Instant Custom Signs – Drew Brims' Blog

Congratulations to all Canadian Athletes at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games!

You may think I’m jumping on a band-wagon here and maybe I am but I think it’s worth adding my voice to the growing chorus promoting the virtues of our Canadian athletes at the Winter Games.  I was extremely impressed with the way our athletes performed and when they won medals, gave credit to the many people who helped them along the way.  Alexandre Bilodeau, the classic example of Canadian humility, when congratulated about being the first Canadian athlete to win a gold medal on home turf, pointed to his brother as his inspiration and spoke of the many more medals his team-mates would win. As thrilled as he was to win a gold, it was just another day at the office and he didn’t want all the credit for just laying down the greatest on-snow performance in the world.

Others, Like Clara Hughes, delighted to win a bronze medal in her last Olympic event.  (She wasn’t disappointed it wasn’t a silver or gold!)

Scott Moir kidding Tessa Virtue that they had won silver when in fact they won gold.  (The fact that Tessa doesn’t even look at the placing says much about her character – she just goes out and does the best performance she can.)  There are so many more moments from the last two weeks that will resonate with me for some time to come.

Yes, the hockey game against the US was a thriller of major proportions and the script could have been written in Hollywood – Sid the Kid gets the winning goal in overtime after Canada gave up the tying goal with 24 seconds to go in regulation time.  But let’s be real here.  These are all professional athletes who make big salaries playing for teams owned by large corporations.  As important as the victory was to our national pride, it really was just an all-star game. The players all went back to their high paying jobs on Monday morning.

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Tags: 2010 Winter Olympics, Alexandre Bilodeau, Canadian Athletes, Drew Brims, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, Olympics, Sports, Vancouver Olympics

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AT ICSigns, You Get More Than You Bargained For

As Mick Jagger sang….  ♫ ♪  You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, You get what you need! ♪ ♫

OK, so maybe I don’t need those extra pounds! But, I love it when I get more than I bargained for in a deal.  It doesn’t matter what it is or how small the extra. It could be that extra large scoop of ice cream or getting your windshield cleaned at a full-serve gas station (when was the last time that happened?).  We all love to get those little extras and I know it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to provide it.  Many businesses these days tend to concentrate so much on the bottom line that they lose sight of customer service.

Airlines are one industry that has lost sight of customer service.  It wasn’t enough that they used to lose our bags regularly.  Now we have to pay extra for checking bags, or even taking bags on the plane.   Snacks used to be supplied – not any more.  I used to get two hot meals on my flights to England (dinner and breakfast) but now it’s just dinner.  Breakfast is a stodgy ham roll and a fat-laden muffin. That does nothing for your constitution after sitting in a cramped position for 8 hours!

Okay, I’m getting into a rant here and that was not my intent.  I’d like to talk about one positive experience I’ve had recently and how I feel about the organization.

My 15 year-old daughter wanted to take her level 1 ski instructor course just before Christmas.  It was 4 days on the slopes and I thought it was a great idea.  Moreover, I thought I would also apply since I had thought about doing this for some time and because it would be me that had to drive her to the ski resort anyway, so why not?  We took the course and both passed.  My skiing has improved for the experience and I enjoyed the course immensely.  That was what I expected and I felt good about it.  The bonus came afterwards, at our ski club where we offered our services as instructors.  Unbeknownst to me, as part of the deal, the Director of Snow Sports and his supervisors put on a ski training session for instructors at the end of each ski day.  The Director is a level 4 ski instructor who can analyze a person’s skiing minutely and give amazing feedback on how to improve. Who wouldn’t appreciate that extra guidance? For me, this was a huge bonus.  Instruction by a Level 4 ski instructor is expensive and the best instruction money can buy.

How do I feel about this organization?  Great!  Will I continue to be an instructor there?  Absolutely!

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Tags: Advertising, customer service, Drew Brims, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, Marketing, relationship, Signs

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Professionally Speaking…

Recently, I was sitting on the chair-lift at our ski club, chatting to a fellow instructor about how great my kids are (okay, so I don’t always tell the truth).  My 15 year-old daughter skied by below us demonstrating graceful, even, controlled turns.(Man, I wish I could ski like that!)  My companion asked if I had taught her to ski.  I snorted!  There was no way that I could have taught her to ski that well!  No, I replied.  I left that to the professionals – ski instructors.  They did a much better job of teaching her than I ever could have.  Why do I bring this up?  Well,

a)  I love to talk about my children (what parent doesn’t?) and

b) Sitting on the chair-lift, just after responding to the question, I had one of those “Aha” moments.

We had professionals teach our children to ski because professionals have the unique skills, knowledge and experience required to do the job.  I hadn’t considered it much until that moment, but it became clear to me there and then.

We will pay for driving lessons, post-secondary education, tutors, music lessons, gymnastics and other sports or endeavours at which our children want to become proficient.  Professionals can do this – I can’t.  Well, I could try but I couldn’t do a good job and we both would be poorer for the experience.

