Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Tessier.
Dan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in the promotional products business – my father and uncles owned a pen company that manufactured customized writing instruments for the advertising specialties industry. From as early as age 5 or 6 I used to help pack pens in gift boxes and do other small jobs.
During high school, mainly on school vacations, they let me work in the factory doing minor assembly and finishing work in the factory. When I graduated from college, I assisted the company in updating the database that is provided to online sellers with current product information. Once the business owners realized that this lengthy process had resulted in my memorizing their entire product line, the next logical step was for me to enter their sales force.
After a handful of years joyfully traveling locally and throughout the country educating distributors about the virtues of my family’s custom writing instruments, I decided to become a distributor myself and started my own advertising specialties business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There is no such thing as a smooth road in the advertising specialties business, but overall it has been an enjoyable journey. Because of the amount of travel that I’ve done working trade shows on both sides of the business as a supplier AND as a distributor, it’s very easy for me to know who makes exactly what a client is seeking.
The biggest struggles would probably be competing in such a large market and finding niches that allow me to hold an edge year after year in competition with the industry giants, especially on the internet. Another challenging aspect that I think all advertising specialties distributors and suppliers can attest to, is the consistent need to meet deadlines. We provide a ton of advertising specialties for events.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Ad Specialty Products provides promotional products, advertising specialties, and custom logo apparel to companies all over the United States.
We are most proud of the level of service that we provide, our artwork capabilities, and the clients that we have worked with over the years. Customer service is the first thing that sets us apart from other promotional products companies, as nearly every client speaks with me at some point in the sales and production process, even if it’s just a quick thank you phone call.
The internet sales side of our business is what I am personally the most proud of, because almost everything you see, from the websites that bring in sales, to the online promotion, to interviews like this, have all been handled by me. The website has brought in sales and leads from military contractors, the U.S. military themselves, exotic car manufacturers, Fortune 500 companies, and major restaurant and hotel chains.
To put it in a more basic way, it would have taken years longer to accumulate a client list like we’ve been lucky enough to maintain in such a fairly short time.
What were you like growing up?
I’ve always been creative with many interests. Since age 8, I’ve been a drummer and continue to play in many bands locally, and am almost always listening to music throughout the day. My dogs Parker and Molly are pretty much the mascots for the business, and we are completely inseparable. Anytime I have to travel somewhere I’m always scheming up ways to take them with me.
Aside from music, business, and dogs, I’m also a foodie and cook constantly, and would always prefer to try the one or two things on a menu that I don’t recognize unless a place is famous for their tacos.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.adspecialtyproducts.com
- Phone: 4014511874
- Email: sales@adspecialtyproducts.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adspecialtyproducts/
- Other: http://www.adspecialtyproductscatalog.com
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