What is your "WOW" giveaways

[Harry Radaza]

I will soon be joining a tradeshow for a certain industry that we are venturing into. I am preparing some cool acrylic calling cards. I will also be engraving stuff onto wood and make em into a key chain. I am trying to come up with items that I give away to potential clients. These items would also showcase the laser's capability.

I am wondering what you have made to "wow" your clients ?

[Mitchell Andrus]

If you can get a good idea of the companies expected to attend, come armed with keychains/etc. with their logos already on them.

[Craig Hogarth]

Don't forget power of your name tag. As an engraver, you should have the best name tag there. I wear a custom cut name tag and the last business expo I attended got us several orders. It shows creativity and the versatility of lasering.

Attached are some that I've done recently.

[Rodne Gold]

I use Rowmark Flexibrass to make engraved and die cut business cards for myself , never fails to wow
Ppl keep em and it demonstrates what the laser can do , instantly!!!!! Thats all you really need.
Acrylic is too thick to keep in a card folder etc , flexibrass is just right
Think about keytags : unless they are real high quality , ppl dump em , drawer em or use em for toilet keys , hardly ever on their main ring. If you do em small and ultra cool , like a small add on, you have more chance of em being used.

[Ron Thompson]

Could you post these again, but his time save the text as curves. I don't have 4 of the fonts you used.
Thanks

[Craig Hogarth]

oops, didn't think about that.

[Ron Thompson]

oops, didn't think about that.
Thank you .... These are great. Thanks for the idea's.

Ron Thompson

[Craig Hogarth]

We stole the idea from the sample that Signwarehouse gave us. We found it the easiest way to get nametag business since it's eye catching and always results in every employee getting new name tags if they order. We pitch that it allows them to use a much larger logo than normal without giving the appearance of an oversized name tag and people dig that.

[Stanley Waldrup]

I learned a neet way to embed the fonts in the drawing last year at the Indy show. Select save as from the file menu and at the bottom of the screen select Options then check the Embed Fonts using Truedoc. Works like a charm in version X3

Stanley

[Nancy Laird]

I am wondering what you have made to "wow" your clients ?

Harry, my "wow" things are our business cards--lasered and cut from 1/32" Finnish birch plywood - they are thin enough to fit into a card case or a wallet, are very sturdy, and can, if one is so inclined, be engraved on both sides.

I also make bookmarks from the same material, and people just love them.

I always wear my name tag when I'm out and about on company business--it's a great way to show off what I can do.

[Joe Pelonio]

I just sent a few to a potential new customer. I sent their logo engraved on oak, coaster size, and several business cards, some on laser thins, some on veneer.

[Brian J Rogalny]

Would it be possible for you guys to post some pictures or your work.

[David Fairfield]

Very impressed with the classy tag designs shown, and I 2nd Brian's request. Need to laser cut some business cards and maybe a name tag for myself and my helper for an upcoming scale models event.

I was going to just get some cards done up at Office Max, but after reading the posts in this thread and considering the technology we engravers have at our fingertips, I think it would be a bit odd to have a plain vanilla card! :p

Dave

[Nancy Laird]

You can find ours here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=56735. It is the size of a regular business card, with the corners rounded about 5 degrees. The smallest type is 6 point. I run at 100% power, 50% speed, and cut at 7% speed on my ULS 40W machine. You'll get a little bit of soot from the laser; just clean off with floor wax or your cleaner of choice (the wax gives the card a nice sheen).

[Angus Hines]

I don't use any of those things as most of my work is word of mouth. But the one WOW factor I do use. Is each Sunday I sit down and hand write thank you cards to my customers of that week (repeat or new customers, everybody that spent money with me that week) gets a card (on nice company logo'd card stock obviously....LOL).

It's an old school kinda thing, but quite effective if you can make the time.

[Gary Hair]

I just had my local metal guy cut some thin stainless steel pieces that are business card size. I laser both sides, one side the same as my business card and the other with other sample images. They definately have the "wow" factor.

Gary

[Scott Shepherd]

There's a thread somewhere on here about the power of a business card. I must admit, I hate, HATE making my business cards. They aren't fancy, but they are plastic, and they aren't cheap to make. I've cut them from thin 2-ply plastics, and I've cut them from clear, 1/16" cast acrylic.

I've handed them out to 100's and 100's of people at business events. Every time I hand them out, I'm reminded that despite how I hate running them because they are expensive, they are effective. I've had several marketing/branding people call me after events and tell me that they love my business card and I should always hand it out and keep doing it different. Think about that- they took the time to call me after an event to do nothing but tell me my card works (not because it's good, but because it's different).

Their points- in any market, you have to stand out. Another paper business card doesn't stand out. However, a flexibrass card or clear acrylic, or magnet, does. It helps brand your company as well as shows them exactly what you do. "Laser Engraving" goes right over the head of most people outside the trade.

