Stop me if you have heard this one before.  “People buy from people they like, know and trust.”  I heard this a lot as I began my sales career.  It was fantastic advice to hear again and again because it was, well, true.  Today, though, some people believe that this business mantra has changed.  They believe that technology and big business has taken this truth away.

This truth has not changed…it has evolved.  As my friend Bill Petrie says “People buy from people and brands they like, know and trust.”  This slight modification has allowed for the fact that the best companies can create a relationship with their customers.  So can you.

I was reminded of this mantra recently when my team from Hasseman Marketing and I visited the TOM Show in Columbus.  The TOM show is a series of regional events in the Promotional Products industry where suppliers show their latest and greatest promo items to distributors in Ohio, Michigan and more.  Many people in our industry might see this as a way to the see the latest products…and it’s great for that.  But that’s not why I enjoy it.

Each time I attend one of these regional events, I get to reconnect with my favorite regional reps from around our industry.  Yes, they have great lines of products.  Yes, they work to sell to us.  But at the end of the day, these are genuinely good people.  We laughed with Joe Eberz.  We shook hands with Kent Getsee.  We caught up with Matt Eyesoldt.  We hugged Michael Propst.  And then, when we are done with the important stuff, we get down to business.  (Yes, there were ton of others, but I wanted the blog to be short!).

These are people that I like, know and trust.  These are the people (and brands) that I do business with.

Thanks to OPPA and MIPPA and the other organizations that put these shows together. 

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