8 Key Questions to Ask Before Ordering Promotional Products for Your Business

By Shelley Grieshop

Purchasing personalized giveaways may not seem like a transaction that demands research. The average cost of a promotional product is just $1. It’s not a huge financial investment even if you’re ordering thousands of them. But there’s much more at stake: your company’s brand reputation.

The products you choose to customize with your logo are a reflection of you and your brand. Their appearance and quality will determine how people remember and identify with you. You want consumers to associate your brand with quality. Protecting your company’s image is paramount and the best reason to ask questions before ordering promotional products.

So ask away. Don’t be shy. No question is a dumb question. It’s your money and your future.

8 questions to ask before ordering promotional products

Taking the time to research any type of business investment is key to making the best decision and improving your profitability. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying custom water bottles or a fleet of trucks. Gaining insight helps you choose the right items and get the best deal for your company.

Whether you’ve used personalized products for years or are new to this business marketing strategy, here are some key questions to ask before ordering for your business:

1. What is the turnaround time?

Supply and employee shortages have created huge headaches for nearly every business in the past two years. The promotional product industry has experienced stock shortages, longer production times, and order and delivery delays.

To ensure you get your customized products on time for a trade show or other special event, it’s wise to order several months in advance. If that isn’t possible or you’ve already missed that window, request guaranteed rush production and delivery times. It can more than double the cost of your promotional product order, but it’s better than showing up empty-handed at a conference or open house.

2. Where will my products ship from?

You could be communicating with a manufacturer or retailer in Maine, but your products may be shipped from a manufacturing facility in Texas or New Jersey. Be aware that delivery costs may be higher if items are shipped from further distances. 

3. How much are setup fees?

A setup fee on promotional products is the cost associated with creating a screen, plate, or other design template to print artwork onto items. Cost can vary from no charge to $50 or more per order, depending on the amount of labor required to create your imprint.

There may be multiple setup fees—depending on the printing process—if the imprint is placed in more than one area of an item, such as a T-shirt; you may also be charged multiple fees for placing the same design on different items. If the design or artwork requires more than one color, there may be extra setup fees for some printing techniques as well.

4. What is your return policy?

Returning a customized banner is a whole lot different than returning a pair of blue jeans. Printed promotional products are uniquely made for businesses and organizations, so resale is not an option. Personalized items typically cannot be returned or refunded unless the company made a mistake.

Most companies will allow returns if the customer’s documented instructions were not followed or if the item arrived damaged. In general, federal law requires retailers to accept returns only if the product is defective or if they break the sales contract with the customer.

5. How does your artwork approval process work?

This may be one of the most important questions to ask. Why? Because approving the artwork proof makes you responsible for the end result if there are errors such as misspelled words.

The artwork approval process usually takes place when you order online or via email exchange. You'll be shown an image of your design—sometimes digitally placed on the item you intend to order—and then you'll be asked to give your approval before checking out.

Alternatively, some companies have their graphic designers review the design you submit online, fix any issues they see, and send it back via email for approval. Only after getting your approval and payment will the order be sent to a production facility to be made.

Tip: Some companies call the approval process an order acknowledgment.

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6. Can I get a sample of the product before ordering?

It's always a great idea to request samples of promotional products before ordering. Every computer or device is calibrated differently, so colors can vary greatly from one screen to another. If you want to make sure colors are a perfect match with the colors of your company logo, request a sample.

Samples you receive, though, likely won’t be printed with your actual logo. Most companies send product samples with faux logos to keep their costs down, but you still can review colors and materials.

7. Do I qualify for any discounts?

It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask if there are discount codes or other deals available before ordering your promotional products. A good customer service agent will check out possibilities for you. Some companies have website pages with discounted and closeout products at greatly reduced prices. You also can search for categories such as “Products Under $1” to find budget-friendly items.

Also, don’t ignore those pop-up ads that sometimes appear when you’re scrolling. Often they are offering percentage-off deals with limited-time promotional codes that can be used during checkout.

8. What is the cutoff time to make changes?

Having a cutoff time to make changes to an order is actually a benefit for you since it holds companies accountable to getting your order started in production. If you submit approval and payment by the stated deadline, the company is now responsible for getting your products printed and delivered to you on time.

Don’t ever scramble to make a cutoff time and risk not properly reviewing your artwork proof. Ask someone else to also look over the proof in case you missed something. Remember, it’s nearly impossible to return customized promotional products for credit if you approve errors in a proof.

One last lesson about ordering promotional products

Before ordering promotional products, get to know the company you choose and the people who work there. This is good advice for any business or vendor that you work with, but even more so with promotional products experts. Most of these companies have in-house graphic designers and marketing professionals who can provide you with tips on how to use promotional products for branding.

Knowledge is a gift you can’t afford to pass up.

RELATED: Is Your Swag a Drag? 5 Tips to Make Your Promotional Giveaways Brag-Worthy