grampa dan
New Member
I often get asked just how it is we manage to sell the dimensional signs we do. The answer is simple. Build it and they will come.
People have to see what you can do before they will ask for it. I am a HUGE believer in investing in samples for our own showroom. Those who have visited our shop know how the walls are filled with lots of eye candy.
Building samples does take time. But the benefits outweigh the cost by far. The samples build out skills and also act as sales tools.
With a CNC router it is a simple matter to create a second, smaller copy of a sign. The key is to create it at the same time as the customer's version. Producing two copies of a sign is not as much work at producing them separately - especially if there is paint involved.
We always have at least one sample sign in production in our shop. It is worked on when we are waiting for other signs to dry, or when we are working with similar colors.
Sample signs sell. Our trade show booth features these samples. So often I have heard comments when people see them - Oh - You did that sign? They recognize our work and then associate us with that work. It creates sales.
Thirdly it sell work in our shop - and up sells in a big way.
A few weeks ago a fellow drove up our driveway. He was intrigued with the sign out on the road and he was curious about the things we did in our shop. I gave him the tour. His wife was a police officer and was taking a three day course locally at the training center. He was keeping busy. He owned a small meat cutting business from his home based business. They live about 300 miles distant.
He asked if he could bring his wife by and I agreed, but I was leaving for Atlantic City the next day. They had a social event on that evening. It didn't look like it was possible. But just after five that same day they came back down the driveway - with only a few minutes to spend. I postponed supper and gave them a tour once more.
The wife spotted a sample sign I had made back when we did a project almost five years ago. She loved it as did the fellow. They wanted a similar sign for themselves. This was that sign...
Over the last weeks I have worked up a design for their approval. They pulled the trigger on the project last night for a double sided sign of their own. Here's that design...
And the day before Christmas another customer took delivery of a sign also sold from that same old sample.
Here's that sign...
It's a new year. It's time to implement changes that will build our businesses. I encourage everyone to consider sign samples as one of those things. It works in Yarrow.
-grampa dan
People have to see what you can do before they will ask for it. I am a HUGE believer in investing in samples for our own showroom. Those who have visited our shop know how the walls are filled with lots of eye candy.
Building samples does take time. But the benefits outweigh the cost by far. The samples build out skills and also act as sales tools.
With a CNC router it is a simple matter to create a second, smaller copy of a sign. The key is to create it at the same time as the customer's version. Producing two copies of a sign is not as much work at producing them separately - especially if there is paint involved.
We always have at least one sample sign in production in our shop. It is worked on when we are waiting for other signs to dry, or when we are working with similar colors.
Sample signs sell. Our trade show booth features these samples. So often I have heard comments when people see them - Oh - You did that sign? They recognize our work and then associate us with that work. It creates sales.
Thirdly it sell work in our shop - and up sells in a big way.
A few weeks ago a fellow drove up our driveway. He was intrigued with the sign out on the road and he was curious about the things we did in our shop. I gave him the tour. His wife was a police officer and was taking a three day course locally at the training center. He was keeping busy. He owned a small meat cutting business from his home based business. They live about 300 miles distant.
He asked if he could bring his wife by and I agreed, but I was leaving for Atlantic City the next day. They had a social event on that evening. It didn't look like it was possible. But just after five that same day they came back down the driveway - with only a few minutes to spend. I postponed supper and gave them a tour once more.
The wife spotted a sample sign I had made back when we did a project almost five years ago. She loved it as did the fellow. They wanted a similar sign for themselves. This was that sign...
Over the last weeks I have worked up a design for their approval. They pulled the trigger on the project last night for a double sided sign of their own. Here's that design...
And the day before Christmas another customer took delivery of a sign also sold from that same old sample.
Here's that sign...
It's a new year. It's time to implement changes that will build our businesses. I encourage everyone to consider sign samples as one of those things. It works in Yarrow.
-grampa dan
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