Fight the Down Economy with Signs

Given today’s economic challenges, everyone is seeking the “magic bullet” that will help their business prosper. While there’s nothing particularly magical about signs, it has been proven that increasing your signage can have a positive effect on your bottom line.

“Research on Signage Performance,” a multi-part study conducted by the University of San Diego, concluded that onsite signage has a statistically significant and financially substantive effect on business revenues. The study noted that increasing the total amount of signage or the number of signs can have considerable impact on annual revenues.

Other studies have demonstrated that a large percentage of new customers to a business can be attributed to onsite signs, and businesses that improve their signage often see dramatic profit increases. Are of starting to wonder if your signs are “good enough” or you have enough of them?

If it’s been awhile since you’ve taken a sign inventory, or perhaps you haven’t thought about your signage since you put it up…it’s time for a review. We’re happy to serve in an advisory capacity, putting our industry expertise to work to ensure that your signs are appropriately attention getting and abundant.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Fight the Down Economy with Signs

Affiliate Marketing: A Virtual Sales Force

Yes, you read correctly. You can now have a virtual sales force without any of the costs of recruiting, training or benefits. Affiliate marketing is loosely defined as a marketer (or company) that pays a pre-determined commission to their affiliate network (or group of website publishers) for each transaction that occurs on your website.

How does this work, you ask? Well, providers such as Commission Junction, Google, Linkshare and others serve as a matchmaking service between marketers looking to get their ad out to relevant audiences and website publishers looking to sell advertising real estate on their respective website. The reason this is such an attractive strategy is because there is very little risk involved for the advertiser...you only pay for the sales you receive. In addition, all the billing and tracking is neatly handled by the providers mentioned above which have great reporting tools and data in real time.

How’s that for positive ROI?

Source: One in a series from Starmark.com called "Winning eTips Every Marketer Should Know"

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Affiliate Marketing: A Virtual Sales Force

LED Car Top Billboards Advertise Wherever You Go

SIGN-A-RAMA - KEARNY MESA offers a unique, patented LED Car Top Billboard to drive your message wherever you drive! This billboard outdoes other automotive advertising options because it is not only the most brightly-lit option, but because you can change your message whenever you want by just changing the sign insert.

The LED Car Top Billboard is not just for delivery vehicles, it is also ideal for:
· Sales (Real Estate, Insurance)
· Seasonal Business (Tax Prep, Elections, Holidays, etc.)
· Retail (Florist, Gift Shop)
· Taxi Cabs (Lease Ad Space!)
· Services (Repairs, Housekeeping, Painting, Landscaping-You name it!)

An ENDLESS list of possibilities!

LED Car Top Billboards feature:

• LED White Lights for Maximum Illumination
• Large 11X40.5” Ad Space
• Interchangeable Inserts (re-printed at your local SIGNARAMA)
• Clear weatherproof cover for reliable advertising day or night
• Accessories available to boost flexibility, including hanging bracket for wall-mounted use, locking roof bracer, 110 power adapter & more.

The taxi-top style signs are a great value with interchangeable sign inserts and durable, long-life components. Used alone or as a complement to car wrap graphics or magnetic door signs, LED Roof Top Billboards can help you make the most of your advertising dollar.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

LED Car Top Billboards Advertise Wherever You Go

TAMING THE VIGILANTE CONSUMER - WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT?

Today's consumers can sometimes look like a threatening mob. They're often unhappy, make vague or irrational demands, and can rush in unexpected directions that strongly affect our livelihoods. They may suddenly take their business elsewhere or bombard us with timeconsuming, expensive complaints. Even both.

"These people are manipulating the marketplace through pressure, protest, and politics," says futurist Faith Popcorn who coined the term "vigilante consumers."

Why have our customers become so volatile and unpredictable? The answer is simple. In the old days, conventional marketing divided prospective consumers into two categories, the classes and the masses. If you're selling $100,000 cars you appeal to the classes, and if you you're selling Hyundai's, you appeal to the masses.

Then along came retailers like Walmart who combined good buys with good customer service. "Now the masses know class," says Popcorn. But these vigilante consumers are rarely as dangerous as they sound. Their wants are simple: just value, service, convenience, choice, and lots of attention.

Impossible, you say? Quite the contrary. This is a great time to be alive and in business. Armed with facts, drive, and an open mind, we can begin planning strategies that will bring us challenge, fun--and profit.


1. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS REALLY WANT.
In a shuttle bus taking me to the airport after a speaking engagement, I began schmoozing with the driver. (I'm always looking for new material.) Knowing his service was not affiliated with any of the resorts, I asked if the guests he drove told him about their experiences at the various hotels. "Yes," he said. "In fact, the general manager of the property where you were staying brings a big box of donuts and has coffee with our drivers once a month. We not only tell him everything we hear about his property, we tell him everything we hear about his competitors."

How many businesses have spent a fortune with research firms to find out what this resourceful general manager gets for a box of donuts and an hour's conversation every month!

The most frequently overlooked low-tech customer survey method is to talk to someone who talks to your customers and has no vested interest in their opinions. But this doesn't mean you don't also interview them formally.

According to David Garfinkel, a copy writing genius, there are five important answers you need to get from your customers, directly or indirectly.

• What do you like about buying from us?
• Why did you buy from us in the first place?
• What problems did you have before you bought from us?
• How did we help you solve those problems?
• How are things better for you now?

"That last answer," he says, "is very important. It's what a positive result looks like to a real customer, and it's going to look the same to your other customers and prospects when you tell them about it."


2. MAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS FEEL SPECIAL AND APPRECIATED.
Great customer service is no longer good enough. We have to exceed the vigilante consumers' expectations. One individual who knew this before anyone else is Gary Richter. He runs a small boutique bank in Naples, Florida. At 5:20 one Friday afternoon, the bank received a call from an elderly woman who needed to cash a $200 check. The bank closed at 5:30, and she was 20 minutes away. Many of us would say, "Of course, please come over, we'll stay open for you." But Gary's bank believes in giving exceptional service. One of their employees delivered her $200 on his way home and picked up her endorsed check.

It turned out that the woman had her extensive financial holdings at a large national bank. After this positive experience with Gary's bank, she moved all her assets and investments to his bank.

Gary's bank continues to focus on superior customer service. "I tell my employees, if we roll out the red carpet for a billionaire, they won't even notice. If we role it out for millionaires, they expect it. If we roll out the red carpet for thousandaires, they appreciate it. And if we roll out the red carpet for hundredaires, they tell everybody they know." And you can take that to the bank. In the first six years since the bank opened, it grew from 16 to 180 employees and from $6 million in assets to $330 million.


3. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS.
There are really only two types of customers: those who already know and love you and those who never heard of you. All businesses spend money trying to get new customers, but money spent keeping current customers does double duty. Pamper them, keep in touch with them, acknowledge their needs. It's cheaper and more effective than getting new ones. Remember, an unhappy former customer will talk about you and cost you business. A happy current customer will talk about you and get you new business. People want to do business with people who appreciate them and look out for them.

No one ever lost customers by treating them with appreciation, consideration, and integrity. It is NOT your customer's job to know how you can serve them. It is our job to give them options and choices.

Source: Patricia Fripp is an executive speech coach, sales presentation trainer and keynote speaker.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

TAMING THE VIGILANTE CONSUMER - WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT?

The Easy Way to a Fresh Image

There’s great value to establishing a brand and maintaining it consistently throughout all your marketing efforts. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something new now and then to freshen your image and ensure your message is up to date.

The “freshening” process doesn’t have to be cumbersome or expensive, and it can even be rather subtle. You can use any number of signage products, including indoor banners, displays and point-of-purchase signs, illuminated signs, and engraved signs and outdoor banners, awning graphics, changeable copy signs, and lawn signs.

Since we’re professional sign experts, we can brainstorm to come up with the options that work best for you. Once you share your marketing goals with us, we’ll be able to offer solutions that maintain your brand but infuse some new energy into the message you’re putting out there to current and prospective clients.

In some cases, we may suggest additional signage to enhance what you already have in place. In others, we may recommend moving your current signage to new locations to generate additional traffic or merely add interest.

We’ve seen it all when it comes to signs, so please call on us when you’re seeking ways to add a fresh component to your marketing and/or update your message.

The Easy Way to a Fresh Image

Superman Strength & Considerable Savings – The NEW Monument Sign

What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear the term “monument sign?” Do the words expensive, heavy or big come to mind? Not anymore!! It’s time to shatter those pre-conceived notions & meet the new monument sign of 2010, the Foamcore Monument Sign.

