Dale’s Sign Sales 102

LAST MONTH WE went over some “sales principles” we run our company by (see ST December, page 35):

#1. Give them a great product. Period. There is nothing else. If you use substandard materials, cut corners on fabrication, and are the cheapest guy out there, this column isn’t for you.

#2. Brainstorm with your client because they want to be involved. This one gets a bit tricky. Don’t spend six hours helping to choose the exact gray that “looks the same in shade and full sun”… We’re not physicists, lady!

I’m talking about clients that want you to present a better idea or solution, even if it’s not what they envisioned — because it will make a better sign, wrap, whatever. They like being part of the process (sometimes). Weigh this one carefully for only your best clients.

For example, our oldest and largest client is finally letting us wrap their fleet of 48-ft. trailers. (Previous work were signs only.) They presented a design and I immediately replied, “Nope. I’m not doing that.” What do you mean, Dale? I said, “We can design something better.”

The Audacity! The Unmitigated Gall! And then we knocked their socks off with a design they fell in love with.

Let’s look at another principle:

#3. Your company has no competition.

People always ask who’s our competition. We reply, “We don’t have competition.” And this isn’t a new philosophy; we’ve been saying that for 40 years.

Rick and I are not here to compete against other sign companies!

Read that again. You think Media 1 can do allll the signs this planet needs? Hell no.

So we support, encourage and share lessons we’ve learned with other sign companies. Because we want them to succeed as well! Right along with us. ’Cause everyone reading this is helping create this industry. We are all responsible to expand this game as a viable career for our successors.

We’re not “giving away trade secrets” by writing about our good (and bad) experiences growing up as sign guys. We’re simply trying to help you on the way so we can all be proud of what we are building here on a national, even global scale.

But Dale, what about that new sign company that just opened down the street? They are in direct competition with me!

No, they are not. You cannot clutter your mind with worry over someone else’s company. Keep your vision on your company. That’s all you have time for.

If they do take a client from you, it could be for several reasons.

They are cheaper than you. So what? Let them have the clients only concerned with price. That’s not who you want anyway. You can also re-evaluate your profit margins, adjust if possible, shaving some costs you can pass along. But do not chase volume over profit. That never works.

If they take another client from you: They are better than you.

Then you better damn well do whatever it takes to become better yourself. But what if you can’t afford the latest, greatest tech?

Beg, borrow, steal to make it happen. Rick and I have done that every step of our career. It was never easy, but we always stayed in step as technology improved. If you don’t want to do that, then that other shop just stole your lunch money.

One more tidbit… Since there’s always going to be someone cheaper, and possibly someone better… then what? Only one answer comes to mind.

Our Top 10 Clients have held that title with us for decades — regardless if someone came along cheaper and/or better-equipped than us.

Know why they stayed? It’s because we gave them service. But that’s for next month…