ASI recently awarded $1,000 college scholarships to three interns who participated in its industry-wide internship program: Blake Bellar of Ligon Marketing (asi/254233), Grace Glessner of Glessner Promo (asi/470324), and Rachel Ludwig of Creative Promotional Products (asi/170669).

ASI started its internship program in 2016 to attract more young professionals to the industry and get them excited about the power of promotional products. ASI’s 2018 program attracted a record 308 interns who worked at 240 supplier and distributor companies over the summer – an 85% increase over the previous year.

ASI supplied the interns with training webinars, free access to ESP®, attendance to its Chicago trade show, a gift pack, a certificate of completion and the chance to compete for a scholarship by writing about what they learned through their internship.

“ASI is thrilled to once again reward three smart, hardworking interns with $1,000 scholarships,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “As their essays prove, they learned a lot about our industry and I’m hopeful that once they graduate they’ll consider a career in the exciting, creative field of promotional products. We would definitely benefit from their enthusiasm and fresh take on marketing to a new generation.”

Below are the winning essays, which offer unique insights into experiencing the promotional products industry through a millennial’s eyes:

(For information on joining the 2019 ASI Internship Program, please contact ASI Marketing Manager Christine Shaw at cshaw@asicentral.com.)

Grace Glessner, of Glessner Promo (asi/470324), Grand Rapids, MI

There have been good days, bad days, boring days and sales days, but every day has been a day to learn something new this summer. That’s been the beauty of being an ASI intern at Glessner Promo LLC. I wasn’t sure what the summer had in store for me, especially when I started my new position and internship with ASI, but I am so thankful for this experience. My internship has allowed me to grow in so many different ways, and taught me so much more about ASI and the industry of promotional product sales.

My position with the company I’m with has several different roles, with the sole purpose of me being able to learn and train in all different areas. I have been the social media marketer creating email marketing campaigns, made sales calls (this was way out of my comfort zone), booked appointments (trickier than anticipated), redesigned our website (another learning curve), filed documents (a wonderful way to learn), labeled catalogs (super fun), and did sales (the best part).

I’ve enjoyed every aspect of it, but my favorite parts have been the unexpected ones. Moments like the time I walked into a local real estate office to drop off a catalog and show them a sample of a rock “hide- a-key,” then got the opportunity to quote 10,000 T-shirts (I missed the order by a few cents, but it was still encouraging!); the time I sold thousands of balsa wood gliders for the community festival and saw the end-product being distributed in the grand parade; when the board of the light and power company sent me an email ordering pint glasses for the upcoming community picnic simply from a catalog drop; and the time I ordered 600 “magnetic bottle openers” from a “specials flyer” and they arrived without magnets. These were the moments that mattered, because these were the moments I had to learn something new.

If I signed up to do this business alone, I wouldn’t have had much success this summer, but ASI had my back through every learning curve and question. My internship began by receiving a personal package filled with wonderful samples and promotional ideas, which made me confident that this was off to a good start. Then, my basic knowledge was flooded by their webinars that were available any time I needed them. I watched them initially to win a $25 gift card that was up for grabs, but they became so much more valuable than, and I found myself tuning in time and time again. ASI also provided me with a subscription to ESP, which allowed me to search for products, create beautiful presentations, and create sophisticated and custom quotes for my clients any time. I enjoyed the almost weekly Facebook live videos as well, which gave me the opportunity to ask specific questions and have them answered. My internship with ASI has been a success because the toolkit they provided me with was at my fingertips all summer. It was so much more than programmed webinars and information – it was personal.

Throughout this internship, I’ve learned that promotional products are so much more than branded junk people throw away, and that promotional product sales is so much more than dropping off a catalog and hoping to hear from them again. This industry is all about relationships – it’s about your relationship with your clients and your client’s relationship with their customers. This business is the business of helping others succeed, and it’s like a ripple effect: If I’m capable of doing my job well, then my clients will be able to do their job well. It’s about the return on investment for everyone involved.

Early in June, I stopped into a local lumber yard and dropped off a catalog to a family friend. I was new to the business and hoped he would get the catalog into the right hands, but I really didn’t do any following up. I ran into that same friend weeks later and he asked if I had heard from his boss; it dawned on me that I never even followed up, so I took a long shot and began researching to get the right contact information, and a few phone calls later, I had the right person’s email and contacted them. A few days later, I received an email back after apologizing for my delay in customer service and I got an appointment – not because I had stellar service so far, but because he was impressed I was following up and was interested in meeting face to face.