There are several different finishing systems that can be used when manufacturing monument signs. These include Traditional (Brick or Stone), EIFS (Dryvit), Urethane and the NEW Poly-Armor ™. While all of these methods will create a beautiful finished product initially – they are not created equally.

EIFS (Dryvit) and Urethane monument finishing systems are relatively lighter and cheaper at the start- which makes them a great alternative for some consumers to the traditional stone or brick sign. However, they are prone to dry rot, impact and moisture retention – ultimately destroying the once beautiful structure and costing you more money in the long run. In addition to a high failure rate, some components of these structures must be completed on site and seamed and jointed pieces could be necessary to complete the on-site portion of the product’s installation process.

For years consumers were forced to choose between the heavy traditional monument sign and the cheaper Dryvit and urethane signs which didn’t last… there wasn’t a quality alternative until now. In 2003, a quality alternative was developed to compete with the traditional monument sign and the Dryvit/urethane finishing systems. Within the last 7 years, that alternative has evolved and is now the primary finishing system of choice for the world’s largest retailers, property managers and complexes. That finishing system is the Poly-Armor ™ finishing system used exclusively in The Original Foamcore Monument Sign.

The Poly-Armor ™ finishing system is a unique plastic hard coat that is sprayed on a solid block of foam. It is rot, moisture, termite and damage resistant. It has been referred to as the superman of signs, since several Foamcore monument signs finished with the Poly-Armor ™ hard coat have withstood the test of floods, extreme winds, hurricanes and direct impact from vehicles. The Original Foamcore Monument Sign is independently tested and approved to withstand 175 MPH winds, and is extremely lightweight. This allows for significant cost savings since no metal bracing or on-site construction is necessary. In addition, there are no seams or jointed pieces – just one solid structure that will stand the test of time.

The Original Foamcore Monument Sign is available at all Sign A Rama locations and can be used in conjunction with dimensional letters, faux brick & stone accents, integrated graphics, light boxes, LED message centers and more.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Superman Strength & Considerable Savings – The NEW Monument Sign

The Power of Belief and Expectation

By John Boe

While you may not always get what you want, you will always get what you expect! Surprisingly, the power of belief and expectation work just as effectively on your feelings of self-doubt and limitation as they do on your thoughts of success and achievement. Think thoughts of defeat or failure and you are bound to be discouraged. Belief is an incredibly powerful state of mind. Your belief system not only defines and shapes who you are, but it also determines your potential. Henry Ford was correct when he said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right." Your belief system, like your computer, doesn't judge what you input; it simply accepts it as the truth. Earl Nightingale, cofounder of the Nightingale-Conant Corporation, concluded that life's strangest secret is that you become what you think about all day long. If you want to know where your predominant thoughts lie and what you believe, look at what you are experiencing in your life. Your thoughts are creative by nature and express themselves through your emotions, which in turn, drive your actions. Everything you say, both positive and negative, is literally an affirmation.

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny." - Anonymous

Many years ago, I heard about an eager, new insurance agent who had just received his license and was looking for prospects. He met with a successful businessman who had agreed to provide him with referrals. As the businessman handed the insurance agent ten referrals, he asked him to contact the prospects immediately and get back to him with the results. Two weeks later, the enthusiastic salesman dropped by the businessman's office to give him feedback and ask for more referrals. The insurance agent was pleased to announce that he had been very successful! He proudly stated that he had already contacted and sold insurance policies to seven of the referrals and was still attempting to contact the other three. After thanking the businessman for giving him the ten prospects, he asked him if he had thought of any other referrals. The businessman smiled and said that he was very busy at the moment and surprised the insurance agent by handing him a phonebook. The businessman informed him that the previous ten prospects were not his personal contacts, but rather names that he had selected at random out of the phonebook. He suggested that the salesman go ahead and get the next ten prospects out of the phonebook himself!

The astute businessman taught the new salesman an extremely valuable lesson in the power of belief and expectation. The salesman had made those sales on the belief that he had been given ten preferred prospects. Therefore, he was confident and eager to contact those leads and expected to make the sales with little or no difficulty. What is your belief about your market and what expectations do you have for your success? Yes, belief is indeed a very powerful state of mind!

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 937-299-9001

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

The Power of Belief and Expectation

Use negative comments to accentuate the positive

When you position your brand or company on Facebook, Twitter and the like, you’ll be opening yourself up to positive feedback – as well as negative feedback. And that’s okay. Really. It may seem counter-intuitive that negative feedback can actually boost your image, but it’s true.

Of course, you can always have your administrator remove negative comments immediately. However, that would be disingenuous, and visitors to your Facebook or Twitter pages would become suspicious of such a perfectly rosy picture of your company. Think of comments as a way to keep your brand honest. If you follow up and “engage” negative feedback your credibility will remain in tact, often times it’s seen as beneficial to face the adversity head on. In fact, a few negative comments will validate the accolades.

See customer critiques as an opportunity to give instantaneous customer service. Visit the Twitter pages of Zappos and Comcast to see how they do it. They see constructive criticism as not simply beneficial (you pay for user-testing and focus groups right?) but as a way to communicate with the client base on what REALLY matters to them. And if a negative comment does emerge, you will probably also see an army of satisfied customers coming to your defense.

There was a situation on a major cruise line’s forum in which a traveler blamed the cruise line for his bad vacation. Almost immediately, other travelers jumped to the cruise line’s defense. “I was on that cruise and had a great time,” some declared. Others queried the critic for details. It turns out his problem with the cruise was the weather. “The cruise line can’t control the weather. How can you say it’s their fault?” they demanded. The praise drowned out the criticism, and the cruise line didn’t have to lift a finger. If only everything was this easy to fix.

Source: One in a series from Starmark.com called "Winning eTips Every Marketer Should Know"

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Use negative comments to accentuate the positive

Keep It Simple

There are many different reasons to use signage in your business, but perhaps the most common is to direct people either to your location or within it. For that reason, simplicity must rule the day when you’re designing your signs.

Less is more should be your mantra, despite the fact that you may feel there’s so much more you can say. And, because it’s not likely that you’re an expert at sign design, it’s always a good idea to work with someone who is to make smart decisions with respect to:

• Overall design
• Font selection
• Color choices
• Verbiage and messaging

All these things will affect how successful your signs are in doing the jobs you intend them to do. You want to stand out without being gaudy, accurately reflect your company’s image, and ensure your current and potential customers aren’t confused by your messaging. We invite you to take advantage of our expertise in producing signs that are simple yet effective.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Keep It Simple

Use Vehicle Signs to Drive Customers to You

Erecting a billboard is typically beyond the budget capabilities of most small businesses, but that’s not the only alternative you have to get your message out to the driving public. How about turning your own car, or your company’s entire fleet, into rolling advertisements?

Vehicle signage options include everything from small magnetic signs to full body vehicle wraps. Your choice should be predicated on the message you want to broadcast as well as what you want to spend. The benefits you receive will include the following:

• Your vehicles will be turned into valuable business assets. Wherever they go, your company name will go with them, getting exposure to literally hundreds of potential customers every day.
• Your investment is long-term and cost-effective. Because vehicle signage is always “on the job,” you get a lot of bang for your buck.
• You enhance the community’s awareness of your business 365 days a year. Branding is an ongoing process; it’s well documented that potential customers may need to be “touched” up to a dozen times before they do business with you…and vehicle signage is a simple way to create visibility.

There are slightly different “rules” for vehicle signs, since they’ll often be viewed on the move. We’re happy to advise you about the best ways to literally drive more customers to your business.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Use Vehicle Signs to Drive Customers to You

Vehicle Signage from Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Vehicle Signage from Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Dimensional Signs from Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Dimensional Signs from Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Real Estate Sign Options

By David Schoemaker

Signage in the Real Estate business is crucial. Your sign is an extension of your business. You need to have a quality professional looking sign. There are several different types of Real Estate Signs that are available and very useful. Along with different substrates options there are also different graphic options. Graphics can be simple vinyl lettering or digital prints. There are also changeable message options for your sign. You can use a dry erase vinyl so that the message can be changed easily. You may decide you want to have tracks installed on your sign so you can use individual letters to change your message.

Most companies use coroplast Real Estate signs for their "FOR SALE" signage. Other substrates that are available are Aluminum, PVC, and MDO. MDO can be very useful as a job site sign. MDO is a wood material that is great for outdoor signage.

