One of the nice things about buttons
is that they can be used for so many different things. And for
those of us who make buttons, that simply gives us lots of avenues
for marketing our buttons.
In this article I am going to share
lots of button ideas that I have come up with, and secrets that
I have used to successfully market the buttons I've made.
As I already mentioned, buttons
are versatile. In a business environment, buttons can be used
to inform customers of a new service or product, which is why
buttons are often referred to as the "silent salesperson".
Buttons can also be used as a form
of identification. Schools, businesses, and family reunions all
use buttons for this very purpose.
In political campaigns, buttons
identify the wearer as to his / her political affiliation or
belief. The person wearing a button is sharing his / her message
with those around him / her.
Buttons can also be used to inform
or attempt to influence the beliefs of others. Groups protesting
an issue often use buttons for this purpose.
Buttons can also be used as novelties
or keepsakes. Our sports / activity
buttons are a good example of buttons that fall into this
category.
If you have just started making
buttons, the opportunities that are available to you within this
field are somewhat like an empty canvas to an artist... the possibilities
are limited only by your imagination.
BUTTONS FOR MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING
People involved in multi-level
marketing are good candidates for buttons.
Many years ago, before I ever making
my first button, I was involved with a multi-level marketing
group. One of the members of our group made buttons and before
the start of each weekly meeting, this enterprising young lady
set a bowl of her buttons at our sign-in table. A hand written
sign indicated that the buttons were available for $1.00 each.
These buttons provided our group
with a great way to get noticed in public, and to have people
ask about our product, based on the message that was on the button.
One of the best known buttons used
by a multi-level marketing group was the one used by Herbalife
which said, "Lose Weight Now... Ask Me How".
Other buttons I have seen or made
myself that relate to MLM are "Work from Home... Ask
Me How", "Catch the Vision... Ask Me Where",
"Caught the Vision... Ask Me How". Of course
you need to match the button's statement to the group you hope
to work with, but MLM groups offer great possibilities for those
of us who make buttons.
Here's a hot tip!
Call some of the MLM groups in
your area (you can find them listed in the phone book) and offer
to send the person you speak to a FREE button with their marketing
slogan on it.
Over the years I've done this many
times, and with good results.
After all, everyone loves to get
something for FREE.
If you have a good design and a
good slogan, that one button could generate additional orders.
And by all means, be sure to have a sticker with your name and
phone number on the back of the button, so if the person who
receives it likes it, they will know how to get in touch with
you.
BUTTONS FOR BUSINESSES
Businesses use buttons to inform
their customers of sales, new services, and even as name badges.
During the Christmas season we
often receive calls from companies who want buttons that say,
"Ask Me about Gift Certificates."
Rather than wait for them to come
to you, make up some buttons that say just that, go down to the
mall and see if you can find the store manager and give him/her
a button.
Or you might make up some coupons
to pass out to businesses offering to make, let's say, 25 buttons
for them FREE of Charge.
What you are trying to do is to
get them to try your services. And then, if they like what you
do, hopefully they will use you again.
I have used this technique many
times myself and quite often the business ended up ordering 100
or more buttons. Sure they got 25 FREE, but the most important
thing to me was that we had now established a relationship.
HERE'S ANOTHER HOT TIP!
One strategy that I used (and still
use) back when I first started making buttons was a policy of
"No Minimum Order". My competitors usually had
minimums of 50 or 100 buttons and weren't willing to do less.
Well, I can't tell you how many
times after doing a small order for a customer, they subsequently
placed a much larger order, or told someone else about us, and
they ended up placing a nice size order.
In business, relationships are
very important. Do what you can to establish and maintain your
business relationships and you will do well in this business,
or in any business.
Grocery stores and restaurants
often use buttons to promote their business. Here again, making
up a sample button, or sending them a coupon for, say, 25 FREE
buttons, is a good way for you to get established with them.
BUTTONS FOR POLITICIANS
Politicians and buttons seem to
go hand in hand. An idea I considered doing but never got around
to, was to send a coupon for 25 FREE buttons to every member
of our state legislature.
Again the idea behind this strategy
would be to let them know that you are out there, and hopefully
motivate them to act by providing the initial 25 buttons FREE
of Charge. You might even send coupons to the state Democratic,
Republican, and Libertarian parties in your area.
