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For the first time in 25 years, I woke up this morning and didn't have a single sign to make. NADA, ZIP, ZILCH. I've bid on some projects, sent a few sketches, quoted some stuff, but nobody's pulled the trigger and given me a GO. I had a pretty good week last week, so hopefully the desperation wasn't evident when I went out today armed with some business cards and false bravado to start shaking the bushes for a few gigs.
I'm a little rusty at cold-calling because I've been in cruise control for years living in a large metropolitan area that's been booming and having developed some solid customers and a busy schedule based on word-of mouth advertising. I saw this coming a few months ago but still managed to stay busy enough - now the writing's on the wall - I've had to switch gears and get into hustle mode. Not a bad thing, but until now, unnecessary.
I spent a few hours today just walking into businesses and leaving a card or talking to owners. As I walked past the "No Soliciting" signs, I held my breath and hoped I wouldn't get the boot. Luckily, I have lots of signs around here that everyone has seen, so the credibility hurdle was not a problem. As it turned out, everyone was friendly, hopeful, and understanding as I soon came to realize that all of us are in the same boat. I think signs and marketing has taken on a new urgency for business owners, so some of the leads I developed today were very encouraging.
I have a few other ideas I'm considering, but just thought I'd start a post where some of us who are slower than usual might share some sign marketing ideas. That's what Letterville's all about, right?
As Peggy reminded me yesterday, God does everything for a reason, and she figures He gave me a few days off to get ready for Pontiac. I sure married a smart lady.......
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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We put a lot of work into our website since the first of the year, and that generates quite a few calls, but some of them are "quickie-sign" price shoppers. I am trying to make the most of the slow time by learning (and re-learning) different techniques to add to the arsenal. I'm trying to hand letter as much as I can, and tackling hand painted pinstriping for the first time ever (always wanted to learn and never had the time).
I figure you can't get blood from a turnip, but we would definitely like to be busier as well.
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Sonny...Your wife is absolutely correct. BUT get busy planning the trip to Pontiac and the phone WILL start ringing!!!
Better yet, start planning a real, "non-work related", vacation and you will have to cancel the vacation in order to keep up with the work!!!
Most self employed folks have experienced that on more than one occassion.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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Hey Sonny, Sounds real fimiliar here. I've done the same thing a few years ago. It kind of makes you feel like the shoe shine boy. "Hey buddy.....want a shine" I find it easier to sell an upgraded sign to some old customers. But, you have to design something up THEN take it in to them to show. You can't get enough money for it but if you make a little deal with them, They will order. Usually if there impressed with the drawing, they will buy it. good luck.....let us know...John
-------------------- John Arnott El Cajon CA 619 596-9989 signgraphics1@aol.com http://www.signgraphics1.com Posts: 1443 | From: El Cajon CA usa | Registered: Dec 1998
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I am with you Sonny, I had 27 calls today.. Every single one of the was a 800 number.
As much as we complain about Realtors, I am very thankful for them right now. At least they help me pay the bills.
By Thursday or Friday should be completely out of work. At least it will let me get some organizing and possibly work on some personal work I've been itching to do.
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Sean, I have a lady waiting on me to send her photos for my new website - maybe I can finally finish that up.
Dave, you're right - after I posted this I got a call from a client who wants a box truck and a van lettered - the week I'm in Pontiac, of course (but he's cool with the following week)
Jon, they say it's a lot easier to sell to an old customer than develop a new one.
Bill, that's the upside to being slow - you can get those other things done that you never have time for. One thing's for certain - I will NEVER be sitting around twiddling my thumbs.........
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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That is about as good an analogy as I have ever heard to describe cold calling!!!
I agree, that one's older customers are the best source of fresh business. Not necessarily a whole new look but just maybe some smaller additional work, or a touch-up of existing work that wouldn't fall into the realm of warantee.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
I had to do a lot of cold calling after moving to a new state three years ago. It was a very strange experience, a lot different than I expected. For one thing I don't think I have sold anything to businesses that look like they need a new sign or lettering on their vehicles. The only new customers I have gotten are ones who already had decent signage and logos but for whatever reason aren't using the company anymore that did their work before. A few of them are under new ownership and the new owners didn't seem to know who did the work before. Last week I called a couple of past customers and I actually drummed up a couple of projects. I did get one job by leaving a card on a brand new van I saw in a parking lot.
-------------------- Chuck Peterson Designs San Diego, CA Posts: 1050 | From: San Diego, CA USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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LMAO Sonny!! Nice to hear ya got a call about a job when you planned to be away!!!