Side walk signs are excellent ways to attract attention from prospective clients. A-Frames are an excellent choice for your side walk signs. A-Frames are mobile and very versatile. There are also flex sign frames available. The flex sign frames have a spring coil at the base which allows the sign to sway slightly to keep it from falling over in a strong wind. Banners and banner stands can also be used for attracting attention to a location.

Job site signs can be very helpful to prospective buyers before, during, and after construction. Job site signs can be simple vinyl lettering or they can use photo quality digital prints.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Schoemaker

At SIGNARAMA we can help you decide which sign is the right answer for your project. Give us a call for more information.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Real Estate Sign Options

CUSTOM VINYL BANNERS GRAB ATTENTION FROM EVEN THE MOST UNLIKELY CUSTOMERS!

By Kara Klein

Vinyl banners in all shapes and sizes have been around for ages. Vinyl banners are one of the most popular types of signs out there. They offer the most BANG for your buck when promoting your business, event, school or organization to people all around you. Custom banners have come a long way over the past few years making it more economical to print full color banners instead of plain, one color vinyl banners. It is also cheaper and easier to print larger custom banners.

Vinyl banner signs open the door to make a long lasting impression on potential customers. Pretend you are walking through a shopping center. Most shopping centers have a lot of shops, packaging centers, cafes, etc. You are not there for any specific reason just browsing through...

What would you notice first?

1. The packaging store with a few small "Ship Here" signs on the door
2. The coffee shop with the "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" chai tea latte special decal on their window
3. The full color vinyl banner that fills the store front at the travel agency showing a cruise special they are offering to the Bahamas

I don't know about you, but I can smell the ocean and feel the sand under my feet just looking at that full color banner in the window! The agency's custom banner grabbed my attention even though I was far from shopping for a cruise package.

But why choose custom banners over other kinds signs?

Full color banners are offered in a many different sizes, have simple installation and require very little assembly. Vinyl banners are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. They can be mounted to buildings, hung across streets, attached to light poles or simply mounted to the inside of a travel agents window. Plus, depending on your needs, vinyl banners can be made either single sided or double.

They are especially ideal for temporary promotions, city events, grand openings and so much more. They roll up so they are easy to store, are economical to ship, yet still offer the WOW factor!

You wouldn't want to replace your roadside sign or backlit store front sign every time the weeks special changed or you had a sale. You do not want to have to buy a new wood sign every time you have a fundraiser in your city. And you surely don't want your back storage room to be loaded down year round with your Holiday Specials Signs because you needed to make a BIG impression last holiday season, and can't roll your signs up and tuck them away!

In many cases, custom banners are the most logical and economical decision. They offer limitless options to give you a BIG impact no matter what your message is or who you're speaking to. Vinyl banners help you leave a lasting impression without spending a fortune or taking up all of your storage space.

Are all vinyl banners created the same? 

Not exactly. Vinyl banners can be made on many different weights of material ranging from 10 ounce to 16 ounce. The standard weight for most uses is 13 ounces. This is the most often used banner material out there. It is a nice, heavyweight material that is ideal for indoor or outdoor use. And vinyl banners can still be made the old fashioned way on manufactured banner material with vinyl letters and graphics applied to the surface, but most sign shops today digitally print all banners whether it is one color or full color. This way everything is printed directly from the computerized file and there is less room for manual error. The other advantage is that there's no vinyl for people to tamper with or remove to cause damage your sign.

There are several ways to finish your vinyl banner, from the way they are hemmed to the way they are to be mounted. Most sign stores offer taped hem or heat sealed edges. You can have sewn hems done or no finishing at all. No finishing is okay for one time or occasional use. Taped hem or heat sealed edges offer a finished look with long term durability. Sewn hems are needed especially for street banners and other larger exterior banners that will be exposed to more wear and tear.

Other finishing for vinyl banners can be determined by how exactly it will be used or installed. Grommets, also known as eyelets, are quite popular - they are typically applied to every 2 feet of banner so that you can install your vinyl banner with rope, zip ties, suction cups, etc. Other mounting finishes include pole pockets, sewn in rope, webbing, D rings and Wind Slits.

All serve different purposes, have different uses and range in cost, depending on the size of your custom banner.

Where do you begin to create vinyl banners for your business? 

1. Choose a main message - Don't overdo it - keep it simple but BOLD!
2. Figure out how far away it needs to be visible from - Will your audience be walking by, driving by, or seeing it from across the street?
3. What colors do you want to go with?
4. Any logos or specific graphics you would like to include?
5. Where do you plan to put it?

By thinking ahead on these key points, you will have a good idea of what you are looking for. This way your sign company can design a custom business banner that will not only make your desired statement, but meet your needs for how you plan to use it. By knowing how far it needs to be visible from your sign company can design your vinyl banner to insure it will make the biggest impact possible on your audience.

Next time your potential customers are walking through your shopping center, who would you rather be?

The packaging store, the coffee shop or the travel agency?

My money is on the trip to the Caribbean...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kara_Klein

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

CUSTOM VINYL BANNERS GRAB ATTENTION FROM EVEN THE MOST UNLIKELY CUSTOMERS!

FIND STRENGTH IN ROADBLOCKS AND POTHOLES OF LIFE

How can you stay self-motivated and productive in the midst of turbulent times and a sluggish economy? How do you persevere as a salesperson when times are tough and customers seem to be holding on to every penny in fear of economic uncertainty?

Every challenge, setback and personal difficulty you encounter in life also brings with it the seed of equivalent or greater benefit. The key to overcoming adversity is to avoid the temptation of panic and instead, focus on finding the greater benefit. Adversity will never leave you where it found you; it will either strengthen your character or weaken your resolve.

During the early years of World War II Nazi submarines, operating in wolf packs, roamed the frigid waters of the North Atlantic with impunity sinking an alarming number of British military and merchant ships. Hitler was confident that his U-boats could blockade England and eventually starve the British people into submission.

In the summer of 1940, while the Battle of Britain was being played out over London, the Germans unmercifully sank more than 300 British military and merchant ships. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, fearing the negative impact these devastating losses might have on the nation's morale, ordered the information withheld from the public. In an effort to reduce the appalling number of casualties lost at sea, Churchill instructed the British Royal Navy to begin a study to determine what, if anything, could be done to save more lives during sea rescue.

While interviewing the survivors an interesting discovery was made. To their complete astonishment, the researchers noted that the survival rate for the younger, presumably more physically fit sailors was remarkably lower when compared to their older shipmates. The study concluded that the older sailors had a significantly higher survival rate due to the fact that they had overcome more adversity and therefore, had developed greater confidence in being rescued than the younger, less experienced sailors.

The head of the research project, Kurt Hahn, was so moved by this discovery that he created the Outward Bound program. Hahn designed Outward Bound utilizing a series of progressively rugged challenges, to mentally and physically prepare young British sailors to cope with the adversity of naval combat. Today, the Outward Bound program works to help youths develop greater confidence and a better self-image.

I find it interesting that people faced with similar adversity often experience remarkably different outcomes. Some people become weakened, some become hardened and some become stronger. If you place a carrot, an egg and a coffee bean into a pot of boiling water, each reacts in a completely different manner to their conditions. The carrot goes into the boiling water firm and comes out soft; the egg goes in fragile and comes out hardened; while the coffee bean turns the hot water into coffee by releasing its flavor and aroma.

Selling in these challenging times demands determination and personal fortitude. Having the will to persevere when times are tough is a characteristic commonly found among self-made millionaires. Are you a quitter? The last time you failed, did you stop trying because you failed or did you fail because you stopped trying?

You must expect to encounter detours, roadblocks and potholes of adversity along the road of life. The next time you are faced with adversity, learn from it and know that you are becoming a much stronger person because of it.

Source: John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. He is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

FIND STRENGTH IN ROADBLOCKS AND POTHOLES OF LIFE

A Sign of Success

A successful marketing plan includes many variables, but signs are an important component. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 89% of failing businesses end up in that position due to improper signage. Putting a more positive spin on it, businesses with good signage have an almost 90% probability of success.

This, of course, begs the question…what is “good signage”? There’s not really one answer to that question, but you should focus on clarity, location and design when you make sign placement decisions. If this is outside your area of expertise, ask a signage expert (like us!) to help; in addition to producing signs, we provide design services and placement consultations.