Here's a hot tip that relates to
political campaign buttons.
In the back of our minds I think
most of us have fantasized at one time or another about being
President of the United States and what I have done many times,
as a way of saying thanks to a client, is to create a button
that looks exactly like what a political campaign button and
put their name on it. I will then send the button along with
their order. It's a nice, inexpensive little novelty that anyone,
especially an up and coming politician, would get a kick out
of.
BUTTONS FOR HOSPITALS
Hospitals are another group that
often uses buttons. (In fact, this past year one of the hospitals
in our area became our biggest single account, ordering buttons
for all their employees on a regular basis). Getting your foot
in the door can be a challenge here, but to do so you might try
using the FREE button coupon technique, or make some buttons
to hand out to the nurses, again with your information sticker
on the back.
Here's a hot tip that relates to
hospitals!
One of the most popular buttons
that I have done is one that announces the birth of a new baby.
Instead of, or in addition to passing out cigars, the new parents
can pass out these buttons announcing the birth of their child.
When we make up these buttons,
we do them in black ink on the appropriate color paper (light
blue for boys, light pink for girls). The button says "It's
a Girl" or "It's a Boy", followed by the baby's
full name (we put first and middle name on one line and last
name in larger letters on the next line). Then I put three asterisks,
with several spaces between each one, on the next line. Then
I put the baby's date of birth and finally the baby's birth weight.
These buttons are always very well received. Here again, you
might approach a hospital maternity ward, gift shop, or even
any expectant parents you know. Make one up without receiving
an order and you will very likely receive a nice thanks, and
a nice order.
Another button we have done that
has to do with births, but is more generic and could easily be
marketed to a hospital or hospital gift shop, is one that simply
says,"It's a Boy" or " It's a Girl". To make
it special for the hospital you might even put the hospital's
name on the button.
Speaking of births, birthday parties
can be a great outlet for buttons.
One design that I have used many
time is one that says "40
and Over the Hill".
At the top of the button and in
curved lettering, I place the message "40 and Over the
Hill". In the center of the button I place the name
of the person whose birthday it is and then on the bottom of
the button, the person's actual birth date.
I have always done this design
in white letters on a black background. I have also done buttons
where I have scanned a photograph of the birthday boy or girl
when they were just a child and then placed any desired text
on the button. I even did one birthday for a beloved family pet,
a golden retriever, who was getting very old and near death.
The family had me scan a photograph of the dog and included the
message, "Happy Birthday, Muffin".
Non profit organizations can be
another good group to pursue. We've made buttons for the American
Cancer Association, Humane Society, Red Cross, Girl Scouts and
Boy Scouts, just to name a few. Again, it's just a matter of
getting your foot in the door and a coupon for 25 FREE buttons
is a good way to get started.
Family reunions are another group
that can use buttons.
I've come up with several basic
designs for family reunions. The most basic design is simply
placing the family name on the button, such as "Smith
Family Reunion", followed by the date and city where
the reunion will take place. I've done these buttons in both
1-1/4" and 2-1/4". Another design I have done (for
a 3" button) is where I took clip art of a mature tree,
without any leaves, and placed the names of the grandparents
or great grandparents, from whom the family descended (Descendants
of Joe and Betty Smith), along with the date and location of
the reunion. Another design that has been very popular (but requires
more time to create) is to place the name of each person attending
the reunion on a button. An example of this type of button might
be to have Smith Family Reunion, curved lettering at the top,
Tom Smith (the attendee), in the center, and the date and location
of the reunion listed at the bottom of the button.
Governments are another group that
can use lots of buttons. The State of Arizona has been one of
our largest clients and we have regularly made buttons for our
Department of Transportation, Department of Revenue, Governor's
Office of Highway Safety, and Department of Administration.
Another hot tip!
The husband of one of our best
customers just retired after twenty three years of working for
the same company. She didn't ask me to make this button and I
didn't charge her for it, but I made him a button that said,"
Twenty three years with this company and all I get is this
lousy button?"
My client later told me that her
husband and everyone at work had a great time with that button
at the retirement party. Remember your customers, do something
special and unexpected for them from time to time, and they will
remember you.
