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Are you guys finding it harder and harder to actually talk to a customer?
- Thread starter gabagoo
- Start date
Its been my long time observation that being signmakers or just about any other trade would be a lot more fun without any pesky customers bugging us at all or acting like the same overworked, distracted, stressed people that most of us also are at times. These are high pressured times with lots of things getting in the way of keeping things simple. There also are huge layers of direct marketing, inside/outside sales and mass advertising strategies built on cold calling businesses of all types.
I never take it personally when I encounter a few hoops to get to a decision maker, but in the small town environment we now work in, its not nearly as hard getting through to people as other places. Even owners of multi-million dollar wineries who are our primary client target are hands on enough to want input on how their image is being broadcast via the signage we are creating for them.
The reality is that the customers are the juice that makes the whole thing go and what keeps the lights turned on. Without them, we have nobody to make signs for and no reason to even learn the craft or open the doors in the morning.
Adapt or die. Get increasingly media savvy and multiple platform capable or find yourself left behind the curve on many types of 21st century clients. Even many of our older, traditional sign customers are getting adept at using various media and forms of communications in their dealing s with businesses.
We use a combination approach of using email as much as possible for proofing, getting initial order details, questions asked and answered and live phone calls or in person meetings for clarifications, invoicing questions, placing orders with vendors, checking up on orders placed with vendors, etc. and in person meetings whenever it is warranted.
Having a paper trail on things is crucial to clearing up misunderstandings, disputes or illustrating changes to a layout.
I never take it personally when I encounter a few hoops to get to a decision maker, but in the small town environment we now work in, its not nearly as hard getting through to people as other places. Even owners of multi-million dollar wineries who are our primary client target are hands on enough to want input on how their image is being broadcast via the signage we are creating for them.
The reality is that the customers are the juice that makes the whole thing go and what keeps the lights turned on. Without them, we have nobody to make signs for and no reason to even learn the craft or open the doors in the morning.
Adapt or die. Get increasingly media savvy and multiple platform capable or find yourself left behind the curve on many types of 21st century clients. Even many of our older, traditional sign customers are getting adept at using various media and forms of communications in their dealing s with businesses.
We use a combination approach of using email as much as possible for proofing, getting initial order details, questions asked and answered and live phone calls or in person meetings for clarifications, invoicing questions, placing orders with vendors, checking up on orders placed with vendors, etc. and in person meetings whenever it is warranted.
Having a paper trail on things is crucial to clearing up misunderstandings, disputes or illustrating changes to a layout.
hcardwell93
New Member
I get around the No Solicitation sign by explaining that I am not there to sell anything, just to simply introduce myself to the person that would be responsible for purchasing signs in the future. I want to meet with that person so that they can put a face to a name should they need anything in the future. This pretty well disarms the gate keepers and gets me an in.
I get a dozen calls a week trying to sell credit card processing and promotional items and all sorts of other garbage that I do have a healthy respect for a potential clients time and don't want to come across as "hey mister, wanna buy a sign from me?!" Walking in and selling a personal relationship works well and can make for some really great clients and business.
equippaint
Active Member
I was in sales for about 12 years not including the calls I make now and have never had someone mention the no soliciting signs Id walk past much less been kicked out of an office. In my eyes this is for lazy sales reps, the ones that walk in selling you crap that you do not use, have no clue what kind of business you are in, the ones that ask what you're paying for stuff and they'll beat it and the ones that do not respect your time. You have to prepare for a sales call, know what they do and let them know quickly how you can offer them a solution with your product. Show them that you are a knowledgeable go to person that is on point and will not waste their time.
DerbyCitySignGuy
New Member
Heh.
Marlene
New Member
Ha Ha! Pretty funny. I finger spell as well as "speak" ASL.
Bigdawg
Just Me
You wouldn't get past our gatekeeper (me) or the boss - we simply don't have the time. Your best bet would be to call us and introduce yourself, at which time I would tell you we don't need a sales call, but you are welcome to email your information. I look at all of the info that comes in if I asked you to send it. It really tees me off when people ignore the "no soliciting" sign because they think it doesn't apply to them - and there are those that do. Surest way for me not to do business with you... for us that let's us know that you don't respect our requests (such as no soliciting).
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
If a salesman I hired was so easily put off by a sign or a "NO" he wouldn't be the right one for us! No means, not right now, try again. Instead of getting T'eed off just think about him not being a lazy salesman. Listen to their pitch and watch how they sell and use what you think is good to improve your own skills.
Bigdawg
Just Me
I'm not a salesperson, so no need to hone my skills. I respect those that think that's the way to go, but for me it means you don't respect our parameters. If I met with every sales person that comes in, I wouldn't get anything done. But I WILL look at an email if I asked you to send it because I can do that at my own convenience. And for the record, I'm usually very nice to them because I realize that it's their job to get in the door.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
Someone calls or comes to visit me with a sales pitch, I write the name down so I know who not to deal with when I'm in need of something.
Nothing disturbs me more then a cold call/visit. I'm far more inclined to be tolerant of an email, because I can deal with that on my own time. Call/visit is preventing me from handling my customers. Those calls/visit never happen at the best of times.
Gino
Premium Subscriber
Wow, you're kinda aggressive, but arrogant at the same time. We went from people don't wanna talk on the phone or e-mails to your people are pushing their way right in the door, especially when not welcomed. Like I said, face to face is the right way, but not if I don't have the time nor the energy.