Will it really make a difference? Here’s an example that should convince you: A Whataburger that wasn’t seeing the volume it desired removed a brand-new pylon sign and installed one 40% larger and taller. It attracted 23% more customers the very next day, and sales have escalated for more than five years.

The next time you review your marketing program, take a critical look at your signage to make sure it’s adding all the value it can to your bottom line. Good signs should effectively advertise your company and put money in your pocket.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

A Sign of Success

Shop Online at Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

You can now shop online at our Web site.  You can order banners, decals, lettering, displays and signs.  You can order pre-made signs or use our design center to customize the sign to fit your needs. Add you own logo, personal or  business information to customize it.

All in just 3 easy steps!


Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Shop Online at Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Shop Signarama Store Video

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Shop Signarama Store Video

Branding Your Company

Branding Your Company

Establishing and maintaining your company’s brand provides significant value as you seek to gain new customers. The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.”

Branding isn’t about getting your target market to choose you over the competition; it’s about getting prospects to see you as the only option to solve to their problem. With that in mind, good brands will:

• Deliver a clear message

• Confirm credibility

• Connect prospects emotionally

• Motivate buyers

• Solidify user loyalty

Signage is a critical element of any brand promotion strategy. Displaying your company logo in public locations maximizes your brand's exposure in addition to identifying your location and directing vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

We can support your branding efforts by ensuring your logo is treated respectfully with regard to sizing, placement, materials and colors. This preserves its value and positively reinforces the public image of your company.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Branding Your Company

MAKE SURE YOUR WEBSITE’S FOOTER HAS LEGS

By Nick La

Your website’s footers (that bottom part of the page you think no one looks at) have evolved to become more than a place to position a copyright statement, legal statement or a second navigation bar. Nowadays, the footer has moved up the ladder – figuratively speaking – in importance.

The reason for this is related to Search Engine Optimization. More web designers are now aiming for usability and SEO effectiveness, because the more cross-linked content and key words included in your site, the better your results are likely to be.

Additionally, the easier your website is for search engines to index, the better your SEO rank may be. This, too, is done in a number of ways, but a recent way to assist this process is to make your footer more robust and site map-like than ever before. Site maps are great tools for larger sites. They allow users to go to one spot and visually sweep over the titles of most pages within the site. This data used to be reserved for a site map page. Now, more and more savvy designers and developers are taking the time to create wonderfully useful footers.

Consider including these elements in your website’s footer:

• A place to duplicate your primary and secondary navigation to your entire site A location for reciprocal link exchange
• A location for all social marketing connections associated with the website
• A location for a truncated list of RSS or Twitter feeds associated with the website
• Contact forms, as they have garnered more popularity in recent years for immediate contact ability for users And lastly, a location for sharing tools, allowing other users to pass your information and messaging to others

By implementing one (or several) of these tips, you’ll not simply increase SEO, but you’ll also be increasing usability and effectiveness of the site. So next time you’re going through a redesign of your web presence, remember this: The last place you think a user might look may now be their first stop at your website.

More information:
http://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/modern-sitemap-and-footer/


Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

MAKE SURE YOUR WEBSITE’S FOOTER HAS LEGS

FLOOR GRAPHICS

Floor graphics have become increasingly popular in many businesses today both large and small. Supermarkets, Hospitals, shopping malls, offices, retailers and financial institutions are just some of the many businesses that use them.

There are many types and ways to use floor graphics. Eye catching designs and colors can be used to introduce or remind customers of popular name brands and products. Directional floor graphics direct people to certain locations. Safety floor decals can be used in areas where safety is a concern. Special advertising graphics help create brand awareness in corporate environments. And floor graphics are perfect for events as they can be easily removed after the event.

Floor graphics are high in durability and can even be used outdoors on surfaces traditionally not seen as signage. Floor signs resist tearing, scuffing and many abrasive forces. They are easy to care for and can easily be removed.

Give us a call today to find out more about floor graphics and other types of signage. We’ll help you find the perfect signage to meet your needs!

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

FLOOR GRAPHICS

DEVELOP THE MINDSET OF A CHAMPION

Take Charge of Your Internal Dialogue:
Engage the linguistic nutrition of championship performance

Your self-talk is the foundation of your belief system and your belief system determines your attitudes about your success or lack of it in your sales career. Inner thoughts either set you up for success or failure. Therefore, negative, pessimistic thoughts will ultimately lead to procrastination and poor sales outcomes. Such thoughts actually convince your mind that you will fail.

So often, people unconsciously use self-limiting thoughts which prevent them from being successful. It's a form of unintended self-sabotage. Examples of such self-talk phrases, are: "The economy will make this a tough sell now," or "I'll be lucky if I make half the sales I made last year." These kinds of thoughts are like eating junk food once you decide that a healthy eating lifestyle is just too difficult to maintain.

Action Plan: Keep a written journal of negative thoughts that enter your mind regarding your sales performance and notice the patterns. Then, use rational thinking to counterpunch each negative thought with a healthy, positive thought.

For example, change "This economy will drive my customers away now," to "I don't have to be successful with every client. This is a numbers game. I am a sharp, creative person and I'll find new markets/customers for my product/service, despite the economy. I'll keep my eyes open for opportunities, which I really believe will present themselves."

Unleash the Power of Your Mind
Plow through the mental road blocks to championship performance

Your subconscious mind takes orders from you without judging success or failure. You always have the choice in what you feed to your subconscious mind. Therefore, you must believe in yourself and in the value of the products you are selling. Eliminate imposter fears -- the belief that you really are not good at what you do or your products and services are not as valuable to potential customers as you propose.

o often, salespeople focus on their failures and what they did not achieve. Instead, you need to focus on what you have achieved. You can program your mind to believe in your strengths and your ultimate success.

Just as athletes focus on their strengths, you can focus on yours, too. Always remember that your product knowledge, your customer service skills and your sincere concern that the customer is satisfied and better off having purchased your products or services will overcome any deficiencies you see in yourself.

Action Plan: Practice presenting a positive attitude toward everyone you meet, not just prospective clients and customers. Constantly pat yourself on the back with positive self-talk, such as, "I provide a valuable service to my clients," and "I help people achieve their goals."

Focus on good results you have achieved in your sales career and pat yourself on the back. When something doesn't turn out like you planned, learn from it and move on. Keep a success journal. Make note of times your sales are on a roll and situations where you accomplish your goals. Each day put at least one item on your list.

Review the list of successes regularly, especially when you are having a worrisome day.

Fill Your Mind with Optimistic Expectations
Unleash the most powerful mental tool that drives championship performance

Research conducted over 30 years with more than one million participants has determined there is a single, powerful predictor of sales achievement -- optimistic expectations. Ability and motivation are not always enough to guarantee consistent results. Expectations of success or failure are self-fulfilling prophecies that often determine the outcomes, regardless of ability and motivation. The research also shows that people who develop learned optimism live longer and healthier lives, so there are major benefits that go far beyond your career.

The key is to believe that you will succeed, despite the challenges, obstacles and setbacks that are inevitable in your sales career. Continue to believe you will succeed, even in the face of resistance, rejection and hostility. How you explain to yourself and react to setbacks is a crucial determinant of your ultimate success. Training yourself to look at setbacks as temporary challenges and minimizing those setbacks with the knowledge that you can find a solution and overcome them, predicts ultimate success.

Action Plan: Developing optimistic expectations can be learned. Even if you are a chronic pessimist and your parents or spouse is a pessimistic thinker, you can absolutely learn ways to overcome the negative beliefs that underlie your pessimistic explanatory style.

Revisit the Action Plan which describes the best way to develop an optimistic explanatory style -- by understanding your own negative thinking patterns and practicing changing them. You can also get cognitive training from a professional psychologist or by attending training seminars directed at teaching you learned optimism.

Such training will do wonders for your career and in your life.

Source: Dr. Jack Singer is a professional speaker, trainer and licensed psychologist.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

DEVELOP THE MINDSET OF A CHAMPION

Banner Stands: Get More Bang For Your Buck

Banners are one of the most cost-effective ways to establish a visual presence, but if you want to add some punch to your display, you should consider a banner stand as well. Since your aim is to attract attention---whether you're at a trade show or other event, or merely advertising at your place of business---it makes great sense to maximise the opportunity with a highly visible banner stand.