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Tags: Advertising, Drew Brims, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, Marketing, printing, Signage, Signs, skiing, Sports

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ICSigns – Secrets to Saving Money on Signage

Some businesses do not need a full-blown illuminated sign. I’m talking about non-retail businesses that operate only during the daylight hours.  Some new start-up businesses may wish to mitigate the cost of signage until cash-flow allows them a little more flexibility in their sign choices.

For both of these examples, the “Face and Frame” sign is a great alternative to more expensive signs.  The term “Face and Frame” refers to the aluminum frame that is exactly the same materials as used in an illuminated sign box (without the box and electrical components) and the acrylic face that is again, the same as would be used in an illuminated sign.  Since we are not buying the box and all those electrical parts (ballasts, lamps, sockets, wiring, switch, plus labour to assemble) there is considerable savings to be realized.

So how good does this sign look?

In the daylight hours, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a Face & Frame and a regular illuminated sign. The only clue being that the Face and Frame is not as deep as a sign box.  Other than that, it looks just like an illuminated sign.  We’ve even developed a technique for mounting these signs on hidden brackets so that the brackets do not give away our secret.

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Tags: Advertising, Drew Brims, face and frame sign, fascia signs, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, Signage, Signs, storefront signs

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Get Noticed!

Last time we talked about channel lettering.  The second part of the fascia sign trifactor is the illuminated sign box.  There can actually be some overlap between channel letters and sign boxes. Sometimes a designer will create a design for a sign box that extends beyond a regular rectangular box and becomes an odd shape to accommodate the outline of a logo.  This is true “thinking outside the box”.  These projects show that we are not restricted to just a rectangle and everything has to fit neatly inside.  Signs like this will be more noticed than your garden-variety rectangular box.  It’s something to consider when creating your brand image – more expensive than the rectangle, but much more effective in attracting attention.  Isn’t this the reason for putting up a sign anyway? To be noticed above the competition?

Whether you are restricted to a rectangular box or not, there are some things to  consider when planning your fascia sign.  We’ve already looked at layout and content, what I am talking about here are the more technical issues..

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Tags: Advertising, Channel lettering, CSA, Design, Drew Brims, fascia signs, ICSigns, illuminated sign box, Instant Custom Signs, Lexan

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Channel Lettering – LED The Way to Go

There are several types of fascia signs (storefront signs) and some sub-categories, all of which have their place in the world of signs.  The type of business you are in usually dictates the type of sign and the budget for that sign.  High-end retail stores prefer top-of-the-line signage with big price tags.  They are often large channel letters internally lit by LED’s. It’s not hard to see who’s raking in the money!

At the other end of the spectrum is a small industrial shop which must  be identified but doesn’t need illumination or fancy designs.  Here we can suggest a face and frame sign which is similar to an illuminated sign box but without the box. It’s a professional looking sign without the expense of a fabricated box or electrical components.  At ICSigns, we can help you choose the right sign for your needs and your budget.

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Tags: Advertising, Channel lettering, Design, Drew Brims, fascia signs, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, LED, Marketing, sign materials, Signage, Signs, Storefront, storefront signs

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ICSigns is a “Cut” Above

If you remember my last blog post, we talked about pylon signs and how their function is to stand out by the roadside and guide customers to your door.  Storefont (or Fascia) signs are the next step in guiding our customers to our place of business.   Once the prospect or client is on the property, the fascia signs now guide the customer to our door.  It can have a little more information than the pylon sign, as the potential customer is now a more ‘static’ audience than someone viewing the pylon sign.  However, if the fascia sign is the only means of attracting customers (for example no pylon sign exists) then my mantra `the best sign says the least` or KISS  – Keep it short and simple is the way to go.  I often think of a fascia sign as the headline on the front page of a newspaper.  At the top is the name of the newspaper in bold lettering and below is the day’s headline.  This is how your sign should look.

Let’s assume we already have a pylon sign and we are now designing our fascia sign.  What is the most important information we can put on it?  Certainly the name of the company is the most important and should dominate the available space.  If the product you sell is not incorporated in the company name, then certainly a one or two word description of your business is desirable.  For example, ‘Feckle Brothers’ could be the name of the business but if the products the Feckle Brothers sell is specialty hardware, then that should also be on the sign.

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Tags: Advertising, Design, fascia signs, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, Marketing, sign materials, Signage, Signs, Storefront, storefront signs

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Pylon Signs Help Drive Business To Your Door

That monument, ground or pylon sign standing outside your building should be a reflection of your image and brand.  I once read, “A business without a sign is a sign of no business”.  True enough.  Not many businesses can survive without a sign to direct traffic to their doors unless they are a web-based company that relies on other methods.  Not so the larger retail companies we recognize regularly.  Shell, Esso, MacDonalds as well as The Bay, Sears, Canadian Tire and other bastions of retail excellence.  Their pylon signs are not the only things that bring customers to their doors but it is an important part of the corporate strategy.  It reflects the brand and broadcasts for blocks, where you should turn in.

