Tag Archives: signs – the silent salesperson

How do I know what sign would work best for my business?

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How do I know what sign would work best for my business?

This is not a simple question to answer.

What will work best for one business may not work best for another business or even a similar business in a different location.

When deciding what sign or signs will work best for your business, it is worth getting input from a signage professional (we have a few at SignForce) who can advise on the different types of signs while taking heed of your budget and what you intend for your sign to achieve.

A general guideline is that your sign needs to STAND OUT, be VISIBLE and convey your intended MESSAGE in a manner that will make the sign achieve it’s intended objective.

If you are a retail outlet, your sign requirements are generally also be dictated by your landlord, especially in malls or shopping centers.

As a general rule illuminated signs work better when the light projects through the face of the sign, as opposed to the sign being HALO illuminated, where the light is reflected of the backing BEHIND the sign, especially if the sign is required to be read from a distance.

In addition to location and landlord requirements, what sign will work best for your business will depend on (1) your budget, (2) where the signs are to be located – for example not all retail outlets allow for the sign to project from the outlet, (3) what message you want the sign to deliver and (4) how far from the signs the reader needs to read the sign.

For a no obligation consultation to assist you to find what signs will best fit your budget and work best for your business contact SignForce now on 0861 744 636 or +27 (0)11 440 7525 or info@signforce.co.za

What type of sign does my business need?

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What kind of sign does my business need?

One of the most important decisions that you can make about your business signs is ‘What  kind of sign’ is going to be best for your business taking into account:

(a) what the sign is intended to achieve,

(b) your businesses location and

(c) your budget.

While it may seem ‘obvious’ that as your sign supplier I want you to spend as much as possible on your sign, it is important for me to remember that it is not about me, but rather what is best for your business and from SignForce’s perspective, our future relationship as your business grows and prospers.

I find it is ALWAYS best to start with knowing and understanding what your sign needs to achieve.

If, for example, your sign is intended solely to make a statement that YOU as a business “HAVE ARRIVED”, then an excessively large sign may work and do well to get your desired message across. If, on the other hand you want people to see your sign as an invitation to visit and come into your premises, then the said large sign may result in you spending more than was necessary, and may be costing you business by dissuading potential customers from entering your premises because the sign is not the correct type of sign for your intended target market.

Generally signs will be used to invite, inform, direct and persuade potential readers.

An example of a sign that ‘invites‘ could be a store front sign that is intended to ‘invite’ the reader into your store. Because the sign is intended to invite the reader into your store, the sign needs to be able to stand out from the surrounding signs and environment. For example, if your store sells fast food in the fast food area of a shopping mall, and your competitors all have beautifully decorated illuminated signs, unless your sign is equally beautiful and illuminated, possibly with an additional dimension like flashing lights or a lifestyle picture showing someone enjoying one of your meals, the chances are that your potential clients will overlook your sign and your business, thus potentially costing you money. While ‘invitational’ signs can be decorated Chromadek (treated metal), this is often not allowed by shopping centers, and may not achieve your desired effect. Often fabricated,3D signs are used for invitational signs.

 An example of a sign intended to ‘inform‘ is a street sign or a warning sign. These signs are intended to ‘inform ‘ drivers of impending dangers or of changes in road conditions or of upcoming situations, such as a guarded intersection, an unguarded intersection, a traffic light or hidden access to the road. Information signs are usually large and generally made from the most cost effective material that will achieve the objective of getting the desired message across while at the same time having the desired life span, which depends a lot on the climatic conditions where the sign is to be installed.

 Signs that are intended to ‘direct‘ include motorway and highway signs – such as directing readers to keep in the right lane to go to Timbuktu and keep left to go to Cape Town. Directional signs, like directory signs, also assist readers to get to where they are looking to go. Like information signs, Directional signs are usually made from the most cost effective material that will achieve the objective of getting the desired message across while at the same time having the desired life span, which depends a lot on the climatic conditions where the sign is to be installed. Directional signs, especially those that are indoors, also offer the opportunity for designers to integrate the signs into the aesthetics of the building and office environment, so the range of possible materials is large and could include wood, plastics, metal or glass, or a combination of all of these.

Directional and directory signs can begin doing their intended work when entering a premises – with say a sign reading RECEPTION with an arrow directing people to the reception, followed by a directory board in the reception – with the directory board informing the reader which wing, floor and room the reader is intending to visit.

Lastly an example of a sign intended to ‘persuade‘ could be a in-store poster or a billboard sign showing a product, such as a sign showing how a specific brand of washing powder will wash whiter and brighter than a competing brand. The message is intended to persuade the reader to buy and try the advertised product.

All of the above must take into consideration your budget as well as what return is expected – measured in terms of any of the following: number of feet, increase sales, decreased complaints, decreased incidents and accidents, or a combination of all of these. The most common upmarket signs that are used to persuade tend to have a metal (aluminum) frame with the printed message printed onto a gloss paper or vinyl. The material used would depend on the look and feel of the store as well as the intended target market.

