Ross Silverstein, a 25-year veteran of the branded merchandise industry, has announced the establishment of the Association of Promotional Products Salespeople (APPS) – the only organization in promo that focuses exclusively on serving and supporting distributor salespeople.
- Silverstein is the founder and former CEO of iPROMOTEu – the No. 11 distributor in the PPAI 100.
- He retired in January 2024 after nearly a quarter century at the helm of the firm.
The stated mission of APPS is “to engage, educate and empower promotional products salespeople within a uniquely supportive professional community, and to provide its member salespeople with the knowledge, support and confidence they need to pursue and achieve their personal, professional and financial goals.”
“I have long considered salespeople to be an under-served and under-appreciated constituency within the promotional products industry, and this was always surprising to me given the incredibly important role salespeople play in our industry – arguably the most important role,” says Silverstein, founder and CEO of APPS.
Ross Silverstein
Founder & CEO, Association of Promotional Products Salespeople
“Salespeople constitute the largest group of individuals working in the promotional products industry and are responsible for the majority of promo sales.”
Foundational Objectives
In Silverstein’s view, the visibility, recognition and stature of salespeople must be elevated to a level that is commensurate with their significant role within, and immense contributions to, the promo industry.
APPS has three foundational objectives for supporting industry salespeople:
- Engagement – fostering engagement and meaningful community
- Education – providing knowledge and best practices for success
- Empowerment – instilling confidence to seize opportunities.
According to Silverstein, in addition to directly benefiting salespeople, APPS will also aid distributors, suppliers and the industry as a whole. While only salespeople who work for distributors are eligible for membership, there will be a separate “supporting member” category for suppliers, distributors and other industry entities that want to publicly show their support for industry salespeople.
