The Promo Pro: Matt Kirsh, senior account executive
The Distributor: Score Promotions (asi/321353), Toronto
The Client: A large bank with many branch locations
The Job: Save the client’s planned award ceremony after an in-person event was canceled because of COVID-19
The Order Value: $70,000

STEP 1

Hustle for That Big Opportunity
Matt Kirsh simply refuses to be out-hustled.

The promo sales pro prides himself on always being available for clients and for going the extra mile for them – or hundreds of miles, as was the case in winning this client.

Prospecting and working his network, Kirsh connected with a key decision-maker at a bank and requested an in-person meeting. The decision-maker, based in New Jersey, initially told Canada-based Kirsh that the meeting would probably be a waste of both of their times but Kirsh’s enthusiasm, conviction and willingness to fly down for the chance earned him the meet.

On a sweltering summer day, he arrived in Jersey, bought a cooler and a bunch of cold drinks, and showed up at the office with the refreshments to provide to the purchasing executive and others on her team. “At first they were just on their laptops, not really paying attention,” says Kirsh. “But as I demonstrated how Score is unique and the solutions we can provide to help them, they really started focusing.”

Ultimately, the meeting set the stage for Kirsh’s first order with the bank. The superb job he did on that and other orders – embodied by not only creative solutions but also top-class white-glove service – meant Kirsh was the partner the bank turned to when its award ceremony seemed dead in the water.

Matt Kirsh provided the bank client with this “award ceremony in a box,” which was shipped to end-user recipients.

STEP 2

Bring the Ceremony to Every Home
The ceremony was aimed at honoring key leaders within the bank’s organization, located in different areas around North America where the bank operates. Originally, the plan was to have an in-person event, but the pandemic pressures of the time made that impossible. Nonetheless, the bank still wanted to honor the executives and bring the ceremony to the recipients in their homes.

Kirsh and his creative team custom-created the perfect technology-driven solution: a ceremony in a video box. When recipients opened the box, green lights activated and shined down on a 15-inch glass award, which Kirsh of course provided. The teched-up box also played, on a seven-inch LED screen, a roughly five-minute video with a message from a bank leader to the recipients of the awards.

“It was like a simulation of them being on stage receiving their reward,” explains Kirsh, noting that a pop-up four-foot high replica of the award, made from corrugate, was also part of the package, along with a personalized note.

STEP 3

Kit and Fulfill Under Pressure
The concept was a hit with the client, but then Kirsh had to actually deliver. To do so, he sourced the product direct from an overseas factory partner that could provide quality at a highly competitive price. Even after the well-built products were with the distributor, Kirsh and his crew had to get everything kitted and shipped to 400 locations in just one’s week time.

“The ultimate challenge was executing that during the pandemic,” Kirsh explains. “Due to COVID, we were working with a skeleton fulfillment staff, who worked all night all week and who even brought in family to assist. When it was all out the door, we had a pizza party.”

STEP 4

Score More Sales
The video box and the physical award that came with it were a resounding success. Recipients took to social media to showcase what they’d received, lauding the bank for its creativity and raking up some 250,000 “hits”, according to Kirsh. Score, with Kirsh in the lead, had made the client look fantastic and pleased the end-users immensely – all big wins. What’s more, another financial industry client saw a social post about the boxes and connected with Kirsh, who then provided a similar solution for that institution – another lucrative campaign.

Speaking of lucrative: Kirsh continues to work with the original bank client on exciting projects.

“Responsiveness is huge,” he says. “They have a lot of needs and you have to respond fast with creative solutions and then come through. The hustle pays off.”