Improved Holding for Sign CNCs and More Advice

“We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths.” — PHILIP JAMES BAILEY

TRAINING Training In and Out

1 David de Los Santos and D-Signs & Awnings (Allentown, PA) have partnered up with their local federal CareerLink to help younger adults with their career pathways. “They pay, we provide the training, it’s temporary 6-8 weeks,” de Los Santos says. Joe Allen of So Easy Signs (Middletown, OH) emphasizes cross-training in all facets of a job, from design to printer operation to sign production.

CUSTOMERS To Each Their Own

2 Provide customization options for size, shape, color and materials, suggests Bobby Jordan, Fastsigns of White Marsh-Joppa (Joppa, MD), so you can cater to your customers’ individual needs and stand out from the competition. “Additionally, consider offering personalized designs or the ability to incorporate company logos or branding, which can further attract customers seeking a unique and tailored signage solution,” Jordan says.

SALES All-in-One

3 Carey Gray of CAT Graphics Inc. (Great Falls, MT) leans on her sales crew to let customers learn about all of their product offerings: “If one of the customers wants a new pylon sign, I tell [the sales team] to mention business cards, window graphics, awnings, brochures, banners, vehicle graphics or magnetics, door hangers, sandwich boards, interior signs, etc.” If the customers are not aware of these services, they might go elsewhere. “The related sales can really be helpful in increasing the bottom line and we need to be their one-stop shop,” Gray notes.

INSTALLATION Efficiency Driver

4 Cody McElroy of Commercial Signs (Houma, LA) always talks installers through jobs before they leave the shop. “We try to give them tips if they run into trouble — that way, it doesn’t take them too long to figure out,” he says. Meanwhile, Bernard Giaraputo, L.S. Sign Co. (Ridgewood, NY), sends trucks to do service calls in certain counties, cities and boroughs on scheduled days of the week to increase efficiency and decrease waste. For more on efficiency, see page 44.

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

EQUIPMENT Mind the Tech

5 “To enhance vacuum suction on small parts of your CNC table, utilize vinyl backing material to cover the unused table areas. This method minimizes vacuum loss and boosts the overall grip,” says Michael Snow, Innovative Sign Systems (Vista, CA).

TRIBAL TACTICS Expanding Your Wardrobe

6 Tribalism has taken on a negative connotation in recent years, but it’s not an inherently bad impulse — join a CrossFit “tribe,” and you’re likely to see health benefits while also seeing your wardrobe expand. The power of tribes and the human urge to fit in haven’t gone unnoticed by marketers, who are more likely to refer to them as “affinity groups.” Such groups are composed of people who share an identity marker, notes Roy H. Williams, author of the Wizard of Ads trilogy. “Backpackers are an affinity group. Corvette drivers are an affinity group.” The secret is to be able to identify the tribes in your market, which Facebook and other social media channels have made easier than ever. Win over one member and soon the whole tribe may think more positively of the products and services you offer. “Marketing to affinity groups is a smart thing to do,” says Williams. Go search them out.

Tip Briefs

• AI continues to amaze me. I recently watched a video of someone using it to count objects in a photo and estimate measurements, which I thought might be useful to signshops. — Dennis Schaub, FastTrack Signs, Bellefontaine, OH
• Photos mid-fabrication are now routinely sent to clients to show work-in-progress and eliminate their impatience for installation. — Jeff Thomas, Crossroad Sign, Lynnwood, WA
• In sales, always listen more than you speak. — Jonathon Yasko, North American Signs, South Bend, IN
• Stop selling and start consulting. Clients want to purchase products from an industry expert who will maximize their visibility and be honest about a poorly provided design, which may not translate well to the sign world, or added expenses not necessary for their application. Do the next right thing! — Matt Robinson, Eastern Sign Tech, Burlington, NJ