06 Mar What is the Most Stolen Item From All Businesses?

Out of the thousands of business types in the world, we all have at least 1 thing in common. We all have one product that is stolen more than any other from each of our businesses. This holds true from plumbers to retail stores to banks to restaurants and any other businesses who deal face to face with customers.  This Klepto-friendly item is a simple pen. How many times have on of your clients needed to sign a credit card receipt or work order and you handed them a pen and then they walked off with it. Then you don’t realize it until they are gone. It happens all the time and I’m sure that you even walked off with someone’s pen before. I know I have several times. I actually ended up with a really nice high dollar one time from “accidentally” walking off with it. No really it was accidental.

So, since this act of kleptomania happens so often, why would you buy blank pens from an office supply store for this? Why not buy promotional pens so that people are walking away with a marketing piece with your contact info? I have clients that have bought pens and those pens end up in some odd places all over town. I have seen some of my client’s pens at gas stations and restaurants even though they never gave any pens to them. But, likely an employee snagged a pen, brought it to work and left it there or a previous recipient signed their credit card slip and left their pen there. It’s cheap advertising. Your pens end up all over town with your business name and phone number. Pens are still the most used promotional product that you can buy.

I would warn you, though, to not buy pens that are too cheap. Buy a pen that has a good feel and writes well. If you do this, people will keep them. I get promotional pens given to me all the time and I’m quick to throw them away to reduce clutter if it is too cheap of a pen. I want a pen that works and not one that skips or one that is too lightweight or not one that even looks cheap.

If you have pens in your office supplies budget anyway, why not spend a little more money and get pens that work well and actually market your business. Promotional pens get around the block a few times and are a great inexpensive investment. By doing this, the money spent no longer is an expense, but it becomes an investment.