Call Me. My Phone Number is on My Coffee Mug.

When I posed the question on LinkedIn, "You are giving a Ceramic Coffee Mug to both existing customers at a scheduled open house of your new offices and to prospective customers on your first sales call. Should you imprint you telephone number along with your logo?" I fully expected a rash of NO's but was instead surprised to find many replies answering in the affirmative.

Actually, the bulk of the answers were essentially,

 "Yes-it's advertising and you want them to reach you, so both your web address and phone number should be on there."

My answer is NO for the same reason that I wouldn't put a phone number on a logoed shirt or hat, a Banner promoting a company's sponsorship of an event or a golf ball, to name just a few (I agree with the website address).

Yes, they are all "advertising," but they are not all yellow page ads. Keep in mind that this is being given at an open house and is not a purely promotional item like a calendar that sticks on the computer monitor, a keyboard or a nail file.

Its purpose is to both thank existing customers and entice potential customers to evaluate your product or service further. Existing customers know your phone number and first timers are not likely to rush back to their office and dial your mug. They might use the web address from your mug to get more information about your company. Your web address says, "Find out more about us," while your phone number says Call Me - prematurely.

Branding is the steady process of building credibility for and recognition of your name, product or service over time. Every form of advertising (or contact with potential customers) need not end with a call to buy, buy, buy, or your audience will be inclined to go bye, bye, bye.

With today's internet I can find the phone number of my 5th grade teacher, who retired 20 years ago and moved three times. If your marketing efforts haven't incentivized your potential customer to find your business card or pull your phone number off your website, your real marketing shortfalls are beyond the failure to put your phone number on your coffee mugs.