You might be surprised at the options available to make your banner really stand out: feather and teardrop flags; tabletop, medium, large and jumbo-sized displays; retractable banner stands; three sided displays; and even overhead banner stands. We can make recommendations based on your needs and budget, with the knowledge that whichever type you choose, it will enhance your professionalism and visibility, and be convenient for you to use.

http://signaramakearnymesa.blogspot.com/

Banner Stands: Get More Bang For Your Buck

Cartoon Network Cafe Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

In early June, Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa, in San Diego, was contacted by representatives of Cartoon Network to explore the possibility of transforming Ciro’s Pizzeria, a local pizza restaurant, into the Cartoon Network Cafe for the annual Comic-Con Convention in mid July. Comic-Con is the largest convention in San Diego, bringing over 130,000 attendees and exhibitors.

The concept was to cover all areas available with Cartoon Network Branding. Designing and printing all the large format digital printing progressed to an on time completion by Friday July 16th and installation was scheduled for Tuesday July 20th. That is when the clock started ticking. Cartoon Network, a Turner Broadcasting Company, took possession of the restaurant for a week, beginning at midnight Monday July 19th. The plan was to open as Cartoon Network Cafe by ten o’clock Wednesday morning. The four man Sign-A-Rama installation crew arrived at 6:00 AM Tuesday morning, to find that stage lighting had been installed along the walls, hanging five feet down from the ceiling in front of the wall areas that needed to have graphics applied. As part of the crew began installation on the exterior facade, lead installer, Rob Brewer, discussed with CN representatives ideas for installing around the obstacles. A plan of action was quickly agreed upon and the application of over four thousand square foot of specialty digital media began. Working around the stage lighting, ventilation duct-work, recessed walls and existing fixtures created new challenges with every roll of print. Late afternoon brought additional challenges, as delays in the installation conflicted with delivery and set up of furniture and more displays. By 10:00 PM small details were being completed and all smiles were seen on the CN VIPs, as well as four exhausted installers.

On Monday July 26th installers from Sign-A-Rama returned to remove all graphics and displays and return the restaurant into better condition that it was found, seven days prior. All Ciro’s displays, photos and fixtures were reinstalled, using photos taken before removal. By the evening, Ciro’s Pizzeria, was Ciro’s Pizzeria again.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Cartoon Network Cafe Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

A FRAME SIGNS: A cost effective way to draw attention.

A FRAME SIGNS: A cost effective way to draw attention.

A frame signs are essential for the growth of any retail, commercial, or food service business. For many small businesses, it is essential to garner attention by placing sandwich boards and a frame signs out in front of the establishment, like on the sidewalk, or right outside an entrance. This gives the friendly impression that all are welcome inside your store or cafe. A sidewalk sign also promotes a daily special, an upcoming event, or even advertises a popular brand that a passerby may not have realized was sold there otherwise. Unlike seeing an advertisement in the newspaper, or hearing a sponsored commercial on the radio, these shoppers are already there; so catching them as they walk by can be highly effective and beneficial to gaining more profits. Whether you own a beauty salon, coffee shop, deli, retail shop, or boutique, an a frame sign placed by the open door, will surely lead people in to check it out. The faster a walk-in client or impulse shopper sees a special or promotional offering, the better your chances are of making that sale.

A frame signs are designed with two sides, allowing you to catch passersby from either direction as they walk by your establishment. Double-sided sidewalk signs give you twice the exposure that traditional storefront signs offer. A frame signs have proven to be very successful in drawing in impulse shoppers and other passersby into your business establishments and retail stores. Additionally, these versatile sign frames can be used outside of clubs, restaurants, theaters and bars. As free-standing sidewalk signs, a frame signs can easily be placed in high traffic areas including lobbies and foyers as well. To casual shoppers passing by, and even cars driving through the parking lot, your a-frame signs create a bridge between the sidewalk and the entrance door. There are several styles of a frame signs to choose from:

• Polyethylene signs are very popular a frame signs because they are built to handle outdoor environments. Polyethylene plastic is cost-effective as well as durable and will not rust, crack, splinter or peel. Many polyethylene signs feature a write on surface that you are able to draw your graphics on and change as frequently as you'd like. Others include rigid sintra boards to hold your posters in place. With these models, you can either attach vinyl letters, or signs onto the a frame boards.
  
• A frame signs designed with snap frames are perfect for displaying graphic posters, such as your vibrant images and colorful advertisements. The quick clip snap frames enable fast poster changes without having to move the sign, and the frames clip down to hold your promotional posters on the sandwich boards, in place.
  
• Sidewalk signs with water or sand filled plastic bases are ideal to place outdoors as a direct result of their stability. A frame signs are offered in many different styles. Some include wheels that allow the signs to be moved with ease. Others are built with rugged springs that enable the signs to bend and sway without breaking in windy conditions. Many of these pavement signs include snap frames to hold your advertisements in place as well.

Impulse shoppers, in most cases, will not be shopping for any particular item. If enticed by an outdoor sign displaying something very eye-catching, these shoppers will venture into the store out of curiosity, and most likely purchase whatever strikes their fancy. Businesses need to understand that impulse shoppers are out there and therefore, should be merchandising their displays to target this audience. Keep in mind, if the impulse shopper is happy with their purchase, they will be back and maybe even become a loyal customer. With sandwich boards and a frame signs, you can be furthering your business and creating a prosperous future for yourself, retail store or food service establishment. For continued business success, it is important to take time to understand the behaviors and patterns of your customers. Since we were able to see, our eyes have been attracted to dynamic graphics and images. If you put the time into using the right displays to get people excited about your offerings, increased sales are sure to follow.

Article Source: Brooke Sherratt

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

A FRAME SIGNS: A cost effective way to draw attention.

KEEPING YOUR STAND OUT FACTOR

Everything has become a commodity. Every day we find more and more inexpensive versions of the same things. Companies quickly catch up with what others have done -- and even a good idea quickly becomes commoditized.

So, how do you keep your edge? How do you get remembered? How do you develop your SO -- your Stand Out factor?

Even though we know that new, different and distinct is what gets people's attention, most of our services and products look like what people expect or what has already been done. We are stuck in a pattern of doing what we've always done. Bland. Boring. Blah!

Business and life successes are in the "could be," not in the "what is." The result is that much of the work place, and the workforce as well, is operating with yesterday's approach even though today is different.

Customers and employees become bored. This causes employees to change jobs in the hope of finding more excitement and a way to significantly contribute. They look for organizations that commit to the largest experiences and impact in what they do because it's a lot more fun. And, if the organization could be ordinary or extraordinary, why not work and shop in a place that is extraordinary?

The key to Stand Out thinking is being different -- better. The goal is to know what others do and insist on doing something better. Don't try to fit in; separate yourself because in a crowded marketplace fitting in is failing.

As we are herded into similar thinking, much of our ability to stand out is challenged, diminished or eliminated. Over time we become great at doing what others did.

Find Creative Solutions To Problems, Issues
In today's service economy, our value is in our thinking. Passionate performance happens when we have freedom to imagine, create and innovate.

Learn to reconnect with your creative side. More than 90 percent of five-year-olds are creative, but only five percent of 13-year-olds (and older) are creative. We have trained ourselves out of being creative. Train yourself back into creative thinking by learning how to revisit a problem, issue or opportunity in the following ways:

• Frame it differently. Make it a product, a hobby, an inanimate object, a cartoon, a food, a superhero, etc.
• See it from another perspective: man, woman, child, minority, friend, enemy, teacher, employee, customer, affluent, poor, honest, greedy, etc.
• Morph the problem by changing it to the best, worst, an object, a person, a policy, a fruit, a car, a game, etc.
• Link it to an unrelated item to see the correlations; identify how it is similar, how it is different. This forces the brain to see connections it would normally ignore.
• Use pictures to visualize the problem, issue or opportunity. How does the visual encourage different thinking? ? View the problem as a color -- what does it make you think of, how does the color offer a new perspective?
• Brainstorm using the phrases, "What if?" "How about?" or "Just consider."
• Use word association to generate ideas
• Write a headline, poem, obituary, news report or book title that relates to a business issue, event or other need. This forces a new perspective on the situation.

So, remember the bad B's: bland, boring and blending as a way of going bust. To succeed, Stand Out.

Think, Dream, Invent And Stand Out From The Crowd
Organizations that openly encourage all employees to think, dream and invent, create the possibility of standing out. And standing out is the only way to compete in this information blurred and "overcommoditized" economy.

