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well being this is a b.b. for signs people I just guess we all knew what I was asking about . Thier sign work, what ever it might be. How did you get your foot in the door did you go to them or did they come to you ??
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Hi there Glenn. I think the best way to acquire such impressive accounts is to start at the bottom rung, and start climbing. I don't know about the marketing situation in the USA regarding oil companys, but here in Canada, most of their purchase orders are issued from Regional offices that cover a particular area. Here, you start by doing your very best work for a few local dealers. From them, you get the name of their Regional manager, and you make your best pitch to that person, drawing attention to the good work that you've provided for his local dealers. He then may or may not decide to give you additional work, based upon your PERFORMANCE.
Bear in mind that you're gonna be up against some pretty heavy hitters, and these kinds of accounts can afford to pick and choose just who they'll do business with. They are MOST UNLIKLEY to give you any kind of work, without you having some kind of "track record", and it had better be an exemplary one. There is no magic shortcut to acquiring such accounts...you'll have to work very hard to EARN them. Also, consider that there are a host of salesmen out there for National sign companys who would give their left nut to land one of those accounts. That's what you are up against. This may not be the news you want to hear, but it is the way I see it.
I wish you the best of luck in landing such an account, and when you do, don't forget about all us.
-------------------- Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail: kjmlhenry@rogers.com
Why do I get all those on-line offers to sell me Viagara, when the only thing hardening is my arteries ? Posts: 2689 | From: London,Ontario, Canada | Registered: Feb 1999
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Mr. Henry has given you some very sage advice. I would heed it wisely. I believe most small shops are going to be ill-equipped to handle accounts of this magnitude.
I wish you lots of luck in your endeavor!
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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Be very careful in dealing with one of these companies in particular. Not calling any names! They will pull the rug out from under the little guy and think nothing of it. They have bankrupted more than one of their suppliers just because they could find it elsewhere cheaper. Mostly, from foriegn sweat shops.
-------------------- Frisby Signs, Inc. El Dorado, Arkansas Posts: 902 | From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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I do not have all of the specifics on this to share with you but...
There is a law that requires a (large)company that has begun a relationship with small company to remain in that relationship whether it is non performing or not to it's standards if the business given constitutes 75% of the small business owners gross volume.
In short...if you landed a large account...and they all of a sudden stop purchasing from you and it was 75% of your business, you could sue them..and by law they would be forced to continue doing business with you regardless of your performance.
I learned of this years ago when we were in negotiations with the citgo group(7-eleven) for a major project.
FYI
This is the primary reason you would have to diclose full financials to a company before they will do business with you. We just completed a package as national account supplier to Northrop Grumman....and if your financials are weak, they will not even consider you...that is why these folks go to large sign companies for products...not because they are better but they can afford to bump them!
Check it out!
[ August 23, 2002, 10:36 PM: Message edited by: Robert Beverly ]
-------------------- Robert Beverly Arlington, Texas Posts: 1033 | From: Arlington, Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Glenn, I think you will find that all the companies that you list here and many smaller than this have their own design depts, which handle 90% of their subsiderary work. Such a safety signs, specials, point of purchase, and even there large marques. Some better catches for smaller shops, would be newer and smaller franchises suchs a pizza chains, radio shacks, convenience store groups,etc....
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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Glenn..........I just recently started doing some work for the local Walmart. Apparently, each store has a person who deals with the community, whether it's for the local school wanting to have a car wash in the parking lot, or in my case, the store needed some signage. Nothing really big, mind you, but some smaller stuff for the automotive dept., parking lot signs, and some stickers. The lady I'm dealing with has said that there will be more of the same, plus she pays me cash and she gets reimbursed from Walmart. I'm sure all these large corporations need smaller stuff that the larger sign companies don't want to deal with.
-------------------- Mike"Spud"Kelly zipperhead design Westminster, MA Posts: 367 | From: Westminster, MA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Hi, Glenn, It's obviously a sign B.B., but if you look at the responses, you can see where I was trying to get at.......Robert, there is a statute that says they can't bump you but they can drop you, for any documented reason, lack of capital to perform is one, another in incompetancy, most contracts deal with that and they know how to use them, as long as it's documented. AS far as the "kind" of signage you want to do is another thing, Home Depot p.o.p. is done inhouse, while the large electrical, is subbed regoinally to large companies, Walamart has a marketing department that subs out part of it's p.o.p., its electrical used to be subbed out to one source, then shipped for install to a large company. Shell Oil probably uses branding and advertising companies to find companies to do thier work, electrical is usually done by one large company, p.o.p. is done by a few specialty shops, for printing, and screening. Then there are companies like the Hyatt, where you pay them to be a quilified contractor. I could go on and on.... These are sales driven, cut throat accounts, that need delivery on time, with penalty clauses incurred if you do not deliver, thay are usually attracted to larger electrical sign companies (100 employees plus) and must be insured up the wazoo. I agree with Ken 100% on how to go about it, but before I would do it, I would have a plan on how far I would go with it, otherwise you could be creating a monster, I have worked for them, and it is not very fun work, just a thought Rick
-------------------- Rick Chavez Hemet, CA Posts: 1540 | From: Hemet,CA U.S.A. | Registered: Jun 2001
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