the differences you can produced detailed and deep artwork that allows true expression of your creativity.

The grades range from numbers 2 to 9, and will be following by a ‘H’ to indicate the graphite is hard and produces a lighter tone, or a ‘B’ if the pencil is softer and darker. There’s also a middle ground of ‘HB’ and an ‘F’ for finepoint pencils. The most common pencils for drawing, include:  

The 2H

A very hard lead pencil that makes thin light marks, making it ideal for detailed artwork and initial, non-permanent drawings.

The 6B

A very dark, soft pencil which is great for expressive drawing and fast sketching.

The HB

This is the pencil you would have used in school! The lead is the perfect medium between hard and soft led, making it a great all-rounder.

The 2B

This pencil is much softer than a HB pencil and produces fine, dark lines making it is great for outlining drawings, or adding in darker shading.

Finding the right stationary for ink and graphite drawings can take a lifetime, and even if you think you have the perfect tools for the job, it’s always worth experimenting when you come across something new.  

The team at Banaman supply bespoke promotional pens and pencils, printed with your company’s details, making them the perfect giveaway item for potential or existing clients.

Designing and printing your flyers is one thing, ensuring that they serve their purpose of promoting your brand is another, and they can’t do that without effective distribution. There are a number of ways you can help your flyers get the attention of prospective customers and this article will look into these methods.

Distribution by hand

There are always opportunities to distribute your flyers, whether you hand them to passers-by in the street or take advantage of any business conventions or exhibitions your company may be present at. The benefit of using exhibitions in this manner is that the people in attendance will at least be familiar with your sector, if not your company. Handing them out in the street can also yield results, but it is unlikely that many people that pass you by will be familiar with your business or industry.

Door to Door

This method means that you don’t have to rely on there being a large amount of people in any one location, such as a town centre. By posting your leaflets through doors, you can dictate how many flyers you hand out and where you distribute them. The downside to this method, of course, is that a lot of homeowners don’t have much time for leaflets that come through their door. However, if you can make your leaflet eye catching and effective, then you may find success.

Newspapers

This method is a similar process to door-to-door, except you don’t have to put the leaflets through the letterboxes yourself! By arranging with your local paper to put your leaflets within their publication, you can get your advertising out to potential customers without having to visit their homes yourself. Some papers may ask for a small payment in order for them to include your leaflet, but it is a worthwhile expenditure when you consider the potential reach of your advertising.

Having the perfect distribution method for your flyers is one thing, but you must make sure that your flyers look the part, too. Contact a professional promotional design agency to help engineer the perfect flyer for your business. By ensuring you have the highest quality leaflet design in sufficient quantity, you can make sure that you have both the right amount of leaflets and the right design to attract maximum exposure and interest.

Above are the three most effective methods that you can undertake when it comes to distributing flyers, each one with its own set of benefits. Decide which one of these suits you the most and then begin your distribution process – if done correctly, you’ll gain great exposure for your brand and hopefully entice some new customers on the way.

About the author: The staff at Banaman in Grimsby have over 20 years of experience in promotional printing and produce a wide range of promotional items including flyers, banners, stationary and clothing.

If you are a person who regularly uses a desktop computer, then you have probably used a mouse mat before. It’s not something that you give a lot of thought to – it’s always on your desk, ready to be used. But if you have ever misplaced your mouse mat and had to use your computer without one, you may have noticed quite a considerable difference in how easy it is to use your mouse. As well as making your mouse easier to use, it can also be good for your health. This article will detail some of the key reasons why using a mouse mat can be beneficial for you.

Ease of Movement

One of the more obvious advantages is the way it makes the movement of your mouse much smoother and more accurate. If you use your mouse on the desk with no mouse mat, it is likely to stick on the surface which can get quite annoying if you constantly have to reposition your mouse. A mouse mat will allow for smooth and accurate tracking of the mouse, meaning you never have to worry about clicking on the wrong area of the screen accidentally.

Wrist Support

This is a particular concern for those who use their desktop computer on a daily basis for an extended period of time, perhaps as part of their job. Using a mouse without proper wrist support can cause damage to your wrist, known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and also carpal tunnel injuries. There is a vast range of mouse mats that come with built-in wrist support and these can save you a lot of discomfort when using your mouse for long periods.

Extra Promotion

Like many desktop items, you can use your mouse mat to provide some extra promotion for your business. Your mouse mat can be adorned with your company logo or slogan and handed out to both existing and potential clients/customers, helping you spread the name of your business and keep it fresh in the mind of those who use the mouse mats. Think of it as daily advertising but with minimal effort required.

