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Dale Salamacha

We Love Trading Services with Our Clients

I call it the “juice,” and it’s just one of countless reasons I love the sign industry.

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Dale has bartered for many things at home and the office, but a private plane trip to the Bahamas ranks right at the top. Dale has bartered for many things at home and the office, but a private plane trip to the Bahamas ranks right at the top.

Scan this code to watch “We Get to Work on Some Really Cool Projects,” an episode of the popular Media 1 Wrap This YouTube series.Scan this code to watch “We Get to Work on Some Really Cool Projects,” an episode of the popular Media 1 Wrap This YouTube series.

MY WIFE CHRISTY was driving me to a favorite lunch spot last weekend, her head-turning, fully-wrapped Mercedes AMG GT seamlessly weaving through traffic, windows down, shades on, hair blowing in the sunny Florida breeze … Out of nowhere, she looks over and says: “One nice thing about the sign business, you sure do know a lot of people!”

And I felt pride creeping up in my chest, because I knew what she meant. When we need anything, I can make it happen. And I mean pretty much anything! Can you build a 450-gallon L-shaped fish tank in our living room? Can you rip out our staircase and build a custom one? Can you line up a private jet? Do you really know the Backstreet Boys? Can you get my dad Super Bowl tickets? Things like that, you know.

All this got me thinking … No other business connects you to so many other types of businesses!

And you know why sign folks seem to know everyone: Because every business needs a sign! Or printing, or T-shirts, or wraps, or logo designs. All of them! As sign people, we deal with every single other business out there: plumbers, restaurants, home builders, sports teams, airports, liquor stores — the list is mind-boggling!

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So over the years, you make all these connections with every different trade, forging trust, friendships and loyalties, and there’s no limit to it!

If I’m lacking a certain connection, Christy routinely “puts things into the universe.” For example, she’ll ask, “Do you know a garage door company? No? OK, well, put it into the universe.” And unbelievable as it sounds, two months later we have new garage doors that we traded for a wrap. And it works. All. The. Time.

I call it “juice.” She calls me an idiot. But it’s a very big reason why I love this industry. Because we help so many other businesses, when you need something, they are there for you.

Rick and I trade a lot with our clients. When we moved into our new 30,000-sq.-ft. facility three years ago, we got eight new toilets and sinks. Logical Plumbing got two van wraps. We had four exterior office windows cut out of block and installed by a different company for another couple wraps — which, subsequently, got those companies more business. We’ve had concrete decks poured at our houses, private flights to the Bahamas, appliances delivered and more … (I’m still working on the Super Bowl tickets.)

But isn’t it such a great feeling to be able to help other people out by giving referrals to all these different businesses? Hooking this client up with that client, because you know they can help each other? And I don’t know of any other type of business with that juice.

So, through all our industry’s high stress, our deadlines, our sleepless nights and our greater-than-normal potential to make one mistake that completely ruins a project, make sure you take some time, maybe on your ride home from work, to appreciate and enjoy what we actually do for a living.

It’s hard to reflect when you’re beating your head against a wall. This absolutely is a crazy hard business. But if you don’t take the time to appreciate the really, really great things about it, you are missing the boat.

And I, for one, think it’s the best profession out there.

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