What Do You Actually Do?

When your value isn't clear, price becomes the only thing left to compare.

Recently, I was speaking with a friend who, as it turns out, buys promotional products. As he knows I ply my trade in the industry, he was quite candid with his dissatisfaction with his current distributor. “They’re fine,” he said. “They get us what we ask for, pricing seems to be right, and the overall service seems to be decent. But, honestly, I don’t see much difference between them and anyone else.”

After hearing him out, the complaint got me thinking (as things often do) about how that last part is the real problem. Let’s face it, when your clients can’t tell the difference between you and everyone (anyone) else, you’ve lost before you even realize it.

This happens because, candidly, most promotional products distributors are terrible at communicating what it is they actually do.

I'm not referring to business mechanics like sourcing, timelines, or decoration management because almost everyone does those things well. What truly matters is what sets you apart to your clients.

If you head over to most distributor websites, you’ll see some variation of the same thing: “Your Partner in Promotional Products,” “Branded Merchandise Solutions,” or “Swag Specialists.” After that, you’ll see a search bar with hundreds of thousands of items, a few featured products, and, if you're lucky, a seasonal campaign. But, there’s zero clarity because there’s no clear indication of who they serve, no articulation of the problems they solve, and no compelling reason to choose them over any other distributor.

Honestly, it’s just a vague message that says, “We can slap your logo on anything.”

To be completely fair, that’s true, but it’s also completely undifferentiated. And, in a world where your clients can price-check you in seconds and have more options than ever before, undifferentiated is more than just dangerous; it’s irresponsible. Distributors who will survive are not the ones with the best online search engine or the fastest response times. The ones who will win are the ones who can clearly articulate the value they bring beyond the simple branded product.

Let’s face it, your clients don’t really understand what you do. They don’t see the strategy, the problem-solving, the coordination, or the countless decisions that go into getting it right. All they see is the final delivered project - and all they do is compare it to every other delivered project.

When that’s all your clients see, the only thing left to compare is price, which is exactly how you end up in a race to the bottom you never intended to enter. There’s only one thing that changes, and that is clarity:

Clarity about who you work with. Not “businesses” or “companies,” but specific types of organizations with specific needs like healthcare systems, universities, construction companies, tech firms, bars and restaurants, or finance companies. The point is that the more explicit you are, the easier it is for the right clients to recognize themselves in what you do.

Clarity about what problem you solve.  In other words, about what it is you actually solve beyond “we sell promotional products.” Instead, “we help hospitality companies communicate directly to their audience through branded merchandise that people actually keep, use, and remember.” That’s a VERY different conversation.

Clarity about how you work. Remember, the clients you want aren’t just buying products with a logo on it; they're buying confidence that you're the marketing expert who will guide, catch issues before they happen, and make the entire process as frictionless as possible.

This only comes from how you position yourself, not from a templated online catalog.

I’m not suggesting you need to overhaul your distributorship overnight, but if you’re constantly competing on price, attracting the wrong clients, or struggling to stand out, there’s a very strong chance that a lack of clarity is at the root of the problem. Positioning isn’t about hype; it’s about clearly showing your target audience who you are, what you do, and why it matters to them.

Most distributors skip this essential step, while those who master it don’t have to compete on the same terms as everyone else.

If your audience can’t clearly understand and explain what you do, they won’t be willing to pay for it.