The Elyse Award

It was a Wednesday morning in Los Angeles. The room was filled with eager students yearning for promotional product knowledge. Here is the story. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Way back, before the turn of the century, I was a member of The Principal Connection. It was a forerunner to what EME is today. We were 16 suppliers traveling our nation from 1992-2001, giving seminars to our distributors. It just so happened that one of our “guys” was having major problems with customer service. To say it was bad is an understatement. Frankly, his record tarnished all of us. I don’t know why, I know I didn’t have too much to drink the night before, but for some reason I modified the way I introduced him when it was his turn to present. I said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce Mr. X and his company XYZ. They are the most recent winners of ‘The Elyse Award’ for outstanding customer service.” The room erupted in applause and his presentation began.

Did you ever wonder who voted? How many times do we simply accept “voted the number one car dealer,” “number one restaurant.”  If you and I vote right now and I vote for you as the sexiest person alive, you can now advertise… voted the sexiest person alive. Go ahead, you have my vote.

Everybody likes a winner and everybody likes doing business with winning companies. It builds an inherent confidence in the relationship. If the award was for quality, service, creativity or another more esoteric reason, it is a point of differentiation that no money can buy. I say no money because if it is a true award and true recognition, no money can buy it – it must be earned. This point of differentiation can be touted in many ways. From a subtle emblem on a business card, to a full-page ad in a local business journal; from a P.R. release within your geographic area to an online statement via all the business and social media platforms. Above all, every introductory meeting and every proposal can, in some way, highlight the award.

Knowing you’re an award winner can help in recruitment; it can build enthusiasm and a positive competitive spirit within. It can foster more respect for you and your agency within your supplier chain. Everybody loves a winner. It can answer the question, “Why am I working with them?”  Well, because they are an award-winning agency.

Our industry is the go-to source for recognition and motivational programs. We know how to help clients recognize their award winners. Nobody does it better. So, it is logical that we recognize our own for jobs well done. Through a host of sources, you have the opportunity for you and your business to be recognized for accomplishments. ASI, PPAI, Regionals and other industry publications are just a few of the entities with award programs. There is a requirement – most often, you have to be in it to win it (yet another reason to join).

I have seen many friends win Pyramid Awards over the years. I have seen them use their recognition to their advantage. I have walked into scores of distributor offices to be greeted by a shelf or trophy case displaying their awards. It immediately tells me this is a professional shop, a house of winners, people who dwell in the upper levels of professionalism in this industry. “Bull” says someone who is reading this right now. “I can win it, I am infinitely more creative than them.” If so, prove it. Show us your stuff. Get into the race, show us what you’ve got and let your peers be the judge. If you are right, your reward will be greater than anything you can buy to boast. It is not only personal validation, but your parents and family will be proud of you, too.

I have studied Pyramid Awards for decades. When PPAI tells you about the achievement and what was needed by the client, what was done to satisfy the need and the results validate the award, this is a great case history for clients to see, even if you didn’t win the award. When a client sees how a tiny budget is used to solve a big problem, they will acknowledge the value added you bring to the table vs. your competitors and direct sources.

There is a dirty little secret: too few people and companies submit their programs for award consideration. Supplier Star Awards, Distributor Pyramids, etc. It seems many of the submissions are from the same companies each year. The odds on winning are much greater than many gambles you take in life. I recall the early days of the SAAGNY Diamond Award when there were less than a dozen entries for some awards. It’s tougher now, but take your chances and show the world you’re a winner. The benefits you get are priceless.

My apologies to the people in the room in L.A. who clapped for “The Elyse Award” winner. There is no such thing. Elyse is my wife and she has no award program, not even for me, her faithful companion of 49 years. I simply made it up on the fly and her name was the first name I could think of. She is great at customer service here at Soundline and a great president of the company. Who knows, maybe there will be a second winner one day.

The take away: go for it! Go for your “Oscar.”

Congratulations Gail and Julie, your recent awards inspired me to write this.

Joel D. Schaffer, MAS, is CEO and founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 48 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds "I was a distributor." He has been on the advisory panel of the business and marketing department of St. John’s University in New York and is frequent speaker at Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is an industry Advocate and has appeared before the American Bankers Association, American Marketing Association, National Premium Sales Executives, American Booksellers Association and several other major groups. He has been a management consultant to organizations such as The College Board and helped many suppliers enter this industry. He is a frequent contributor to PPB and Counselor Magazines. He has facilitated over 200 classes sharing his industry knowledge nationwide. He is known for his cutting humor and enthusiasm in presenting provocative and motivating programs. He is the only person to have received both the Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI and has chaired several PPAI committees and task forces. He is a past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.