Service that stands out encourages customer loyalty. Workplaces that stand out encourage employee loyalty. At a time where there seems to be so little loyalty by either party, a bold commitment to being remembered is a critical advantage. Standing out is about creating something original, exciting and dynamic.

Stand Out thinking starts with the permission to let yourself invent. This happens in an open and accepting environment. It happens when your workplace is diverse in both background and experience and when all employees are required to openly invent, think and participate in decision-making, and say what is on their minds. This is way to invite the new, the different and the great.

Build a culture of creative thinkers in your organization by the following:

• Allow employees to invent and take calculated risks. Reward excellent failures. Encourage greater thinking. If you are not failing every now and then, chances are you are not doing anything innovative. Visibly applaud creative efforts that focus on value, profits and customer service. Applaud employee reach and innovation.
• Invent a Creativity Zone -- an area of the workplace that is committed to extraordinary thinking.
• Invent the "Creativiteam" -- a team assembled to generate ideas to solve an issue, invent something new, create an event, etc.
• Create an idea journal and add to it each day. Think unique, valuable, exceptional and exclusive.

Think success by focusing on what makes you different and distinct. Then help your employees show up to get it done, step up to do it right and Stand Out to be remembered.

Source: Jay Forte

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

KEEPING YOUR STAND OUT FACTOR

E-tip: Sell directly to Facebook users.

A recent survey finds that Facebook merchant pages rank as the top social tool for brands. Retailers recognize the value of grabbing a piece of the Facebook pie, setting up merchant pages on Facebook and aggressively working to collect fans.

And according to a recent poll by search engine marketer Performics, 34% of consumers say they first heard or learned about a product via a social network.

But the ultimate goal for merchants is to tap into Facebook’s 400 million users and see direct results that affect the bottom line and to monetize their social media presence. This has been easier said than done, however.


Facebook is a great place for discovery, branding, promotion and consumer communications, but until now there has been no way to sell directly to Facebook users. The old “walled garden” solution that required Facebook users to leave the network and go to destination Websites simply did not work.

But you can now sell directly from Facebook by turning a fan page into a storefront. Here are five tips on how to do this.

1. Offer a fan incentive scheme that will grow business by growing the number of consumers who like your page. Nurture those loyal followers into an army of evangelists for brands by offering them discounts.

2. Use free e-commerce tools available on Facebook to easily adapt a fan page to become a salesroom. Chicago-based beauty company Orglamix doubled its number of Facebook fans immediately after installing an e-commerce app that took minutes to set up. Though Facebook currently does not offer an ecommerce platform, there are several free apps available on its developers tools page.

3. Ensure that whatever e-commerce system you use enables your company to take advantage of the Facebook network effect. It should have mechanisms that allow people to find items via a brand, storefront and product search and should offer Facebook-wide shopping carts.

4. Be early to market. Make sure to evaluate what competitors are doing on Facebook and make sure to beat them to market–or at the very least, clearly differentiate the storefront based on promotions, information, community, product assortment, etc.

5. Avoid automated responses. Take the opportunity to engage with customers and encourage them to spread the word virally about your Facebook storefront. Don't use your fan page solely as an auto feed of your Website's content.

A retail Website that lives inside Facebook is more than just a way to increase sales; it’s a way to build loyalty and a large fan base. Facebook is a new world of e-commerce with a captive audience. Inspire and enable your fans to spread your word, and then reap the rewards.


Christian Taylor is founder/CEO of e-commerce systems provider Payvment.com.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

E-tip: Sell directly to Facebook users.

Featured Article on SINGONSANDIEGO

In early June, Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa, in San Diego, was contacted by representatives of Cartoon Network to explore the possibility of transforming Ciro’s Pizzeria, a local pizza restaurant, into the Cartoon Network Cafe for the annual Comic-Con Convention in mid July. Comic-Con is the largest convention in San Diego, bringing over 130,000 attendees and exhibitors.

The concept was to cover all areas available with Cartoon Network Branding. Designing and printing all the large format digital printing progressed to an on time completion by Friday July 16th and installation was scheduled for Tuesday July 20th. That is when the clock started ticking. Cartoon Network, a Turner Broadcasting Company, took possession of the restaurant for a week, beginning at midnight Monday July 19th. The plan was to open as Cartoon Network Cafe by ten o’clock Wednesday morning. The four man Sign-A-Rama installation crew arrived at 6:00 AM Tuesday morning, to find that stage lighting had been installed along the walls, hanging five feet down from the ceiling in front of the wall areas that needed to have graphics applied. As part of the crew began installation on the exterior facade, lead installer, Rob Brewer, discussed with CN representatives ideas for installing around the obstacles. A plan of action was quickly agreed upon and the application of over four thousand square foot of specialty digital media began. Working around the stage lighting, ventilation duct-work, recessed walls and existing fixtures created new challenges with every roll of print. Late afternoon brought additional challenges, as delays in the installation conflicted with delivery and set up of furniture and more displays. By 10:00 PM small details were being completed and all smiles were seen on the CN VIPs, as well as four exhausted installers.

On Monday July 26th installers from Sign-A-Rama returned to remove all graphics and displays and return the restaurant into better condition that it was found, seven days prior. All Ciro’s displays, photos and fixtures were reinstalled, using photos taken before removal. By the evening, Ciro’s Pizzeria, was Ciro’s Pizzeria again.



Read story from SIGNONSANDIEGO [PDF]

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Featured Article on SINGONSANDIEGO

SIGNS ARE EFFECTIVE

Your sign is an integral part of your advertising program along with the other forms of commercial communication such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and billboards. There are four basic criteria used to judge the effectiveness of these advertising media: (1) coverage of the trade area, (2) repetition of a message, (3) readership of a message, and (4) cost per thousand exposures of a message. Two other criteria important for the small business owner are (5) availability and (6) ease of use. Let's see how signs measure up to the above criteria.

1. Signs are oriented to your trade area. Signs do not waste your resources by requiring you to pay for wasted advertising coverage. The people who see your sign are the people who live in your trade area.

2. Signs are always on the job repeating your message to potential customers. Your on-premise sign communicates to potential customers twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, week after week, month after month, year after year. Every time people pass your business establishment they see your sign. The mere repetition of the message will help them remember your business.

3. Nearly everyone reads signs. Signs are practical to use for nearly everyone is used to looking at signs and using signs, even small children. Studies have shown that people do read and remember what is on signs. When special items are displayed, sales increase for these particular items within the store.

4. Signs are inexpensive. When compared to the cost of advertising in some other media, the on-premise sign is very inexpensive. Table 1 indicates the cost-per-thousand-exposures for various media in a given type of community. Unless your trade area encompasses an entire city or region where you must rely upon broad based media coverage, there is no better advertising dollar value than your on-premise sign.

5. Signs are available to each and every shop owner. There is no need to schedule the use of your sign. Your sign is available to you whenever you need it and to be used however you please.

6. Signs are easy to use. No special skills or resources are needed to operate a sign once it has been installed. If it is an illuminated sign, all you need to do is flip the switch and that may not be necessary with timing equipment. Once the initial expenditures are made no special resources or professional services are needed. You need only operate and maintain your sign.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

SIGNS ARE EFFECTIVE

VEHICLE GRAPHICS AND CAR WRAP ADVERTISING DELIVER BIG RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Successful promotions and marketing campaigns can be difficult to achieve, especially when competitors are using the same online and offline channels as your company. Now that traditional television advertising and even internet advertising have been accepted as powerful and persuasive advertising platforms, outdoors advertisers are seeing an acceptance of car wrap advertising. Why? Vehicle Wraps are a high impact, cost effective form of advertising that work for all types and sizes of businesses. A vehicle wrap builds brand recognition, raises a company's profile and reinforces brand identity.

Business owners are rapidly discovering that car wraps and vehicle graphics are the most economical way to reach customers quickly, especially for event promotions such as trade shows. Compared to traditional forms of advertising- outdoor signs, television, print and radio, vehicle advertising can reach more consumers at lower Cost Per Thousand (CPM) impressions than any other form of outdoor advertising.

While advertising budgets for traditional media have been cut back, companies are still investing in vehicle advertising because they realize all that driving by employees is a golden opportunity to build their brand. No other form of advertising offers a lower cost per impression than a vehicle wrap.

According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America:

• More than 95% of Americans are reached by media targeting vehicle drivers and passengers.
• One vehicle wrap can generate between 30,000 - 70,000 impressions daily.
• Fleet vehicle advertising boosts name recognition 15 times greater than any other form of advertising.
• 30% of mobile outdoor viewers indicate they would base a buying decision on the ad they see.

