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How is business....
- Thread starter signs2trade
- Start date
Gino
Premium Subscriber
We’re always doing some form of marketing, but about four or so years ago, I noticed some changes and started actively going out after work that I wanted. I laid the ground work and a year or two later, it started paying off for us. We’ve found some really big clients and are doing more and more work for two of these companies including our normal customer base. Repeat work is the name of our game and doing it in large quantities is best. We’ve gotten some nice customers from here at 101 and to those… I thank you. 
I believe if you sit back and wait for the phone to ring, you’re only fooling yourself and probably not doing your company any good. Roller coaster rides, feast or famine or a highly polarized, inconsistent flow of a particular resource or commodity…. isn’t good enough unless you only mention it once or twice a year. However, if this is taking place on a normal basis throughout the year… AND year after year… you are doing something very wrong or just ignoring the fact that you’re not running a business and the business is running you. No wonder you don’t get away or have a separate home or family life….. you’re babysitting a business that isn’t working for you.
I also hear of the majority of shops being slow, locally as well as nationwide. I hear it from delivery drivers, vendors, and see it as a result of manufactures turning more and more stock into specialty items. If no one is buying, they in turn must ease back and we pay more for extra delivery costs, time frames and upset customers. As to the shops out of work or low on it…. I’m sorry to hear that, but I have no idea of how to fix their problems. If they can’t do it…. how can I help ?? Usually it means people are out shopping for price, service, quality or simply new avenues or sources. I had a guy come in last week and turn his whole account over to us without going after his business. He was totally unhappy with the service he got. Our prices were higher, but we got his work.
As long as the big deposit checks keep coming in on just about a bi-weekly basis and they keep paying on time… I’m happy. We are having our biggest year in business in 37 years. We passed last years numbers in August and last year was our biggest year to date.
Times are tough economically, but that doesn’t mean we have to buy into that crap. If you can’t get more business in, start cleaning house, do those things you’ve been putting off and start pounding the pavements in some form of advertising. Afterall, isn’t that what we all preach ??
I believe if you sit back and wait for the phone to ring, you’re only fooling yourself and probably not doing your company any good. Roller coaster rides, feast or famine or a highly polarized, inconsistent flow of a particular resource or commodity…. isn’t good enough unless you only mention it once or twice a year. However, if this is taking place on a normal basis throughout the year… AND year after year… you are doing something very wrong or just ignoring the fact that you’re not running a business and the business is running you. No wonder you don’t get away or have a separate home or family life….. you’re babysitting a business that isn’t working for you.
I also hear of the majority of shops being slow, locally as well as nationwide. I hear it from delivery drivers, vendors, and see it as a result of manufactures turning more and more stock into specialty items. If no one is buying, they in turn must ease back and we pay more for extra delivery costs, time frames and upset customers. As to the shops out of work or low on it…. I’m sorry to hear that, but I have no idea of how to fix their problems. If they can’t do it…. how can I help ?? Usually it means people are out shopping for price, service, quality or simply new avenues or sources. I had a guy come in last week and turn his whole account over to us without going after his business. He was totally unhappy with the service he got. Our prices were higher, but we got his work.
As long as the big deposit checks keep coming in on just about a bi-weekly basis and they keep paying on time… I’m happy. We are having our biggest year in business in 37 years. We passed last years numbers in August and last year was our biggest year to date.
Times are tough economically, but that doesn’t mean we have to buy into that crap. If you can’t get more business in, start cleaning house, do those things you’ve been putting off and start pounding the pavements in some form of advertising. Afterall, isn’t that what we all preach ??
Gino
Premium Subscriber
MachServTech
New Member
Go and tell her you give her $$ for every referral she sends to you. Or maybe a new sign for their place?
mark in tx
New Member
Local chamber of commerce grand opening ceremony?
Usually has good coverage if the chamber is worth a plug nickel.