Another area of button making that
I have previously explored was to make buttons with risque sayings
on them. I used to frequent a local tavern on a regular basis
and made up risque buttons to sell to my intoxicated friends.
It was a lot of fun and it was a good way to help pay for my
indulgence.
Conventions are another area where
an astute person can make lots of money with buttons.
My first experience making any
real money with buttons just happened to be at a convention.
In one week's time I made $1800 selling buttons to the conventioneers.
The key to working a convention
is to have the right sayings for that group, and to be in the
right place at the right time to market your buttons. What I
did at my convention was to sell the buttons to the conventioneers
as they entered the convention and as they left.
Trade shows are another area where
you can make a lot of money making buttons.
We have one client who promotes
trade shows around our state and twice a year he will call us
to make buttons that he uses as identification for his vendors.
The first time he called, he was
looking to have oval shaped buttons made. Well didn't do them
and no one in our area did, but I tried to find a source since
I couldn't them myself.
I was able to find him an out of
state supplier, but after he contacted the supplier and discovered
how much more expensive oval buttons would be, he called me back
and decided to go with our round buttons. He appreciated the
fact that I was willing to help him find what he wanted, even
if it meant losing his business.
We have since enjoyed a business
relationship that has spanned six years and one that I expect
will last as long as he chooses to make buttons for his vendors.
Here another hot tip!
If you can help someone more successfully
use the buttons you produce for them, it will increase the chances
that they will use you again, or use your services more often.
One suggestion that I make to businesses
who are planning to pass out buttons at trade shows is to suggest
that they tie in some sort of prize give-away to the wearing
of the button.
What I suggest is they offer some
prize or gift at the trade show, but the winner must be wearing
a button. By doing this the company who is using the buttons
will get more exposure. That's because instead of putting the
buttons in their pocket or in a bag, anyone who hopes to win
will be wearing the button.
Student
body elections are a great opportunity
for those of us who make buttons. When called about student body
election buttons, I offer the student or parent a special discounted
price on their buttons. Quite often they are on a tight budget
and offering a discounted price allows us to consummate the deal.
Because I always place stickers
on the backs of our student body election buttons, after producing
an order for "John Smith for President", we inevitably
receive calls from other students at that same school, who buttons
for their own student body campaign. And year after year, we
get calls from those same schools simply because we had our name
and phone number on the back of our buttons.
Hot tip!
If you aren't using stickers
(there's really no reason not to since we offer them to you FREE
of charge when you purchase your button parts from us) you really
are missing the boat on repeat business. Putting stickers on
your buttons is simple, and is truly a great way to grow your
business.
Instead of using traditional business
cards, here at Dr. Don's Buttons, we use what I call a button
business card. On the button we list our business information
(company name, address, phone number, website address, and marketing
slogan).
The nice thing about button business
cards is that people aren't likely to throw a button away. And
since they don't fit nicely into a Rolodex, people will inevitably
toss them in their desk or drawer.
Another good way to sell lots of
buttons is to attend rallies and concerts.
Back when I first started making
buttons, Operation Desert Storm was taking place and we made
lots of buttons that with patriotic messages on them, supporting
our men and women fighting in the Gulf.
I attended a rally for our troops
at our State capitol and took along a good supply of the buttons
I was making. In a very short time I was able to sell all that
I had made and provided the people who were attending the rally
a button to show their support for our troops and for our Country.
I hate to admit it, but I recently
missed the boat on an opportunity when I attended a Jazz festival
in Sedona, Arizona.
While I was there I saw a lot of
the people wearing buttons that expressed their love of Jazz.
If I had been thinking, I would have made up a number of buttons
and taken them along to the concert. I could easily have paid
for the cost our tickets and for all of our refreshments if I
had.
Hopefully some of the things I
have done with my buttons will fuel your own fires and get you
out there and make lots of money, and have lots of fun with your
own button-making.
If you have any questions about
making buttons or have any button making "secrets"
that you'd like to share, feel free to give me a call or send
an email.
Happy button making!!
Sincerely,
Don Ratliff
aka Dr. Don
you can reach me at
(800) 243-8293 or (623)
869-8233
(Canadian customers... you
can reach us using our 800 number)
We
Gladly Accept Purchase Orders
from Schools, Hospitals, and Government Agencies
