How many people always resist temptation to not take a free pen? Such a mythical creature likely does not exist. Great icebreaker in front of your client or prospect: ask him or her to scour his/her office, briefcase, desk, etc. and round up every single pen, and place the cachet between you. Then ask pointedly: "Do you remember where you got them?"
Imagine your client poring through each one, and being able to tell you where – because the business' name is easily legible on each one. Your deal is almost closed!
If not, cite the following, found on e-how.com, on how to get free pens. The author, Michelle Kulas, writes, "Andy Hough from USNews.com states that no one should ever pay for a pen. He says that free pens are available for the taking as promotional items, and that 'a free pen writes just as well as an expensive one.'" She then advises readers to visit local physician offices, real estate offices, banks, local fairs and conventions so that they can procure free pens.
Understanding why people have a proclivity to procure pens can assist in overcoming any objection, such as "well, everyone does that, we want to stand out."
Jim Boulet of Cedar Crest Mfg. explains "there seems to be a general human fascination for ball pens."
Dan Gale at Norwood by BIC Graphic believes that promotional pens are the "ultimate guilty pleasure," readily admitting that he is always quick to pick one up.
Kelley Fouche of Polyconcept North America says that research shows that a promotional pen changes hands at least eight times during its life cycle, which is why they rank as one of the most consistent top-selling promotional items.
For many consumers/end users, a promotional pen satisfies several key senses, says RJ Hagel of Goldstar. "People love pens because of the physical connection with them. The weight of the pen, the way it balances in your hand, the sound and feel the click makes when you depress the plunger is a stimulating thing. Then you factor in the decoration, the pens curves and how smoothly the ink flows from your hand... It’s so simple, but I think it is this experience that reacts very strongly with at least three of your five senses (If you like to chew on your pens, you now have stimulated four of the five!)."
There is never a good time to not find a pen and have to request one from someone else, so we generally "surround ourselves with writing instruments each day – at work, home, and carry them in our cars, purses, backpacks, etc.," observes Bill Mahre of ADG Promotional Products.
Defining a PenSo, your client now wants the "right" pen in his/her promotional program. And here comes the anxiety because altogether, there are probably several thousand to choose from. Of course, color selection is easy, but the more you know about the components of a pen, the more successful your consultation to select the best one will be. And listen, your clients expect you to be an expert, not just a salesperson. So, here is Pen Mechanics 101.
Boulet explains that a typical ball pen is a shell encasing the ink cartridge or refill. Both the refill and the case can have several components. The refill normally consists of the tube made of either metal or plastic that encases the ink. The tube is fitted to the pen point or pen tip, consisting of a metal point machined to very close tolerances and the ball of the pen made of either metal or ceramic material. The ball fits into a socket machined in the pen point. The ball is locked into the socket at the end of the point through a process that folds some of the metal of the pen point up closely around the ball leaving enough space between the ball and the sides of the socket for ink to be pulled out of the tube as the ball is rolled across the writing surface. All of the tolerances in the pen tip are critical as is the consistency and viscosity of the ink. The pen tip and ink have to be formulated to work in tandem otherwise the ink will not flow out smoothly or if it is too thin it will not cover well. Also if the pen point is not machined accurately or if it is damaged in any way the pen will write scratchy or ink will not flow out properly and the refill may skip when writing.
Further, he explains, the barrel or shell of the ball pen contains the mechanism parts that allow the ink refill or ink cartridge to be propelled out for writing or retracted for storage to prevent writing. Pen mechanisms vary in the number of parts. The most common mechanism consists of a ratchet that has gear-like teeth around its perimeter. Inside of the pen case are matching splines or grooves that match up to the teeth of the ratchet that allow the ratchet to slide up and down inside of the case. The ratchet fits up against a second part called the plunger or actuator. The end of the refill sets up against the bottom of the ratchet. The simple explanation for the combination of these three parts is that they all work together and allow the refill to either retract up inside the pen case or allow it to be held with the tip extended out the end of the pen case. If the ratchet or plunger/actuator teeth are damaged it can cause the mechanism to stick or become non-functional.
"The tight exact tolerances between all of these parts of a ball pen are critical for the mechanism and the refill to work smoothly and correctly," he advises. Most casual every day users of ball pens never appreciate the technology or degree of precision required in a ball pen for it to operate smoothly and write properly. There is much more than meets the eye and many more things to go wrong compared to many higher priced products that have no moving parts."
Most of the key components of any promotional writing instrument, according to Mahre, are those that are visible – color of barrel, style/appearance, grips, ink color, and clip. Further, he reports, "the quality of ink cartridges for promotional pens has gotten much better over the years and now provides a strong consistency of performance that end-users can count on."
"Although the material selected for the outer components create the overall appearance, the performance of a pen is determined by its internal components such as the ink cartridge, spring, carbide ball and click plunger," elaborates Fouche. For example, she offers, "many customers select a writing instrument based on whether it is ballpoint or roller ball. Although both styles are constructed with similar internal components a ballpoint pen uses an oil-based ink cartridge opposed to a roller ball pen that uses a water based cartridge, which contributes to the overall flow when writing. Roller balls, like the Luna in our Leed’s line, are a great fit for executive gifts.”
Laura High, senior marketing manager at Norwood by BIC Graphic, notes that smoothness or write-ability are is often a priority; "people are quickly turned off by a pen that leaks or twists apart while writing." Bic ink cartridges feature a spherical shaped durable tungsten-carbide ball.
Goldstar's SimpliColor™ line features its Eversmooth® ink, which Hagel asserts writes just as well as the big retail brands, but is much more cost effective.
Hagel advises, "You want a quality refill and a retractable mechanism that can stand some abuse. Take a sample of the pen and write with it. Scribble, push down hard on the point. Does it withstand abuse to your standard based on the price you would buy it at? Like almost anything else, be careful of really cheap pens. With safety concerns running rampant, it is worth paying a few extra pennies for a safe, quality promotional pen."
CASE STUDIESKelley Fouche of Polyconcept North America: "One of my favorite case histories was a vet clinic that placed a large order for pens with its name, address and phone number in several styles and colors. The clinic donated half of the pens to the local animal rescue and Humane Society to give out to new pet owners who were encouraged to take their new pet to the vet clinic for a free wellness visit. Not only did all the new pet owners love the gesture, but the vet clinic saw a 10% increase in new customers.”
Bill Mahre of ADG Promotional Products: "A distributor has a major client that has a large independent organization of beauty consultants. The client has used the Saratoga High Definition Imprinted (HDI) full color pen for each of its product launches over the past four years. Announcing each major marketing effort using the full-color messaging board available on each barrel has allowed the client to get its story out to thousands of salespeople and to its home customer base very cost effectively."
Dan Gale, Norwood by BIC Graphic: "Keeping with the trends, we recently supported a restaurant where the past collided with the future. In this instance, a restaurant in Texas where home cooking and old-school flare was the lure that brought ever-loyal patrons flocking in from all over creating a much anticipated wait. The restaurant was ready for a change, and modernized with a pay at your table via the mobile device, all while still keeping the traditional feel. This was a perfect match for our new Silver Element Stylus Screen Cleaner Pen which could handle all the needs of electronic signatures, and of course wiping the screen clean after that ultimate burger was consumed!"