Posts Tagged ‘Promotional Metal Pens’

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4 Important Steps to Take When Purchasing Generic Promotional Gift Pens

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Have you ever noticed how many nice looking, good quality pens there are on the market. Many of these pens you have known since childhood such as Parker, Waterman, Cross and Lamy. Others may look fantastic but they are unknown to you. There are some very good deals to be had with these generic brands but why not play it safe. Order straight from a catalogue and you could be very disappointed when you promotional pens arrive.

Remember, the pens you use to promote your business could have the opposite effect if you do not choose wisely.

Following are five steps that I take when purchasing stock to supply my customers. Not every supplier takes such steps so why not take them yourself. You may be very happy you did.

Shortlist Pens You Find Appealing

Look online or in printed catalogues to find five or six pens that are within your budget and look great. Take your time with this. There are a lot of pens out there so it is not something you should take five minutes to do.

Ask For Samples

Personally I love it when people as for samples. It means they have allowed themselves enough time to get it right. They can see them pens for themselves before having a large batch printed or engraved with their logo and details.

Test Your Samples

It is not enough to just ask for samples. You have them so write with them. Write with each for a day and ask your colleagues to do the same. Generally speaking, if you like writing with a pen, your customers probably will too.

I remember about ten years ago when a major brand brought out a new pen. I had never had any problems with the popular brand but for some reason all of the refills in the new pen were faulty. With the major name brands you are usually quite safe but you never know. Regardless if good reviews you may have read, it is always a good ideas to try pens for yourself.

As Ronald Reagan once said, ‘Trust but Verify.’

Confirm How the Pens are Supplied

Just because a metal gift pen looks like it should be supplied in some sort of a gift box, does not mean it will be. Personally I feel gift pens always look better presented in some kind of gift box. It’s a gift after all. Gift boxes – if not supplied with the pen – can often be ordered separately.

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How to Find a Good Promotional Pens Supplier

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

You may be wondering how I – a promotional pens supplier – could possibly be writing an article about how to find a promotional pens supplier. Will it not just be self promotion? Will it not be biased information?

No! You can judge any promotional pen supplier by these criteria and you will be glad you did.

The following should be tested and noted before proceeding with an order.

Response Times

How fast is the supplier’s response to your enquiry. Gone are the days when next day quotations were acceptable. Your supplier should be responding within an hour. If they know their products well, they should have no problem answering your enquiry very quickly!

Artwork Assistance

When I started in the promotional merchandise business, artwork was a really difficult issue. Most pen manufacturers could not accept artwork – logos etc. – digitally. Instead we had to send colour separated bromides or film to the manufacturer for printing. This meant starting with high quality colour separated vector artwork and printing it first onto bromide or film.

Are any of those printing terms foreign to you? Fear not! A good supplier should be able to assist you with your artwork to ensure it is perfect for printing. Even if you only have a poor quality jpeg or gif of your logo, it can be redrawn in perfect vector eps format for printing for next to nothing. In fact, it is usually thrown in.

Samples

The best way to ensure you are happy with a pen is to test it. All good suppliers should be more than happy to send you the samples you want to see. Plastic pens are usually free of charge where more expensive pens may be chargeable at cost.

Selection

A good supplier will feature all of the major brands and also some of the not so well know brands. Often they will also import their own line of pens but that is not essential to being a good supplier. The most important thing is that they offer a good selection so that you have plenty of interesting and good quality pens to choose from.

Price

Price is of course and issue for most businesses. Generally speaking, online suppliers will be less expensive than more traditional suppliers. That said, you never know. Check around for price but remember if they don’t get the other four things right, you could be asking for trouble.

By Dan Toombs

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Gain New Customers and Increase Profits with the Promotional Parker Jotter Steel Pens

Thursday, December 16th, 2010
promotional Parker Jotter Steel Pens

Check out the Parker Jotter Steel Pen and be prepared to be impressed.

Dave and Stephanie were just a year out of university when I received my first enquiry from them.

They had both worked for a few months in marketing and PR but decided to start up in business on their own. Both were quite knowledgable about the new rules of marketing and decided to set up a business earning for themselves rather than for an ‘out of touch’ boss. That bit about the boss was their words not mine.

Realising that they needed to get their name and brand out to their target customers, they did what they did best. Stephanie, the computer whiz, set up a website and ensured it was properly optimised with plenty of content.

Dave wrote most of the content and set about promoting the new site through his blogging, article marketing and other social media and social networks.

In their first six months of business, they were already turning a profit. They had few overheads working from home and no staff. Things were great but they wanted to take it all one step further. They wanted to really make a name for themselves and take their market by storm.

