Not to Hit You with the Obvious Stick…

IN PAST COLUMNS, we’ve gone over how differentiating your signshop from its competitors is one solid way to be able to charge a higher price for your signs. We’ve discussed your “uniques,” a big picture (pardon the pun) concept involving the mission of your business. What are some smaller ways that your signshop can incrementally set itself apart from the rabid, subpar and lesser competitors constantly nipping at your heels?

Many of the suggestions I am making might appear to be obvious or even inconsequential, and if you think that because you are already doing them, try not to break your arm patting yourself on the back before you double check to make sure everyone at your company is doing them. As the saying goes: “Nothing is obvious to the uninformed.” If you haven’t considered these ideas before, you’re welcome.

• First, let’s consider communication. Is your team highly responsive to inquiries received over the phone, on your website, via email or even social media? Do you even have people checking all the various ways clients and prospects can reach out to you? If not, you might want to plug those gaps. Believe me when I tell you that customers are reaching out to you with a stopwatch in one hand and an open Google Review page in the other.
  And while we are on the topic of communication — quick sidebar here — as signshop owners, we are in the communications business; therefore we’d better be pretty friggin good at it. That means no typos in your emails and letters to clients, or in your printed marketing collateral, or, heaven forfend, your building signage. That also means using precise language, penning succinct, yet friendly missives, and following good rules of emailing (e.g., “respond all” when necessary to make sure you are keeping a string alive for everyone’s future reference, answer all questions put to you, etc.).
• How about friendliness and consistency in your email communications? Do you have a standard email signature for everyone at your company? Consider adding a graphic, slogan, picture or marketing message, all for free!
• Do you make it pleasant to do business with your signshop? Will people look forward to giving you projects? How about giving something to your clients when they pick up their jobs? A pen? A printed notepad? A food item? Some other branded giveaway? Let’s earn business in unconventional ways, all to set us apart from our competitors.
• Your customers are all individuals, do you treat them as such? Does your staff know their names? Know about their companies? Show respect and deference and appreciation? This is all free, folks; it just takes some attention and training on your part.
• Are you following up on delivered orders to make sure all went well with your clients’ projects? This again is free to do and will reap bountiful rewards. If something went wrong, you have a chance to correct or address it before everyone in your town reads about it on Yelp. If something went right, you have the opportunity to ask for permission to post the positive experience on your social media outlets or website.
• Community involvement is another great way to set your signshop above your competitors, with the additional benefits of actually doing some good and engaging your employees in an activity meaningful to them.

  If you are doing some of these suggestions, bully for you! But are you doing them ALL? You can consider charging a premium price because these are service experiences your clients are looking for. If not, what are you waiting for? Don’t make me come over there and personally hit you with the obvious stick!