5 Key Points to Consider when Choosing a Deal Toy Vendor

Beyond a simple thank you, deal toys remain a powerful tool for recognizing your team’s efforts and laying the foundation for a strong relationship with your clients.

In the financial sector, deal toys are seen as important symbols of accomplishment. Considered the Olympic medals of banking, they carry strong emotional value for their recipients. These commemorative pieces embody the passion, determination and grit that was invested in completing a deal. Beyond a simple thank you, deal toys remain a powerful tool for recognizing your team’s efforts and laying the foundation for a strong relationship with your clients.

Companies of all sizes participate in gifting, so it’s important to carefully choose who to work with when creating your symbolic award.

To help you navigate the waters, here are some criteria to guide your decision-making process.

Creativity

Deal toys should be unique to each financial transaction; they reflect the company’s personality, and can include fun inside jokes related to the deal. The variety and originality of the mock-ups you’ll receive will be important factors to consider when making your decision. Browsing a company’s gallery is also a great way to assess the quality of its work. Some galleries, like that of Altrum, are organized by industry so you can find relevant designs faster.

Response Time

The delay between requesting designs and receiving them is a good indicator of a company’s reliability. You should receive a notification that your request was received, as well as an estimated delivery time for your designs and quotes. On average, a delay of 2-4 days to receive brand-new concepts is very reasonable. It’s always beneficial, and sometimes necessary, to speak with an account representative over the phone when kicking off a project. That way, you can clarify your needs from the start.

Customization Options

Evaluate the manufacturer’s customization options:

• What types of materials can be used? Do they offer the basic five – lucite, crystal, wood, stone, and metal? Bonus points if they also offer premium technologies, such as 3D printing.
• To what degree can the text be customized? What about colors, or even personal objects? Some companies can even integrate your client’s original product into the design.
• What shapes are available? Is there a good variety of classic and custom designs?

Quality Control

An essential part of your due diligence is to inquire about the fabrication process. Does your potential partner have in-house manufacturing capabilities, or do they act as a middleman and outsource projects? It is preferable to choose a company with its own production facility, which will guarantee higher quality control, faster turnaround times, and access to new production techniques as they become available on the market.

References

Before committing to your next deal toy vendor, try gathering information online. Testimonials found on forums, colleague recommendations, and articles written by the company that demonstrate their expertise and the types of clients they work with, are all excellent ways to assess a company’s legitimacy.