Tag Archives: sign – a silent saleperson

Complex signage looking simple

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Printed Sandblast Effect Vinyl

Impressive Printed Sandblast Entrance Sign

 

Please let SignForce know your opinion on how this printed sandblast vinyl entrance looks.

In the very biased opinion of the writer this entrance vinyl for Lamna Financial (https://www.lamna.co.za/lamna-johannesburg/) looks phenomenal. All the colors came out well and the visual elements all line up.

The reality is this end product took multiple – 4 – yes FOUR  – iterations to get right, much to the very understandable frustration of the client and the team at SignForce.

You may rightly ask how or why such a simple looking vinyl entrance would take so many iterations to get right. While the answer is simple, it is also multi faceted.

The first iteration had the color of the dark blue coming out as green – this was because the yellow tiny of the sandblast effect vinyl did not get the message to look more like white. Grade 1 art teachers that mixing primary colors of yellow and blue makes green – hence the dark blue printed vinyl looked more green than blue.

The 2nd iteration was to correct the view from the rear – not the primary intended view of the sign but one in which the rear is visible (from the entrance foyer) and where any faults in the sign, the print and the vinyl, are highlighted because of the proximity of the viewer and light to dark ratio.

Unfortunately the vinyl also failed! Technically this is most likely as a result of the sandblast effect vinyl being too saturated with aggressive original Roland inks. The opinion of the writer (without any backup from the manufacturers of either the ink or the vinyl)  is that the edges began to curl because of the change in the physical compound of the vinyl which became much softer than normal once saturated with ink – (welcome to the chemistry of signage 001). The vinyl manufacturers were dismissive when approached with a failure claim because you would not guess, the vinyl is not made for printing!!

The 3rd iteration did not get the curves to line up correctly, making any errors scream out and making the entire logo and visual look WRONG.

At this point one could ask why the application of machine cut vinyl to a flat glass window would not line up 100%.

The answer is that life is not that simple! While the GLASS that the vinyl is being applied to is flat, the full windows – including frames (aka mullions) are not. In fact the aluminium ‘mullions’ between the glass panes are each approximately 80 mm wide and 50 mm deep. What this means is that when the vinyl is applied it would have to ‘climb’ the mullion, making it ‘short’ on the next window. This complication is fairly common in signage and is similar to the complication encountered when one has to make an ON PAPER 3D picture into a physical 3D sign.

The 4th iteration meant that each machine cut element needed to be modified so each printed vinyl element could be individually lined up and hand trimmed. This application required a two person team with one person doing the application work up close and the other being the ‘eyes’ behind the sign (from inside) in order to assess and instruct on the lining up in order to make the vinyl visually correct.

While the finished product looks amazing and, for the uninformed surely makes the job look simple, that simplicity could be the secret of a job well done. Going back to complete the work regardless of what is involved, making the client’s sign look great AND making it look simple.

If you are looking for a sign business that is capable of, and not scared to handle, simple and complex jobs, SignForce is the sign business for you.

Contact SignForce now on info@signforce.co.za or WhatsApp +27 (0)82 558 6413 or call +27(0)11 440 7525

Find out more about SignForce by visiting our website at http://www.signforce.co.za

What VLAUE does your SIGN and your Signage provider ADD to your BUSINESS?

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Mambo's Chicken Individual Cut Out Sign

Internally Illuminated 3D cut out sign

What VALUE does your sign add to your business?

If your sign is a MAJOR tool in getting feet into your store (it is!) and thus placing you in the position to SELL to your prospects, what is your sign truly WORTH?

I ask this, not rhetorically, but because all too often we see businesses running on the lines of Best Value – choosing the cheapest supplier – which is great when comparing EXACTLY THE SAME PRODUCTS – but is extremely difficult and can be costly when one is comparing one SERVISE business (signage is a service business) to another.

Yes, when you, the sign buyer, are presented with an artist impression and a quote, you believe that what you are seeing from one service provider is the same as what you are seeing from the competitive service provider. Unfortunately this is SELDOM true. This is because of the nature of signage (meant in every positive way), the range of materials available, the nature (you can call it morals) of the signage company and the reality that even if all else was equal, because signage is as much – if not more – of an art than a science, and most signs are made by hand, every sign will most likely be made differently.

All this aside, even if all the sign company’s you assessed were using the same material, charging the same amount and doing the same job, what would or should YOUR chosen sign company be able to offer YOUR BUSINESS that goes beyond the sign you are looking for.

At SignForce (http://www.signforce.co.za) we have decades of experience in MARKETING and SIGNAGE.

At SignForce we believe in supporting OUR CUSTOMERS, which is one of the reasons SignForce regularly posts pictures and comments of signs we have completed. This may not seem like anything special, we assume ALL sign businesses ‘self promote’ and the self promotion entails ‘SHOWCASING’ THEIR WORK. This is true, but how many sign businesses get more than 80,000 views of a single client’s sign.

If one considers that traditional media base their fees on the number of views one’s insert (advert, post) will receive, how does one measure the added value SignForce is offering our client’s?

