Consumables

Bill Withers once sang: “I want to spread the news that if it feels this good getting used. Oh, you just keep on using me until you use me up. Until you use me up."

What you don’t know is that this song was written by a Paper Clip and the Ink Cartridges. That’s not the name of a band. It's just a list of two types of consumable products...products that are designed to be “used up” quickly.

Consumables, also known as non-durable goods, are products whose usage effectively ends after one or just a series of usages. Think razor blades, pencils, toothbrushes, and printer toner. Think envelopes, batteries, and candles to set the mood (which never lasts long).

They’re not durable like cars, printers, and computers.

Put it this way: If you ever go to a conference, and people are handing out "schwag,” the things you’re tossing in your tote bag are almost always consumable products. No one actually wins the iPad contest when you put your business card in the fishbowl. That’s just a gimmick to get your business card. They throw away the card of anyone who is a sales person, and only keep people to whom they can sell their stupid software.

Don’t you want to do a demo for 30 minutes with Daryl from Topeka? But...here’s a free pen with a company logo on it.