They were hungry for success both monetarily and through the pride that comes with having launched a successful business so young.

For Dave, there was only one promotional product he could think of to help them do it. His father had given him an engraved Parker Jotter Steel pen when he graduated. ‘Everyone knows and loves the Parker brand.’ He said. ‘I want our new customers to know how much they mean to us. Their custom is very much appreciated!’

So often I receive enquiries from people who want to build their brand by handing out promotional merchandise. That’s great but Dave and Stephanie hit the nail on the head when they so opening told me that they wanted increase their profits. The marketing both online and off were just a means to get to their desired end.

We engraved 100 Parker Jotter Steel pens for them. I would like to add that all Parker pens are supplied in presentation boxes or tubes and the finished product looked fantastic. Promotional gift pens always look better when presented in a nice gift box.

Stephanie phoned me the other day to order 500 more of the popular metal gift pens. The first batch had gone down very well and business was up. It was nice to be able to present each new customer with such a high quality pen. Such gifts encourage customers to use their service and though they had not yet taken on any new staff, they were working all the hours possible and they were making amazing profits. Success!

Promotional Parker Jotter Steel pens are well known. They can be purchased in stationery and office supply shops where the unit price is substantially higher than when purchased in bulk for promotional purposes.

For this reason, Parker Jotter Steel pens have a very high perceived value. Parker promotional Jotter Steel pens get results by making people want to do business with you.

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How to Choose the Best Promotional Gift Pens

Saturday, December 11th, 2010

Simply handing your customers or employees a good quality name brand pen like Parker or Cross will almost always achieve favourable results. People know the brands. We have all grown up with them and have most likely owned one or two over the years.

But I would like to suggest that you be a bit more risky the next time you go on the search for promotional gift pens. Indeed you may end up with a Parker but give some of the lesser know brand a try as well.

This should be easy as most are sold on the High Street and those that aren’t can be sent to you as a returnable sample.

The great thing about living in our online world is that so many brands are easy to come by if you know what you are looking for. If you don’t then type ‘promotional gift pens’ or simply ‘promotional pens’ into your search engine of choice and see what shows up.

By all means look at the Parkers, Crosses and Watermans out there. These are fantastic top quality pens. But also check out the gift pens manufactured by Senator, Lamy, Quill and Balmain and whatever else happens to catch your eye. There are some amazing good quality generic pens that could surprise you.

Spend some time looking for the pens that you like and then shop and compare. You may or may not be surprised to learn that prices and service can vary greatly from company to company. Specialist promotional pens websites will usually be a lot less expensive than the one stop shop promotional gift sites.

Once you have found a few that interest you, ask for samples. A good supplier should not have a problem organising this for you. Of course you may be asked to offer credit card details if you ask for a £250.00 pen (yes they do exist), but you should get that refunded when you place and order or return the sample.

Remember that promotional pen supply is a specialist service. You want to find a supplier who knows the pens they supply so that they can offer advice. They will also be more likely to want to help you at the samples stage.

The best advice I can offer when purchasing gift pens is not just to request samples, but use them! Samples are not just to look at. Write with them. Have your work colleagues do the same. Ensure you are happy with all aspects of the promotional gift pens before placing a large order

By Dan Toombs

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A Video Look at the Promotional Lamy Ct1 Gift Fountain Pen

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

The Lamy brand is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. In this video I show the Lamy Ct1 fountain pen.

These metal gift pens are ideal for top clients and employees.

At www.promotionalpens.co.uk/_/lamy-pens we carry Lamy’s complete gift pen range. We even sell them at reduced prices.

If you would like more information about promotional Lamy pens or indeed any of the promotional metal gift pens on our site, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I would be happy to arrange for you to see samples. You are going to love these pens!

Dan Toombs

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Check out the Eye Catching Promotional Balmain Arles Pen Set

Friday, October 22nd, 2010
Arles Gift Pen Sets

The Very Popular balmain Arles Gift Pen Set

Just because you want to give your top clients and employees a nice gift pen this year does not mean you have to spend a lot of money.

Balmain, one of the most trusted and loved pen manufacturers in the world offers a massive selection of good quality gift pens that you may find of interest.

I have personally tested and reviewed the Balmain Arles ball pen and the Arles rollerball and they are both very good quality pens that will be appreciated by anyone receiving them.

Now, the Arles ball pen and rollerball are available as an attractive gift pen set! When you consider that you can purchase 50 sets for around £9.50 per set you are getting a lot of value for your money.

You can choose from the black set or the navy Arles pen set and believe me they are both top notch.

