Does your company need help? The Awards Guru can provide solutions!

I am looking for people to help.  If your company has problems with the following, I may be able to assist:

Motivation

Sales

Employee retention

Feeling appreciated

Job satisfaction

All you need to do is send an email to me (jeff@trophies2go.com) - please provide me with a brief description of your problem.  What you will get in return is not a sales job; I pledge to listen (or read) your concerns, gain background information by asking you a series of questions and then offering potential solutions.  Free advice from someone with 15 years of experience?  Yes…that is what I am willing to offer.

“Using Awards as a Motivator” – some thoughts on validation and pride in the workplace

I don’t know if you’d agree with me, but I think no matter how modest a person may be, inside every person is a yearning to be recognized…to be validated.  This is only natural.  We all feel insecurities, often unconsciously, and when someone validates us as a person or recognizes something we have done that is of worth to us, we feel that it was worth our efforts.   In a sense, it is when we are validated or affirmed by other people that we feel that life is indeed worth living. 

It is the same principle in the workplace.  Being validated is very important for employees to feel that they are valuable, that their contribution has meaning to the company, and that without their efforts, things wouldn’t work.  They need to feel and know that they are needed. It is the sense of pride that drives people to do better.

Warning – deep thought on pride, here.

Friedrich Nietzsche considers pride as a master set of values which acknowledges the good and the noble, and rejects the weak and insipid.  Without pride, a person will lack self-esteem—one the greatest driving forces of motivation.   Pride, the emotion of having a strong sense of self-respect and having belief in one’s abilities and capabilities, drives people to do better.  It is the emotion that gives people the strength to pursue something grand, brilliant, exceptional, even feats that are seemingly impossible. 

 

How do you motivate people?  By instilling pride in them.  How do you do that?   When you make an incentive the primary goal, the challenge also ends in the attainment of the incentive – you achieve the goal of being rewarded with the money, the gadget, the trip, etc.  These are all temporary motivators that fail to provide a deeper sense of fulfillment.  A better long-term motivator is giving recognition awards (of course in the form of plaques, acrylic awards or crystal awards provided by Trophies2go.com) or other gifts that honors or signifies performance.  In this case, the feat and the recognition are more important than the item itself.  The recognition award becomes the symbol of the achievement, and it also becomes a vehicle for re-experiencing the achievement.  When receiving an award, the motivation doesn’t end with the acceptance of the award.  The award will also instill pride and self-esteem, giving the person more reasons to do better, and to pursue higher goals.

Supplier Profile – Chien Wang of Toujours

As my supplier relationships progress, I am amazed by certain individuals with a zest for going beyond the norm.  One individual that epitomizes this is Chien Wang of Toujours.  Before telling you some of Toujours’ new offerings, I want to let you know a little more about Chien.

Chien J. Wang was born in Taipei, Taiwan and immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 11.  He did not speak a word of English yet started doing odd jobs for neighbors, and had a paper route to help the family’s finances.  At the age of 13, Chien’s father started a food distribution business. Chien worked every day to help his father establish the family business.  He established his work ethic and also learned that work could be fun and very rewarding.  He proceeded to attend the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and graduated with a degree in business administration and entrepreneurship in 1991.  Chien finally realized his goal of starting his own business in 1991 by launching Toujours Products, Inc.  His company has become well known and successful by distributing awards and personalized gifts to retail outlets, such as Trophies2go.com.

Chien is more than just the president of Toujours Products.  He embodies the term ‘networker’.  He speaks at industry meetings, tradeshows, and networking events on the power of networking.  He has written a book, It’s Who Knows YOU.  The book will be available in all major book stores such as Barnes and Noble and Borders in early February 2008.  He also donates his time, speaking appearances, crystal awards and cash to many service organizations and community causes in the Southern California area.  His goal is to help others succeed and his mission in life is to touch and be touched by as many people as possible.  You can read more about Chien at www.chiensworld.com.

People like Chien help us accomplish our vision of being the national leader of meaningful recognition.  Through innovative product design and excellent customer service, Chien and his company help us make an impact in the world.  We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with Toujours in order to help make our customer’s recognition events as heartfelt and meaningful as possible.

With that being said, Trophies2go.com is delighted to be one of the first to announce Toujour’s new 2008 product line.  Their new offerings feature a collection that is designed by well known designer, Nik Meller.  Nik designs furniture for many of the world’s high end hotels and for many movie stars and celebrities.

