Awards vs Apparel

    #ChuckSaid – Awards and Apparel

    A first-time customer stopped by my office last week. She is an industry veteran and one of the top salespeople in her organization. She told me that she just started selling awards. Astonished, I had to ask her why she had waited so long. She said, “Chuck, I thought awards were just too hard to sell. Boy, was I wrong.”

    Over the years, many distributors have told me the exact same thing! Once you give it a shot, you’ll realize that selling awards is not hard, just different.

    I want to debunk the myths that surround award sales by comparing award sales to the largest product segment in our industry – apparel. These myths are:

    • It is hard to make money selling awards; I can make more money selling apparel
    • My clients don’t ask for awards
    • There must be a lot of competition selling awards
    • Award sales are too time-consuming

    Continue reading…

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    Your Company's Leaders, The Cherry on Top

    Honor Incredible Leadership with a Crystal Award

    A leader creates a vision for the future, motivates and inspires, and builds a team. They solve problems, look forward, and have a “not good enough” attitude. Peers look up to them and come to them for guidance and advice. Leaders deserve an award that makes them feel that they are truly a valued member of the team and should be rewarded for their continued dedication.

    In a way, leaders are the best part of a delicious ice cream sundae. The company is the ice cream – a great base and wonderful all on its own. The employees are the toppings like whipped cream and chocolate and caramel – the things that make it better. And leaders are the cherry on top. They make the sundae perfect with their attitude, abilities, and impact on the company.

    What types of leadership activities are worthy of recognition? And what kinds of awards can you give? Here are a few awards that we’ve created to recognize different leaders in an organization. Continue reading…

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    Counter Cyclical Sales

    #ChuckSaid – Counter Cyclical Sales

    When I ask distributors “What it the best time of year to make money?” without hesitation, they usually answer, “Third and fourth quarter.” This is the time of year that most distributors think of as their “cash cow months.” Product moves and sales boom.

    Then January hits and distributors take a collective deep breath, thankful to have survived another stressful busy season. But why?

    Wouldn’t it be awesome if the boom didn’t stop just because the ball drops every New Years Eve? What if your business could continue booming all the way through the first and second quarter? Wouldn’t it be great if your “cash cow months” kept mooing?

    If continuing to make money during the traditional slow season sounds good to you, stick with me. You’ll be glad you did. Continue reading…

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    Top Dealership Award

    Top Dealership Award – A Showstopper

    Sometimes dealers call us and they’re totally stumped. They have no idea where to start in designing or selecting or decorating an award. When customers are at a standstill, our most seasoned Solutions Specialists step in to provide ideas. They help get the wheel of ideas turning to create momentum and help the dealer serve their customer.

    We create some of our most remarkable awards this way. We start with next to nothing and then develop an idea into a tangible product with a personalized decoration. And we get really excited about the opportunity to assist with a project at its moment of conception. Continue reading…

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    You Need NEO

    One More Thing…You Need NEO

    Happy Wednesday!

    If you’ve been following this story, you know that I have personally and professionally grown immensely as a result of building a company culture with intention. I share a heartbeat with Crystal D, and it has become one of the most important things in my life.

    I am all in, and I drink the Kool-Aid on a daily basis and wouldn’t change a thing. I’m a committed Memory Maker and wear that badge with pride.

    I’ve shared my journey in Our Story. But there is more. A few more golden nuggets that have helped us be successful. I will share more with you over time. But for today, I have one more thing to tell you: companies need New Employee Orientation (NEO). Continue reading…

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    Goal-Setter

    Recognize Ongoing Levels of Achievement

    Imagine this scenario: you’re a business owner who has been giving out an Employee of the Month award for many years. Each year, you hang a new plaque in the lobby of your building. You cover your wall in matching brown plaques with black nameplates. Your employees have little to no enthusiasm when they see their name on these plaques because these plaques are just plain boring and predictable.

    So what can you do to spark interest again? Continue reading…

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    6 D's to Destiny

    #ChuckSaid – 6 D’s to Destiny

    I have a knack for making up one-liners. I call them “zingers.” Growing up on a family farm and then professionally farming for over a decade, I learned that farmers have their own language. Many of my zingers originate from this time in my life. Some of these little taglines are fun and light while others have a bite to them. Continue reading…

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    Efficiency

    We’ve Got a New 3D Machine!

    There’s nothing more exciting than new things. And we have something new that we’re really excited about: a state-of-the-art 3D machine!

    Why do we love this machine so much? Because we can give you more! We can produce more awards at once and work on more orders at one time – providing you with more crystal awesomeness! Continue reading…

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    The best part of life is on the horizon

    The Best Part of Life is on the Horizon

    When you were a kid and thought of getting older, odds are you thought that you’d have life “together” by twenty-five. Together like, house, car, career, and love. After all, 25 years is a quarter of a century. But when I was 25 years old, I was newly married and working hard on our family farm. My first child was on her way. People said, “You are in the best part of your life.” But on a daily basis, it just felt like a lot of decisions and hard work. Nothing more. What I didn’t realize was that this part of life was just the tip of the iceberg. Just the first glimpse of what would become my life story from beginning to end. Making all those important decisions and working so hard was actually the “best part of life.” Continue reading…

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