[Harry Radaza]

thanks for all your responses guys.

I will post some pics of the business cards I will be making once it is done. I tried to make it "multipurpose". I would love the flexibrass but the cost factor just wont cut it for me. I guess I will settle with the 2mm clear acrylics.

[Mike Null]

I'll be the maverick here. I don't have time nor can I afford to make my own business cards. (I even stopped printing my own) My business is primarily commercial-industrial and I use standard printed business cards in color from Vista print.

I put one in every shipment and with every invoice and at $29 per thousand or less sometimes, I can afford it.

[Jack Harper]

I'll be the maverick here. I don't have time nor can I afford to make my own business cards. (I even stopped printing my own) My business is primarily commercial-industrial and I use standard printed business cards in color from Vista print.

I put one in every shipment and with every invoice and at $29 per thousand or less sometimes, I can afford it.

Try Printplace.com. For less than you are paying, you can get gloss stock and print on both sides. I use them for my full bleed brochures, two sides 100# stock $189.00 for 1000. They are just one of those monster print companies that operate via the internet and are based near Dallas.

[John Noell]

We are still trying to get people to see the potential of our services (while showing as wide a range of examples as we can). Our card uses two major shapes from Fijian art (but it's on imported 0.8mm spruce ply).

[Scott Shepherd]

I think it all depends on your business model. Obviously, if you're taking orders over the internet, it's no point in handing out cards that cost $1 each to make. However, if you only get one chance to meet someone important and make a lasting impression, I think that $1 card is money well spent. The accounts I'm looking for a large, repeat accounts, so what's $1 to try and gain a large account?

It just depends on your business, your target customers, the average sale, and a number of other factors.

[Craig Hogarth]

I'll be the maverick here. I don't have time nor can I afford to make my own business cards. (I even stopped printing my own) My business is primarily commercial-industrial and I use standard printed business cards in color from Vista print.

I put one in every shipment and with every invoice and at $29 per thousand or less sometimes, I can afford it.

I prefer paper cards as well. The wood was just getting too expensive and in my experience, they aren't any more effective than a paper card. If we really get into it, the paper cards are actually more effective since we can pretty much give one to everyone we meet.

I chose to go local for my cards though, spending $110 for 3k cards on plain paper, one ink color. It's resulted in more than enough referrals to pay for all our cards and then some.

[Jack Harper]

I prefer paper cards as well. The wood was just getting too expensive and in my experience, they aren't any more effective than a paper card. If we really get into it, the paper cards are actually more effective since we can pretty much give one to everyone we meet.

I chose to go local for my cards though, spending $110 for 3k cards on plain paper, one ink color. It's resulted in more than enough referrals to pay for all our cards and then some.

Craig, that's a big premium for going local. A place like printplace.com will do 3000 gloss stock, FOUR color on BOTH sides for just $43 with a 5 day turn around.

[Pete Simmons]

Jack:

I always jump right to your new posts especially in this "Wow" thread as from what I have seen everything you make has a large WOW FACTOR.

[Craig Hogarth]

Craig, that's a big premium for going local. A place like printplace.com will do 3000 gloss stock, FOUR color on BOTH sides for just $43 with a 5 day turn around.

We have a pretty active chamber here usually with 125 businesses represented at our monthly luncheons. Chamber members tend to do business with other chamber members whenever feasible and we've benefitted from that. We do pay a little more on occasion in order to stay local, but since the majority of my revenue relies on local business, we don't mind.

[Jack Harper]

Jack:

I always jump right to your new posts especially in this "Wow" thread as from what I have seen everything you make has a large WOW FACTOR.

Uh...thanks Pete. I haven't posted any Wow items here though. Most of mine incorporate waterjet designs with laser enhancements like these butterflys that get inlayed in wood along with text with the laser. It shows both the laser and waterjet features I don't think the example would be of much help for the general laser guru.

[Frank Corker]

mmmm ......waterjet

Ok Jack, my dog and 50 quid for the waterjet, on top of everything else that I offered for it!!!

.

[Jack Harper]

mmmm ......waterjet

Ok Jack, my dog and 50 quid for the waterjet, on top of everything else that I offered for it!!!

.

The way the dollar is falling, you might just have a fighting chance at that offer, although you might still need to throw in a family member or two. Do you have a brochure...er...I mean a family album to look over?

[Scott Shepherd]

Do you have a brochure...er...I mean a family album to look over?

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/07/08/chimpanzees_wideweb__470x311,0.jpg

:D:D:D:D:D Sorry, Frank, I couldn't resist any longer!

[Jack Harper]

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/07/08/chimpanzees_wideweb__470x311,0.jpg

:D:D:D:D:D Sorry, Frank, I couldn't resist any longer!


Bravo Scott!

[Frank Corker]

You are all so cruel. My Auntie Dolores liked that photo of her and the cousins!