A recent article in The New York Times identified what it considered the best pens on the market. Since the review focused on retail products, it was limited to brands readily available to consumers. Sakura, Uni-ball, Zebra, Pentel, and Pilot topped the list.
It will be interesting to see whether buyers of promotional products are influenced by the article's findings.
Although I was only a promotional products distributor for two years right after graduating from college, I learned one lesson that has stayed with me ever since. As my mentor taught me, “a pen is only as good as its refill.”
Years ago, a Fisher refill was considered the gold standard. Reading this article reinforced that lesson. The Times did not focus on imprint area, barrel color, clip design, or overall appearance. They focused on writing performance. In other words, they focused on the refill.
I wonder how many distributors walking a trade show and examining a new pen actually dig into the quality of the refill. The common mentality that "a pen is a pen" overlooks one of the most important points of differentiation.
According to the article, the reviewers:
- Researched 62 pens and tested 37 of them with staff members who are passionate about stationery and collect pens as a hobby.
- Included medical professionals in ergonomic testing, including one individual who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for more than 30 years.
- Conducted evaluations with complete editorial independence.
- Returned or donated products once testing was completed.
Imagine this scenario:
"Have you seen our new Fantastico pen?" a sales representative asks a distributor passing the booth.
The distributor picks it up and replies:
"It looks good, and the grip feels comfortable. But how does it perform? Does it bleed through paper? Does the ink feather, or does it provide crisp lines? How does it handle skipping? Is it a good choice for left-handed users? Does it smudge? Is blotting a problem?"
If the sales representative cannot immediately answer those questions, that rep doesn't know enough about the product.
I believe a large percentage of salespeople in our industry focus primarily on price and appearance rather than the actual quality of the writing instrument. If I discovered that one of my clients was buying pens online, I would ask a simple question:
"Do you really know what you're buying?"
After all, the goal is not merely to distribute a pen. The goal is to provide an item that will be used, appreciated, and seen.
A Quick Primer on Pen Performance
Here are a few terms every promotional products consultant should understand:
- Feathering refers to ink spreading beyond the edges of letters, resulting in fuzzy rather than crisp lines.
- Bleeding occurs when ink penetrates through the paper and becomes visible on the other side.
- Skipping refers to inconsistent ink flow, causing broken lines or missing portions of letters.
- Smudging occurs when ink smears before it dries, a particular concern for left-handed writers.
- Blotting refers to excessive ink pooling in one area because the paper has not absorbed the ink evenly.
This is not trivial information. These are the factors that determine whether a pen becomes someone's favorite pen or just another pen tossed into a drawer.
The reality is that most middle-class consumers and business professionals have drawers full of pens at home and at work. Yet almost everyone has a favorite.
My personal favorite is a Cross rollerball with a gray metal barrel. Pull the upper pen and the writing tip appears. Push it down and the refill disappears. I use many other pens, but that's my pen.
Can a $1 promotional pen become my pen for someone in your target audience?
Absolutely.
If it has the right stuff and, quite literally, the right write stuff.
Once again, remember that you are a consultant. Consultants know things the average buyer does not. That knowledge is your competitive advantage and one of the strongest reasons clients choose to buy from you rather than from an online ordering platform.
People may grab a handful of pens at a street festival, trade show, or community event, but how many of those pens actually go into regular service?
While no one can guarantee that every promotional pen will see the light of day, you can maximize the odds by delivering a combination of quality, service, expertise, and price that few online competitors can match.
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 a 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.