Customer mix?

[jkdbjj]

Was wondering about the mix of customers people have.

Many threads I read indicate that a lot of sign companies deal with direct end user. Birthday party or someone wanting a magnet for their car or just something personal for a client.

Then there are those that work with corporations usually dealing with marketing departments and larger ongoing projects.

I’m sure some do little of both.

One question I have is, are you where you want to be? Meaning serving the clients you like to serve?

It’s interesting to me the differences in who we all serve.

 

[jkdbjj]

I’ll also throw out there, have you done something specific to end up with the clients you have or did it just happen that way?

 

[myront]

schools, several police and sheriff departments, airports, cities, military installations, colleges, marinas, shopping malls, housing developments, real estate, churches, construction co, restaurants, gas stations/convenience stores, lawn co, ....
List goes on and on

 

[Johnny Best]

Banks, lawyers, management companies who run large buildings and real estate companies.

 

[jkdbjj]

schools, several police and sheriff departments, airports, cities, military installations, colleges, marinas, shopping malls, housing developments, real estate, churches, construction co, restaurants, gas stations/convenience stores, lawn co, ....
List goes on and on

That’s a nice mix for sure.
I get the sense not everyone has such a mix. Maybe I’m wrong through.

I prefer dealing with marketing departments inside of companies. Projects seem more interesting and the point of contact knows the language we speak a little bit.

Whereas there’s much hand holding with consumers wanting something for themselves.

I suppose though some are happier with consumers and don’t like dealing with checking in to security before you can go to floor 30 to meet the marketing manager to see the wall in question. Etc...

 

[jkdbjj]

Banks, lawyers, management companies who run large buildings and real estate companies.

Johnny do you find you work with the super of the large buildings that knows where things are actually at or is it with a random manager requesting your services?

I’ve heard it’s always a good idea to get good with the building maintenance or super because they always fix and need signs.

 

[Johnny Best]

It's always good business to be friendly to the whole group running the buildings. Security for sure. Managers come and go quite often but the people who work in the office of the management seem to stay a lot longer. Building maintenance also has a high turn over except for large condos or apartment buildings because maintenance people make cash on side jobs from residents so they seem to stay longer.

 

[myront]

That’s a nice mix for sure.
marketing departments...knows the language we speak a little bit...

Hmmm, very little. Seems "marketing departments" are schooled in designing but don't have a clue about printing

p.s. I hate "prepress" marks and bleeds. If you knew our printing process you'd understand why

 

[Gino]

A bit of this and a tad of that and some of everything else.

 

[bannertime]

We've considered focusing on our, approximately, top 10% of customers and dropping the walk ins, but we've gotten some decent jobs off people "just passing by." Some of our highest paying customers have never even been to the store. Some only order at the counter.

Hmmm, very little. Seems "marketing departments" are schooled in designing but don't have a clue about printing

p.s. I hate "prepress" marks and bleeds. If you knew our printing process you'd understand why

I've got one company that has their marketing company send us files. They are the first time I've seen proper prepress marks. Ones that don't loose the perpendicular side after the first cut. They are the only files I get that I can send to print without hardly a single adjustment. The only issue is, they have no idea how to design for wide format or at a distance advertising.

 

[jkdbjj]

Hmmm, very little. Seems "marketing departments" are schooled in designing but don't have a clue about printing

p.s. I hate "prepress" marks and bleeds. If you knew our printing process you'd understand why

In my experience fortunately I’ve dealt mostly with marketing departments that order signage a lot. So often they’ll have measurements already (that I later check myself). They understand where’s it’s to be installed. Mostly they know a file need be only 100-150dpi at final size or vector sized correctly.
However I’ve certainly had occasions where I simply receive a file and have to drag the instructions from the person.

Just my experience though.

 

[vincesigns]

Avoid consumers focus on businesses that can provide repeat business and who appreciate the value of your work

 

[TimToad]

A good mix of everything, but with over 325 vineyards located in a 25 mile radius of us, our primary target market is winery signage and all the ancillary businesses that support the vineyards. Also, lots of contractor, civic, realtor and decal work.

We do a good amount of vehicle work, but others in the area have corrupted that market with underbidding and we refuse to race to the bottom, so we take what we get and don't pursue it heavily.

We're the only shop in the area with a UV-Flatbed printer, so we also do lots of political signs when in season, coroplast, PVC, DiBond, etc.

 

[bug]

Last 2 years im doing some different approach, no telephone, no walk ins door are closed, just mail, im 1 man show and was just speaking on tel. and opening closing doors and at night working,

now im getting get rid all of messy clients, luckly i got couple companies (hotel, production companies, marketing agencies,..)which are regular and i can afford to do this, they need, small stickers, business cards, leafleats, roll up, banners, brochures,...

now i got muuuuuch more free time, free mind,...and its little hard for me to understand this also more extra money, than before when i was jumping and working approx 15h per day

 

[rjssigns]

Lots of industrial labeling. If I had my way that is all I would do. Other than that its the usual things. Banners, window graphics, etc...or like Gino said. Got a call from a marina last week for boot stripes and transom lettering. Lots of work before they go back in the water.

 

[myront]

...boot stripes.

Hmmm.....can't just buy different color boot laces

 

[TheSnowman]

We've considered focusing on our, approximately, top 10% of customers and dropping the walk ins, but we've gotten some decent jobs off people "just passing by." Some of our highest paying customers have never even been to the store. Some only order at the counter.

I just recently (last 6 months or so) did this. I know that in a year, I'm going to be transitioning to a home shop instead of a storefront, so I wanted to try it and see how life was without walk-ins. All I can tell you this far in, is that I make the same money, and have way more time in my days. 95% of my work comes in via email, and the other 5% is via phone. Nearly everything in my life is "on the cloud" now, so I go into the office and print what I need to print in the mornings, then after lunch, I'll have my appointments, make deliveries, and do design/ordering/etc from my home office.

I've probably had 2 customers that were walk ins in the last year that wanted to order anything over $100. Most of it is people wanting "car stickers" or they are a high school kid that has a "business" and they want a page of "stickers" cut for them. I just honestly asked myself what kind of a lifestyle I wanted. I started delivering everything personally instead of sitting around the shop with all of the distractions waiting on them to come pick stuff up and tell me their life story, and then sending them an email via quickbooks that they could pay the bill online, so so far, I've only had to re-train about 3 customers, and now that they get my system, they were totally fine with it.

I know it's not for everyone, but it's truly changed my life. I can pretty much do whatever I need to do, when I need to do it, personal or business, you just schedule it accordingly. I honestly think I needed the last 12-13 years in a storefront to build up my customer base before "internet world" took over, but all of my good customers know my work, send me an email requesting something, I send them a proof, and drop it off to them...they never have to step foot in my shop.

I know a lot of people still like that face to face stuff, but the amount of people that wanted a $30 or less project (and thought my $75 minimum was ridiculous) just got out of control. Since it's just me an I have no employees, it obviously helps with that too. If I had someone I had to keep busy, I'd probably have to take anything that walked through the door, but it's sure been nice to choose the jobs I want, and not have to try to prove myself to someone that doesn't know me, and wants me to sell myself to them for a $35 job.