Your Sign Is Your First Salesperson

Think about the last time you drove down a strip of shops looking for somewhere to eat. You probably didn't read menus or check reviews for every place. You looked at the signs, and in a second or two you decided which ones felt right.

Your customers do the exact same thing to you.

I own The UpScale Tech & Print, so I have a stake in this topic. The advice holds no matter who you hire.

The salesperson who never takes a day off

A good salesperson greets people, tells them what you do, and makes them feel like they're in the right place. Your sign does all three, every day, rain or shine, whether you're open or not.

That's not just my opinion from the shop. In a FedEx Office survey, about three out of four consumers said they had gone into a store they'd never visited before just because of its sign. And roughly two out of three said a sign had caught their eye and led them to buy something.

If you'd fire a salesperson who mumbled, showed up looking sloppy, or couldn't tell people what you sell, ask yourself why you'd keep a sign that does the same.

What a good sign does in three seconds

Most people passing by give your sign a few seconds at most. In that time it needs to answer three questions:

• Who are you? Your name, big enough to read from the road or across the parking lot.
• What do you do? "Joe's" tells me nothing. "Joe's Auto Repair" tells me if I should stop.
• Can I trust you? Clean lines, good colors and solid materials say you take your business seriously.

Picture a shared pylon sign at a shopping center, where every tenant gets the same size panel. The ones that win are the ones with a clear name, a simple logo and colors you can read from a moving car. Same space, very different results.

Small changes that make a big difference

You don't always need a brand-new sign. Sometimes it's the little things:

1. Cut the clutter. If your sign lists eight services, people will read none of them. Pick the one or two that bring people in.
2. Check it at night. A sign people can't see after 5 p.m. is only working half the day in winter.
3. Look at it from the road. Drive past at normal speed. If you can't read it, neither can your customers.
4. Match your look. Your sign should use the same logo and colors as your cards, your van and your website.

So, how is your salesperson doing?

Here's my challenge for this week: go stand where your customers stand, across the street or in the parking lot, and look at your sign like you've never seen it before. Would you walk in?

If the honest answer is "maybe not," that's okay. Most owners have never had anyone tell them this stuff. You can learn more from the full FedEx Office signage survey results. Or, if you want a second set of eyes, book a time with me and we'll look at it together.

— Pierre