This client had worked with several distributors over the years, having been in business for over 70 years, but he was excited about having a real consultation. I went in to introduce myself and learn more about their business, ordered some samples, and then went back in and placed two of my largest orders. It made me realize that relationships are so valuable, especially in this business. When I went to thank my client for their order, I knew better than to just leave a self-promo mug, but to buy him another plant for his office, because part of this business is knowing your clients and what is going to make the biggest impact. I now have the confidence that in the future they will at least consider my business for whatever promotional items they need because I’ve offered them something others haven’t in the past.

My internship with ASI has provided me with a summer full of learning and fun (seriously). The webinars, weekly Facebook live videos and Instagram contests have all been so valuable. My success has me motivated to continue in this business, and the many more mistakes I anticipate encountering will continue to be learning curves to make me the best I can be. I am eager to continue my journey in this industry of selling promotional products and building great client relationships.

This fall, I will become my own independent distributor for Kaeser and Blair as I continue my college education, and I look forward to the possibilities. I plan to continue using ASI and the ESP search engine because of the support I’ve already received and the confidence I have in them that they won’t let me fail. This internship has opened so many doors and opportunities for me and I am so grateful for all that I have learned and I look forward to what is yet to come.

Blake Bellar, Ligon Marketing (asi/254233), Lakeland, FL

Creativity has always been my strong suit. In every situation, I imagine the twist I could put on something or how it could be made more beautiful. I am endlessly fascinated by the ways in which other people think, the unique perspective they possess that may look far different from mine, and how those differences make the world so interesting. This summer, I had the unique opportunity to be an ASI summer intern and use my creative energy to help and learn.

After completing my first year of college in pursuit of a marketing degree, it was a perfect chance to gain experience and knowledge in this particular field of business. I feared the business would be boring and unexciting, but in reality, I gained so much experience and knowledge about marketing that I cannot wait to apply to future internships and jobs. Being an ASI intern this summer has helped me develop relevant skills, giving me hands-on experience in the industry of promotional products and preparing me for a future in the realm of marketing.

Before beginning my internship for ASI, I had limited knowledge of how promotional products operated within the marketing industry. I watched my mother work in the business most of my life, and even attended an ASI trade show in Orlando with her this past year. However, it was not until I began my own journey that I began to understand, and consequently appreciate, how the gears really grind. Through the hours of helpful informational and instructional videos, I learned about everything from effective social media use to the most popular promotional products in each state.

In turn, that information equipped me to be helpful to companies, such as the marketing company for which my mother works. Using the product sourcing database ESP, I was now able to find the perfect products for them to sell to their clients and even create and send various presentations for those products. Watching and listening to my mother interact and communicate with designers and printers has taught me a great deal as well.

I never knew how much went into something as seemingly simple as creating and printing a promotional T-shirt. Everything chosen must be perfect, because any unintentional errors can be costly for everyone involved. Behind the scenes, I got to see specific screens set up and shirts imprinted through complicated processes, which was my favorite part. Seeing an idea come to life and become a visible, tangible thing before my eyes is incredible to me and it’s what I enjoy most about creating art or projects.

One of the clients I had the opportunity to work with is an international tennis academy. I got to search for and find promotional products for its business while also utilizing my creativity. Along with promotional products, I helped them understand how to use their social media to promote themselves. By far, my favorite task for this client has been creating the tennis academy’s summer camp shirts. It allowed me to put artistic ability to good use, while also growing their business by reaching a wider audience on social media and making their name known. After showing off their products, their social media accounts have accumulated a great number of followers this summer because their name is spreading both in the United States and internationally.

Another valuable skill this client helped me improve is communication. The owners are from Spain, and occasionally, the language barrier can be an issue in understanding details. However, I learned to not be afraid to ask as many questions as I needed to, because it was more important to do the job right than to worry about looking like I wasn’t perfect. As summer progressed, the owners gave endless praise and spoke highly of my creativity and organizational and communication skills, which I can thank this internship for helping me develop further.

Everywhere I look lately, I can spot a promotional product. This internship increased my awareness and caused me to notice company logos on countless items, and I have come to realize just how diverse promotional products can be. They range from obvious, like the large company logo on the back of a T-shirt, popping out to anyone who sees it, to subtle, like the company name inscribed in small letters on the webcam cover on my laptop, always directly in front of my eyes when I work. I have seen how this strategy creates familiarization with the brand and causes it to stick with you wherever you go. I am glad I’ve gotten to be a part of something that promotes companies through original thinking and creativity.

After my first year of being in the school of business, I really wasn’t sure marketing was the path I should take. Most of my classes were business-related but didn’t seem to have much to do with marketing, and my confidence was shaken because I hadn’t found the courses to be as interesting as I hoped. I felt like I was suddenly trapped in a monotonous world of numbers and economic policies. However, this summer internship has shown me that marketing is exactly the path I want to stay on. I see now that there truly are limitless opportunities to use my creativity and artistic flair to help companies grow and thrive. I am entering this upcoming academic year with a fresh perspective and enthusiasm because my internship with ASI has reminded me where my passion lies. This year I will also get to use my skills at a sports marketing internship, and I am so excited to apply what I’ve learned in a position I care so much about.

