Promotional Products to Leave Behind for a Lasting Impression

Getting the opportunity to meet in-person with a client or potential customer is a privilege, especially in today’s digital world, where everything seems to revolve around emails and smartphones. But did you know it’s also way more effective? According to this study, meeting face-to-face is a whopping 34 times more effective than an email or text communication.

Getting in the door to meet someone is a solid step in the right direction, but what if you want to up the ante? How can you make sure you leave a lasting impression, one that actually makes a personal connection? We have good news; it’s not as hard or as complicated as you might think. Introducing “leave behinds”. In this piece we’ll describe what leave behinds are, and which promotional items make great leave behinds you can use at your next big meeting.

Leave behind promotional items are custom products you can bring to business meetings to leave with attendees after it’s over — and frankly, we think this is worth doing every single time. Why? These small tokens of appreciation (promotional products) have longer legs than you may realize. Not only are they a nice way to show your gratitude for an existing or potential client’s time, but they serve as a reminder of that time spent together long after the meeting has ended. Also, they are wonderfully practical, in that they can include your name, brand, phone number, website, email address, or anything else you’d like to leave behind with a customer. Think of them as the new business card except they’re not small pieces of paper that are easily lost, misplaced, or simply thrown out. Instead, they are functional, useful items that can serve a real purpose in a client’s life, with the added benefit of constantly reminding them of you. Sounds pretty good, right?

Bringing leave behind promotional products to your next business meeting is a no-brainer, but what makes for a great leave behind? We all know the importance of a good first impression, but after you nail that you want to make sure you impress your clients and leave a strong lasting impression. Think of your leave behind as a key component to solidifying that lasting impression. Below we share some of our favorite items to use as leave behinds.

• Pens — Pens are a tried and true promotional item. Why? People always need writing utensils. In fact, this study showed that 9 out of 10 consumers owned a promotional pen, proving they are a highly popular and useful promotional gift. While they are a fairly straightforward, simple item, how many times have you gone to a business meeting only to realize people have forgotten one? All. The. Time. Bring a handful to your next meeting and pass them out. They’ll get used right away! They’ll also likely end up back at each person’s desk to get used over and over again. And each time your existing/potential client uses it, they’ll think of you, and hopefully remember you next time they need a service or product you can provide.

• USB drives — USB drives work as a great leave behind at business meetings. Pop your presentation on a logo drive and leave it there for them to keep once you’re done. It’s a clever alternative to emailing it out later, which could easily be ignored (we all know the pain of overflowing inboxes). Plus, you won’t have to worry about any email size limitations or bogging down a client’s system (especially if you have a picture-heavy presentation). Another additional bonus is you can include any extra information you’d like to share with them alongside your presentation — a nice digital package they can still hold in their hands. But of course, the real gem here is that it’s your customized USB, which serves as a physical reminder of your meeting.

• Stress balls — Business meetings can be tough; long, tiring, and sometimes awkward. Break the ice by bringing along some promotional stress balls. It’s a clever way to get a laugh, but also really practical. They’re great to hold onto during meetings without getting distracted. You can also customize these to perfectly fit the client’s company — they come in a ton of different shapes to fit almost any industry, such as sport balls, animals, hearts, stars, automobiles, etc.

• Calendars — Physical calendars remain a business staple, despite the steadily growing digital age we’ve grown accustomed to. Found hanging in nearly every office or cubicle space, like pens, you can count on them being used — daily…for an entire year… it’s a promotional item that definitely gives you bang for your buck. These are especially great gifts at the end or beginning of a new year (the only time we’d gift them).

• Wireless chargers — If you really want to leave behind a gift that will wow, consider wireless chargers. These unique, high-end gifts will definitely show the client how valuable their relationship and business are to you. They’re a perfect blend of technology and usefulness, the perfect gifts to take to a small, intimidate meeting with just a few people you really want to impress. They can even buy you a few extra minutes of your clients’ time while you show them how they work and help with any set-up they may need (important for those who have never used one before) — a great opportunity for some extra chit-chat and to get to know one another more personally.

Leave behind promotional items are a smart strategy to prove to a client that you’re willing to go the distance for them. While it’s pretty typical to provide a catered meal during a morning or lunchtime meeting (and those are also appreciated), a physical gift like the ones we’ve discussed just go the extra mile to ensure you won’t be forgotten when the meeting is over. They’re a clever way to provide a constant reminder of your meeting/product/service without you constantly having to call or email (which can sometimes backfire if done too much).

Ready to order some promotional gifts for your next meeting? Get in touch today — we’re standing by on phone, email, and even chat to help you get started and ensure your next meeting is a success.