I will answer cordially and give anyone 1 to 2 minutes. In that time, if they just hem and haw and don't have anything to say, they're outta here. I will usually say, give me your card and call me for an appointment. It's not that I'm important, but I wanna be ready for a call like a salesperson. If they can't respect that, I don't give 2 sh!ts who you are, you'll never be coming back and your boss will know about.
E-mails, I generally just sh!t can them, too. That is the lazy person's way of cold calling. I don't like it. It's the same as getting the old faxes and wasting my fax paper. Those now, come in directly to the computer and I just delete them.
I will answer cordially and give anyone 1 to 2 minutes. In that time, if they just hem and haw and don't have anything to say, they're outta here. I will usually say, give me your card and call me for an appointment. It's not that I'm important, but I wanna be ready for a call like a salesperson. If they can't respect that, I don't give 2 sh!ts who you are, you'll never be coming back and your boss will know about.
E-mails, I generally just sh!t can them, too. That is the lazy person's way of cold calling. I don't like it. It's the same as getting the old faxes and wasting my fax paper. Those now, come in directly to the computer and I just delete them.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Guess I'm more receptive to them because I have to do sales calls when I'm out and about or business is slow and I enjoy when people are nice to me. It's uncomfortable for me to walk into a new place "selling" signs and find that almost 10 out of 10 are nice to deal with.
I'm not receptive to the "Credit card rates" "Health Insurance" or "Business Credit" calls because I get them all the time. Even when I was at a retail location we got a salesman maybe once every one or two weeks...you must be at a very popular location!
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WildWestDesigns
Active Member
I'm nice while the sales person is here (if they are brief, if they are taking up way too much time, I'm polite, but the writing should be on the wall that they need to cut it short), just won't use the services.
And if the sales person thinks persistence is the key, no bueno for them.
Have to remember, if I'm listening to a sales pitch, nothing else is getting done. Which means, I'm not doing my work.
I can handle emails, posts on S101 during the brief windows of time that I have and no worries. Not the same with cold calls/visits.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Yea, good salesman will know when he or she is wasteing their OWN time selling to someone that can't or really won't buy. I only go in when I see a bad sign or one that's in disrepair, so that way I can actually provide something they could really need. I ignore the No Soliciting signs but I'm usually very brief when I walk in and if the potential customer wants to engage Ill stick around and work my charm. If they don't show interest I leave my card and postcard of products and leave.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
If one is trying to cultivate a vendor relationship with a customer, wouldn't be best to also be aware of the issue of time with the person that they are visiting? Not just if it's wasting their own time or not?
A sign person ignoring signage. Oh the irony.
See, if I saw that sign, I would have figured that it may not be the best to do a pop in, but maybe try another tact.
But then again, I am biased as I really, really do not like cold calls/visits. Doesn't matter if that person is offering exactly what I want or not.
Emails, I have no problem with. Now some on here might think that it's the lazy sales person, that would only be the case in my mind if that's the only way that they tried to drum up sales. Many different tools for many different customers. A good sales person in my mind would use the right tool for the situation.
Wow, all interesting points of views. Some thoughts (admittedly from an old guy):
1) Where have I been? I thought we were still blaming Bush for the ills of the world.
2) I prefer phone calls. I can get right to what my customer needs faster than exchanging emails. For example--"I need a wooden sign that rolls up" (i.e. they want a banner--they thought all signs were wood); conversely, "I need a banner that is really stiff for my building" (ended up with an ACM panel).
Or the classic response to my email where I sent multiple designs and asked them which they wanted me to produce and how many: "They look great!"
3) I should get used to texting, but I'm not doing that while driving, and I can type with 10 fingers faster than I can text with 2. Plus I don't want my clients to have my cell #, because they think I'm open for business 24 hrs/day (I'm not; if you are get me the name of your shrink).
4) Anyone been able to hire a person who doesn't spend every idle moment typing away on their cell?
5) The reason clients have no respect for your time is because they don't know how to place any value on their own time. Many of my friends will drive all over town shopping for groceries to save a few dollars. If you account for maintenance, gas, and your time you rarely come out ahead. I had a doctor come in on a Wed afternoon (he doesn't work then) asking about exam room number signs for his small office. Started with some handsome architectural units, ended up recommending bending pvc in an "L" and putting the number on it, then sticking it on the wall with tape. Still too expensive ($14 ea), he was going to look around.
Just bitchin'...
1) Where have I been? I thought we were still blaming Bush for the ills of the world.
2) I prefer phone calls. I can get right to what my customer needs faster than exchanging emails. For example--"I need a wooden sign that rolls up" (i.e. they want a banner--they thought all signs were wood); conversely, "I need a banner that is really stiff for my building" (ended up with an ACM panel).
Or the classic response to my email where I sent multiple designs and asked them which they wanted me to produce and how many: "They look great!"
3) I should get used to texting, but I'm not doing that while driving, and I can type with 10 fingers faster than I can text with 2. Plus I don't want my clients to have my cell #, because they think I'm open for business 24 hrs/day (I'm not; if you are get me the name of your shrink).
4) Anyone been able to hire a person who doesn't spend every idle moment typing away on their cell?
5) The reason clients have no respect for your time is because they don't know how to place any value on their own time. Many of my friends will drive all over town shopping for groceries to save a few dollars. If you account for maintenance, gas, and your time you rarely come out ahead. I had a doctor come in on a Wed afternoon (he doesn't work then) asking about exam room number signs for his small office. Started with some handsome architectural units, ended up recommending bending pvc in an "L" and putting the number on it, then sticking it on the wall with tape. Still too expensive ($14 ea), he was going to look around.
Just bitchin'...
