Business & Marketing
Covering sign industry trends, legal issues, finances, sales, marketing, sign codes, shop maintenance and more.
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Friday, January 6, 2012
Make a good impression with clear communication
Clear communication is the key to success in so many aspects of life, from the day we are born to our last breath. Expressing our thoughts so that others can understand exactly what we mean will make them like and respect us, and...
Friday, January 6, 2012
Every sign shop could use a little low-cost help now and again
Often, insightful nuggets of wisdom and advice reside in the lyrics of great old songs. One such ditty is the 1966 hit single by The Temptations, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”
Now...
Friday, January 6, 2012
We have a concrete and useful research study that makes several important points about the value of signage, courtesy of the third National Signage Research and Education Conference (NSREC) held in Cincinnati in October. The University of Cincinnati is a conference...
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Without any doubt, the scenario I am about to recount is the most common from the many readers of this column, and sign companies across the U.S. It goes like this:
A town has a restrictive sign code: no electronic message signs, monument signs...
Friday, November 11, 2011
Goals and Strategies for Success
Unlike most of these Shop Talk articles, which usually cover hands-on techniques of the sign business, a few months ago I took time out to talk about some of the business aspects of running a commercial sign shop that to me seem to be...
Friday, September 30, 2011
The practice of influence, the power of persuasion
Many business owners are unconscious proponents of the Pareto Principle—a.k.a. the 80/20 rule. For many companies, 80 percent of their business comes from 20 percent of their customers, just as 80 percent of...