Balmain is well known for its classically styled pens and these pen sets are no exception.

Both the ball pen and the rollerball boast Balmain’s famous chrome clip. Just under the clip is the Balmain logo. This is printed in silver so your logo would look spectacular printed in the same colour.
All Balmain pens are supplied in an attractive gift box.

The gift box really looks the part. It is felt lined with with recesses for the two pens. The felt is also stamped with the Balmain logo. There is also a small envelope and gift card that is a nice touch.

That actual card is plastic like a credit card and states that the pens are certified Balmain promotional products and that they have been subjected to the most thorough quality control.

It is their high quality that is, in my opinion the symbol of the excellent reputation of the Balmain name.

It is worth noting that having written extensively with the Balmain Arles ballpen and rollerball I feel these pens pack a lot of bang for your buck! They have a very smooth writing quality.

Once the ink does run out, both pens can take Parker refills. This means that your customers need only run down to their local stationery shop to get refills. They could be writing with these gift pens for years promoting your brand all along the way!

So what are you waiting for? Order a sample of the Balmain Arles Gift Pen Set and get that next successful promotion underway.

By Dan Toombs

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The Balmain Etoile Pen is Put to my 3000 Word Challenge

Monday, October 18th, 2010
Promotional Balmain Etoile Pens

Great value promotional Balmain Etoile gift pens

What type of promotional metal gift pen do you think you can purchase for around £2.00? Most brand name pens such as Parker and Lamy have low cost gift pens on offer but they start at about a pound more. They are also not metal.

If you want to give your clients or top employees something nicer than the standard plastic ballpen but you don’t have a huge budget – try the Balmain Etoile metal gift pen.

Over the weekend I put this good quality low cost promotional gift pen to my 3000 word challenge. Any pen should be able to write at least 3000 words. That is not what the test is about. I have been testing pens regularly for writing comfort, writing quality and the overall impression that the pen makes on me.

I am doing this in the hope that I can better advise you on which promotional writing instruments will be better for your business branding.

First Impressions

The Balmain Etoile pen is quite light. It is manufactured in brass with a bright chrome finish and blue trim. It features the famous Balmain brand clip that looks fantastic. The blue trim is printed with the Balmain logo.

Writing Quality

Every Balmain pen I have tested, and I have test quite a few, seem to have a good smooth writing quality. The black ink line seems to glide across the paper, much more so than most cheaper plastic pen.

One thing that is worth noting is that all Balmain pens can take Parker refills. This is a selling point and an important bit of information you can pass on to your customers and employees.

When the ink finally does go dry, they need only go down to their local stationery store and purchase a Parker refill. This means your customers and employees can be using the Balmain Etoile pen for many years.

Packaging

I always recommend giving nice gift pens in some sort of presentation case. Often this has to be purchased extra but not with Balmain products! All Balmain gift pens are supplied with a good quality presentation case as standard.

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend requesting a free sample of the Balmain Etoile pen. Write with it for a while and pass it around to work colleagues. Ask them for their thoughts.

If you are in a rush, however, I am quite confident that you will like writing with this gift pen. At only £2.00 per pen, it is a real bargain that could promote your business for many years to come!

By Dan Toombs

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Introducing the Promotional Balmain Perpignan Pen

Saturday, October 16th, 2010
Balmain Perpignan Pens

The Beautiful Balmain Perpignan pen

You are about to learn about one of the best selling promotional gift pens in the UK and US. The Balmain Perpignan metal gift pen offers an amazing opportunity to promote your brand for years to come. It is a quality gift that people will want to keep forever.

Print your logo and contact details on the Perpignan pen and watch how your best clients and employees react when they receive it. This silver pen with a choice of blue or black trim is supplied in a Balmain brand gift box which gives in that wow factor that only comes with excellent quality pens.

Your customers and top employees will love its famously attractive design. I have writing with extensively with the Balmain Perpignan pen. I was given one by my supplier when are first opened my business 13 years ago and I still use it regularly.

Balmain pens are manufactured in China and are supplied with a very good quality refill. Often, people are scared off by promotional pens manufactured in the Far East but I can assure you that the Balmain Perpignan is a top performer!

When the ink refill finally runs out of ink, your customer need only go down to their local stationery shop. All Balmain refills can be replaced with top quality smooth writing Parker refills. This means they will be writing for years with a pen that looks much more expensive than it really is. They can write with a smooth writing Parker or Balmain refill but without the Parker price.

As with all promotional gift pens, I strongly recommend that you ask for a sample of the Perpignan and write with it yourself. Ask your work colleagues to write with it too.

I think you will be impressed. These quality writing instruments are popular all over the world for a reason – they look fantastic and they write even better.