Told ya, Told ya!!!
NOW...after you get back from Pontiac, and complete THAT job, and several others too, I am sure.
Make plans for a "real" vacation...
Imagine the jobs that will be waiting!!!!
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
I understand your frustration and concern Sonny. I haven't cold called in years myself. You get rusty when you don't have to do it on a reg basis.
Just when I was building up some confidence to get out there, things picked up. But I imagine just around the corner I'll be in that same position again.
To me, the biggest issue is debt. There's alot of coasting power when your overhead is low. My motto has always been save before you spend. Doing the opposite within the last year has me nervous without a doubt.
Generally, in a good economy, when things get slow, I'd talk myself out of worry and just learn something new or play on my own projects. But honestly, if you have debt looming in front of you, it's probably wiser to put some of that time into marketing or (choke!) getting a 2nd job.
If you have a few months coasting power behind you, I'd suggest to go to Pontiac and foregetaboutit. For now. But when you get back, pray you have an answering machine full of messages or it's time to get out there and make it happen.
Marketing ideas to share? Go for the security for backup. Target manufactures/clients that deal with city funds. My firetruck client builds trucks for local halls. Firetruck money comes from city budgets. Cities are indeed cutting down, but they won't completely stop buying emergency or necessary vehicles. Someone out in your area does all the police/emerg/search and rescue vehicles. It may as well be you. If you do that kinda work that is.
posted
Besides dusting off the old website, dreaming up a whole new look, & handing it off to a professional in hopes that it will play a part in my goal of the 2nd & third quarters of this year being good enough to pay down the debt incurred in the first 2 quarters...
...I am also exploring the blogging concept, in hopes of making a habit of updating the blog enough to evolve into an e-newsletter, or an RSS feed to encourage subscribers willing to "opt-in" to receiving email marketing materials from me.
The general concept in my mind is to become a recognized expert in my field, & to learn to craft regular installments of relevant content that creates interest, has value, carries my brand with it, & positions my company as a recognized expert in my field.
Instead of only sustaining a presence in the marketplace of someone "selling" stuff, I hope to build credibility as a capable & knowledgable provider of information related to graphic design, branding & visual communication. I think the more face time the company gets without an overt sales pitch attached to that time, the more receptive the subconscious minds of my target market will be to associating my company with the products & sercices I offer.
I don't know if I can do it yet, but that is my goal for the balance of 2009, to be putting this whole "permission marketing" concept to work & attempting to build my brand identity that way, by telling a story, & by recognizing the potential needs of my clients & making sure that my "story" focuses on addressing those needs, while cultivating that top of mind awareness.
Another brand new expenditure of my increased amount of time is creating my first database. As of now, I have a list of 1500 customers from the last 12 years. 75% came from my Quickbooks accounts, exported as an Excel file & imported into FileMaker Pro, and 25% came from my business card collection. Unfortunately, I've never stored my email contacts, so although I have a few years worth of old emails, I will have to open each one to collect those address's.
One of my plans for the database is to call 1000 existing (or past) clients & inform them of the new expansion, new equipment & new products. The short version of how I hope to do that is to simply promote my website, but i will also ask everyone if I can update my database with any other contact info. I expect many will be reluctant to provide email information.
My latest realization that helpme feel comfortable with this massive telemarketing prospect is that I can mail full color postcards to all of them first. Sure, some will be thrown away within seconds, & many more after a quick glance... but then my phone calls become a followup call, which feels to me more like I am not calling out of the blue.
I also hope to devise some sort of promotion that holds some incentive to visit my website. The postcard can offer this "sign up to win" sort of hook, & the phone call can build on that same concept! (although I'm not sure what this hook will end up being)
If it works, my database will expand to include several email address's, and those clients will have intentionally "opted-in". The hope is that I can retain some of these clients by keeping my mailings few and far between, but offering valuable information, & interest, & promotional offers. Of course I will lose many, but I will keep trying.
I also hope that some of the people who receive my cards or phone calls will have "been meaning to call" & will order on the spot! Hey, I can always hope, right?
By the way, did you guys know that you can submit a .csv database file full of 1000 client names and address info& for 50 cents each, you can have full color, full bleed artwork on the front & full color message on the back, PLUS the printed address info, and the bulk mail postage, done by the printer (like OvernightPrints.com... so $500 & 1000 cards get printed & sent without me printing address labels and applying them OR stamps!
