🔊Audio version of this article, available at the bottom🔊
In the promotional products and promotional merchandise industry, we have the privilege of working with some truly incredible suppliers. Many of them are hardworking, dedicated, creative, and deeply committed to doing the right thing for their sales and marketing partners and clients. However, even with great suppliers, things can still go awry.
Not because people do not care.
Not because there is a lack of professionalism.
Simply because we are all operating in a business filled with moving parts, deadlines, freight carriers, production schedules, and human beings.
One of the greatest lessons I have learned over the years is the importance of building what has been coined as “time margins” into every project possible.
In other words, stop running every order right up to the edge of disaster.
Far too many professionals in sales, schedule projects so tightly that there is absolutely no room for error. Everything looks perfect on paper until one small thing happens, and suddenly the entire campaign begins to unravel.
Let me give you a very realistic example.
Imagine a supplier has completed a decorated apparel order. Everything is packed, labeled, and ready to go one day before the client’s event. On the surface, that sounds great. Everyone feels confident because the order shipped “on-time.”
However, during pickup, a freight company accidentally grabs 30 boxes instead of the 10 intended for your customer. The remaining 20 boxes belong to another client and are suddenly rerouted somewhere they should never have gone.
Now the ripple effect has begun.
Tracking numbers no longer make sense.
The supplier scrambles to locate freight.
The salesperson and their support team are stuck making uncomfortable phone calls.
The client is growing anxious because the date of the event is approaching fast.
Nobody intentionally created the problem, but the problem still exists.
This is exactly why building in “time margins” matters.
One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is assuming that great suppliers are immune to challenges. They are not. Even the best suppliers deal with machine failures, staffing issues, inventory discrepancies, weather delays, freight carrier mistakes, power outages, art revisions, and simple human error.
That does not make them bad suppliers. It makes them human.
The real issue is not whether something can go wrong. The real issue is whether you allowed enough breathing room in the process to recover if it does.
Too many people in our industry operate with a “just in time” mindset. They want products to land the day before the trade show, the morning of the event, or sometimes even hours before distribution begins. That approach may work several times, but eventually the odds catch up with you.
And when they do, the stress is enormous.
Margins disappear because rush freight suddenly becomes necessary. Relationships become strained because everyone is operating emotionally instead of strategically. Clients lose confidence because they do not care about the complexity behind the scenes. They simply know whether the products arrived when promised.
What many professionals fail to realize is that early delivery almost never creates frustration. In fact, it usually creates the exact opposite reaction.
Relief. Confidence. Trust.
When products arrive several days early, clients feel prepared. Event coordinators can breathe easier. Marketing teams gain confidence. Internal stakeholders stop worrying.
Most importantly, if there is an issue with the shipment, there is still time to fix it.
That is the power of “time margins.”
I have always believed that it is far better to look like a hero for being early than to spend days apologizing for being late. Early delivery positions you as organized, proactive, and dependable. Clients begin to see you as more than a salesperson. They see you as someone protecting their brand and reputation.
That distinction matters.
The best professionals in this industry are not simply order takers. They are strategists, they are problem preventers. They understand that one of the most valuable things they can deliver is peace of mind.
Building “time margins” does not mean adding unnecessary weeks to every project. It means thinking strategically and responsibly.
It means setting internal deadlines earlier than the actual event date. It means encouraging faster proof approvals. It means communicating realistic expectations upfront instead of making dangerous promises simply to win business. It also means understanding that freight should never be treated as a certainty. Shipping carriers make mistakes every single day.
Strong professionals account for that reality.
Another important point to consider is this. Sometimes we unintentionally train our clients to procrastinate because we repeatedly rescue impossible situations. While there are moments where we absolutely need to step up and make miracles happen, constantly operating in crisis mode is not healthy for profitability, client relationships, or team morale.
At some point, discipline must outweigh adrenaline.
The promotional products industry is filled with moving parts, and no matter how experienced you are, there will always be variables outside your control. The smartest professionals understand this and plan accordingly.
They do not hope things go right; they build systems that protect against things going wrong. That is a major difference.
In the end, “time margins” are not wasted time. They are strategic insulation. They protect your reputation, your profitability, your client relationships, and your peace of mind.
Because when all is said and done, better early than late will always be the winning strategy.
The next time you schedule a project, quote a timeline, or communicate a delivery expectation to a client, ask yourself one important question:
“Have I built enough breathing room into this project to protect both my client and my reputation?”
That one decision may determine whether you become remembered as a trusted partner or just another person reacting to problems after they occur.
Until next month, continued good selling - CQ
Cliff Quicksell, CSP, MAS+, MASI, has been a driving force in the promotional products
industry for over four decades. As President of Cliff Quicksell Associates &
QuicksellSpeaks, he is internationally recognized for his dynamic work as a speaker,
coach, trainer, and consultant—empowering businesses and associations to market
smarter, engage deeper, and grow stronger.
Cliff's long list of accolades includes his 2021 induction into the PPAI Hall of Fame and
the prestigious CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation in 2023—an honor
held by fewer than 7% of speakers worldwide and the only active professional in the
promotional products industry to achieve it.
A true creative innovator, Cliff has earned more than 40 PPAI Pyramid Awards,5 PSDA
Peak Awards, and 13 CPPA PEAKE Awards. He’s a six-time winner of PPAI’s
Ambassador Speaker of the Year and was the first-ever recipient of the PPAI
Distinguished Service Award. Recognized in PPAI at 100 and named one of Counselor
Magazine’s Top 50 Most Influential People in the industry, Cliff is celebrated for his
passionate contributions to industry education and thought leadership.
His award-winning blog, 30 Seconds to Greatness, was honored with the 8LMedia
Award for Most Passed Around Content. Stay connected with Cliff on LinkedIn or email
him at cliff@QuicksellSpeaks.com. Visit www.QuicksellSpeaks.com for upcoming
events and podcast updates. Cliff is also preparing to launch a new venture dedicated
to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive utilizing a custom AI designed
specifically for Promo World, called MerchPilot™.