Item #1 – Product ID#8844   Bliss 6 1/2″ W x 11″H (Made from top grade optic crystal) $215 Retail.  Quantity Discounts Apply.  Smaller Size Also Available. 

 

Item #2 – Product ID#8845  Seeq 5″W x 11 1/2″H (Made from top grade optic crystal)  $285 Retail.  Quantity Discounts Apply.  Smaller Size Also Available.

Item #3 – Product ID#8846  Bayona 6″W x 11 1/4″H (Made from top grade optic crystal)  $160 Retail.  Quantity Discounts Apply.  Smaller Size Also Available.

When (and when not) to buy Awards on the Internet

Buying awards products on the internet has been around for 10-plus years.  We have been serving our customers since 2000.  In that time, I have noticed some interesting trends from our customers that may turn into helpful tips of when and how to effectively use an internet awards business.  I have broken these out into 3 categories: timing, price/quality, and other.

Timing:

The most important thing that is universal to our customers is when they receive their order.  After all, what is the use of getting a good deal on high quality awards if they arrive after the awards presentation?  We have engineered our site so that we guarantee the delivery date based on the shipping method chosen during checkout.  The catch with this can be the rush nature of when the order is placed and when it is needed.  So Tip #1: Order Early!  The sooner the order is placed, the higher the likelihood that you will be able to ship it by the cheapest method possible.  We even have a promotion that allows for free shipping if your order is over $100 and you give us an extra week for production.  A lot of our repeat customers are aware of this promotion and order well in advance – it is a win-win for all involved when ample time is given.  On the other end of the spectrum is rush orders.  We are happy to accommodate rush orders, but overnight or 2^nd day air shipping can be expensive.  This leads me to Tip #2: if you need your awards within 2 or 3 days, be prepared for expensive shipping.  We can adjust our production schedule in order to meet your deadline, but UPS is going to be the beneficiary of the extra cost.  Finally is my Tip #3 - if there is a super-urgent need (24 hours) and cost is a factor, try a local trophy company first.  This may be contrary to an internet company making money, but most of us are in business to please our customers.  If it is going to leave a sour taste in your mouth to pay $15 for an award and $50 for shipping, it might be worth it to explore a local business to accommodate your needs.  Even if they charge a $10 rush fee, you are still ahead of the game.  If it is worth the time and hassle to pay the overnight shipping fee, please don’t hold it against us…we are just trying to fill the need in your life to award someone who has done something extra special.

Price and Quality:

In my opinion, the internet has turned a lot of products into commodities.  Most of our suppliers have chosen to import products from overseas to stay competitive and keep prices down.  Even though we hand pick the products that we think provide the best value, there is another component to the finished award that is equally, or perhaps more important – engraving.  I think engraving is the most important part of the finished award, but it oftentimes gets overlooked by the buyer.  There are several different engraving methods that can decrease the cost of the award.  This leads me to Tip #4: find out the engraving process used on the award and make sure you are comfortable with it.  As an example, we engrave directly onto all of our medals.  We also use premium quality brass and aluminum and diamond drag our trophy plates.  We laser engrave into our acrylic awards.  We sandblast our crystal awards.  In contrast, some internet retailers use plastic labels for the engraving of medals and trophies.  They may also use other methods for engraving acrylic and may surface laser etch their crystal awards.  All of these styles provide a faster and cheaper method for marking the awards, but detract from the possibility of making a fantastic award.

There is also an artistic component to the layout of the engraving.  I have written an article on this in the past, but be aware that not all companies have ultra-experienced engravers.  If you are concerned about how your engraving looks, make sure to ask for a pre-production proof of how the engraving will look.  This can save an unpleasant surprise when you open your shipment.

Other factors:

Some other factors that influence whether you should buy on the internet and from who are: shipping expense, inventory levels, the company’s reputation, and building a long-term relationship.

The cost of shipping can be significant, but so is the cost we pay to our shipping carrier.  If you qualify for a free shipping promotion, that is best.  If not, make sure that you order well in advance to eliminate air shipping charges.  Inventory levels and the retailer’s supply chain are also important.  It is hard to gauge how much stock a company has, but if you are ordering in bulk, call your provider before placing the order to make sure they will be able to fill your order.  This should only be a problem for smaller companies, but occasionally there may be a national shortage that only a larger supplier’s existing inventory can rectify.  Finally, I will lump the retailers reputation and building a long-term relationship into one.  It is important to choose an awards retailer that you trust and then nurture that relationship.  The amount of time the company has been in business, viewing customer testimonials, the friendliness and knowledge of the employees, the look and feel of the website are all building blocks for building trust in the company.  At a certain point you will need to take a leap of faith and place an order.  This is the first step to building a longer term relationship with the company.  If you like what you get, tell them.  If not, let them know as well.  We are all in a state of constant improvement and welcome feedback so we can make your experience better.  When there is a history with our customers, it also allows us to treat them better when they need something extra special, such as a unique award or expedited shipping.

