Missed a trend report, industry news, hot deal or other informative tidbits from our wide array of e-newsletters? You can access all our archives by going to asicentral.com and clicking on “Newsletters.” In the meantime, here are some highlights from recent editions.

From “Counselor Promogram”   Counselor Commentary: Get Engaged

A new report just released by the Performance Improvement Council of the Incentive Marketing Association shows a clear connection between employee engagement and the level of customer service that a company provides. In other words, corporations with highly-engaged workforces tend to offer clients significantly better service than those with more disengaged staffers. And, yes, we all know that good customer service tends to translate to higher revenues and profits for most companies.

Ultimately, the study shows that engaged employees are more likely to “go the extra mile and ensure the customer has the best possible experience” and that “delighted customers” are “10 to 30% more loyal” than those who aren’t completely satisfied. So, while many people tend to criticize corporate culture and employee engagement as soft disciplines, there’s actually a clear connection between those so-called nice-to-have things and the need-to-have increases in sales and profits.

From “Advantages Hot Deals” Flower Power

The Pitch: Plant the seeds of sales, literally. Illini (asi/62190) offers bookmarks embedded with flower seeds. They come in different designs like a dollar sign (for banks and financial) and a house (real estate, mortgage companies).  Submit custom bookmark artwork or request a stock design template. Seed paper blend includes: bird’s eye, clarkia, black-eyed Susan, catchfly, spurred snapdragon, English daisy, and sweet alyssum. You can get them for as low as $1.04-R. Click here: http://www.illiniline.com/.      The Bottom Line: This is how your garden grows.

On a Stick

The Pitch: Stuck for a unique idea? How about hot chocolate on a stick? From Chocomize (asi/44903), this delicious item is a treat as a business gift for clients, corporate events and trade shows. Brand the hot chocolate spoons with your client’s own logo, design and messaging. Get it for as low as $2.30-R. Check it out (there’s even a video demo and it looks YUMMY): http://www.chocomize.com/.      The Bottom Line: Stir up a promo.

Scraping By

The Pitch: The frost is on the pumpkin as they say. So get cracking on wintery promos with the Visor Ice Scraper from Evans (asi/52840). It conveniently attaches to a car’s visor, thereby making it an excellent idea for auto dealers. Plus, they are offering special pricing of 77 cents (R) until 12/31 (minimum of 500). Click here for more info: http://www.evans-mfg.com/.      The Bottom Line: Little buddy.

ASI Radio: Exclusive Interview With Steve Wozniak

On a recent Tuesday Morning Show, the hosts interviewed special guest Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. Wozniak shared stories about the early days of personal computers, gave tips on how entrepreneurs can drive creativity and innovation, and offered his views on future technologies.

“The trend in personal computers has been getting more and more personal, meaning that they’re working in more human ways so that we don’t have to think about steps to actually get the technology done,” Wozniak said on the show. “My favorite thing now is speaking into the phone, to Google Now or to Siri on the iPhone. With those technologies, you don’t have to follow a bunch of procedures that you had to memorize. When technologies can truly have voice recognition and understand us, then almost anything you think of in your head you don’t have to then think ‘what is the process on my machine to get it done?’ You can just speak it – that will become increasingly prevalent in everyday society.”

To listen to the complete interview with Steve Wozniak, go to asicentral.com/radio and you will find it in the archives.

Fashion-Savvy

In a monthly report from Wearables magazine, Editor C.J. Mittica breaks down some of the biggest trends in the ad specialty industry. Want to know what’s fashionable in promotional apparel? This time, it’s pocket tees. It’s a great way to inject color and pattern into your garments. You can see all our videos at youtube.com/asicentral.

Listen To Our Podcast

Advantages Senior Writer Chris Ruvo delivers seven quick tips for being a consultative sales rep. Get your head right. Put your clients and their needs at the center of the situation. Break the ice strategically. Deep dive into their needs. Ask about what they’d ideally like to have their promotional efforts accomplish. For the rest of the tips and to hear more podcasts, go to advantagesmag.com