If you are looking for signs that WORK, that get feet into your premises, that look good and are value for money, together with the added value of being promoted on the SignForce website, contact SignForce now on +27 (0)11 440 7525 or email info@signforce.co.za

You can find out more about SignForce by visiting http://www.signforce.co.za

Why does my business need a sign?

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Why does my business need a sign?

I have been asked this question on more than one occasion, and my standard answer has been the old adage, “A business without a sign is a sign of no business!”

While this adage is old to us sign people, it is non-the-less as valid today as it was when it was first uttered many years ago.

While it is true that not EVERY business will need a sign – if you are an internet based consultancy, with absolutely no live visitors, how would a sign benefit you?

On the other hand, I have recently been approached by an internet based marketing firm – they are so focused on the internet that they refuse to get a telephone of any sort (all correspondence being via email or on their website) – to make them a sign as their suppliers and shippers are having difficulty finding them. This is a business that only sells to on-sellers, and has absolutely no dealings with the public, yet even they feel they need a sign.

Since signs are among the oldest forms of marketing, they are a firmly established means of communication a number of points about your business.

A sign is considered to be ‘good’ when it clearly displays where you are doing business and / or tells the reader WHAT it is you do. At the same time, almost every sign sends the subliminal message about HOW you as a business, do business – a dirty sign gives the impression you are not concerned about taking care of the finer points. Imagine a fast food outlet where the sign is going black with dirt. How FAST will you walk into that store, especially if the competitor next door has a bright, clean sign?

Signs can also be seen as a symbol of success.  The larger and more sophisticated the sign, the viewer will ‘respect’ your success as a business.

For more information as to how signs can help your business view this video. http://youtu.be/054rkBBfSSE

For signs and sign related advise contact SignForce now and one of our dedicated and experienced team will gladly assist you.

david@signforce.co.za   +27 (0)82 654 5495

arnold@signforce.co.za  +27 (0) 82 558 6413

http://www.signforce.co.za

Tel: +27 11 444 3331

Is this sign an effective sales device?

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What’s wrong with this picture?

Is this sign an effective marketing and or sales device?

I was driving behind this truck and saw this fantastic signage. Since I was parked behind the truck at a red light, I had the time to read the sign. It was interesting, as we use a few of the advertised products. Then it dawned on me – there is a MAJOR MARKETING ERROR here.

Care to hazard a guess as to what the error is? (ok, it is an error in my opinion!)

To me the error is that while the pictures are great, high resolution pictures, and the text as well as the pictures are clearly legible from a fair distance, I have NO CLUE what the name of the business is, and worse, I have ABSOLUTELY NO MEANS of tracking or contacting the business.

Please, please, please people. When signing, it is ‘nice’ to put your name on the sign, especially if your name does not reflect your business. If your name DOES reflect your business it is slightly more important to put it on the sign. This sign is fantastic in that it CLEARLY STATES what the business DOES, but what good is that when there are no contact details?

The rear of a vehicle is generally smaller than the sides, yet it is also the signage that is most likely to be read, because it is more likely that traffic will travel behind, and possibly stop behind the vehicle, allowing for some decent reading time, as opposed to the sign flashing past on the side of a vehicle.

For expert advice on signs, how they are a fantastic marketing tool and how they can be viewed as an investment, call us at SignForce. We have the qualifications and experience across multiple media to be called marketing professionals.

If you are in the market for professional looking signs at “FAIR VLAUE”, and would like advice on how best to project your business’s image while making any funds you spend on marketing and signs an investment, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.zaor david@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will get back to you.

http://www.signforce.co.za http://www.signforce.co.za/blog

What happens when signs lie?

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When marketers get carried away with their enthusiasm

I find it fascinating when marketers get so carried away with their own enthusiasm that they clean forget to tell the truth.  Anyone want to hazard a guess as to how this one is possible?

As a general rule, even if you are trying to be funny, a sign – or any marketing claim – should be honest, or at least have a link to reality.  Although outlandish claims can be used, and viewed as humorous, the humor is seldom conveyed when used in a static media, such as this sign.   Unfortunately signs like these can have a negative effect that entirely eliminate any possible benefits that could be gained from erecting the sign in the first place.

For advice on signs that get your intended message across, contact arnold@signforce.co.za or david@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will gladly get back to you

http://www.signforce.co.za http://www.signforce.co.za/blog

Why business signs make good financial sense in the modern world

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Why business signs make good financial sense in the modern world

There is an old sign adage that reads: “ A business without a sign is a sign of NO BUSINESS”, and believe it or not, it is as true today as it was a hundred years ago – possibly even more so.

OK, before you all shoot me down, let me elaborate.

Yes, in the modern world, I have to concede that not every business needs a sign, because some businesses simply NEVER see clients. Cyber businesses are one such example.

However, being the human animals that we are, most people still visit stores, not only for the social interaction, but also be cause they want to TOUCH and FEEL the merchandise they are going to purchase. It is an almost primal need to touch, in order to see better. If you are a parent, simply think of how often you have to tell your toddler that they don not need to “touch to see”! (The truth is they DO! We all do)

Because of the desire to touch to see, shops, stores, supermarkets and the like are still going to be around for the foreseeable future, and if they want people to visit them, they have to stand out from the competition. One way to achieve this is to possibly have a bigger, and certainly have a BETTER sign.