A comparison between vehicle wraps Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) with traditional adverting leaves no doubt about the advantages of going mobile:

• A 30-second prime-time spot in the top 100 television markets cost $17.78 per CPM.
• A 60-second drive-time ad in the top 100 radio markets cost $8.61 per CPM.
• A one-third b/w page ad in the top 100 newspaper markets cost $22.95 per CPM.
• A four-color one-page ad in 23 top magazine publications cost $9.35 per CPM.
• The average for all forms of billboard ads cost $2.18 per CPM.
• Vehicle wraps cost $.77 per CPM.

While a growing number of companies are spending more of their ad dollars on online advertising and less on traditional media, it appears that vehicle advertising or moving billboards are here to stay.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

VEHICLE GRAPHICS AND CAR WRAP ADVERTISING DELIVER BIG RETURN ON INVESTMENT

ESCAPING THE VOICE MAIL MAZE

"I'm sorry, I'm out of my office. Would you please leave your name and number and I'll return your call as soon as I can."
How many of us are still waiting for our reply? Technology has made our selling lives both easier and more challenging. Voice mail is a challenge that forces us to redefine our telephone strategies.

Create Interest. If a customer doesn't need your product or service immediately, the probability of getting a reply is slim to none. To increase your odds of success, treat each phone call as a sales call.
You have about 10 seconds. Prepare what you are going to say. Your message should spark interest. Present a benefit that sounds so interesting it's worth a return call. This requires some research on your part -- to find out what's of interest to this customer.

Change Procedure. Leave a message saying, "I've been trying to set up an appointment with you. I know how busy you are. If June 6 at 10 a.m. won't work for you, please call me at (your phone number)."
When you arrive on June 6 at 10 a.m. and the receptionist says, "Do you have an appointment?" you can say "Yes." Try to do this with sales calls that are geographically close to confirmed appointments. You still run the risk of a prospect who won't see you, but at least you aren't making a special trip to his location.

Get Through the First Time. Since most prospects return calls to people they know, always get referrals. Selling is not only about who you know, it's about getting to know the people who know the people you want to know.
Ask your customer to call the prospect for you to say you will be in contact. That introduction increases the probability that your prospect will return or take your call.
When you call a referral, always tell the receptionist "John Doe asked me to call Mr. Prospect." If the assistant screens calls, she will mention the person who referred you to the prospect.

Get help. Sometimes there is a screener before you get to voice mail. Enlist the help of the screener and you might actually speak to your prospect. Explain, "I've been playing phone tag with John Doe. Can you see if he will speak with me for a few minutes about the benefit to him or his company?"

Change times. Think about calling when your prospect has to answer his phone. Most screeners are out before 8 a.m. at lunchtime, and after 5 p.m. Calling at these times gives you higher probability that the prospect will actually pick up his phone.

Keep trying. Persistence does pay off. You should not leave 10 messages a day, however trying at different times with different strategies should eventually work.

Source: Maura Schreier-Fleming is president of Best@Selling, a sales training and consulting organization in Dallas, Texas. She speaks at conferences about sales and business improvement and works with business and sales professionals on real-world skills and strategies. She is the author of the book Real-World Selling for Out of-this-World Results.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

ESCAPING THE VOICE MAIL MAZE

The Five Best Openings

"How are you today?" Nothing defines you as a telemarketer or salesperson more than that opening delivered in an obligatory, insincere way (the way 80 percent of your competition delivers it).

If you want to separate yourself from your competition and actually connect with your prospect, use any of the following after you give your name and company name.

1. "Can you hear me okay?" This is my personal favorite. This opening does a number of things: A. It elicits a yes response B. It gets your contact to say yes, and it gets him or her to really listen. Not a bad way to start the call.

2. "Happy Monday!" (Or Wednesday, Thursday, etc.) You'll get a lot of traction with this line, and it really open up your prospect.

3. "Is it raining there, too?" (Or hot, foggy, etc.) Immediately connecting with your prospect on an issue unrelated to sales gets him or her talking and takes the pressure off.

4. "I'm so glad I reached you, I need a little bit of help. Are you the person who handles XYZ?" This is a great technique because you immediately make them feel important. Works every time.

5. "How's your day going?" This is the alternative to "How are you today," and it only works if you are sincere and if you actually listen to how their day is going. Please, listen and respond accordingly.

These five openings will separate you from your competition when cold calling a prospect. Have some fun with these, vary them, and find the one you're most comfortable using. But most important, use them. Believe me, your prospect will be happy you did, and so will you.

Source: Mike Brooks is a motivational speaker who has more than 20 years experience in the sales industry. He is the author of The Real Secrets of the Top 20 Percent: How To Double Your Income Selling Over The Phone. His proven techniques and strategies are used successfully by a number of companies




Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

The Five Best Openings

Choosing Point of Sale Display Material

Every store owner knows that point of sale material helps increase the impulse buys made by retail buyers in most industries. While clients are waiting to make a purchase or are waiting in reception areas, they have time to look at advertising material, fill out application forms, be alerted to new products, or even buy an impulse item.

This makes the point of sale signage you choose important to increasing the value per sale from your clients. The difference between up selling the client at point of purchase is greatly increased with an attractive well placed point of sale material.

Point of sale also includes retail signs that bring a passing client into your store. This can include sale signs, a frame signs, neon led lights, banner flags and other eye catching street side items. This is especially true for corner store, food outlets, and almost all other types of retail stores with passing traffic. The aim is to catch the attention of the public and give them a reason to come into your store.

Some of the more popular retail signs that fit this category are A frame signs and Digital & LED Signs. They are popular for different reasons. The A frame sign can usually be easily changed to suit special of the day, or seasonal advertisements. They may be a simple blackboard, magnetic or have plastic letters which make it easy to write a new advertisement.

Digital & LED Signs are particularly effective in the night time. There are scrolling led signs that let you get a longer message across, flashing signs to definitely catch the human eye, or rotating signs to get different messages across. They have also become popular in indoor shopping center, to add a point of difference.

Inside the store, there are many different types of brochure, magazine, flyer holders and many other types of display material available. The best thing to do is take a look at the type of point of sale material you would like to offer and buy your point of sale displays based around that. This is much better than trying to fit the material to the display. Buying from an experienced point of sale provider, will also give you a better chance of getting sensible advice that can save you both time and money.

Most point of sale retailers will stock all you need for pricing, ticketing, such as price ticket or food ticketing, brochure holders, blackboards, whiteboards, banners, bags, competition boxes, shelf stripping and much more. Again it is important to think about what messages you need to get across and choose the point of sale displays that suit your purposes. Talk to your local SIGNARAMA about what you want to achieve and we will be able to suggest items to get this message across, or recommend the products to display the promotional material you want to offer effectively.

Decorating a new business is fun, and this includes selecting your advertising materials. Taking the time to choose quality point of sale displays, that help convey clear messages to your customers, can also promote the personality of your store. And of course they are proven to help increase sales too.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Choosing Point of Sale Display Material

Make Sandwich Boards Part of Your Small Business Arsenal

Sandwich board signs are a great way to attract new customers, especially foot traffic. They are proven to provide an effective and economical increase in your advertising coverage and generally require no special permits for placement. One of the unique and value added benefits stems from the ease of changing the message. Most are designed for two printed inserts, easily changed when a new or reused message is required.

Most of them are designed for the use of Coroplast plastic printed inserts. Coroplast is a twin walled fluted plastic material that readily accepts specific ink formulations. Coroplast is durable, economical and well proven for use in most outdoor conditions.

They are most effective when used for those businesses hidden in the depths of a strip mall, with no direct exposure of their signage to foot and road traffic. They allow for conscious placement of your advertising for the best traffic patterns, and as mentioned earlier allow for a quick change of your message.

Most municipalities have ordinances on their use and most landlords have clauses in their lease agreements guiding their use from the property manager's standpoint. Our experience, especially in tough economic times, is that both are willing to work with a business owner's use of sandwich boards. If they don't, their local taxes and monthly lease payments may be at risk.

The A-Frame boards will last for years with proper care and, in most cases, are made from durable high grade plastic. They are designed to withstand winds, the sun and other outdoor elements. Some are designed with tie downs to prevent theft, but most are designed to be put out when opening for business and taken in at closing.