Participating in ASI’s summer internship program has provided me with invaluable skills, given me practical familiarity with the promotional product industry and prepared me for the trek ahead. I am thankful to have been a part of such a unique organization and excited to see what the future holds.

Rachel Ludwig, of Creative Promotional Products (asi/170669), Skokie, IL

This summer, I was fortunate to intern at Creative Promotional Products. The amount I learned and experiences I gained are more than imaginable. Before I began this internship, I took a survey on career interests and my number-one attribute was WOO, which stands for Winning Others Over. I was determined to use this strength of mine to win over many new clients.

When I began my internship, I thought the promotional products industry was just sticking a logo on an item or shirt. Little did I know all the steps it takes in order to start and finish a project. As a college student studying communications and sales, this internship not only furthered my education, but confirmed that my career is destined to be sales.

Like humans, promotional products have layers. On the outside, they may just look like a hard good with a logo on them. On the inside, they’re articles of merchandise that are branded with a logo in order to advertise, market, promote and raise awareness of a brand. Promotional products leave a lasting impression well after the sale.

The first day I started my internship, we had a vendor meeting here at Creative. It was really exciting to see all the innovative products they presented to us. My company hosts vendors almost every single week; it was extremely valuable to see the products in person and learn about them, and gave me an advantage when selling them.

While I was learning about the many different products, I also was learning about the Advertising Specialty Institute. ASI is the promotional products industry’s largest membership organization. I had no idea this industry is worth $23.6 billion. ASI brings suppliers and distributors together and helps both be successful.

A few weeks ago I attended the Chicago ASI Show at McCormick Place. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw how many vendors and products there were. Physically being able to see and touch products allowed me to fully understand what I’ve been putting in my proposals and quotes to clients. Having so many buyers and sellers together in one place helped to strengthen and build relationships.

I was able to network with vendors I placed orders with and see new and imaginative products that I’d like to sell in the future. I was very lucky to be able to walk the show with my boss, Judy Elowe. She has been in this industry for a very long time. She taught me what I should be looking for and introduced me to multiple suppliers. Judy pointed out that a lot of vendors carry the exact same products and taught me how to tell when you should use what vendor for certain products. It was fascinating to see all the new products vendors have come up with. I grabbed hundreds of samples, eager to show them to my potential clients. I couldn’t wait to get back to the office and start making calls! During the trade show, I learned how truly fun it is to be part of the promotional product industry.

Being a sales intern at Creative Promotional Products has been one of the best experiences of my life. In my first few weeks, I was trained on all the basics of the promotional products industry. I was taught the nature of Creative as a distributor of products and the relationship with our suppliers/factories and our clients as the end-users. I shadowed an inside salesperson to learn the basics of our process and use of our CRM system, Facilis. At the same time, I was attending sales meetings, customer presentations and supplier meetings to learn more about some of our products. Judy started taking me with her on her sales calls so I could learn some strategies from her. She even took me to a factory to learn about the different types of decorating. I learned about artwork, and how we must have vectored art. I even had the chance to work hand-in-hand with a graphic designer to create amazing designs for clients.

When I started to understand the promotional products industry, I began to use my own network and initiated generating my own leads. I went on LinkedIn and tried social selling to potential buyers. I went to a farmer’s market and approached people who were passing out promotional products and told them I had better ideas for them. This led to a few face-to-face meetings to discuss new projects. I even did some cold calling. I learned the most effective and least effective ways to sell promotional products. My most successful clients were through word of mouth. Telling people what you do and how you can fulfill their needs is the key. My sales professor taught me that “People don’t care about the drill, they care about the hole,” meaning you’re not selling the product, you’re selling the need you’re fulfilling.

Without anyone telling me to start selling, I decided that I wanted to make the most sales possible in my short time here of two months. I had good initial responses and started obtaining new projects almost immediately. I performed each step of the sales process for each project: develop project options, prepare product presentations, review items with customer, obtain customer decision and purchase order, and submit the order in our ERP system.

I quickly learned the business and became so knowledgeable in such a short period of time. Toward the end of my internship I placed an order for over $6,800. I came in second place in total sales for the month of July, and in total, I closed around 10 deals throughout the summer, submitting approximately $12,000 in business. All of the orders were from new customers. I gave it my all and was asked to continue working through the year and over next summer. Most importantly, I discovered I’m really good at sales and want to pursue this as a career after I graduate. I really enjoyed being an ASI summer intern and I am forever grateful for this opportunity.