If you want to combine the purchase of mouse mats with some excellent promotion for your business, brand or company, then Banaman are exactly the people you need. We specialise in providing top quality promotional items for businesses both big and small. Our design team can add your logo to stationery, clothing or leaflets with the utmost care, precision and design quality. There is no minimum order limit with our products, so whether you need promotional items for 200 customers or 20 customers, we’ve got you covered. For more information about our promotional printing services, get in touch with us today and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Besides helping to minimise the risk of losing your keys, a keyring can also be modified to provide assistance in other aspects of your day to day life. While this may seem like a trivial issue, there are a number of different ways this ubiquitous accessory can be enhanced.  This article will detail some items that you can attach to your keyring to, giving   some more purpose to this under-appreciated tool.

Trolley Coin

When taking a trip to the supermarket, the last thing you want to be doing is digging around in your wallet, purse or pockets for a £1 coin to put in a trolley. Having a trolley coin attached to your keyring will save you that extra bit of hassle, something which you may appreciate during a busy shopping trip!

Bottle Opener

Another tool that can save you a lot of hassle is a bottle opener. While it may seem like it doesn’t have much purpose on your keyring, being at a party and having nothing to open your drinks with can be a disaster. There are a range of compact bottle openers available so you can implement this tool on your keyring without making it unnecessarily bulky.

USB

Memory sticks are usually quite small and as such are very easy to lose. However, by attaching your USB device to your keyring, you can be sure that you always have it close by and any important files are safely in your possession. A lot of USB devices are designed with keyring storage in mind, so make sure you choose a memory stick which will allow you to attach it to your keyring.

Mini Torch

It’s a common situation; you arrive home at night, dig your keys out of your pocket and then spend a minute or so desperately trying to locate the lock on your door/car. By attaching a mini torch to your keyring, you will see the end of this problem without having to carry around a full size torch everywhere you go.

Key Finder

Owning a key finder can be a lifesaver for those moments when you need to rush out of the house but you can’t find your keys. Two sensors, one which is attached to your keyring are linked so that if you have misplaced your keys, simply press the button your other keyring finder and the sensor that is attached to your keys will beep. This will help you track down your keys and allow you to get to work on time.

Here at Banaman, we offer premium quality promotional products for both large and small businesses alike. Our skilled design team can add your company logo or slogan to a range of products including a variety of keyrings; trolley coin keyrings, ad loop keyrings and full colour keyrings – all available at excellent prices with no minimum order. They are a great way to promote your business to both current and potential customers and their low cost means you can provide them in bulk without any negative financial impact. For more information, get in touch with us today and we will be more than happy to help.

USB sticks are now commonplace in every office environment. Ideal for storing and transferring important files, they are available with a wide range of storage sizes and styles, so using a USB stick can make your working life much easier. However, the small size of USB sticks can be a drawback as well as a benefit. As they are similar in size to keys, they can be easy to lose. However, if you get yourself a unique, stylish USB stick, you might find you can keep track of it more easily. There are hundreds of cool, quirky designs available to suit your tastes.

Folding USB Sticks

Folding USB sticks are useful in a few ways – they help your memory stick stand out from the others, but the folding end, which tucks away the actual USB connection prevents any dust or dirt getting into the device, which could cause it to fail. A folding USB stick is a great way to make your device more memorable without compromising on safety or practicality.

Film Roll USB Sticks

For a clever and quirky way to store your documents, film roll USB sticks are a great choice. Meticulously disguised as a roll of camera film, these USB devices are a fun way to keep track of those important files. It is very unlikely you’ll have rolls of film hanging off your key ring our lying around your office, so if you do see one, it will more than likely be your memory stick. The design doesn’t limit the storage space either, so whether you need 1gb or 32gb, this faux-film roll is perfect!

Double-Sided USB Sticks

A common annoyance that occurs with USB drives is them not slotting into your computer the first time, despite you being absolutely sure that you’ve turned the stick the right way up. If you do happen to get the stick the wrong way round, trying to shove it into your computer can damage both the USB drive itself and the USB port on your computer. However, with double-sided USB sticks, that problem is no more. Both practical and safer for your devices, these USB drives can save you a lot of trouble and frustration!

Above are three examples of fun and quirky USB sticks that serve as an alternative to a standard one. While there is nothing wrong with a plain USB stick, they can be very easy to lose, especially in an office environment that is likely to have several USB drives in it already. These devices stand out from the crowd and will allow you to keep track of yours, rather than worrying where you put those important documents. At Banaman, our online store is packed with unique USB devices to ensure you don’t have to worry about getting flash drives mixed up again! Have a browse through our site to find out more!