Sandwich board signs are a must for today's small business. They increase traffic to your business, are durable and economical. If not in it already, sandwich boards signs should be a part of your small business arsenal.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Make Sandwich Boards Part of Your Small Business Arsenal

Networking: It's An Overlooked Opportunity

Networking is by far the most essential skill for building a business or sales career -- and the one most often overlooked. Networking opportunities exist everywhere -- business meetings, professional associations, alumni groups, sports groups, community groups, weddings, parties and any place people come together.

The trick to maintaining a successful internal network is to keep in touch: don't call someone only when you want something. Sure it takes time and effort to keep those connections warm -- but remember Woody Allen's old adage: "Eighty percent of life is showing up." The more often you show up, the more people will get to know you. That will increase your opportunities.

The same concepts apply for internal networking -- set goals for the people you plan to meet with each week, get to know them, exchange ideas, volunteer for special projects. If you are in a senior position, find opportunities to encourage, support, and help others develop themselves. Whether you are new to an organization or a veteran, your activities are the same.

Getting Started

• Your goal should be to attend at least one event per week where you'll have an opportunity to meet potential clients, expand your contacts, and your knowledge.
• Decide which groups you'd like to join and show up regularly. A good rule of thumb is to join fewer groups and attend often rather than to join many groups and show up once in awhile.
• Volunteer with an organization. People will learn how you work -- that you are dependable and contribute innovative ideas -- and you'll begin to develop strong, trusting relationships.

Networking Tips


Decide which events to attend, put monthly attendance on your calendar and set a goal for each event.

• Travel solo.
• If you go with someone, split up.
• Meet new people.
• Prepare insightful questions in advance.
• Don't spend time talking to people you already know.
• Move graciously from group to group.
• Ask, "How can I help you?"

Never stop building your network. Remember to connect with people, and you will see your career and your opportunities expand. Enjoy the process, have a great time and be yourself. Your rewards will be infinite.

Source: Sales strategist Joanne S. Black is America's leading authority on referral selling and the author of "No More Cold Calling™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust".

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Networking: It's An Overlooked Opportunity

Do Your Homework Before Your Next Sales Call

Doing your homework before you make a sales call has never been easier. And the good news is, the bigger the account, the more information you can uncover. Making assumptions is second only to procrastination in undermining your effort to win more business and make more money. Why make assumptions, when you can get answers to specific questions.
For example learn about the company:

• What business are they in?
• What are their sales and profits?
• What are their strategies?
• Who are their competitors?
• What's being said and written about them?
• Who are their key players?
• Plus so much more.

Sure you can go to Google.com, Yahoo.com, Ask.com or one of the many search engines available and hunt for information. But there's something else you can do, that will provide you a steady stream of information without having to lift a finger. It also creates a competitive advantage for you.

Most search engines have programs that will e-mail you updates of the latest relevant web and news stories based on your query, topic, company name, or a person's name.

Imagine getting an e-mail every time something is written about your customers, prospects, and yes, even your competitors. It's your way of keeping tabs on what's important. Just set up an Alert or RSS feed. This is a sales tip that will keep on giving.

Set up alerts or RSS feeds for the following:

• Your biggest customers
• Your biggest prospects
• Your biggest competitors
• Your smallest competitors
• Your own company
• Your own name

Don't be too busy to be smart. This is a clever way to be well-informed. Using the alert feature enables you to focus on what's important and what's new and changing. And, you won't have to spend a penny.

Doing your homework isn't optional and has never been easier. You now have a system in place to give you an edge over your competitors.

Source: Jim Meisenheimer earned the designation CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) from the National Speakers Association. He is a charter member of Master Speakers International and has authored seven books including 57 Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Do Your Homework Before Your Next Sales Call

Yard Signs Help Contractors Grow Their Business

Many people depend on contractors to help them handle day to day activities. From yard work and maintenance to home improvements and appliance repair hiring a contractor can be the best way to get a job done correctly. With the busy day to day life that many people lead it is very helpful to be able to hire an individual to do a great job. Yard signs are a good way for contractors to showcase their name within their community during and after the project.

Whatever you call them: political signs, yard signs, screen printed signs, bandit signs, plastic signs or "signs stuck on wires that stick in the ground" signs, corrugated plastic signs offer durability and are a great advertising value.

Landscaping companies make their living by cutting yards, planting flowers and making their customer’s yards look beautiful. One of the best ways for them to let potential nearby customers know that they are responsible for the beautiful yard is to use yard signs with their specific company information on it. People like to see examples of contractor’s work, and yard signs make that possible. Many contractors also do professional landscaping for companies and sometimes companies like to use designs that are based on certain themes or other ideas. Contractors should always use yard signs for jobs such as this so that they can showcase their versatility as well as their overall talent.

Building contractors can also use yard signs to showcase the buildings that they have constructed. This is especially true for those who are building special homes or other places where consumers are known to frequent. Some contractors specialize in certain building materials or type of architecture so it is important that they showcase these talents. Many people get ideas by looking at buildings for inspiration so it important for builders to proudly display signs that showcase their great work.

So whether you are a landscaper, sprinkler specialist, plumber, home improvements or other type of service specialist, considering advertising your business by adding an onsite yard lawn during and after your next contract. Let passersby know who you are and most importantly, let them see your work.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Yard Signs Help Contractors Grow Their Business

Custom Business Signs Give Your Business a Visual Identity

By Kara Klein
We live in a highly competitive age. With the economy drooping like eyelids on New Year's day, people are scrambling to find employment and do business wherever they can. One industry that is doing well is the advertising industry - people are investing what money they have in getting themselves noticed in this day of uncertainty. A smart way of using your advertising budget is by creating an original, eye grabbing custom business sign. Custom business signs can actually make a brand of your business by giving it visual markers that people will remember. With the right use of graphics, typeface, and colors, you can create an image for your business that will infiltrate people's memories and make your business the first one they think of when they need your service.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of competition out there. And since everyone is using their budgets on advertising for the same reasons, a lot of professionals are also designing amazing custom business signs. But that's okay! Your business sign's goal is to get people to notice and remember you. Once they're in the door, your outstanding service will bring them back!


Yes, Your Custom Business Sign Can Stand Out Amidst the Competition Take one industry that's not doing as well as advertising right now - real estate. Not only are homes not selling, there are a ton of real estate companies out there. Sign companies do a lot of business with real estate agents, as they need multiple custom signs for their business. We can tell you the custom sign designs for just about every real estate business in the area! And they all are pretty good. Think for yourself - name three real estate companies and visualize their business signs. You probably imagined their signs before you even thought of their names!

Even with the vast number of real estate companies out there, each company has a unique sign that represents their company alone. From bright blue signs with white lettering, to black and gold custom signs, to red, white and blue custom signs, the colors these companies have chosen for their signs definitely stand out. Not only are their colors instantly recognizable, but they have graphics that make them one-of-a-kind as well. Hot air balloons. A giant rock. A letter 'C'. These have all become iconic images associated with the custom business signs of certain real estate companies.


These tricks of good advertising aren't limited to the national companies, either. A local real estate company has made its mark with its distinguished custom real estate sign. The sign, featuring an aqua colored graphic of the shape of South Carolina, combined with text in the same color on a white background, has successfully set itself apart from many others in the field. First of all, the state graphic lets clients and potential clients know that the business is local - which is important to a lot of people. Secondly, the aqua color of the imaging invites an association with the water – also relevant, since this company is on the coast. So even though this company's business sign isn't as recognizable nationally as the others may be, it gets a lot of local attention, which is the goal of the business owners.

So even if you're worried that your business sign will get lost among all of the others, if you design a strong sign, it will still get you noticed. And then the hard part of keeping your business is up to you!

Use Your Custom Business Sign in Multiple Places for Multiple Name Recognition Let's stay with the example of real estate agents. Are the only custom signs you see belonging to real estate companies the ones in people's front yards? Speaking for myself, I know that I see real estate signs everywhere - from yard signs to magnetic car signs to business cards and collared shirts, their images are almost impossible to ignore.

So once you design your custom business sign, don't limit its exposure to the buying public! Invest in a full marketing campaign and display your custom business sign wherever you anticipate high traffic, and soon your sign will be as memorable as the local real estate company's.

Give Your Business a Good Custom Sign, and Give Your Business a Brand Don't be dissuaded by the competition. If you believe in your business, the first step is to let others know why you believe in it. And the best way to let them know is by ordering and displaying a truly distinct custom business sign.

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Custom Business Signs Give Your Business a Visual Identity