Question How to make a sale?

[Pski89]

OK, super silly, and obvious, but.. Seriously, how does everyone get started in this business.. i have machines, tables, materials, everything, but no customers, What is a method to getting customers?

I feel like, is just walking into a business and asking them if they need any signs or decals for their windows/door even effective, or get dismissed due to "soliciting."

any thoughts?

 

[Fred Weiss]

1. New business licenses are public information. Make up a mailing piece and get the names and addresses from the your local licensing office. You should get a small amount of responses which can be turned into sales with a prompt appointment to go over their needs. The most important thing here is to be invited in.

2. Find a new business in an existing center and cold call them. When you get a sale, do an exceptional job. This often results in inquiries from other businesses in the same center. Again, a key element is to do something to generate inquiries from new, prospective customers.

 

[James Burke]

Become friends with people who know people....Bankers, Realtors, Merchants, Administrators, Sales people, etc....

But beware. Never (I repeat, never) use a relationship with the ultimate goal of making a sale.

Understand that it takes time to establish yourself and gain momentum. In his book "Good to Great", Jim Collins about a giant flywheel that gets started with one small push.

That's your job...do what you can each day to give it a bit more momentum.

JB

 

[James Burke]

OK, super silly, and obvious, but.. Seriously, how does everyone get started in this business.. i have machines, tables, materials, everything, but no customers, What is a method to getting customers?

I feel like, is just walking into a business and asking them if they need any signs or decals for their windows/door even effective, or get dismissed due to "soliciting."

any thoughts?

This may sound crazy, but I love to do "in-person" cold calls. I abhor the words "sales pitch". As a former teacher, all my presentations are purely education / informing, and sometimes begin with a conversation totally unrelated to the matter at hand.

With that said, I refuse to be a beggar. I don't usually "throw a hook", and I strongly value my time. If they're not ready to make a decision, I move on and give them time. I'm not high-pressure in any way, shape or form. More times than not, the client usually asks for a second look, and eventually make the decision to purchase.


JB

 

[Saturn]

If you haven't already, get your Google Business page squared away and fleshed out a little bit. At a minimum it's the modern day Yellow Pages. This way if someone just searches for "Anytown Signs", you're almost guaranteed to show up, and if you get a couple positive reviews, you're leagues ahead of a lot of your local competitors.

I hate Facebook, but Instagram is a great way to "cold call" local businesses with the minimal possible effort... Almost all small businesses have at least the tiniest presence on it, and everyone loves to get "likes" and "follows", whether they admit it or not, so you definitely can get on a lot of peoples radar fast with just a few positive comments. I get a lot of mileage with this for stickers, but even simple decal window signage should work depending on the size of your local client base.

Other than that, it's just time, and always picking up the phone.... ;p

 

[gnubler]

When you get a sale, do an exceptional job. This often results in inquiries from other businesses in the same center. Again, a key element is to do something to generate inquiries from new, prospective customers.

Word of mouth has been my main method of growth. More and more I keep picking up new customers/orders when I'm out doing an installation. People see what you're doing and will generally approach you with their needs, no cold calling required.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Pound the pavement. Realize that people's time is valuable and respect it. The #1 rule in sales is never try to sell on your first go around, just introduce yourself, give them some info and leave. People are more willing to talk on the second or third time you come when they know you will cut to the chase and leave. Also, research the business before you go in, nothing is more annoying than someone coming in the door to sell something and then asking you what you do. The first thing that pops in my head is that if you don't know what I actually do, then you have nothing that will benefit me and are just here wasting my time.

 

[Johnny Best]

I remember starting out when young and did some free signs for a couple businesses that had some signs that needed new upgrades. The word of mouth took off.
In the competition of things You have to put a better product out. Customer need a reason to hire you and better design beats out cheaper signs.
Good luck.

 

[netsol]

Saturn,
When you say google business is the modern equivilent of the yellow pages, you mean over priced advertising that almost never brings in enough business to cover it's cost?

Sorry, we were just discussing how the yellow pages was great,if you were selling it. Not so much if you were paying for it

In those years, we were in the New Brunswick, nj area (Rutgers, Johnson & Johnson) but only really made out because we also advertised in the north jersey business to business and the Princeton, nj books

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

When I started, my wife and I hit the pavement and knocked doors... we immediately got rewarded from that and to this day it never fails.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Saturn,
When you say google business is the modern equivilent of the yellow pages, you mean over priced advertising that almost never brings in enough business to cover it's cost?

