Episode 339: How Design Thinking Drives Promo Sales with Tom Havens

Design in the promo business has changed.

No longer are simple logo slaps and "distributors as sourcing houses” enough to win in today’s climate: You need some serious design skills to match an ever-increasing audience taste. 

Tom Havens, one of the industry’s most experienced design pros, discusses the critical importance of design thinking in promo and particularly, how it amps the sales experience, we talk with Tom about: 

• How Business Development Starts with Design: Design strategy is much more than just creating mockups; it's a dynamic, strategic process that involves deeply understanding the client's brand, culture, and target audience.
  
  
• The Importance of Hiring a Senior-Level Designer: A common mistake is hiring junior designers and expecting them to handle all aspects of design. Instead, Tom reveals how to hire (design) right.
  
  
• In-House vs. Freelance Design: While outsourcing simple mockups can be cost-effective, having an in-house designer who intimately understands the client's brand for more complex design projects is how to win.
  
  
• The Value of Design Thinking: How the promotional products industry needs to move beyond transactional sourcing and wholeheartedly embrace design thinking to differentiate and provide greater value to clients.

Tom started his career as a commission-only salesperson in the Bay Area. Within 7 years, he reached the top 5 out of 100 salespeople and opened a new office in Seattle. After 12+ years in sales, Tom started his own distributorship and founded Catalyst Marketing, implementing a go-to-market strategy focused on creative and design. The company reached $25 million in revenue working with high-profile clients such as Nike, Starbucks, Nintendo, Southwest Airlines, T-Mobile, and Top Golf. Catalyst was acquired by HALO in 2017. Tom’s role was leading the creative department, growing the team from 14 to 30, training salespeople on how to utilize the creative team, and helping win numerous RFPs and large projects with Fortune 1000 companies. Tom has an incredible reputation in the industry as the consummate design pro, which you’ll see why.

We found out about Tom when commonsku customer and friend Shelley Stewart suggested we connect with Tom for a chat on the skucast, in 2024, Tom launched his new venture Havens Consulting with the goal of helping distributors and suppliers grow their sales.

Join us as we chat with Tom about this shift in the promotional products industry towards a more design-centric approach!


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