Becoming An Expert
A "Masters Degree" in Promotional Products
by Kay Kotan

A recent advertising for a college claimed that on average people with masters degrees earned $10,000 more per year than those without masters degrees.  So why don’t more people have them?  Well, I suppose the reasons would be things like people not having the time, money or desire to pursue them.  But what if the stakes were higher than an increase in salary of $10,000 per year?  Would more people be motivated to find the time, money or drive to get the degree?  My guess is a resounding yes!  If people could double or triple their income, my guess is people would be tearing down the doors to get into those programs!

There is no formal masters degree in promotional products.  However, we can all take a self-guided course if we are motivated enough to pursue it.  But, what am I referring to when I talk about a self-guided degree?  Simply stated, immerse yourself in your industry and more importantly in your niche market!  Become a sponge for all the information available in that niche.  Dedicate yourself to becoming a lifelong learner.  Technology is such a big part of our industry and things change, advances are made and new technology launches every day.  Keep in touch with the promotional products industry and your niche.  Read the trade magazines that correspond to your niche.  Know the movers and shakers in your chosen niche.

What are some other ways to earn a self-guided master degree?

• Instead of listening to the radio in the car, listen to training and motivational material
• While you’re walking on the tread mill, read the latest sales training book
• While waiting for an appointment at the doctor’s or dentist’s office read a trade magazine
• Instead of watching TV before falling asleep at night, pick up the latest book on marketing trends
• Surround yourself with successful, motivated people
• Make reading part of your everyday life instead of stockpiling books & magazines for “later” or trips.  Reading trade publications are part of your education to stay up to date with the promotional products industry as well as your chosen target market
• Budget a percentage of your profit each year for self improvement and professional development.  This budget could be used for training such as the training provided at industry tradeshows.  Those dollars would also be well spent for training and motivational classes to develop or improve skills needed to build your business.
• Hire a business coach.  Nothing propels someone forward more quickly or dynamically than working with a coach one-on-one.  This structured time dedicated to determining where you are with your business today and where you want it to be in the future will result in creating the steps in the gap between the two to move quickly and efficiently toward those goals.
• Join a mastermind group.  Meet regularly with a group of like-minded, successful people.  By sharing ideas, successes and bouncing ideas off each other, you will again make great strides in your business.  These strides will be a direct result of the camaraderie, brainstorming and accountability to the group.
• Attend industry shows both in the promotional products field as well as your chosen niche.  Be completing emerging yourself into these shows, you will gain insight, knowledge and be in touch with new products.

Remember the advertising claiming you will earn $10,000 more per year with a masters degree?  If you were to enroll in your own self-guided, on-going masters degree program, I have no doubt you can blow that figure out of the water by more than five or ten times.  Or even more!!

Why not enroll today?

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it:  Kay Kotan is a Coach, Author & Speaker serving the Promotional Products Industry.  Are you having trouble honing in on your target market?  Claim your FR*EE gift - a free special report detailing the hottest niches in the promotional products industry, go to her site at www.kaykotan.com/niches.html! Ask Kay a Promotional Product Distributor business question at  kay@kaykotan.com.

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