What a journey! 4 insights from 40 inspiring years of branded promotional products

By Laurie Frees

We couldn’t be prouder to be celebrating 40 years of 4imprint! This milestone really goes to show that meaningful connections have powered us from the beginning. From the many businesses and charitable organizations we’ve served, to our employees, community partners and beyond, each connection has been remarkable—and each has required trust. Trust has been fundamental to our journey because we don’t provide just branded promotional products—we become partners in helping you, our customers, shine.

More than 80% of people opens in new window say trust is a deciding factor when making a purchase decision. That rings true because if you aren’t certain you’ll get a quality, on-time order, that you’re 100% satisfied with, you will and should shop around.

80% of people say trust is a deciding factor when making a purchase.

As we reflect on this decades-long journey, it’s clear that building customer trust has always been a guiding light for us. Creating strong relationships built on trust can help your organization too. We’d like to share four valuable lessons we come back to, time and again.

Relationships matter more than transactions

Every day, organizational leaders make decisions that have short- and long-term effects. What’s right for today might not work tomorrow, and a challenge now could bring benefits later. Throughout these four decades, we’ve emphasized the importance of building meaningful and lasting relationships. Gaining a deep understanding of our customers’ needs takes time, but the results can be fantastic.

There are many reasons to prioritize building strong business relationships. It can cost six to seven times opens in new window more to acquire a new customer than retain a current one. What’s more, an increase of 5% in retention can lead to 25% more profit. In a partnership, each interaction provides an opportunity to build on what came before and explore future possibilities. It really is a win-win.

We also want to nurture these connections, so we provide an experienced promotional product expert to help with every order. They—and a team of our professional artists—make sure every detail is just right. It’s also why we offer product samples. We want you to be able to touch, feel and use them. This makes it easy for you to choose the perfect branded promotional product to achieve your goals. Plus, people love free samples! They’re not only fun, but they’re also great idea-generators. You can also opt in to receive our well-loved regular Blue Box^® mailings. They might just inspire even more ways to connect with your audiences.

Transparency and honesty win every time

We’re big fans of “The Golden Rule”—treat people as you want to be treated. It’s something that’s top of mind for our team members and that leadership instils throughout 4imprint. When interacting with customers, transparency and honesty are so important to us.

Organizations with these qualities can build strong relationships. At 4imprint, we take pride in our price guarantee, for example. If you find a lower total price for any product we sell and let us know within 30 days of your order, we’ll refund double the difference. Our reviews and ratings also offer first-hand insight from our customers. Did you know that 71% of consumers opens in new window always or regularly read online business reviews.

71% of consumers always or regularly read online business reviews.

4imprint’s Better Choices^® program is another way we provide clarity. If characteristics like sustainability, environmental impact and workplace culture are important to your business, Better Choices makes it easy to find products in these categories. It also provides clear explanations about why products receive these designations. This transparency helps you make the right purchasing decisions for your organization.

Empowering people drives success

Through the years, our team members have not only worked hard to develop a deep understanding of our customers’ needs, but they’ve also dedicated countless hours to volunteering in their communities. Our one by one^® charitable giving program grants in-kind donations of branded promotional products to charities, religious organizations and schools to raise money, recognize volunteers, boost awareness and more. It’s our way of giving back and empowering the people in our communities who are working hard to make the world a better place. Just like in the relationships we nurture, it’s about layering small successes, one after another.

You can also empower this type of success. Encourage employees to get involved in their communities. Or, better yet, carve out time during the work week for your team members to dedicate their time, knowledge or talent to a cause of their choice. Give them apparel, like fleece jackets or baseball caps, to show off your brand while they’re making a difference.

Consistency builds confidence

Trust is earned. When building a new relationship, consistently meeting or exceeding expectations pays off. Most customers opens in new window (85%) are willing to go out of their way to do business with a company that offers better service. If you aren’t satisfied with your order, we pay to pick it up and return it or refund your money. If an order isn’t received on time, it’s on us. This is our promise every time.

Give this or something similar a shot. If your products or services don’t match expectations, provide customers or clients something of value to make it right. That could be a refund, a redo or a little something to say, “I’m sorry.” A handwritten card, along with a candle, charcuterie board or travel mug, can go a long way.

Since the beginning, we’ve learned that we have to provide incredible service to offer incredible value. That’s true for a first-time customer needing branded employee uniforms or an organization that’s been ordering promotional products for years. Incredible service, provided time and again, gives our customers the confidence to come back. They know what they’re going to get—for certain!

Trust is the glue that holds it all together

While reaching our 40-year anniversary is a reason to celebrate, what’s most important is to recognize the connections that made it possible. It took remarkable trust from our customers, employees and communities to allow what was once a five-person team dedicated to providing branded promo products to arrive at this milestone. The lessons we’ve learned continue to shape the future we’re building. Perhaps they can help yours too.

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