Last year, when Oscar Padilla Jr., MAS, was referred to a homebuilder, he knew he had to exceed the potential customer's expectations.
Padilla, manager at Houston-based distributorship OPJ & Associates LLC, learned that the homebuilder wanted to give cash incentives to real-estate agents so they could increase the number of prospects who viewed homes in a new development. Padilla and the homebuilder decided to provide agents with credit-card sized plastic Rolodex® cards that were cost-effective and easy to use.
Houston-based distributorship OPJ & Associates LLC offered a homebuilder 2-sided, 4-color plastic cards with magnetic stripes similar to the card above. The homebuilder successfully used the cards to give cash incentives to real-estate agents who showed houses to a certain number of potential buyers. Courtesy of Arthur Blank & Co., Boston
Plastic Cards Bring in Green
Pitch ideas about how plastic cards can promote and increase business. "Just talk about what plastic cards can do for your clients," says Oscar Padilla Jr., MAS, manager at Houston-based distributorship OPJ & Associates LLC. Encourage clients to start frequent-customer programs in which their buyers present cards each time they make purchases. After a certain number of purchases, their customers can be rewarded with discounts or other incentives.
Use plastic products in your own business. Give out plastic business cards or Rolodex® cards, as well as cards describing your company's capabilities. Also, consider providing prospects with complementary calendars and tip-rate cards bearing your company's name. Analyze the program's effects on customer retention, foot traffic and repeat sales.
Sell other plastic products with cards. Look for opportunities to sell plastic parking tags, key fobs, cling signs and overlays.
Padilla suggested that the homebuilder use 2-sided, 4-color plastic cards with magnetic stripes. The front of each card included the homebuilder's name and address, and the back offered details of the cash rewards. The homebuilder swiped the card (similar to swiping a credit card) in a reader each time an agent brought a prospect. The reader was integrated with the homebuilder's database. After bringing in a certain number of prospects, the agent was eligible for a cash reward. A manufacturer produced 5,000 cards.
The homebuilder was "thrilled" with the cards, Padilla says, because they were attractive and simple. Since then, the distributorship has gained additional work from the homebuilder. OPJ & Associates offers promotional products such as mouse pads to the company, which is considering asking Padilla to provide 6,000 more cards.
—Preeti Vasishtha
