You know the drill. A client comes to you and wants the latest and greatest branded merch for their Employee Appreciation event. So what do you do?

You open five tabs, search three supplier sites, cross-reference past orders in your spreadsheet, and still aren't sure if you're showing them the right products. Two hours later, you hit send, hoping it lands.

This tedious guesswork has always been the industry bottleneck. What if you could turn hours of search into minutes of selling backed by your data insights? 

See how you can use commonsku’s newest AI Recommendations tool (powered by Connected+ suppliers) to stop guessing and start growing. 

The Problem with Traditional Promo Product Search

As former distributors, we know what it’s like to feel frustrated with conflicting deadlines and demanding project turnarounds. So if you’re like us, you’ve probably dealt with the following:

Guesswork at every turn. You remember the client liked tumblers last year, but which style? What budget? Do they need eco or USA-made offerings specifically? Generic search results don't know your client's history, so you're building proposals from scratch every single time.

Time disappears into the search. Tab-toggling between supplier portals. Checking if that perfect notebook comes in navy. Confirming MOQs. What should take minutes stretches into hours, when that’s time you could spend actually selling.

Inconsistent results across your team. Your top rep finds great products instinctively... but newer team members? They're still learning which suppliers carry what. Every proposal reflects whoever built it, not what the client actually needs.

The cost? Slower proposals, more revisions, and deals that slip away while you're still hunting for the right products.

Introducing AI Recommendations & Connected+ Search

You just saw AI Recommendations instantly surface products based on that client’s order history and your product details. It’s a complete shift from guessing to client-aware discovery.

Imagine a world where you could move quickly from pitch to deal, because the tools you were working with actually learned from the clients you’ve worked with, and the products that made them happy.

commonsku's new AI Recommendations doesn't start with a blank search bar. It starts with what your client has actually bought before. Then, it layers in your project details (name, type, industry) to surface products that match their brand, budget, and purpose.

Here's how it works:

Client-Aware Discovery

The moment you search, AI Recommendations pull from that client's order history and your project context. No more generic results. Just on-target merch options that fit their preferences from day one.

Refine in Seconds

Use "View more" filters to narrow by supplier, currency, budget, or category. Open the Product Modal to confirm sizes, colors, and options, preventing mis-specs before they happen.

Add with One Click

Found the right products? Add them directly to Presentations, Estimates, or Sales Orders. No switching platforms, no extra steps, just faster proposals that land.

And because it's built on Connected+ suppliers with PromoStandards, you're searching for accurate, up-to-date product data across your entire supplier network.

Three Ways AI Recommendations Change the Game

Win More Pitches with Client-Aligned Ideas

AI surfaces products based on their actual purchase history, so every recommendation not only feels intentional but also lands every time.

Cut Proposal Time from Hours to Minutes

What used to take hours now takes minutes. Find products in seconds, confirm variants instantly, and move from idea to quote without breaking your flow.

Lock in Profit and Eliminate the Rework

The Product Modal shows you everything—sizes, colors, options—so you spec it right the first time. Fewer revisions mean faster closes and happier clients.

Real Results You Can Measure

Distributors using AI Recommendations can get:

• Faster, repeatable discovery across their entire sales team
• Higher proposal relevance leads to better conversion rates
• Less rework from misaligned product selections
• Consistent quality regardless of who's building the deck

Whether you're a solo distributor or managing a team, AI Recommendations standardizes your product discovery while learning what works for each client.

See It in Action

Curious how AI Recommendations could work for your promo business? Whether you're excited about AI or still skeptical, seeing it in action makes the difference.

Take a self-guided tour to explore at your own pace, or book a live demo where we'll show you exactly how AI Recommendations adapts to your clients and your workflow.

The bottom line: AI Recommendations turn "I think this might work" into "I know this will land!" Start with ideas your clients actually buy, refine with precision, and build proposals that close. All in the time it used to take to manually search for a product.

Ready to stop guessing and start selling?