The last thing I have going on so far is a Chamber of Commerce event 2 days after I return from Pontiac. I have secured exceptional catered food, home brewed beer & amazing top level entertainment WAAAYYY beyond what is typical for a small business event... and thanks to this over-the-top party planning, all built on nurturing the business relationships I already have, and promoting those service providers instead of myself at the event... instead of dragging out sample signs... I will make special signs FOR the event, and for the caterer, brewery, gelato chef, musician & bartenders, ALL of whom were, are &/or will be my clients. I will have decorations made with my printer & router, as well as door prizes made on the router, & will have a flash based slideshow of an extensive portfolio of my best work, showing behind the beer table...
and now, I'm going to market the event like crazy for the next 2 weeks, because the talent I have brought in should really start some buzz around this event & I expect it will be vastly more well attended as a result. I won't focus a lot on 'selling" at the event, but me, my company, my brand, & the entire look of my operation & samples should all be recognized as exceptional quality, not mediocrity, as will the food, beverages, desert, decorations and music!
I honestly believe this event will bring me some new work, and will do so more than once, and in some cases far into the future. I sure hope I'm right!
posted
I can think of three excellent ways to drum up work: 1-Get a "real" job....worked for me! I got so busy I had to quit. 2-Plan a vacation or go to a meet...you will get swamped with work 3-Get a website. That's been my #1 work-bringer-inner for the past year. Chin up Sonny! I have been there and it sucks. Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Start a room addition on your house. I started mine in September of 06 and work hasn't slowed down since. I hope to have the room addition half way by the end of this year(but first... I have to go to Pontiac )
-------------------- Don Hulsey Strokes by DON signs Utica, KY 270-275-9552 sbdsigns@aol.com
I've always been crazy... but it's kept me from going insane. Posts: 2275 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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Jill, re: your website, is it local work you do from it or from all over? Lots of shipping involved? Designwork?
Good point! And make that website highly linkable to search engines to boot. My silly little decorating blog gets hundreds of hits a day. It's highly searchable and I go to other blogs and join in on comments, which brings more interest my way. Now I have to figure out a market there...
posted
It's been a weird, frustrating year all around. I've had three potentially large projects "on hold" since February, for one reason or another. One of them called a few weeks ago to say they were finally sending a deposit, on a $4k job - then sent me $200, and a promise to "get you some more money in a week or so" which is what they said in January. They want the sign by August 1, and I have been telling them over and over, it will not be delivered til it's paid for in full. The other jobs are held up by permit issues, financing problems, etc. ad nauseum.
Don't get me wrong, I'm busy - sort of - but chasing the "real money" jobs has been like shoveling flies. I'm stoked to leave for Pontiac so I can just forget it all for a week.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Donna, mine is 98% local (mainly painted signs too!) but I also design for other Letterheads. Nothing fancy really, sometimes it's a basic layout. Furthest I've gone is 3 hours north. I say right on it if you are X amount from me, I will charge a site survey fee, and I manage to get it. I want to add wall words to it too, because if someone with a CriCut can do it, by God, so can I! hahaha
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Seems like several people here have the same things happen: When I get real slow, I plan a short trip or something family related, then start passing the word around- boom! the more people that know I'm gonna be gone a few days (or like Don, that I'm right in the middle of a major remodel project) the more work they throw at me!
-------------------- Michael Clanton Clanton Graphics/ Blackberry 19 Studio 1933 Blackberry Conway AR 72034 501-505-6794 clantongraphics@yahoo.com Posts: 1736 | From: Conway Arkansas | Registered: Oct 2001
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Sonny, Peggy is absolutely right. And you will be provided with work when you need it. Things have been really slow around here until this recently, now I have a back ache from cutting out 4 mdo signs yesterday! What I have decided to do is diversify. I found out recently that God has given me more talent than I realized. Now that my art and portraits are being recognized my sign work is picking up! Aren't folks funny? Get yourself some publicity!
-------------------- Kathy Joiner River Road Graphics 41628 River Road Ponchatoula, La.70454
Old enough to know better...Too young to resist. Posts: 1891 | From: Ponchatoula, LA | Registered: Nov 2000
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Hey Kathy, long time, no see. I coulda told you you had talent! Funny you mentioned the publicity angle. My next door neighbor saw my mural maquette last week and called the local paper - they came out this morning with a photographer and stayed about 2 hours. I tend to get pretty excited when I start talking Walldogs and Letterhead Meets, so I probably overwhelmed them. Anyway, maybe it'll turn into a gig, ya never know......
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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posted
I work for some 250+ new car stores and another hundred or so other clients who have big windows. In 20 years of doing this, I am amazed how many see my small name and phone number at the bottom of the sign and call. Still, nothing beats cold calling to generate bursts of new work.
