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I've finally after 7 years leased a shop. Been busy trying to get everything ready. I'm working on the display area next. I have a pretty good area for it. The questions is what do you display, the basic stuff and a few extreme things? Only extreme things? Or just basic stuff? Different materials? Tell me about it.
-------------------- Greg Sellers Posts: 207 | From: McCalla, Alabama, USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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Taking a hint from the Quickie Stickie shops might help you. I have noticed that for their"basic" signs you get a minumal number of letter styles """ """ " """"""" """""" "" colors to choose from """ """ " """"""" """""" "" types and sizes of substrates. ANYTHING ELSE is considered "Custom" and charged accordingly. Company policy of 50% down and Art fees are good to have up. Three(3) tier pricing of same sign,would help them make up thier minds. Show as much QUALITY(high end)work as possible Hope this helps
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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My opinion may be a little different than others.
Have photographs of your very best work. Some enlarged and mounted, some just on a bulletin board, but all nicely arranged. Do some samples of the type of work you excell at and have them in high visibility spots.
In my opinion you shouldn't have samples of everything, but just the type of work you really like to do and those things in which you want to specialize. So often I have heard other signmen complain about how they don't like to do banners (or some other thing) but they have samples of banners on their wall and photos of banners in their portfolio.
Don't exhibit photos of every job you ever did. Choose only those you would like to do over again, or at least some more similiar to it.
Since I don't want to do magnetics, real estate signs, T-shirts, banners, screen printing, or a whole bunch of other stuff, you won't see it all the walls. Of course, if they want a set of magnetic signs I will do them, but just not take a picture and post it.
I would also oppose any display that listed all the fonts you have, the different colors of vinyl available, or what a 6" letter looks like. Or any display of all the substrates available. Those are under the counter and may be brought out to enhance a sale, but they are not on display. Since what I have to sell is design, that is what is placed on display.
A lot of folks disagree with me on these points. And they run successful businesses, so I guess it is just a matter of personal opinion.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Just set up a new shop,myself...I left myself a fair amount of showroom space and have started my "display" area to show primarily samples of the type of work I want to attract. I don't show fonts (although I have a gorgeous,4'x6' panel with an airbrushed muscle man guy pictured chiselling the word "fonts" out of stone, all framed and showing about 50 or so different styles...save it for my dream loft, I guess.)I try not to show colors.Customers always assume the "designer" role when they see these. I do try to show as a diverse collection as possible of different kind of signs.I have some that are flat painted,(or vinyl) some plywood with appliques,and cedar signs.These are "SALES" tools.They help direct the customer to what they'd like and what they can afford.By having the different types I can usually upsell,because they can see for themselves the different possibilities. The signs themselves draw people into the store as they pass by.They are also placed with props to help with the display..fish net near a nautical type sign etc.I've built sections of fencing, 4x4 posts with signs mounted and real/fake plants around as if it were landscaped. I also make decals,banners etc but do not display these things as customers usually just ask if thats what they are looking for.I don't think my display causes me to loose that kind of work,but I know displaying the higher end stuff brings the people. I'm making a "what's new" board showing recent projects and newspaper articles,pictures of older work gets tranferred from this board to the portfolio.
-------------------- Shirley Carron Black Sheep Designs 184 John St. N. Arnprior,On.,Canada shirleyc@magma.ca 613-623-7053 Posts: 503 | From: Arnprior, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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Just some thoughts I had while pondering what ever happened to Harry Lumley...
I am with you on this one, Raymond. We have actual examples instead of photographs but the idea is the same. We have 18 examples of carved and/or sandblasted signs. Some have goldleaf and some are just painted.
We feel that a great impression is important. We like to showcase the stuff we want to do. We also have the portfolios available at the counter for easy access to show other types of stuff we do.
Have a great one!
-------------------- 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
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I think your on the money Raymond. It's not the material your looking at it's what's on it. Thats what needs to be displayed.
To often customers will trying to decide what material might best suite their job and & pick colors & fonts and can often ruin a sign design before it even gets started.
Display what you want to sell but also try to have a range of signs displayed (IE nice custom shaped A-frame, An actual vehicle door painted or vinyled up reaL good. A little carving a dab of blasting add some gold leaf. If you do electrics or chanel letters. Not to crazy, or you might overwhelm the average customer with to many choices. Good Luck With It.
-------------------- Eric Roche Douglasville, GA
"Someday I'm gonna get a real job, HEE HEE" Posts: 97 | From: Douglasville, GA | Registered: Feb 2001
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Most clients will stand at your counter and stare with drool running into their collar and just point at something, "I want that!" Make sure what they can point at is something you love to do!!!!
One kewl thing about display is that you can design the way it all works together. Having things "point" and keeping a nice flow of your examples without overwhelming the clients is good. But realize also, that you will be looking at this a great deal too! Don't be afraid to be goal-oriented if you can, with the way you display your wares. That last line may not make sense right now, at some point it will, hehehe!
Congratulations on your new shop! I can suggest dancing in a celebratory fashion when you put all the pieces together!
May you build more than you can dream!
PS - You CAN take pics of what you are thinking of displaying and a pic of your wall. Then you can move em around and study how it will look in several ways. It's a feng shui thing, balance is good.
[ March 12, 2002, 06:23 AM: Message edited by: Linda Silver Eagle ]
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