Not every company can afford a huge pylon sign like the major corporations.  But it still must be a part of the corporate strategy.  Many companies share space on a pylon sign with other tenants or condo owners.  While your space may be limited, don’t give up on making the most of what is available to you.  This means maximizing the available space.  Let’s say you are negotiating a lease for a building in which you share space on a pylon sign.  Try to negotiate with the landlord to increase the number of places or size of space available on the sign. If part of the sign is vacant, you might be able to negotiate using that space until the vacant space is required.  There are benefits to both parties here.  You gain extra signage for the beginning of the lease (when it is most important for customers to find you) and the landlord’s property will appear fully occupied (which benefits all the tenants since prosperity begets prosperity).  I remember my days in the gas station business when, if a station had no customers, we advised the managers to park a car or two at the pumps. You’d be surprised how this technique brought customers onto the lot!  An empty lot looks deserted and forbidding.  But a lot with cars on it attracts other customers.

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Tags: Advertising, Design, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, Marketing, pylon signs, sign materials, Signage, Signs, Storefront

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The Team Misses Brian!

No, this is NOT a eulogy!  Brian is alive and well!

Brian came to work for us as a temporary helper when my first daughter was born and I was getting little sleep.  I was trying to work then going to the hospital at night to visit the new family and then home for a couple of hours sleep before starting the cycle over again.  In fact, I didn’t even hire Brian.  Sean did.  We were busy and another chap who was working here at the time suggested his buddy, Brian as a temporary measure to get us over the hump.  So Sean said, “Give him a call”.  Ken did and Brian arrived and just sort of stayed… for 15 years!

Brian still recalls with relish the day we met and how tired and haggard I looked.  Brian is one of the most loyal, dedicated, willing workers any business could be blessed to have as an employee.  At lunch-time, we used to sit around the table and play the dictionary game.  Someone would open the dictionary and search for an unusual word then challenge the others to define it.  The classic moment was when Sean found the word “Cassowary”.  None of us had even heard of it but Brian immediately said, “Oh, that’s a flightless bird from Australia.”  Just like he’d read it in the dictionary 5 minutes before!

That sort of describes the font of knowledge Brian is.  His interests range far and wide from classic European cars (he’s owned his share of clunkers) to aircraft (civilian and military) to ships and boats, music of all genres, historical figures, wars, natural history, literature, theatre arts, the lot.  He certainly is a well-rounded, all-round great guy who can keep you entertained with his vast knowledge of any subject you wish to raise.  I think he could have given Ken Jennings a run for his money on “Jeopardy!”.

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Tags: Commitment, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, relationship, team

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Customer Service is Key

Before I opened Instant Custom Signs, I did a phone survey of all sign companies in the local Yellow Pages.  After all,  there was no Internet in 1992;  no web browsing, no on-line phone directories.  And there was only one phone directory – the Yellow Pages.  I was a little surprised to find that a good third of the businesses listed had no service.  I assumed they had gone out of business since we were in the middle of a recession.  Many of the others were answered by answering machines (again, this was before the advent of phone company voice mail and Bell was the only phone service available) and a scant few were answered by real live people.  It occurred to me that if we were to be successful in this business, we had to distinguish ourselves from the crowd.  Being the new guys in town, we had no portfolio of signs to show people.  What we did have, was a desire to exceed our customers’ expectations at every turn.  One way I thought we could do that was to answer the phone!  It sounds like a simple thing, and it is.  By answering the phone, we made immediate contact with our potential customer and that gave us an opportunity to dazzle them with our brilliance before they might have moved on to the next listing in the phone book.

Have you ever done a phone survey, calling a list of companies to see if they have the product you need?  If you find one that has its phones answered by live people, don’t you feel more confident in their ability to fulfill your expectations?

I’ve said before that I’m old-school.  And old-school is how I will always be.  If I expect customers to do business with our company, the least I can do is treat them with a little respect and answer the phone when it rings.

Voice mail has its place.  When we are closed and no-one is around, calls automatically go to voice-mail.  We don’t want to miss any calls but since we do business with clients across the country, some of them in different time zones, sometimes they need to leave a voice mail message for us.  As much as possible during our regular business hours, we make a point of answering the phones unless all lines are tied up.  The only exception to this is for one hour on Monday morning when we have our regular production meeting.  The entire team gets together and discusses the previous week’s production and all projects that are currently in production. It allows for every team member to understand what is happening in the other areas of the business so that there are no surprises. This is a very important meeting for all team members and the one time we allow calls to go to voice mail.

We’ve built this business on several values that may seem alien today, including  great customer service (answering the phone is a part of that).  We practice this every day and it resonates with our customers.  Our customers know that when they call, the phone will be answered and they can get immediate information, whether it be pricing, updates on a project or just advice on a project they are considering.

Give us a call – we’ll answer the phone!  What a concept!

Also, please feel free to leave comments here on our blog. We love hearing from you.  And here on this blog, we offer comment luv. That means that anytime you leave a comment, you can add a link back to your own Blog! That’s great for Search Engine Optimization.

Tags: customer service, ICSigns, Instant Custom Signs, relationship

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