Seems like everyone today, has a gate keeper. You walk into any business and are sent to the receptionist who makes it sound like the manager is always in a meeting in one of those back offices. Very frustrating dealing with someone who could care less what I am doing. Instead, I walk in and ask one of the sales staff or employees, who is the manager and act like I already know him or her. Sometimes I say, "Is Dave still your main manager?" "Naw. I never heard of Dave, It is Sam. He has been here for a couple of years." Not acting embarrassed, I come back with "Oh yeah, Sam. What is his last name, I think I know him from somewhere else." Then I have the name. I wander around and ask another salesman where Sam is and act like I am on the short list of Sam's buddies. Next thing I know, I am in Sam's office and explaining to him what I do. Avoid the receptionist at all costs.
Cold calling is an art in itself. Nothing beats a smile and telling the manager my name at first. A business card in exchange for one of his and to look at his card to see if his email address is there. If not, I ask him to give it. I tell him I will send him some ideas and he generally gives it out.
Then the hard part comes in: remembering to follow him up. I make out a sheet of info on the place and on the sheet, note the name of the photo file, stored in my computer. Every time I send him a piece of snail mail or an email, I add it to the page. After five times, I generally go see him again and he actually acts like we are old friends, amazingly. Sure there are those who are big shots and act like I am a nuisance, but I figure that is their problem. Funny how when the big shots really need a sign, they turn into the nicest people.
Another trick is to go see an old client and ask him how the sign worked out for him AND if he knows anyone else who might need one. They generally brag about how well it did, if they are happy with the work. "We had a 20% increase in walk in business and by the way, go see XYZ Co. They need one too."
Another trick is to send a personal snail mail letter with just my name in the return address area, looking like I could possibly be an attorney. Hand stamped and properly titled to Mr. or Mrs. Manager. I include a one page letter, a business card and a one page design of their store front with one of my signs photoshoped onto the windows. I have had guys keep these and call later, despite my sending emails or going in to see them.
Nothing beats cold calling. I walk in with a pen, a notebook of photos and a business card. Sometimes it takes calling on ten to twenty clists before the sale, but it always turns into more work. The worst part? Of course, it is the rejection and after three or four rejects, I take a break with a cup of coffee or call someone I have not talked to in a while, just to change my thinking. In 20 years, it is still the hardest part of making signs!
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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These are all really fantastic ideas. I have to say, things are REALLY tight here, in a town of 6,000 folks. The closing of a huge mill, two state parks on the chopping block waiting list and the list goes on. Afterall...I'm in bankrupt Schwarzen...ego land. People are holding onto their money for dear life. I am scraping to put together enough for my monthly bills...ever since December. I have to say...getting off my butt and doing some cold calling is definitely the hardest. Many of us have enjoyed the good life of lots of work and no cold calls necessary for so long. I know I have totally gotten out of the groove. My ego was inflated by the constant source of work. I have to remember that when I started in this county 23 years ago, there were 15 vacant storefronts in downtown. It was like a ghost town. I got out ther and met people, gave back to the community, went to every chamber mixer, kept my face out there where it could be seen, and...believe it or not, I was the first sign person to put a sign on my vehicle! So let's get out there folks. We are spoiled, getting older and not wanting to hustle so much. But guess what...it's a never ending story and we have to get used to the changing times. In a small community, I think one of the biggest things is giving back to the community in whatever way you can come up with. I know I have become a little complacent and need to get out there too. So let's be in Pontiac with love, positive thoughts, exchanging our wonderful ideas, sharing them here and giving back to our Letterhead/Dog community. That's why I love these meets. All the bonding, support and fresh ideas gives us our strength. I am counting on it more than ever right now and can't wait for a surge of new ideas and a boost to the ol' ego...for the effort that painting hard and long gives to us. Afterall...this is what gives us our edge. I think we need to focus on the fact that because of the techie generation, the whole world looks at advertising as branding. I love what Doug has to say (thank you Doug!) and there is so much more that we need to be up on to stay in the competitive edge. WOW! I have been reading like crazy on how to promote my business and how other businesses are promoting themselves. We are hardly allowed to be the little "sign shop" of yesteryear. We actually have to be with-it on a whole new level. I have some ideas that I have read about and guess this may have to wait a bit to explore. This is a really important thread that you have started Sonny. Thank you for being bold enough to bring it up.
Wow! I can't wait to see you again!
-------------------- Judy Grossman JG Signs & Designs 226 W. Jackson St. Sonora, CA 95370 Posts: 207 | From: Sonora, CA, USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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