Bright and Early


Virgil Winston:
Marketing Guru

I have been battling insomnia for years, which accounts for my encyclopedic knowledge of the plethora of ‘must have’ items sold on late night television, my expansive vocabulary (I often read the dictionary when sleep eludes me), and my renowned morning grumpiness. I am not a morning person. Sunlight streaming through the curtains feels like shards of glass piercing my retinas, the sound of birds chirping is akin to finger nails on a chalkboard and when my feet hit the cold floor, it sends an artic chill up my spine that can only be cured by a giant steaming cup o’ joe. So when I was asked to speak at a pharmaceutical sales meeting at the unearthly hour of 7AM, I was a bit, shall we say, hesitant. I am usually deep in slumber at that hour so the thought of standing on a stage in a chilly ballroom speaking to 800 type-A sales reps was rather unsettling. But when I found out my youngest was going to need braces and my daughter’s impending college scholarship wasn’t going to cover living expenses, I decided to let my good business sense win over my desire for more shut eye and accepted the gig.

Let’s face it, money talks—and sometimes you have to have the conversation at 7AM. It’s just the way it goes. Unfortunately the conversation with money can get ugly—especially in a dodgy economy. Companies are cutting back and oftentimes those of us in the marketing game find ourselves on a budget. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a small fortune to get your message across. Rush Imprint offers a multitude of promotional items that are low in price but deliver in a big way. There is no need to let a limited budget limit your creativity and you certainly don’t want to pull back when it comes to pushing your brand. The lesson is simple: when money talks, listen but don’t let it talk you out of promoting your business.

Well, I’m off to prepare my keynote for the “early show.” Remember, “money isn’t everything but it helps pay the rent…and your kid’s braces.” Now get out there and put your name on it!