Equipment Fuel, Specific Calls and More Tips for Signshop Success

ABOVE PHOTO: GABE GRIFFIN, CLEAR SIGN & DESIGN

“Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.” — Amelia Earhart

EQUIPMENT Pump It Up

1 Thomas Nance, Signarama Louisville Downtown (Louisville, KY), recommends running the engines for generators, snow blowers, augers and other gas-powered equipment briefly on a small amount of engineered fuel, such as TruFuel, prior to storage. This can help the equipment run more easily after sitting unused for a long time, he says, adding that ethanol-blended fuels should be avoided because ethanol reduces the long-term stability of pump gas and degrades fuel system components.

CUSTOMERS Better Questions

2 “Stop with the ‘just checking in’ or ‘let me know’ emails,” says Joe Allen of So Easy Signs (Middletown, OH). Instead, he suggests these word tracks: “Is this still a priority on your end? Should we move forward or pause for now? Happy to close the loop on this.” Across the state, Dennis Schaub of FastTrack Signs (Bellefontaine, OH) advises reaching out to past customers with a specific question rather than cold calls, such as, “I noticed your parking signs are fading. Want me to quote replacements?”

FABRICATION Shared Line

3 Matt Baker of Bakers’ Signs & Mfg. (Conroe, TX) suggests printing straight lines on your mounting patterns — a vertical center line and a straight horizontal line — to serve as reference for installers. In the Rockies, Brian Dudzinski of RiNo Sign Works (Denver) recommends taking the time to review proofs with both the sales and fabrication teams. “The more details that are discussed together, the less likely something will be overlooked,” he explains. “A mistake can cost far more than the time it takes to ensure accuracy and a shared understanding of the proof.”

EMPLOYEES Team Leadership

4 Deb Jerolymack, Houston Sign Co. (Houston), has started using virtual meetings for training along with an AI notetaker. “It’s been great for walking through processes and automatically creating training videos employees can go back to later,” she explains. Meanwhile, Cody McElroy, Commercial Signs (Houma, LA), advises getting to the office early and staying late, which shows your employees that you are working for them and not just for yourself.

MANAGEMENT Golden Number

5 Mark Forster, the author of Secrets of Productive People, says that five is the magic number for to-do lists, whereas longer lists might overwhelm and lead to unfinished work. He suggests writing only five tasks and completing them in order, adding another when one drops off. This forces prioritization and actual completion instead of task-hopping.

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

INTELLIGENCE COVER

6 Scripts are useful, but they will never cover every possibility that may arise — plus they can make you sound like a robot. A good salesperson not only needs to be able to wing it but also come across as authentic. And the secret to that is to give up on perfection, says Stanford Graduate School of Business’ Matt Abrahams on Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast. “When you stop chasing perfection, you’re more likely to communicate from a relaxed, intuitive place. That makes it so much more likely you’ll have an authentic connection with whoever you’re speaking to,” he says. Highlighted are the importance of staying present in the moment, maintaining curiosity, and listening actively to respond more naturally and effectively. He also advises reframing nervousness as excitement and trusting your instincts, which can help reduce anxiety and improve your ability to communicate clearly and confidently on the fly.

Tip Briefs

• Zlight Big Easy Sticks have been a huge time-saver for our service crews and are competitively priced. — Trevor Lavy, Vantage Signs, Troy, OH
• Don’t use subs you do not know for installs. — Rick Ream, Media 1 Wrap This, Sanford, FL
• Code! Code! Code! You would be surprised by the loopholes built into the code that allow you to maximize a client’s signage. — Wendy Allgood, FSG Signs, Austin, TX
• Keep extra stock of all the materials you use regularly. That way you are never delaying work waiting for a material order. — Peter Poanessa, Keene Signworx, Swanzey, NH
• Market to the individual: not your product/services but how you serve the customer. — Rick Ferraro, Spectrum Sign Systems, Blaine, MN