Key to success: When not dealing directly with a client’s decision maker, it is important to determine what sign priorities have potential so you can determine a budget range for the company and don’t spend too much time creating bid options that won’t be approved. 

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The Shimmick logo started out as a routine print. It was my idea to make it jump with two layers and the polished aluminum. I’ve just ordered my fourth copy for another office. This is a large company, so there’s no excuse to not have the nicest possible treatment for their logo.

For sure-fire sales, the typical recommendation is to meet directly with the decision maker. Since this is not always possible, I’ve found it necessary to master the art of pitching the boss through an intermediary. I can’t stand to leave a meeting with the feeling that I’ve wasted my time by working all of my angles just to find out that I’ve lost a sale. In this article, I’ll draw from my experiences of “indirect” selling so I can share some lessons. 

 

Working with nonprofit and collective organizations can often involve meeting with two or more people. In this case, I strive to take charge of the meeting. Normally, when I meet with one client, I start off by floating a stream of suggestions in order to assess the value of the job. I want this to happen as quickly as possible. A group setting is a bad time to start brainstorming ideas because the sales pitch will get too dispersed. I want the focus to be on the valuable advice they are getting from me, not “here we go again, we can’t make up our minds because there are so many possibilities.” I try to sense who, if anyone, in the group will defer to a take-charge person, so I can weed out the dreamers. I prefer to work with someone who is charged with taking the lead so I can determine the scope of the job in under an hour. I don’t want to be giving out lots of bid options for work that will not get approved, which is very hard to avoid with a group. So I try not to spend extra time impressing people with how much I can do for them. The goal is to find out what sign priorities have potential so I can determine a budget range they can work with. This way there is a greater chance that my “brainstorming” time will become billable. Otherwise most group meetings will include some lost time with no chance of profit.

 

The I-Paradigm lobby sign became a premium option with two types of aluminum polish. I was surprised that every up-sell idea I had was accepted. The client eventually picked the most expensive option I could dream up.

I took time on the Service West sign to make it sharp and professional. It’s not a design marvel, but it has a little more kick than typical building ID signage.

When facilities managers are on the case, I treat the manager as if they were completely in charge. It is the facilities manager’s job to see that all contracts are done by the right person and on budget. They often have no sense of design, but they will take a liking to a quality idea. I usually try to come up with a clever element that will set me apart from the herd. Managers can be very positive when they are able to present a thoughtful concept to their superiors. Some of the best ideas might include a way to save money. I’ve found that the size of the company has little bearing on their sign budget. If I get the job, whether it’s based on a smart budget or design idea, I have to come through 100%. The stock in trade for managers is evaluating the reliability of vendors. If what I say doesn’t line up with what they tell their boss, I will be left out in the cold no matter what the deal.

 

Always treat receptionist managers with great respect because you never know how much power they have been delegated. I always assume that their opinion will have some bearing on the deal. I attempt to educate without being patronizing. If you want the account, show up in person with some samples. See what they like and show some expertise in good placement, sizing and branding intent. These are the most helpful tools I can add to their task of finding the right person. 

 

I typically get a lot of initial contacts from receptionist managers via e-mail. I try not to waste too much time on e-mail sales attempts. My chances of getting the job are significantly increased when I can make it to the site, in person, in a timely manner. I use the site visit to pre-qualify the client. Of course I would like to make a good impression, but it is more important that I ascertain that they are solid lead, and not an e-mail price shopper. I always try to find out how many bids they are getting. If there are more than three bids and I am unable to get to the location in advance, then I can’t make it a high priority. I want to feel free to consider the expensive options, which are a tough sell over the internet. I try to figure out early on whether cost is a serious concern. If so, I provide an economy option for comparison. It’s safe to say that there is usually a solid budget for an office lobby sign. I assume that the receptionist manager of a law office or software firm wants to show their boss a stunning option. It is amazing how often they will bite on the higher end choices. Make sure to include one! Most executives aren’t going to scrimp on an important logo sign that makes a vital first impression. Think prestige. 

 

When there are many opinions and numerous files, I’m happy to wait until one representative of the group gathers all the relevant information.

Designers can be tough to gauge. I’ve found that I want to work with the ones who have a lot of influence over their clients. The designers need to be well paid because most, if not all, haven’t figured out how to make money working with a sign person. I have wasted a lot of time with bids and possible packages without anyone knowing what the client will pay for. I don’t want to be a research vehicle. I need to understand the client’s budget before the process goes too far. The worst case is when there are a lot of questions coming from the designer about how to make and price a sign, with a highly speculative project. The best fit is when the designer and the client are both involved from the beginning and are mutually appreciative that the signs are being handled by a sign professional. 

 

I’m a big fan of the employee visionary who wakes up one day and decides that it is time for a business makeover. The Spun Sugar sign originated this way. In this case, it worked because the employee was a peer with the owner and was able to sell the budget for the deal to go through. However, it takes a fairly special set of circumstances for this type of process to manifest. In another job, a spa employee contacted me about transforming a business that has suffered from years of inattention. He nodded his head to all of my most salient points about how good his ideas were. And yet, the owner has still not called me to have a concrete budget discussion. He needs a new look that would obviously pay for itself, but he thinks that price is more important than strengthening his brand. At this point, it would be foolish to spend time with speculative sketches and multiple proposals. The employee doesn’t have enough pull to complete his vision, and I know there won’t be very good money if I overextend my sales reach. 

 

The Spun Sugar sign became a reality because a veteran employee was invested enough in the business to sell the owner on a high-end makeover.

It pays to treat each speculative job as if it were a science experiment or poker game, with some constants and variables. It is important to remind yourself that you don’t want to win every job. The goal is to secure the jobs you want, without being forced to chase the lead too far and lose money. It’s impossible to be certain about why we don’t obtain some desired jobs, but it is possible to avoid wasted time by carefully sorting out the bids we should get and those we should let go.