That's because you haven't done the most important thing first: plan. Yes, purchasing promotional products takes more than skimming through a mail order catalog or clicking to a promotion product site and placing an order. You need to put some time and thought in to what and how you plan to use the promotional product.

You need to ask questions like what's the basic idea of this promotion. What results do I want? What IS the promotion exactly? Who's it for, youngsters or oldsters? Where do they live? If I received this promotional product, would I use it or toss it?

Which is probably the single most important aspect of promotional items that marketers totally fail to consider. If they wouldn't use that cheap pen or soda can themselves, why would they think their customers would use them?

So never, ever underestimate your customer-even if that customer or person who will be using your promotional product is a child or teenager. In fact, you can pretty much count on the fact that unless you do some serious planning for your promotion, any promotional item or product you give away will be taken home and given to the kids.

That's why it's essential to plan your promotional product purchases around a central idea, much like you would for an advertising campaign. And that means knowing if there's a need for your promotional product. It isn't likely that people are beating down your door to get a notepad or refrigerator magnet from you.

If people don't want it or can't use it, a promotional product isn't worth very much to them. The reverse is true too. If the promotional product doesn't directly relate to your business and give people a reason to buy your product or use your services, then it isn't going to do your bottom line any good at all. Worse, the money you spend on it is pretty much wasted.

So pull together your top people and have a brainstorming session for good promotional product ideas. Find out what your customers really want-and more importantly, what you mean to accomplish with your promotional product. This ensures you'll have dynamite promotional products that get you the results you want every time.