The Balmain Perpignan is the kind of pen that shows how much you appreciate your clients and employees. Anyone receiving the gift will know they are dealing with a professional company that is serious about their brand.

So then… What are you waiting for? Order a sample of the Balmain Perpignan and check out its innovative and stylish appearance.

The Balmain Perpignan pen looks and feels much more expensive than it really it. Balmain of Paris is a popular retail brand that many of your customers will already know well.

Can you think of a better way to promote your brand than with a good quality gift pen?

I love promotional Balmain Pens!

By Dan Toombs

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The Promotional Senator Point Metal Pen is Put to my 3000 Word Challenge

Thursday, October 7th, 2010
Senator Point Metal Pens

Ask for a sample of the Senator Point Metal Pen. You're going to love this pen!

I started the day early. Today I am testing two very popular promotional pens – the Senator Point Pen and the Point Metal Pen. As I am giving each my 3000 word challenge we are talking one heck of a lot of writing in freehand.

I have been in the promotional pens industry for many years and understand how important it is to write with and truly familiarise myself with the promotional pens that people love to use to promote their businesses. How else could I hand on heart recommend one pen over the other?

The Senator Point Metal pen is a dream to write with. It looks amazingly like Parker’s most popular ballpen – the Jotter. In fact, as it also sports Senator’s now famous metal giant capacity refill, it also writes like a Jotter.

The barrel is plastic and comes in red, blue, green, black and white. The clip end is metal and I must say it is very eye-catching. Having written 3000 words with this pen today I can see why it is one of Senators top 5 metal pens!

Now let’s talk price. How many good quality metal pens do you know of that can be printed one colour for less than a pound? I can assure you there are not very many. There are a few inferior Far East manufactured metal pens but they do not come close to the Senator Point Metal. This German made wonder is a branding icon that has been used by tens of thousands of companies to promote themselves.

Whenever you are looking at promoting your business or message with promotional writing instruments, it is a good idea to order samples and write with them. I am of course doing this for you but why take my word for it?

Senator Point Metal samples are free of charge. Why not order a few and pass them around your office. Ask your colleagues to write with these fantastic value pens. Write for extended periods of time with them. That is after all what you hope your customers and clients will do with your logo printed pens, is it not?

I am certain you will find that the Point offers tremendous value for money. It is European made and writes like a good quality pen should. No – it is not a Cross or Lamy gift pen. It is simply a smooth writing pen that costs relatively very little that will get your brand noticed for all of the right reasons – or should I say write reasons?

The Senator Point Metal pen has a massive print area for your logo and details of 40mm x 20mm on the barrel. You can even engrave on the metal part of the pen to the side of the clip. You are going to love these pens!

By Dan Toombs

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The Promotional Senator Delagado Pen is Put to my 3000 Word Challenge

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
Senator Delgado Pens

The Senator Delgado Ball Pen is one of Senator's best selling metal pens.

Anyone who knows Senator Pens will know and love the Delgado Ball Pen. What an amazing promotional gift pen! It writes so smoothly across the page. Believe me I know. I have been using this stylish metal ball pen today to write my four daily blogs.

That’s right – and no I haven’t lost the plot. I realise I will need to type them before posting them to the web but when you have been in the promotional pens business as long as I have you know and understand how important it is to write with all the popular pens you sell.

I write over 3000 words every day with a different promotional pen. By doing so, I hope to give you up to date information about which pens are hot and which pens definitely are not!

So why do I like this pen?

Well perhaps it is its smooth writing quality or the fact that it offers two substantial engraving areas. That’s right, this pen can be printed or laser engraved. Perhaps it is the fact that it sports Senator’s extra large metal refill for an extra long writing life. Really, I would say it is all of these things that make the Senator Delgado such and excellent value for money!

The great thing is that it starts at around £2.00! This is outstanding value and all you need to do to see for yourself is request a sample.

Any good promotional pen supplier will be happy to send you free samples of the Senator Delgado. When you write with it you will be hooked. I sure am.

The Senator Delgado is also available as a rollerball which I will be reviewing shortly. If you have an extra special employee or client you might like to look into order the Senator Delgado Rollerball/Ball pen set. These sets are available in Senator’s own double pen gift boxes which will make the presentation extra special.

So what are you waiting for. I love this pen and I am sure you will too. Not it is not a top of the line Lamy or Cross pen but it is a low cost smooth writing gift pen that will get results.

The only drawback that I can see is that the Delgado can only be printed in one colour per position but if you can get over this small disadvantage, the many advantages will be in your favour.

By Dan Toombs

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