WildWestDesigns
Active Member
What's the saying, "a voice for print and a face for radio?"
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Making Videos
- Thread starter Robert Armerding
- Start date
What's the saying, "a voice for print and a face for radio?"
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
Not for nothing but some of y'all here could use some business advice. Don't be so quick to knock him.
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Ray Miller Thank you for your reply and feedback. I respect your opinion.
You ask, "How does this new movie-maker role fit into sign making?"
I frequently look at sign shop websites. Many of them have very nice photos of various sign projects. Yet, very few tell the story behind that sign project. They just have the photo and nothing else. Then again, a few have short videos of signs being made, but in the video, there is only music. no explanation about what is going on. And then, once in a while, I do see a well-done video of a sign project. I felt it was helpful information and attractive marketing.
So, I decided that since I enjoy photography I would find a great teacher and learn the latest techniques.
I am at the point in my training where some fieldwork is appropriate. Fortunately for me, I have my instructor to support me and guide me.
We shall see.
RaymondLoewy
Pretty fly for a Sign Guy
Call me crazy, but I don't think teaching your customers how to make what they buy from you is the best business idea.
Ray Miller
Owner
Hi Robert.
So why is a sign maker wasting time doing something he's not good at? The story behind the scenes isn't really necessary in my opinion. People don't want to know what the font name is, what the colors are, how this machine works or how that press or welder turns on & off. People just don't care. They want to go to a website, get whatever information they can in less than 10 seconds or move onto the next website. The majority of these kinds of shoppers are tire kickers and on their phones. They're looking for the bottom dollar in almost all cases. It's not the old days of marvelous looking websites. People are in a hurry and this sounds like just nonsense to me If you have a company where you can dedicate a person to doing this maybe then.
As for attractive marketing.. only for those who can totally afford it and have time to waste (and money). Not some 1 or 2 person shop trying to make ends meet especially after all this pandemic crap
Good luck with your new found venture but I hardly see any value in it.
So why is a sign maker wasting time doing something he's not good at? The story behind the scenes isn't really necessary in my opinion. People don't want to know what the font name is, what the colors are, how this machine works or how that press or welder turns on & off. People just don't care. They want to go to a website, get whatever information they can in less than 10 seconds or move onto the next website. The majority of these kinds of shoppers are tire kickers and on their phones. They're looking for the bottom dollar in almost all cases. It's not the old days of marvelous looking websites. People are in a hurry and this sounds like just nonsense to me If you have a company where you can dedicate a person to doing this maybe then.
As for attractive marketing.. only for those who can totally afford it and have time to waste (and money). Not some 1 or 2 person shop trying to make ends meet especially after all this pandemic crap
Good luck with your new found venture but I hardly see any value in it.
I don't mean to be a kill-joy, but the sign business should be left to sign people and let them delegate their business as they see fit and can afford.
TomK
New Member
Robert Armerding pardon the direct question, but what is your professional background? I assume as a business/sign coach, you've built and sold or still operate successful sign businesses before and you want to share your years of building a successful business with others?
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
RaymondLoewy I believe that every sign has a story behind it. Yes, some of the stories are more interesting than others. I also know for certain that every sign maker has favorite signs that they love to make. They are very good at making them. They are able to make them better and faster than most.
Maybe you don't think that way at all.
I do think that way and I want to help those who do think that way to tell their story. What is that they enjoy about a particular sign project and even as important, why do their clients love the result?
To put it another way, bring in the human side, the emotional side. Every sign ever made has an emotional aspect.
The client has some important feels about the sign or they would never even go shopping for it.
That is the way I see it. That is what can be easily included in a conversational people-centered video.
And, you can totally disagree with me.
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Ray Miller Again, thank you for your willingness to reply. Let me ask you just one question. Do you have a certain type of sign that you really enjoy making?
GAC05
Quit buggin' me
Oh, you know they are......
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
TomK My "professional background" is quite broad and extensive. From retailing, marketing, advertising, manufacturing, transportation, being self-employed, having a small crew, and working for the largest companies in the world.
I started making signs back when all I had was a brush and a can of paint. That was more than four decades ago. I was an outside salesperson for a local mom-and-pop sign shop. I helped launch a nationwide sign shop. And then, I worked for more than 20 years at a sign supply warehouse, talking with many sign makers every day.
