posted
i just posted a reply to Terry Baird's question about weither to "sign" a sign that you are sub-contracting to anther sign company....and it came to me the question that has haunted me for many years.(I have just in the last few years been signing my work).
Do you sign the front or the back of your sign.Do you sign your design, let say on a truck or van, next to the Design on the said truck. or do you put it out of the way and very small.
I have seen signs were the signature almost becomes part of the design. i always ask the customer if i can put my name on the back of a sign i did or in a small bottom corner of a vehicle. but never in or around the design of the sign.
i believe that word of mouth(a happy customer is always the best)is our best form of advertisement, and the portfiolio is the best sales tool. and especially our vans or trucks running around town or at an installation. Not piggy backed on a customers design.
i think that ego and pride can be a driving force in this line of work, but the ultimate goal is to make the customer look good and help "them" sell "there" product.(and of course turn a profit)I think it is important to remember who we work for!
i sence this could be a contrivertial topic so i will put on my flame suit ahead of time.
and of course as always this is an opinion and is subject to change.
chris
-------------------- "We have been making house calls since 1992"
Chris Lovelady Vital Signs
NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! Tallahassee, Florida Thomasville, Ga.
posted
Chris to me this is a no Brainer. Sign you're work, it's your sign. I sign my work with a little edge printed decal, I have never had a customer complain about this, ever. and I do hundreds of vehicles a year, not to mention signs.
I do use discretion, I don't sign my work for certain small jobs, like museum type of work, you have to be smart, but most of my work I do sign, it's good business.
I've even had Customers bring back their Vehicle and asked me to Sign their vehicle after I forgot to put My name on it, it's a fact!
[ March 01, 2003, 09:10 AM: Message edited by: Neil D. Butler ]
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I sign almost everything also. 3/16" lettering with my shop name and phone number. The majority of my work comes from referals or people who have seen my name on a sign they like.
I usually place it where it does not interfere with the design, but can be easily found if someone is looking for it.
-------------------- 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: 2317 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
I try to indiscreetly sign most of my work, I don't always remember. I always use a slightly lighter version of the background so it's barely visible from over 5ft or so. I rarely sign the basic production type work.
-------------------- Terry Baird Baird Signs 3484 West Lake Rd. Canandaigua, NY 14424 Posts: 790 | From: Canandaigua, New York | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I never sign my work. If a prospective customer is really interested in your work they will go out of there way to find you. This shows me they are serious. By having to track down the owner they can find out who you are and what you charge. If they are calling you after that or coming to see you then they are serious buyers, not tire kickers.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
posted
If it's original work , I sign it small, on the front, like others have said. A billboard or wall gets signed with my name and phone #, at lower right corner kind of small and discrete.If someone wants to get a hold of me, they can, if they look.........I think its important, because a lot of people these days are from out of town, so they don't know who to call, so if they see something they like, they can at least get your number.
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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in the past i never signed my work. but was incourage be a customer to put my name and number on his trucks. but being low key as possible.
i like the comments so far...but here is another question...how many customers stop get out of there car and go over to a sign and see if it was signed and if it had a number. i think that a phone call to the owner of the buiness to ask for a referal is the likely case! hence word of mouth. but for me ihave a new out look and do sign the vehicles i do...and in the most dicreat way.
bump....chris
-------------------- "We have been making house calls since 1992"
Chris Lovelady Vital Signs
NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! Tallahassee, Florida Thomasville, Ga.
posted
I think it is pretty much a judgement call.
I've had some cases where the work that I did ended up in a competitor's photo album.
If I do a standard banner, I'll put a sticker on the back. Often, the person I dealt with at a given business moves on and the person who takes his place doesn't know where the banner came from. I risk losing business if he calls someone else.
If its a vehicle, I normally don't tag it. Or, if its a really nice job, I'll ask for permission.
posted
This is just a response, not an opinion either way...
My father NEVER, EVER signed any of his sign work - except for stuff he swapped at Letterhead meets. All of his original Calligraphic work (that I have now) is signed very discreetly.
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3723 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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When signmaking was more of an art form, I would sign my " art" as any artist would, as my business grew more into a commercial sign shop, I thought that is was tacky to sign any sign or vehicle.
Customers pay good money for me to put "thier" name on substrates, not mine.
And..... If I have done my job well, they have just become my newest and greates free salesperson.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I agree that when signs used to be handlettered, I would always sign them. I don't sign all that many anymore. I do 'sign' all designs however.
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
Signing your work is just another part of creating your "brand name". If you don't sell YOUR name AS WELL as your customer's, well it's going to be a tough road.
Nobody's gonna go up to a sign to see if the sign company signed it, but if the customer knows there's a tag somewhere, they can at least check it to refer other people.
What if you don't sign your work and someone asks your customer where they got their sign, and the customer has no clue because they forgot? or like Glenn mentioned, they have a new monkey that's handling the job now?
The signature can be as discrete as you can physically make it, but in my case I sell a product to the general public, selling my own image, so most of my work has an easily visible logo on it somewhere. Those jobs that it wouldnt work right because of the size or just the nature of the job, I supply a separate decal in a matching color.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Man! Are you guys missing out on a lot of Business possibilities, not unless they have a different direction where you are located. When you buy a new car, is the Dealers name on there? I bet it's right on the back next to the Name plate. I suppose it would be different if it was Painted on, but even when I hand lettered my jobs, I always signed my work, without ever ever a complaint in my 25 years in the Biz. People who see a nice job almost always start to look to see a signature, to see who did it. And to answer the question if it brings in more work... ABSOLUTELY!
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Ok I want to know how many people here have bought a new car from reading a sticker on the back of a car they saw, or from a good referal from a close freind that had a good experience.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I see your point Bob. But a sign or truck lettering is more of a visual thing. If someone see's a piece of work they like and see's your name signed on it, then they know right away who to go to.
A car is a car. It's not like one Chevy dealer has anything that another Chevy dealer doesn't. So their tag is just straight advertising for them. It's not like they are signing it because it's something they are proud of.
posted
I see your point as well Terry, I guess it's a draw, I might give it some thought this year since I pulled my Yellow page ad and decided to do more concentrated advertising.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I don't think the point is whether someone bought a car as a direct result of seeing the dealer's sticker. Spaced repetition is one of the most powerful behavior modifications ever used in sales. After seeing the logo over and over again day after day, month after month the viewer developes a percieved value. I don't use it to the extent that I should probably, but there's no doubting the power of Brand recognition.
-------------------- Terry Baird Baird Signs 3484 West Lake Rd. Canandaigua, NY 14424 Posts: 790 | From: Canandaigua, New York | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I sign all of the nice things I do. The run of the mill stuff goes without. But this is a small town...people can usually tell who did the signwork by the style. I have never had a problem signing my signature on any sign...I think it is expected.
-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1002 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
Just an observation. Whenever a see a sign or window splash or pinstripe that makes me move in close for inspection, I normally find a signature, sometimes with a phone #. When I finish something that I think is really nice, I sign it. With knock outs, the majority of what I do, I don't sign, but have been considering some type of stamp.
posted
I often have people ask me if I'm going to sign it before I've even done the job, especially vehicles. And I've seen then act put out if I didn't do it.
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
When it comes to vehicles, I'm more of an impulse buyer.. go out to dinner with dad, come home with a brand new truck.. not that I was actually thinking about buying a truck, it just kinda followed me home.
I've seen the signature working for me.. I get all kinds of customers that say they saw my logo on some car, truck, jetski, etc at a show or race they attended, and since my logo is just a website URL (a unique URL at that) they knew how to get a hold of me.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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