posted
See now, Harlan is a small town in a small county. Population in the whole county is around 33,000, give or take a few drug dealers. Anyway, there are actually six "shops" that are selling vinyl stickers and graphics here now. A friend of mine told me today of the newest one, a screenprint shop that decided there was money in stickers. Now, dont get me wrong, I aint complaining. All of the ones I talk about are print shops, or screen shops that added this "feature" to their business. They will cater mostly to the sticker hunters and windshield banner likers that I turn away. I dont turn away all sticker jobs, but have a minimum price, etc. that I require to be bought in order to make it worth my time. I very much would rather do all custom signwork,but occasionally fall off the wagon. It just strikes me strange that this many people are doing this here, in such a small area, and a staggering economy. It sometimes gets back to me that one of them said, Deaton is too high, we'll do you a better job, and cheaper too. Then the customer springs the sign idea on them, and they say, uh, we dont do them kinda signs. I very much dont have any bad feeling towards these people, but if they keep multiplying as they are, I may have to raise my prices a little more.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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John, I sincerely think you should visit them. I think the fact that you usually don't want the work they are doing could be brought to their attention. You could also let hem know that you are not ashamed of your prices & you would prefer that they go ahead & take the jobs they get without feeling a need to discredit you in the process.
If any of these guys takes the high road & is respectful & business-like in dealing with your visit you would then offer to not just turn away the sticker shopper kids... but instead send them to the one or 2 decent sticker guys out of the bunch. PLUS you could mention that if they have a customer who wants signs, you will take good care of any referrals that they send, and would not attempt to take over their sticker business from that client.
You could also mention that a friendly association mighht lead to either of you being available to loan a few feet of some special color... or cut a job if someones plotter is down... You never know, at least one of these clueless few may become a decent resource & may also benefit from learning that higher prices could & should be aquired for this type of work.
posted
That was my 1st. suggestion I learned at my 1st. Letterhead meet in 1997.(changed my entire life) My 2nd.lesson at my 2nd.meet in 1998 was.... learn to say NO!(opens the door for higher income) 3rd.lesson was...don't worry about what other sign shops charge(they are NOT your competintion) but rather(YOU) are theirs! By putting out Better work,that the public can see the differance from others. Yours will be choosen FIRST
When others put out CHEAPER work,that is because they are (cutting corners somewhere)
We ALL know(and pay) the SAME amount for materials and overhead.
Weather they are using (inferior materials) or they feel thier self worth is NOT going to be payed for has NOTHING to do with how(YOU) think of yourself.
There are LEADERS and there are FOLLOWERS! Which one are you?
You will be amazed how this attitude,coupled with your striving to improve you work (via the Letterhead movement)will improve yourself AND your wallet!
Hope this helps
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I'm with ya John Deaton....I suppose everyone goes thru this phase, these shops come and go so much......You're work will always stand out, and what I have found is that just being in business year after year has been a stable factor to people....they know I can do the job, and where I am. Mr. Hawaii Doug Allan...I have done EXACTLY what you have described....this is a great approach...unfortunately they never returned a favor....I DID let the one shop use my System/plotter for an entire day...(His was down) and I did not accept any money, I just wanted him to return the favor and we canhelp each other. He has moved away, came back, moved away, came back again....everytime his location and logo changes. I will still help him if he asks...I have dropped in with flyers on meets in the area including my own. he's a no-show. Oh well, I do not push the hard sell.....if he shows, he shows, I'm just trying to help. Do I lose work to him? Beats me? I have enuf to do on my own, and I have not..to this day, done a Calvin peeing on something...and I will never do one. I've even had a competitor tke MY LOGO and have Calvin peeing on IT on a stock car at a local track!!! (Ishould have taken a picture of that!) The guy that did that to my logo, well, the town he lives in, (40 miles away) has a large manufacturing plant, and they needed a new sign, low profile, out front. I got the bid, did the job and after it was done, I sent the guy a picture of it thanking him for the FREE ADVERTISING on the Stock Car..and DID I OWE HIM ANYTHING?!! haha
Ths was all done on a business type attitude, and respect.....this is yet just ONE of the story situations I babble on about in my seminars worldwide! Go John DEATON GO!!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
We have a county wide population of 38,000. We have seven who are capable of vinyl. This dosen't count the guys who are moonlighters with a real job and who do NOT claim the income. As with you, some have picked it up "as a sideline" Recently the t-shirt shop across the field let it out that he wants to open a sign shop cause the others "charge too much" I have learned much in my years in the sign world:
1) I refuse to compete with people who are willing to work for free.
2) For the people I want to work for, design is ahead of money in order of importance. I'm not talking about a blank check, just a great job that stands way above the others for a fair price. For this purpose, I have a full time designer.
Someone once told me we have no competition, just people in a similar business.
Oh, and Pat.....good words of advice. I appreciate your wisdom here.
[ December 09, 2004, 08:32 AM: Message edited by: Rick Beisiegel ]
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3487 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Tom, Dick, & Harry Plotter.......John that is priceless. I am getting sick of feeling that I have to compete with those who are in essence NO COMPETITION. To them, the dreaded all-caps Brush Script looks "fancy"! Yeesh. They will low-ball me while using my sketches and bitching about my prices. I've tried to teach them the Letterhead way, but it falls on deaf ears. I just try to Maintain like AJ says and Keep on Keepin On like Brian the Brush says and Do Unto Others like The Golden Rule says. But some days are harder than others. Love....Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
I hear ya, being in a small comunity and also the only cetified signartist in the area, I offer skills to the 2 other shops in the area. I try to work with them, when they ask, because all of them only have had a year or two experiance in any sign field. They do low ball me take credit for my designs and complain in general about my prices, but as far as cometition for me..... I do not think that they have ever seen a lettering quill. Oh well keep on keeping on.. maybe a consulting fee might be in order the next time they need some help?
posted
Uh, Si, uh, ... Are you on the wrong post ol buddy?
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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posted
hahaha John... I almost posted those exact words this morning!
...but then I looked back. Neither posts looks like it really needs to be said, I mean we know they know this already... BUT the 2 posts right before Si's say either...
"low-ball me while using my sketches and bitching about my prices" or "low ball me, take credit for my designs, and complain in general about my prices..."
posted
yep, now I see doug. Guess Im the old fart now. Sheeessh.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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