Letterbox Mike
New Member
Seems like there should be some sort of legal action you could take against her for doing that, if in fact she's doing it knowing full well you didn't go out of business. And yeah, give her some flyers or a handout to give to people looking for you, and for every one you get back give her a couple bucks or something. That's alot cheaper than people thinking you folded.
speedmedia
New Member
Oh so dead. Hope to make it till spring '10.
Today was the worst, even worse than when the phone doesn't ring. A constant supply of price shoppers. There must have beed 5 calls or walk ins and everyone of them asked that is my best price. I am starting to get an attitude about it also. I can hear it in my response. One guy had the cahonas to ask if I would make his R.E. Riders for free.
Today was the worst, even worse than when the phone doesn't ring. A constant supply of price shoppers. There must have beed 5 calls or walk ins and everyone of them asked that is my best price. I am starting to get an attitude about it also. I can hear it in my response. One guy had the cahonas to ask if I would make his R.E. Riders for free.
weaselboogie
New Member
I talked with a guy today that wanted me to illustrate his children's book. I let him know what to expect as far as price and what I have received for other publications.
"Oh, I was hoping you'd do it for free"
He may or may not find a publisher to publish it, he doesn't know or understand the publishing process and hasn't invested the time to find out, yet has the gall to see if i'd invest weeks worth of my time on a story that he crapped out in an afternoon.
Not surprisingly, I get approached about every couple of months from people that think they have the next great book, but not a dime to invest.
Letterbox Mike
New Member
How do you even respond to that? Who in their right mind approaches a clearly established professional and asks for a significant job for free? I can't even wrap my mind around that.
weaselboogie
New Member
He was hoping that the lure of the royalties might entice me.... the royalties that may or may not come if he entertained the notion of giving publishing a try.... possibly.
The final clue of how 'determined' he was to do this was someone suggested, and which is his next step, is to approach a high school kid who is taking some art classes.
Techman
New Member
There is a way to talk to those types. Its actually easy. And you will turn a percentage of those into real customers..
4 P system and the PAS does it all the time.
Pivot
profile
praise
propose
The first question they ask is, How, much,, your answer is to pivot and hand that hot tater off back to him.
Then you profile his needs..
This where you get to the real pain. What is his need..
under the profile you have a subset of PAS.
Problem, agitate, solve.
You job is to make his problem so intense and unbearable that he has a hissy anxiety fit over it. Make him so he cannot sleep at night.
After you are done with the two steps and one subset then you make your trial sell.
If he is really upset and worried then you can offer any dam price you want. He will swallow it hook, line and sinker. When he says yes then you add on the old.. "plus install"
Its never "just" a simple little sign. If you allow it to get to that which is the commodity arena you lose and will take a beating from the low ballers.
The real art is not making a sign panel. The real art is getting a client to pay what you want. You must develop and use your plan to get him to buy or he will use his plan to get your stuff cheap.
OldPaint
New Member
wow......i was born there!!!!!!!!!!1945!!!!!!
MOSH, in all honesty it seems you dont need the money YOU COULD BE MAKING.
according to your equipment list, you got MONEY.........so all you do is spend it.
2 1100 pnc plotters, 3 540v Roland printers, Diamondback R Series textile printer (oversized flash and 10' dryer), 52" shear, 12' chicago brake, Ro-master vertical panel saw, Miller 250 welder (with aluminum spool), full wood and metal shops.
2001 1 ton chevy with 30' versalift bucket.
4-7 employees, depending on the time of year, and what mood I am in.
if i had all that .........$$$$$$$ i too could be the LOWBALLER.
legacyborn
New Member
Techman, can you elaborate on this a bit? Maybe some examples? Is this a personal system or did you pick it up somwhere? I am intrigued.
Sorry, I can't tell whether your pricing is right or not.... I haven't seen your books or your profit and loss account.
For all I know you might NEED three weeks work up your sleeve just to earn the same profit as a less price aggressive sign shop can generate in a week or less. Without the P&L figures no one can tell whether you are a savvy business owner or a busy fool.
