Who's a steady shop here? Need Help on getting business

[john! 1]

Hey everybody, i titled this to target the guys and gals on here who run a steady stream of business on a day to day bases (or around that)

I'm looking for any tips like "..man that was the best thing I've done and my business has lifted off because i did that" kind of deal or "this really keeps me going.."

I've been going off of word of mouth and it's been great but i'm not advancing my monthly net income at all. It's been the same for some time and i really want to expand.

Does anyone have any tips to getting those juicy jobs (banners, vehicle lettering, store fronts ect) as oppose to doing a load of small orders and staying the same every month. Now the small orders as great but you all know what i mean hopefully when i say i'd like to get those AND the larger jobs so that's more money made 

I've put a advertisement the local paper for 12 weeks and didn't have 1 job which didn't surprise me and I've thought about putting coro signs around locally but my county likes to take them down weekly because their strict on that sort of thing around here 

[2GuysSign 4]

Basically i just advertise.  As soon as i finish a job, im out at the shopping plazas with cards and flyers.  The best thing that happened was out in a large town, another sign guy kept over charging and screwing up everything he touched, so all of his business came to me!

[Guest fivestar]

I'd advise like 2Guys said, pound the pavement and get your business cards/flyers into some hands of businesses.  My business is a little different as we already had an established business going and we are in a very small town.

Just keep pounding away on those little jobs and in your spare time hit the pavement and start seeing businesses.

[James605 7]

I did the cloroplast. set  out 50 of them over a couple weeks at busy itersections and lights around town... I got a 50 banner job from them.. That was it.. But im sure glad did.

[ff-extreme 6]

2 questions about the coroplast thing what did you put on your signs and did you need to get permits to put them up?

[Pappy 0]

One thing that has always helped me in any business: referrals.  When you are finished with a job, ask the person if they know anyone that could use your services.  Always ask them if you can use their name when contacting that person.

When calling on a business always THINK of the benefit your service has for that biz.  FOR instance my town just had the BEST of the BEST vote. 

The best hot dog, burger, steak, dry cleaners, jeweler, grocery store, etc.  So I created a sign = BEST HOT DOG IN TOWN, BEST OF THE BEST.

Everyone knows what Best of the Best is.  SO just think out of the box.  Sell your customer on the sizzle and not the steak. 

I've been in marketing for about 10 years, mostly in promotional advertising along with my computer business.  I've seen BIG mistakes by sign professionals.

Like today,  I saw a sign that said something like this: XXXXX COMPANY  in LARGE letters.  THEN what they actually did in really tiny letters.

Don't make that mistake.  People don't care what your name is... unless your at&T, mickyd's or whatever. If you are creating a sign for a service let the SERVICE sell itself.  LAWN CARE $25 FREE ESTIMATES call Joes Landscaping 888-8888  Remember to sell the sizzle for your clients, you are in the marketing business regardless if you know it or not.

TELL your client not only will you create the sign, YOU will design it to bring them more BUSINESS.  Buy some marketing books, any book by Jay Conrad Levison is good ie Guerrilla Marketing.

Study the signs on in your town.  See what catches your eye and what doesn't.  Study the color schemes, the fonts, the layout and so forth. Designing

signs is more of an art than it is a service.

Billboard designers have known this for years.  Thats why you read billboards.  They are good.  Study them, and try to emulate what they are doing.

People are egostical by nature.  They love to see their names in print.  BUT sell the sizzle.  What can you do for me?  Works when creating signs and trying to get new

business.

Later..

Pappy

[wdcisco 0]

Pappy - that was a great post. 

[Mr Peabody 0]

Pappy

Best advice I've seen yet. Need more posts like this one.

Thanks for the help.

[Pistonpump 6]

Great advise Pappy!

Thanks!

[GearboxGraphics 1]

I would say that by far the best way to get business is to pound the pavement and talk to people. Go into your local businesses and drop off some cards, introduce yourself, and BE BRIEF! If they need your services, they will head your way.

Speaking of business cards.....please do yourself a favor and get yourself some high quality, full-color, really good business cards! Business cards say more about your business than you could possibly know. I can't tell you how many business cards that I have designed and printed for people and they come back a  few months later and tell me how much better business is going because of their new cards. Good business cards give a good impression, which is important when you are starting out.

If you have a storefront, make sure it is being used to its best potential. Signs, banners, etc. are perfect for this. If you work out of your home then social networking is much more important. Chamber of Commerce meetings are good for networking!

--Cory