Sorry, we were just discussing how the yellow pages was great,if you were selling it. Not so much if you were paying for it

In those years, we were in the New Brunswick, nj area (Rutgers, Johnson & Johnson) but only really made out because we also advertised in the north jersey business to business and the Princeton, nj books

The ads always paid off for me... I stopped them in 2010 when I knew Google had taken over.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Google ads will drain your bank just as fast as you let them. Personally, I think it is all a sham.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I remember starting out when young and did some free signs for a couple businesses that had some signs that needed new upgrades. The word of mouth took off.
In the competition of things You have to put a better product out. Customer need a reason to hire you and better design beats out cheaper signs.
Good luck.

I have done freebies and still do. Throw someone some hard hat stickers or whatever on some wasted print area. Those little things go a long way.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

This may sound crazy, but I love to do "in-person" cold calls. I abhor the words "sales pitch". As a former teacher, all my presentations are purely education / informing, and sometimes begin with a conversation totally unrelated to the matter at hand.

With that said, I refuse to be a beggar. I don't usually "throw a hook", and I strongly value my time. If they're not ready to make a decision, I move on and give them time. I'm not high-pressure in any way, shape or form. More times than not, the client usually asks for a second look, and eventually make the decision to purchase.


JB

There is a right time to push though, you have to do it but tactfully of course.

 

[netsol]

This may sound crazy, but I love to do "in-person" cold calls. I abhor the words "sales pitch". As a former teacher, all my presentations are purely education / informing, and sometimes begin with a conversation totally unrelated to the matter at hand.

With that said, I refuse to be a beggar. I don't usually "throw a hook", and I strongly value my time. If they're not ready to make a decision, I move on and give them time. I'm not high-pressure in any way, shape or form. More times than not, the client usually asks for a second look, and eventually make the decision to purchase.


JB

Years ago, most of my clients were realtors. Everyone hated cold calling, but one agent at our largest client (with 130 agents in the office, he had 40% of the listings.)dominated. Other agents would say, "people are mean to me when I cold call" he would tell them, approx 1000 people have to tell me to go f*** myself to get one listing, but that's the job I chose. Hopefully I can reach 1000 by lunch time

He is still one of the state's top producers

 

[James Burke]

There is a right time to push though, you have to do it but tactfully of course.

I suppose the "push" is there but it's usually hidden in the education. The ultimate goal is to make sure the client continues to echo your message long after you leave. In a sense, they set the hook themselves.

I've yet to see a beer or fancy car commercial flat-out asking you to buy. It's always subtly built into the narrative.


JB

 

[Boudica]

Google ads will drain your bank just as fast as you let them. Personally, I think it is all a sham.

Sham maybe... But also a guaranteed source of pita calls you don't need to waste your time on.

 

[Gino]

Any of these suggestions so far will help, but after looking at your profile, I have a really serious question for you......... what can you do and can you do it well ?? Having all the toys and whatnot, doesn't make a signshop. Those are the tools. Take a long hard look at yourself and your actual capabilities and be brutally honest with yourself and figure out what YOU can offer people, once you lure them in.

Getting customers the first time around isn't hard, not if you're good, but keeping them is even harder. That's how you build a clientele and a reputation. I still have customers after over 40 years years and we joke about how old we're getting and still doing this sh!t. Them selling houses, food or whatever and me still doing signs. Then, it always turns to what meds you're now taking, your last operation or grandkids.

It's a great ride, so make it a good one for you, too.

 

[rodp53]

I'm now 68 and over time I've started 3 businesses, sold two and downsized the third so I have something to do in semi retirement. You need to "put yourself out there" in any way possible. Ads in free papers, market place, Ebay etc or just look around for a place that you think could do with your services and go tell them. Maybe a store front with shabby signage, just pop in and tell them "If ever you think about maybe a new sign give me a try" and leave them a card.
Always remember the worst thing that can happen is they tell you to f*** **f, that's the worst, so get yourself out and let the world know you exist.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]