To summarize, there are a lot of factors that go into making sure that you should buy awards on the internet and from whom.  These factors are timing, price/quality, and other intangibles.  We feel like we do a great job in communicating and providing value for our customers.  If you choose a trophy and awards internet retailer other than us, keep us in mind for next time.  Our staff’s commitment and integrity in the long-term is our foundation of our vision to be the national leader in meaningful recognition.

What is your goal? Then work backwards

Some of the most impacting and successful awards we produce are strategically planned - there is a program with thought and purpose that is created in order to yield a specific result.  I encourage this thought process as it is very intentional and pro-active.  Instead of an afterthought, consider reorganizing your recognition program to align with your corporate mission statement and values.  This integration helps the workforce focus on the core mission and helps with employee retention as well.

Here are my 10 steps that can assist with this planning:

1) Figure out what is your main goal in preparing the recognition program.

2) Align the main goal with your corporate mission statement and values

3) Create and document your baseline starting point - where are we at with this project/issue now?

4) Identify how the program can be successful - bring in experts if needed.

5) Create a communications plan.  A good recognition plan must become common knowledge company-wide.

6) Refine the program with management until they have 100% buy-in.

7) Launch the program and over-communicate its features and benefits.

8) Measure progress.  If possible, communicate that progress.

9) Create a recognition event.

10) Award/recognize the winners and celebrate their success.

Choosing words for your award

Coming up with the appropriate message to put on your awards can be just as important as choosing the award itself.  This can be a difficult task, but hopefully I can make it a bit easier.

In the beginning, ask yourself the question, “why am I giving this award?”  That should be the basis for coming up with the wording.  The goal is to represent the essence of the award in the words you inscribe.  Below are some different criteria that you might want to consider when coming up with the verbiage for your award.

Title of the Award:

Oftentimes, you may want to title your award.  This may coincide with an awards program (Employee of the Quarter, Star Performer, Award of Appreciation, etc.) or may be more specific (President’s Award, Platinum Club, etc.)  The advantage of adding a title to your award is to place the recipient into an elite club.  This can help make the award more prestigious and to make the recipient feel as if the award is extra special.

Recipient Name:

This is universally necessary to make the award effective.  Inserting the name of the recipient places ownership to the award and enables the recipient to be proud of winning it for years to come.

Title:

Sometimes it may be prudent to add the recipient’s title.  If you think it is important to put the recipient’s title on the award, it probably is.  If the award is for an accomplishment that is broad-based (years of service, or a group achievement, etc.), than the title is probably best left off.  Simply put, ask yourself, “is it important to put their title on the award?”

Accomplishment or reason for the award:

This is where most people have difficulty.  It is the core of why you are giving the award.  Be as concise and heartfelt as possible.  Keep in mind the award is a symbol of the accomplishment.  Most of the time, it is best to keep the reason for the award to one sentence - or two at the very most.  For brainstorming purposes, we have outlined some common phrases in our ‘loss for words’ section of trophies2go.com.

Who the award is from:

This is another crucial item that needs to be on the award.  Placing the organization’s name that is giving the award adds value to the group that is giving it.  It increases the brand of the organization and shows that the group cares about the recipient enough to recognize them for their efforts.  This can either be accomplished by placing the organizations name in text format or by using the group’s logo.  If the recipient leaves the organization or company, the award will serve as a symbol of remembrance of the great job they did with the former group.

Date:

Adding the presentation date or year will help the recipient remember when the award was given.  It will also chronicle the award such that if the recipient gets more awards in the future, they will be able to see a progression of what they have received awards for in the past.  Oftentimes the same person receives the same award for a particular time period (salesperson of the month or salesperson of the quarter).  Repeatedly receiving an award can have some positive effects.  It not only enables the top performer a source of pride and accomplishment, but also serves as inspiration to continue to achieve.  It is also recommended that the repeated winners display their awards.  It shows that the organization cares about recognizing success.  It also can motivate those that didn’t get an award to do better in order to win an award next time.

