How to Place an Order with a Promotional and Business Gifts Supplier

Imagine the scenario… the responsibility of ordering this year’s promotional gifts for your company has been placed in your hands but you have never ordered before and you have not got a clue what to do…

Well do not fear because ordering promotional or business gifts is as easy as ABC as long as you first know a few facts which you will understand after reading this article.

Ok, so you know the types of products that you need to order but where do you go to view different styles, colours and designs? The best thing to do is to go on to one of the websites of the leading suppliers where you will usually find an easy to use search facility. If you type in the product you need for example pens, and press search, a list of all the different types of pens should come up with pictures and prices. When you have the name of the pen you need, you can then call up the supplier and ask to speak to a member of the sales team so that they can organise your quote for you.

When calling a supplier, you need to have the following information ready to hand:

· The name or code of the item you are looking at
· The quantity of items you will be ordering
· How many colours your logo is
· When you will need the goods delivered by and if you will need a sample
· An editable EPS file of your artwork you will want printed on the product

When you have given this information to the supplier they will then come back to you with a quote which is usually e-mailed through to you. The great thing about this process is that you can get quotes from many different places and compare the prices and service you are receiving. Getting a quote does not mean you have to order with that supplier, it just simply allows you to see how much an order is going to cost in total.




It is also important when ordering or getting quotes for promotional gifts to understand some of the terms that might be used. Here are some useful explanations of the terminology that might be used:

Screen Set up Cost or Origination Charge- This is what the supplier will charge you for setting up a screen printing press for each of the colours of your logo. For example if your logo is two colours, this will be 2 x origination cost which usually costs around £35.00 per colour but of course varies from supplier to supplier.

Carriage Cost- This is the cost of the delivery from the factory to your delivery address which will vary depending on the quantity of the goods, the date you need the goods and where you are based.

Lead Time- This is the time you are given for delivery from approval of your artwork. Most suppliers have a standard lead time of about 2-3 weeks but if you’re on a tight deadline, goods can be delivered sooner with an express delivery charge.

So as you can see there is no need to panic as getting quotes and ordering your promotional gifts really is a very simple process. Good luck!