posted
To continue Laura's thought provoking post about cost of meets. Barb/Steve remarks,along with others. Brings up GOOD points that have been addressed by Chip Carter in his "download" The same statements were made to me by my local sign supplier coupled with what I saw heard and learned at my FIRST meet in Belvidire. It is up to EACH and every one of us to put up QUALITY work for customers now and future to be seen. When the public can SEE the differance of YOUR work from (those other guys)they will beat a path to your door! Search you out to get one of those signs that the eye WANTS to read. Where as your price stucture will allow you to attend MORE meets,to learn MORE techniques to keep you one step ahead of your competition. Which will create the status of you being the competition to keep up with! To bring this rambling to a conclusion: We have not,because we ask not. Self improvment in design skills,business skills,and people skills far outway stagnation.
Letterhead meets that address THESE issues are needed more often in more places for the benifit of ALL!
Hope this helps Please respond for all the newbies and first time Live Letterhead Meet attendies
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
If you are not learning every day, you are stagnant and therefore, not ahead of the game. I cannot stress enough to beginners or even pros not associated with Letterheads or other learning sources that rubbing elbows with successful, talented people can only make you better.
Put an emphasis on high quality design and layout and even mediocre production skills can look decent because the layout as a whole looks nice. I have seen someone apply vinyl or hand letter a sign with great lettering, but have bad layout skills and the sign looks terrible. Then again I've seen lettering thats a little rough within a great layout and the sign looks great. People see the overall picture and great designs please the eye.
Go to as many meets as possible. Read the magazines and books. Look at everything well designed around you and try to see what makes it stand out from the norm, then try to make your work stand out from other shops. Have a sparkle in your eye when you are explaining to a client how you can make his sign special.
I sold a very nice sign job yesterday to a client who walked in and said "I've seen your work all over the area and I want something nice. When can you start? Do you need some money today?"
They are not all that easy, but it's getting better!
posted
Attending meets is just good for the soul. Even if you have to borrow the money, you will get it back. Transportation and lodging are probably the biggest expense. With door prizes, shirts, aprons and meals the meet includes a lot of the things you would pay for anyway. If your just starting and the money your bringing in isn't enough to allow you to get to a meet. Go to those meets that are closests to you. Car-pool, sleep in a tent or in your car. You may be too excited to sleep.
I guarantee from the knowledge and the enthusiasm to do better work, you will be equipped to earn more, so that in the future you can afford to show up at a meet in style. -- Bill
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2112 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
My twin brother, Brian, told me the other day...
"If you ain't growing, you're dying."
Seems to make sense to me.
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6464 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic