Leave behinds are low-cost items that you give to customers to promote your brand following service calls or that you give away during home shows and other events. Oftentimes, plumbers stumble with leave behinds because they select things they might like instead of what the customer values. Here are 17 great leave behinds that will build brand recall with consumers.

What makes a good leave behind item? It should be inexpensive, if possible. It should provide a place to present the brand, phone number and/or website. It should be used frequently enough that it provides lots of brand impressions.

Obviously, any give away items must appear to the customer. First, define who the customer is.  Who calls you for service, a man or a woman? Who is waiting on your plumber, a man or a woman?  Most of the time the answer is a woman calls for service and waits for the plumber to arrive. Women value different things than men. The way to identify what women value is to ask them. Show the women in the company this list and see what they choose. Ask what they might select that’s not on this list. 

No. 1: Pot scraper

Pot scrapers are small rectangular tools made from plastic or nylon that can be used to scrape food residue from a pizza stone, cast iron pan and so on.

No. 2: Jar opener

Men overlook the desirability of a simple rubber jar opener for women. Most men rarely need to use a jar opener. Women, however, tend to have less hand strength and smaller hands. To women a jar opener is valued and used.

No. 3: Bottle opener

Bottle openers have universal appeal. Both men and women like them. It seems there are never enough bottle openers around the house. Buy bottle openers with magnets and there’s a good chance it will earn a place on a refrigerator.

No. 4: Chip clips

Another leave behind that everyone likes, everyone uses, and nobody has enough of is chip clips. If you are going to leave behind chip clips, spend a little more and get the heavy duty variety that will last.

No. 5: Notepad 

One of the simplest, but always valued items is the simple notepad. Everyone uses them. They are inexpensive. Plus, you can include a coupon at the top or bottom of the notepad. Sure, it means you are giving a few dollars off of a service call for a return customer, but you are increasing the odds you will retain the customer. You are also improving the chances of the customer making a referral to a friend or neighbor. The referring customer can simply tear off a sheet from the notepad and give the friend a discount.

One enterprising contractor in the Service Roundtable gave grocery bags away and ran a promotion with a radio station that he would buy the groceries in the bag if he caught you using it in a local grocery store.

No. 6: Grocery store list

A variation on the notepad is a padded grocery store list where the consumer can check off the items needed. Put a magnet on the back of the pad and it will likely reside on a refrigerator.  

No. 7: Gel pen

What goes well with a shopping list or note pad? Pens, of course. Pens are another low-cost item with universal appeal. If you give away pens, give ones that people will want to use, like the smooth flowing gel pens. The Service Roundtable’s Jim Hinshaw likes to make a great show of presenting people with pens, which he calls “personal, retractable thought collecting devices.” He says they are no slip, rubber grip and metal clip. Moreover, he guarantees them for life. Why not?

No. 8: Permanent marker

Another item that people can never have enough of, is the permanent marker. The Sharpie brand is especially popular. Since they can be ordered in different colors, pick a color that matches one of your company colors.

No. 9: Shopping bag

In places where people bring their own shopping bag to the grocery store, shopping bags can be useful leave behind items. One enterprising contractor in the Service Roundtable gave them away and ran a promotion with a radio station that he would buy the groceries in the bag if he caught you using it in a local grocery store.

No. 10: Hot sauce

Hot sauce is another item that appeals to both men and women. There are several companies who will private label bottles of hot sauce. The label offers you the opportunity to promote your brand, a list of all of the products and services you offer, reasons to do business with you, and more.

No. 11: Seed Packets

Just as you can private label packets of seeds. These include flowers, vegetables, herbs and so on. As with hot sauce, the seed package gives you plenty of room to get creative.

While they cost more than most of the items on this list, small umbrellas are another item that can carry your brand. When they are in use, your brand can be large and visible to anyone who sees the umbrella.

No. 12: Lip Balm

While some men like it and others do not, lip balm seems to broadly appeal to women. This can also be private labeled. Moreover, it is often possible to find lip balm that matches your company colors.

No. 13: Emery Board

Few men would think of leaving behind emery boards. Women can’t seem to get enough of them. They keep them in purses, cars, office desks, drawers. Moreover, they are cheap.

No. 14: Tissue Pack

Women use tissues more than men. Most women carry small packs of tissues in their purses. These can also be private labeled and are inexpensive.

No. 15: Compact mirror

Most ad specialty companies will put your brand on affordable compact mirrors. Some come with a small rubber hair brush.  

No. 16: Small umbrella

While they cost more than most of the items on this list, small umbrellas are another item that can carry your brand. When they are in use, your brand can be large and visible to anyone who sees the umbrella.

No. 17: Refrigerator magnet

Finally, there is the ubiquitous refrigerator magnet. Most plumbers never think beyond the white truck magnet. Use a different shape. To get refrigerator real estate, make the magnet useful with local emergency numbers, heat index charts, wind chill charts, a place to write a mobile number for a babysitter and so on. Make the magnet heavy enough that it can actually hold a piece of construction paper with a child’s artwork on it.