Hopefully these guidelines help in your quest to come up with the perfect information to engrave on your awards.  If you still need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Choosing the Best Acrylic Awards FOR YOU

Hopefully you have gotten to this point because you read my article on corporate awards and this is one of the possibilities for your awards selection.  Ordering acrylic awards can be a confusing proposition.  Size, color, shape, quality, cost and production time all come to mind as variables that make the selection process difficult.  I would take all 5 of these categories and prioritize what is most important.  If you don’t have an idea of where to start, check out our acrylic section and cruise around for a couple of minutes.  That should be able to give you an idea of what you like or don’t like.  If you are still stuck, give us a call at 877-926-4700.  We will try and give you some guidance.

We have filtered out our suppliers to three: RB Fabrication, PDU, and ‘others’.  We are considering adding a 4th main supplier of acrylic awards.  Why I bring up our suppliers is that each affords a niche in the acrylic awards market.  I would venture to say there are 4 levels of suppliers in the industry ranging from downright cheap (level 1, poor quality and inexpensive price) to upscale (level 4, high quality and expensive price).  I would rate PDU as a 2 and RB Fabrication as a 3.  We will be adding a level 4 supplier in the next year to compliment our product line.  Our level 4 supplier will offer unique, creative and high quality acrylic awards.  We will not bring on a level 1 supplier because if I am not willing to buy it, I am sure you won’t want to either - no matter how low the price.

You say, cut to the chase, Jeff.  OK, I understand…here is what you should do.  If you want the lowest price possible and you do not care about the quality of the product or accuracy/craftsmanship of the engraving, go to dinntrophy or crowntrophy.

Otherwise:

Visit our PDU acrylic section if your highest priorities are:

·                     Cost

·                     Production Time (meaning you need it in a week or less)

·                     Shape

These are our most popular acrylic awards.  They usually come in jade green or clear.  The etching is done with a laser engraver, so the resolution is great and it gives a crisp and clean frosted look.

We sell a lot of these as service awards, sales awards, and recognition awards.  If you want to be safe and quick, these are the best for you.  I would suggest choosing the shape, size and color (clear or jade green) that best fits the feeling of the award you want to present.  In addition, if you are ordering in quantity, make sure to look at the quantity discount price and know that there are no extra setup charges or engraving fees.

Visit our RB Fabrication acrylic section if your highest priorities are:

·                     Quality

·                     Color

·                     Size

·                     Shape

If your budget can afford a little more, these acrylics are incredible.  RB acrylics have more style and more color choices.  They are also made in the US (by some really cool people by the way).  These acrylics are the trend setters in the industry.

We sell these acrylics to companies that want something different.  Oftentimes, they want a theme or certain style or certain color to be in alignment with their brand or corporate culture.  If you want to be unique and special, these are the acrylics for you.

Soon, we will be offering acrylic awards that tie together different materials (metal, wood, etc.)  These items will complete our line and bring additional selection to our robust acrylic awards line.

I hope this has been of some assistance.  We are more than happy to help if you have additional questions or needs. 

Thanks, Jeff

Corporate Awards Selection

Do you need to recognize a group or individual with an award, but don’t know where to start?  Read on, or post a comment to ask a question.

I have divided out our corporate awards into 5 different segments.  Each has a different style and purpose.  In the next few weeks, I will post some more in-depth thoughts on each of the categories.  These categories are: acrylic awards, glass and crystal awards, plaques, clocks, and trophies.

There are a ton of different criteria that go into selecting awards.  You will find some of my thoughts for each category in this posting, but most of all, I would suggest going with your instinct.  You will know the individual, company, or group who is getting the award.  What you think is the best fit for recognizing them is more important than what everyone else is doing (or what I think).

Acrylic Awards:

These are the latest and greatest versatile awards.  The can be given as sales recognition, years of service awards, project completions, sponsorship recognition, or for a myriad of other purposes.  The price range can be from the low $20’s into the $100-plus range (including the engraving).  Most of the acrylics that we sell range from $40-80.  There are some unique acrylic awards that surpass the $80 range that can be very fitting for special events.  When your budget allows for an award over that price point, more options become available.  If you are unsure if an acrylic is perfect for you, make sure you check out a glass or crystal award to make sure you are making the right selection.  Oftentimes the perceived value of a $150 crystal piece may significantly surpass that of a $100 acrylic award, so it may be a good idea to check them both out to see if the extra money is worth it.

