I met Dan Kramer of Charles River Apparel a few years ago in Chicago. Dan is a rep who’s very down to earth and easy to work. He has come to client meetings with me and is always proactively selling. Dan is a real gem to work with! - Johanna Gottlieb, Axis Promotions

How did you get started in this industry?  I started on the distributor side, selling to fraternities and sororities in the evening at Northwestern. After about 6 months, I quit my day job and started in the business full-time.

What is the coolest project you ever worked on and why?  The coolest project I’ve worked on was an order for a private military academy and their bookstore. I sold them the rain jackets that were part of a uniform package. I had a chance to work as a volunteer in the store on registration day. I met kids and families who came to this military academy from all over the world. It opened my eyes to a world knew nothing about. 

What is the biggest takeaway from your experience in this industry? My biggest take away is, I’ve worked in several industries throughout my career. Although it’s tough at times and your friends and family usually don’t understand what we do, it’s a great way to make a living.

Describe a non-profit or a cause you are passionate about? A non-profit cause I’m passionate about is Cradles To Crayons. CRA is a sponsor, and I had a chance to participate in a backpack stuffing event in Chicago with a group of customers last summer. We filled 50,000 backpacks with school supplies for kids in need. With these supplies, the children can thrive at home and school. It’s a great feeling to know you’re directly helping children.

Tell us something within our industry you would like to change and why. I wish I could change the perception of our industry. I was a marketing major in college and promotional products weren’t mentioned or discussed. Often the products we sell are thought of as trinkets and trash. We need to do a better job of product and sales training, especially at the distributor level. This will help employees better understand the value of the products we sell and what that means to their customers. Having a clear value proposition at each level of the supply chain will also help educate the end-user and consumer and improve the perception of the industry. 

Tell us about one of the biggest professional mistakes you have ever made. Let us know how you fixed it and what you now do to prevent making the same mistake?  The biggest mistake I made professionally was not cold calling enough and making myself uncomfortable when I was a distributor sales rep. I got lazy and relied on referrals. I didn’t push myself to aggressively search for new contacts and accounts. I now push myself daily to reach out to new people and try and make new contacts.

How do you spend your time when you are not working? I spend my free time golfing. I also cook a little and enjoy spending a couple of hours in the kitchen on weekends.

What is something with your day-to-day job that you still struggle with, and what are you doing to overcome it? 

Something I struggle with daily is being too impatient. I’m eager to rush to the next meeting or call and miss or fail to write down details that are vital to understanding and completing projects fully.

Describe your best strength related to your career and tell us how that has helped you. I think I’m a pretty good listener. I’m generally a quiet person. I enjoy listening to customers and getting to know them. Our industry is made up of some incredibly interesting, creative people from diverse backgrounds. I love learning about them personally and professionally. It’s interesting to hear how people started in business or how they got to where they are now.

What are some of your long-term goals, and what are you doing to reach those goals? My long-term goals are simple. Because relationships are one of the most important things in life, my goals, personally and professionally are the same; I want to do a better job of developing and improving all the relationships in my life.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently, and how has it helped you either personally or professionally? The best book I’ve read recently is Red Notice. It’s the story of Bill Browder who brought the case of Sergei Magnitsky to the attention of Congress. Through that effort, the Magnitsky Act was created and passed into law. It’s a true story but reads like a novel.