The biggest curveball shaking up the industry right now is supply chain delays and inventory shortages. Many distributors have been left in the awkward position of having to let clients know the products they wanted are out of stock or won’t be delivered in time to meet their promised in-hand date.

These issues unfortunately aren’t showing signs of going away, so it’s smart to plan ahead and shore up supplier partnerships with deep inventory and a wide selection of similar products, such as ASI supplier BEL Promo. With lots of stock available and great alternatives (should your client’s first choice be unavailable), BEL Promo provides a lifeline for you to keep fulfilling orders despite the supply chain issues.

Not every promo order is going to be for thousands of pieces – and that’s okay! Don’t make the mistake of thinking short-run projects aren’t going to be profitable in the long run. As long as you work with a supplier that offers low minimums, you can always say “yes” to small-quantity orders.

Remember: A small-quantity project now can be your foot in the door for larger orders in the future. This is especially beneficial for new clients who are still learning to trust your distributorship. Impress them on a short-run project now, and you’ll have a business partner for life.

Your clients (especially new clients who aren’t familiar with your distributorship yet) want to be sure they’re getting the best price for their promos. Because there are so many products out there, end-buyers can often face a “grass is greener” effect where they wonder if there’s a lower-cost option out there that they just don’t know about. Here’s where you need to flex your industry know-how to make sure they trust the products you’re presenting are the best for their branding and bottom line.