Dimension Wood Signs...How To Make 'Em and Sell 'Em Part II

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You have, in short, a valuable service to offer to people who need it and you shouldn't be afraid to charge for your work accordingly. Pay yourself a decent wage for your time and talent and, chances are, you'll still be underbidding your plastic competition.

(Incidentally, I don't do plain painted signs because the field is highly competitive and the profit, therefore, too marginal. Yes, it is possible to go into the painted sign business with even less initial capital than that required by a dimensional wooden sign enterprise. And, yes, there's always a brisk demand for painted signs. But the profit just isn't there nor is the fun and challenge that's offered by the three dimensional work I do.)

PROMOTE THYSELF

Most of your first efforts in the dimensional sign trade will and should be directed at self promotion at establishing a reputation. Start by getting yourself known. Design an attractive business card and brochure and spread them around with a lavish hand. If you can afford it, you might even place an ad or two in the local newspaper or telephone directory.

Develop a built in radar for sensing when and where your best job prospects are likely to turn up. Once you've determined that an individual or business is or should be interested in your work, the timing of your sales effort is vital. Wait too long, and someone else will sell a sign (probably an ugly neon one) to "your" client. Move too early, and you run the risk of setting yourself up for months of torturous waiting. If you have to err one way or the other, of course, it's best by far to be premature, provided you don't pester the prospect to death with your efforts to make a sale and there's much to be said, too, for discretion.

It's a good idea, from the very first job you land, to photograph in color every sign you sell. Enlarge the best prints, encase them in clear plastic, and show them around. When you have enough good pictures, make them up into a portfolio by mounting them in the clear acetate pages of a display book (available from an office supply store). Such visual aids or small sample signs which show techniques of construction and finish will add a very professional dimension to your sales presentations.

BE THERE WHEN POTENTIAL CLIENTS NEED YOU

The most logical prospect for your service is the brand new business and it's just prior to the enterprise's Grand Opening that its proud owners are at the height of their optimism. Never again, in all probability, will you be able to approach them for so large a chunk of cash. Never again will they be so easy to sell.

This doesn't mean, of course, that you should attempt to oversell a small shop owner and load him down with a sign that's twice as big, elaborate, and expensive as he needs. Keep your suggested work in proportion to the size of the enterprise you're approaching. But do remember that your prospective client is generally the most receptive he'll ever be to your sales pitch just before he opens has new business' doors for the first time.

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