BETTER in signage generally refers to LARGER, although this is not always the case. Sometimes a simple sign can make a far bolder statement than the larger, illegible sign that is screaming at you.

In the modern world us human animals are still pretty much unchanged in our habits and nature, and as such we need to remember that while internet marketing, social media, Google and the like are all fantastic tools, they are just that – TOOLS! Like a good electrician, who will have more than a hammer and a set of screwdrivers in their toolbox, a good modern marketer should keep in mind that even if your internet marketing gets the client’s to the shopping centre where your store is located, if the client walks past your store because you do not have a sign, all your marketing effort has been for naught!

There is also the reality that signs tend to be a once off purchase, or at worst an irregular purchase. When one compares the cost of a great sign to the monthly cost of a salaried salesperson who may not have the best client service manner, the cost of the sign tends to be a lot cheaper than the alternatives.

If you are willing to hear OUR truth, and possibly even receive some expert advice on what signs will work for you, SignForce are marketing professionals with experience over multiple medium’s, and we will gladly give you our truth.

If you are in the market for professional looking signs at “FAIR VLAUE”, and would like advice on how best to project your business’s image while making any funds you spend on marketing and signs an investment, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.zaor david@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will get back to you.

http://www.signforce.co.za http://www.signforce.co.za/blog

How long should a sign last?

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Long should a sign last? or What is the expected life of a sign?

Often the life expectancy of a sign is linked directly to the cost of the sign.

As as general rule, the more expensive the sign, the longer is will last, but there are a number of factors that need to be considered.

First off all materials are not created equal, and even equal materials will not have the same life expectancy in different locations.

At SignForce we use vinyl that the manufacturer’s say has a life expectancy of five to seven years. While this may be true in Europe and North America, where the climate is cooler tan here in South Africa, we tend to find that five to seven year materials have a life expectancy of around five years. The difference between the better and cheaper options being that the better options tend to shrink evenly, so your circle maintains the shape of a circle, etc.

That is for vinyl. Perspex (or Plexiglas or many other brand names for plastic signs) has an outdoor life expectancy of between seven to ten years, and as long as the sign is not tampered with, this tends to be fairly accurate.

In the harsh African sun good, outdoor digital print and silk screening inks tend to have a life expectancy of between 12 and 36 months, so as a rule the vinyl that is printed on tends to have a life expectancy of no more than three years, as it is figured that the print will fae before the vinyl cracks and peels.

As a buyer of signs what we at SignForce suggest is that you look at the investment over a period of time. A sun that runs and looks bad is BAD for business! That said, if the cost of a print that will last three years is double the cost of a print that lasts 18 months, the latter is actually more expensive, as chances are that in 18 months the latter will cost more and you would thus have been better off looking at the long term cost. Of course, if you only need the print for six months, then a print that lasts 18 months is a better investment.

For great advice on how to have signs that make you look good at a fair price, signs that, as an investment, will generate greater income than their cost, and enhance your image, contact SignForce now. David: david@signforce.co.za Arnold: arnold@signforce.co.za 0861 SIGNFORCE / 0861 744 63 6723

www.signforce.co.za  www.signforce.co.za/blog

 

Three objectives of a successful sign

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What do Education, Insurance and Signs have in common?

Other than the fact I am involved in selling two of the three, they are ALL intangibles when it comes to the sale. Not true you may counter, because once you get the sign you can see and feel it – making it tangible, however during sales process, the picture that you see almost always does not tell the entire story.

More importantly, measuring the SUCCESS of the sign is not so simple, making it almost intangible.

To date the best measure of a sign’s success came when a shop was about to close down due to low turnover. They were relocating to a new venue in six months but decided it was not worth running at a loss before they occupied the new premises that were still being built. The store management requested SignForce to refurbish their main street front sign so they would be more visible for the closing down sale. We refurbished the sign and the store remained open for the remainder of the lease. In this case the only change made was the refurbish signage, so the turnaround can be attributed to the refurbished sign.  

In real life this seldom the case as you would have multiple marketing tools working together with your signs, creating too many influencing factors to calculate how much of the business you receive can be attributed directly to your sign. Because it is so difficult to measure the SUCCESS of your sign it is IMPORTANT to decide beforehand – that is before you purchase the sign – what you expect the sign to accomplish.

It is the opinion of SignForce that a successful sign should achieve three objectives.

  1. A successful sign should direct people to your business. In other words a successful sign will act as a silent salesperson, encouraging or enticing people to come into your store.
  2. A successful sign will clearly display the image of your business and portray your business in a true and professional manner.
  3. A successful sign MUST BE an investment – that is, the cost of the sign, both in terms of initial cost and maintenance, should be low relative to the income that sign will help generate.

In the near future I’ll be discussing each of these three issues as well as how to measure the success of the sign. I will also be giving information about letter height, visibility, distance and speed with relation to signs.

Should you require any signs or advice on signs, or if there is any specific sign re;lated topic you would like me to cover please email SignForce now on arnold@signforce.co.za or call the office on +27 11 444 3331 to see how we can serve you.