Everyone sees hundreds of commercial messages every day. Here are a few tips on different avenues which may help your message cut through the promotional clutter .

1. Media Releases.
There is a lot of media out there, and it’s expanding all the time. It has be filled with something, why shouldn’t it be a story about you? If you can spin your sales story into an interesting news story there’s a good chance you will receive some coverage. But that's the thing. It has to be interesting. Look for an angle and present it the right way and there's every chance the local media will lap it up.

2. Event Invitations.
If you’re staging an event, make it one people will talk about and look forward to.
Treat your clients like friends, not wallets. And here’s a tip from a long established catering company we do work for: when the pary starts to lag, roll out the French Champagne. Yes it can cost you, but there’s something in that stuff which makes people happy. Everyone will be happy to knock a couple of glasses back if they know it’s the real deal!

3. Networking.
If you attend networking functions, which are all the rage at the moment (we get invited to about six a week!), when it's your turn to stand up and introduce yourself, make sure you’ve got a gimmick on hand. It’s a strange thing, that the larger the group of people you have on hand, the simpler the jokes which work. Later on, when you’re working the room you’ll have something to chat about and even if nobody remembers what you were trying to promote, they will remember you.

4. Response to Inquiries.
When you get a good lead through whatever channel, send back your response in an interesting and unforgettable way. Put your proposal in an empty pizza box and bribe a kid from Dominos to deliver it. Send one of those mobile coffee vans around and shout the team at the other company a coffee each. Have your quote written on the icing of a cake and hand delivered. Sounds stupid? Maybe, but when you talk to your prospective client next you have the beginnings of a relationship and may have turned a simple inquiry response into something resulting in everyone with the other group knowing who you are.

5. Sales Pitches.
Intrigue your prospective clients. A local sales legend in Brisbane used to ring for an appointment and announce, “I’m coming ‘round now and I’m bringing morning tea”. He would arrive with two cream buns in a paper bag. He always claimed that if he could get the person he was visiting to eat their cream bun he would get them as a new client. Nobody ever forgot the sight of this bloke appearing at the door with two buns in a brown paper bag.

6. Sales Letters.
There’s nothing more boring than a sales letter which just babbles on about how great you are. What would anyone expect you to say? It’s a constant battle to stop people demanding promotional sales letters that are heavy on product features and details.

Here’s a promotional idea we’re about to try. Go to the back and buy a wad of some virtually worthless currency; Zimbabwe Pounds, Turkmanistan Roubles, New Zealand Dollars (only joking guys) whatever you can lay your hands on, but make sure the demoninations are big. Dream up a spin to your letter which is related to cash/money/income. Attach one of the banknotes to the letters you send it out. Who, other than the government, is going to throw away money? And if you buy the right dud currency it costs about the same per sheet as printing a letter.

7. Follow up Letters.
Once you’ve spoken with a client and had your first meeting, make sure you follow up by mail, if only to cover off the subjects you discussed. People don’t want to deal with slackers, sending a letter after your meeting looks professional and sets the stage for further contact

8. Surveys.
Companies wishing respondents to fill out a questionnaire are more likely to get results when they attach a bribe. Just by adding a pen to the package you can expect a 30 percent better response.

9. Talk to Vlin Custom Promotions
As one of Chinese most innovative sales promotion and marketing groups, we are always interested in hearing new ideas or dreaming up new ones which will work for your business. If you have a promotional idea for your business, or want one, give us a call. We specialize in getting your ideas happening on budget and on time.