Glass and Crystal Awards:

Glass and crystal awards have been around for a long time, but design innovations have made these a more popular recognition tool lately.  Because of the raw cost of the blanks and due to the processes needed to sandblast these awards, they are more expensive than the other corporate awards.  We have some glass awards below $75, but most of them are $125-plus.  We choose to incorporate the setup fees into the price of the award, so the price of one may vary significantly from 2 or more.  Some of competitors may display a lower per piece price, but charge a setup fee of $50-75.

I view these awards as very special.  The recipients of these awards have done something above and beyond the norm.  These should be viewed as heirloom-type awards that the recipient will be proud of and cherish for many years to come.  Examples of what we sell these for are: sales achievement milestones, retirements, president’s awards, high-end award ceremonies, B2B awards, etc.  If you want the best that the award industry offers, crystal awards would be my suggestion.

Plaques:

Plaques are the perennial staple in the awards business.  They have been around since the dawn of time and definitely have tons of applications.  We create plaques for just about any occasion you can think of, so I will dwell less on what a plaque is given for and concentrate more on pricing and styles.

We provide 2 different grades of plaques, economy and premium.

The economy plaques typically are a pressboard with a thin coating that makes the plaque look like wood, marble, etc.  The benefit of purchasing these is the low cost.  Depending on the size, the cost can be under $20 to around $50, including the engraving.  We sell 3 different styles of wood-grain economy plaques: black-edged walnut, walnut, and oak.  We also sell solid black and black marble economy plaques.  The wood plaques are more traditional while the black or black marble plaques are more contemporary.  The selection of these is personal preference as to what you like or what you think the recipient would like.

Premium plaques offer a step up in terms of quality and style.  They typically are made of a solid wood (such as walnut), or a solid wood with a stain and lacquer coating (gives a piano-finish look).  If your budget allows, I suggest spending the extra on a premium plaque.  The more prestigious look and longer life-span (won’t be totally ruined if you drop it on a corner) are two good reasons to spend the extra money.  We sell these plaques in the rough range of $50-100.  Traditional premium plaques are made out of walnut.  More contemporary plaques are black or rosewood.  The engraving plate that is screwed onto the wood also helps vary the style of the plaque.  My suggestion is to pick a plaque that meets your stylistic and budgetary needs and then let one of our experienced engravers make the engraving look incredible.

Clocks:

As a corporate award or gift, clocks are oftentimes overlooked.  I feel that the functionality that a clock provides is a powerful tool.  The obvious applications of a retirement or anniversary can overshadow some very creative corporate gift or recognition ideas.  Clocks can be given as sales incentives, retiring board members, past president’s gifts or for many other purposes.  If you are unsure of what you should give for an award or gift, there are many clock options to choose from.  We offer clocks made of different materials (brass, glass, wood, rosewood) as well as dividing them out by style (desk, mantle or wall).  Prices range from $40ish to $100+.  I feel that if you choose to give a clock as a corporate award or gift, that it is imperative to have the engraving message be a significant part of the award. The message that you say on the clock will be viewed often (almost as much as looking at the time).  If you take the time to think of the perfect saying, a clock may be the perfect fit for you.

Trophies:

Trophies also have a place in the corporate awards market.  The primary use for a trophy as a corporate award is around the Oscar theme.  The Oscar is widely viewed as the pinnacle of success.  I am certain you have seen the Academy Awards and know about how much it means to the recipient when they win an Oscar.  I think that is what drives the sales of our corporate trophies.  Even though the Oscar is highly protected from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, there are several styles that vary enough from real thing that we are able to sell them.  We offer some that are less than $10/each that enable companies to mass purchase them for a corporate event or sales incentive.  You can even take a step up to a small version with a round base ($15) or its larger counterpart ($23) .  We offer these as a symbol of success, not to compete or imitate the Oscar.  We do have one special trophy that very closely resembles the Oscar, and it is made by the same supplier (RS Owens).  We sell that for $275 (and I think it is worth it).

In addition to the Oscar-like trophies, there are also traditional cup style award that are very popular as well.  These are typically used for applications that a symbol of success is necessary, but the Oscar-theme doesn’t work.

Still needing help with your corporate awards selection?  Finally, we offer a catch-all category that includes a selection of marble awards.  We sandblast these awards and color fill them for a great finished look.

Hopefully this article has helped and given you guidance for your awards purchase.

Again, please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.

Thanks, Jeff