During all of that time, I happened to enjoy reading business books. Some of them really caught my attention and I began to think about how could this information help sign makers. Every once in a while, I would bring up the concept with a sign-maker, and often they would respond positively.
Right now, I have been able to develop quite a list of experts who are available to me. Today, if a sign maker began a conversation with me and expressed a challenge they are facing. I would make sure I fully understood and then begin to deliberately find a solution. That solution might come in many different ways. That is why I am very fond of taking small steps. It easy to see progress. It is easy to see where a slight change of direction might be better.
I bring a team of people who have only one intent, to help solve a challenge.
That is how I see it.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Can you describe what it means to "help launch" a national sign company?
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Jester1167
Premium Subscriber
Ok, you want us to make a video under your direction, you edit it, and get credit...
Why don't you make a video about this industry and what you have to offer? Turn that in for a grade, and If it does well it could be posted on here to show us your knowledge and skill. That sounds like a win-win for you and us. You get an assignment completed and we get to see what you know and what you can do for us.
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Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Texas_Signmaker A business acquaintance had several conversations with me about starting a sign company. He wanted to specialize in the kind of banners that are mounted on street light poles, the tall vertical banners. He asked me if I would help with the marketing. After several conversations, I talked it over with the mon and pop sign shop that I was working for and we all agreed to make the transition.
Within a few months, we had street light pole banners in many cities in many different states. The farthest away was Vermont.
That is the short answer. Ask more if you wish.
RaymondLoewy
Pretty fly for a Sign Guy
hmm most interesting? probably a toss up between car mags to keep the employees who spy on our delivery teams and happen to be black from having the the white's in the Houston area call the cops on them for working, OR a stupid 3 points of contact sticker I made for our fleet of KWs and 6 months after learned the dumb ass decals resulted in a 50% drop in injuries 6 months later from HR - but honestly, that is really boring pedestrian work. I don't know or want to know anyone who gets excited about that stuff unless they write my check.
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Jester1167 Thank you for your reply. I want you to know that I appreciate your feedback and interest.
Yes, "make a video about this industry and what you have to offer" is a potential tactic. My preference, at least for now, is to see if I could make a video for a sign maker, especially about the type of sign they really enjoy making. That is the type of video I would like to produce for many sign makers.
We shall see.
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
RaymondLoewy I have a question for you. Is there one particular type of sign project that does "excite" you?
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
What makes them a "National Sign Company?" Do they have multiple locations across the country?
RaymondLoewy
Pretty fly for a Sign Guy
I have been around too long and seen too much. One of our building maintenance guys down SW replaced a 10x20ft flex face with no experience and only minimal guidance from me and it saved us about $4k and will save more when we do the swaps ourselves in the future. The story of how large companys use or can use sign shops to cook their books is something else - very happy to not have that where I work anymore.
I think this video might bring a good grade for you, one of my friends in FDUB told me about it after he saw it and was interested in our craft work.
If you would like to use your pilot and sail boat licences to import product from South America for me; I would like to set up a dark net chat.
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Jester1167
Premium Subscriber
The most exciting signs come in several flavors for me:
Getting to see a design your really proud of come to life and seeing the look on the customer's face. I install other people's projects now, and I still enjoy this aspect of the industry.
A sign or project that pushes your boundaries, and you have to overcome obstacles by pre-planning and solving problems during production. You can hate these types of signs, but there is a sense of pride when they turn out how you envisioned them.
Another scenario is about the volume of projects; driving around town with a friend. "We made that; I installed that..." They hate it, but it's like marking your territory and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Same with a team on a huge fleet install and seeing all the cars or vans lined up at the end.
Getting to see a design your really proud of come to life and seeing the look on the customer's face. I install other people's projects now, and I still enjoy this aspect of the industry.
A sign or project that pushes your boundaries, and you have to overcome obstacles by pre-planning and solving problems during production. You can hate these types of signs, but there is a sense of pride when they turn out how you envisioned them.
Another scenario is about the volume of projects; driving around town with a friend. "We made that; I installed that..." They hate it, but it's like marking your territory and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Same with a team on a huge fleet install and seeing all the cars or vans lined up at the end.