Mastering Marketing

1. Gaining Access

One issue many distributors encounter when they first begin selling promotional products is winning the trust of vendors.

"The problem [when you're first starting out] is proving you're not an end-user," said Ron Natinsky, vice president of SAGE--Quick Technologies, Dallas. "You can use other suppliers as references or use your industry affiliations, such as DMIA membership, to establish that you are a legitimate two-step distributor."