The bass boat was some distance away but heading in our direction, and I only glanced at it out of the corner of my eye. My real focus was above on a plane that I had fitted with floats for a fourth of July weekend trip down to Toledo Bend Lake.

 

The plane circled lazily in the hazy summer sky, and I noticed the approaching boat had slowed to a stop about 100 yards away. A man and woman were in the boat, and once the boat stopped, the woman stood up and waved her hands over her head wildly, making a friendly gesture at the airplane above.

 

The pilot of the plane, in an equally friendly response, waggled the wings of the aircraft, which excited the woman even more. She shouted, “Hello,” and waved energetically as the plane passed directly overhead, banked, and began its descent toward a landing on the lake. 

 

Heading in our direction, and between the two boats, the pilot pulled his engine back to idle, skimmed just above the water and flared his glide for a near perfect touchdown. The plane taxied right up to our boat, where it was picked up by a single full grown man and set securely between the seats.

 

I felt, more than saw, the glare that came across the water, and heard the “thump” as the woman sank heavily into her seat. The pilot of the plane, transmitter in hand, waved a friendly wave, but this time it was not returned, as the driver of the other boat pushed his motor into gear, shoved the throttle forward and in a few seconds he and his fishing partner were heading off into the distance.

 

Both myself, and my good friend, Jack, who was sharing the boat with me that day, couldn’t contain our laughter any longer. Our deception was totally unintended, and totally hilarious now that we could enjoy the laugh without embarrassing the guilty. The last thing I had thought would happen that weekend on the lake was that anyone would confuse my model plane for a real one, and yet without trying I had carried out that charade with considerable success. 

 

No harm was done that day, other than a slightly bruised ego or two, but I carry out grand deceptions all the time in the sign business, equally successfully and just as unintended, that actually harm our business prospects in a variety of ways.

 

How does this happen? Well, it happens quite easily because of the human tendency toward assumptions. The lady in the boat saw an image of a float plane, which looked to her to be quite real, but that was really way off in size, sound and a number of other things including where the pilot sits. Our customers, especially new ones, see a sign business, or some aspect of it, and draw all kinds of ridiculous conclusions from what little they know about us.

 

For example, we’ve had customers that we’ve made banners for, and perhaps some window lettering, and later find out they think we only do banners and store fronts. We’ve lettered a fleet of trucks for a client, only to find out they hired someone else to do their monument sign. The list goes on and on, but it has always amazed me how easily people come to the wrong conclusions, or accept as fact even illogical misconceptions about our company and our work.

 

Of course, it is up to us to inform them by any means we can and as soon as we can. 

But, it’s very much an ongoing effort. 

 

What we are trying to do is a type of business branding, and it is up to us to brand our sign business in a favorable way, not only so we are thought of outside their limited hands-on experience with our company, but so we are thought of especially for the work we want the most. If you’ve been in this business many years, you are well aware that not all signwork is created equal.

 

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to have more of the good stuff. And to do that I have to get my head out of the clouds, and quit thinking everyone knows what we’re doing and what we can do for them, and confront their misconceptions any way I can. So, I’m working on it. After all, if I want this business to afford me to spend a little more time at the lake, or even a little more time in the air, full scale or models, I’d better get it running right. Which means, of course, getting back to work and doing plenty of it. 

 

I hope you have a great month, and an especially wonderful summertime. 

Have a great month—Rick