By now I am sure you understand that while there may be a standard, off the shelf solution to your question as to “what type of sign does my business need”, there are many variations, answers and opinions to the answer the question. For this reason, as well as all the reasons given above, or if you are unsure of what sign you are looking for, or which sign would best achieve your intended objective, calling a SignForce sign consultant to get an expert opinion can reduce your stress and help you make an informed decision.

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

Would you employ this person?

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Who represents you and your business

Would you trust this sales person with your future?

Would you employ this person?

Some of you may know who the person is, but WHO he is is not actually relevant for my point. in fact, you could quite easily replace the picture with one of any similar uneducated person who is know for making comments that make them look stupid!

But wait! For me, that is where the problem lies.

If you were the employer of this person, that person has thus de facto become a representative of your business, and thus an extension of YOU!

Imagine the impression that makes on your hard won client, when the employed (or elected if you will) person starts interacting with or talking to your client.

That ‘first impression’ is created on first sight (or sound), and if that first impression is a poor one, it could take forever to change that perception.

At SignForce we are very aware of the impression we create, and while we unfortunately don’t always get it right, we do continually work on making sure that our work, our products and our staff represent SignForce in a manner that we are proud to own.

If you are in the market for professional looking signs at “FAIR VALUE, 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.za or david@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will get back to you.

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Planning for growth

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Planning for Growth

I am sure we must have all heard about planing. It is that ‘thing’ that we are supposed to do in order to enhance and move our lives forward.

This article is not about how to or why to plan. If you want to read some excellent material on planning, how to and why it is important, do a Google search.

My current thinking is about how one plans for growth. Sure, it is great to plan to continue along the same path that one has been on for many years, however, as the saying goes, if you continue to repeat the same actions, don’t expect different results.

To me planning for growth means pushing one’s boundaries to the point that, instead of the target being just out of reach, it should be so far ahead that it requires a totally different thought pattern and totally different action, but not so far ahead that one cannot see the target lying ahead.

Planning need not be engraved on stone, but it should be a guiding light, giving all the steps / milestones / incremental targets along the way for one to be able to measure progress, and see that the ultimate target is getting closer with every completed step.

I believe that planning should NOT be step by step rules, but rather a visible and achievable target that is communicated to those that you expect to implement and help achieve the plan. The implementer’s should then be guided and managed, but still left to their own devices, with them knowing what is expected, as it is often quite amazing how people will rise (or fall) to achieve what they know is expected of them.

With regards to signs, planning should answer the simple questions:

  1. What is the sign expected to achieve?
  2. How much do we want to spend on the sign?,
  3. What should the sign look like? And
  4. What is the image the sign needs to communicate?

With this information it is relatively simple for an experienced designer to design a sign that will fit one’s budget AND project the desired image so the sign can achieve it’s objective.

If you are in the market for professional looking signs that will achieve your objectives for the sign at “fair value”, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.za or David at david@signforce.co.za. Please use the subject line ADVISE PLEASE.

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Step 1 to ensure your sign is an investment?

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At SignForce we aim to ensure that any money our client’s spend on signs is an investment in marketing. This is achieved by ensuring that our client’s signs fulfill their intended application. In order to establish their intended application we ask the following questions: 1. What do you want your sign to achieve? 2. Why? and 3. What is your budget?

Knowing what you want your sign to achieve and your budget gives us the ability to help you achieve your objectives within your budget. I mention this because it is not uncommon for us to find that clients are sometimes uncertain as to what the sign should achieve, and either do not have an allocated budget or are not willing to share the budget with us, for fear that we may then spend the full budget. In reality, knowing your budget means we are more likely to accurately advise on materials and design as well as if the desired objectives are possible to achieve within your – our client’s – budget restraints.

In order for us to best advise you we need information, and the more information we have the better we can advise. So when thinking about signs it is worth keeping in mind that the more information you give us, and the better the idea you have of what you want the sign to achieve, the faster the process, and more effective your sign is likely to be.

If you are in the market for signs, whether it is to design a sign, manufacture your signs or relocate and install existing signs, contact SignForce’s now. SignForce is a full service sign company, and with our understanding of consulting, internet, design and signs, we are well positioned to assist you to ensure that all the money you spend on signage is an investment. Contact the writer now for more information.

Arnold N. Pollak

arnold@signforce.co.za

For signage idea’s to suite your business, go to SignForce’s idea’s bank at:

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Getting a sign ‘HEARD’ above all other ‘NOISE’

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Each one of us is supposedly bombarded by millions of stimuli on a daily basis, much of which is ‘lost‘ through a wonderful feature known as ‘FILTERING’, which removes information that we do not ‘see’ as immediately relevant or beneficial.

Signs often fall into this category, as unless the viewer is looking for your product, service or store, their filters will delegate your visual advertising to file 13.

There are two thoughts as to how to overcome filters. One is constant change. The other is simplicity.

Constant change requires that the sign colour, shape and message change on a regular basis – which today can be achieved by using flat screen monitors on a shop front as a sign.

The other, possibly more effective from both a cost and memory perspective, is simplicity.

A simple sign means that the message is clear and there is a large contrast between the background and the message. The larger the contrast, and the clearer the message, meaning the greater the possibility that the sign will be seen and remembered amongst all the ‘noise’.

Should you require any signs or advice on signs, or if there is any specific sign related 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.