-All,
Well, it took some time but I finally got my first customer. I tried postcards for marketing but that didn’t work for me. I got laid off from work recently so I dedicated my time to find customers by knocking on doors. My sales pitch was short and sweet, nobody was going to beat my price. I did use the postcards as a reference (better than a business card).
I have to give Frank credit for his advice in the January 2012 newsletter. It was about understanding the customers profitability/volume of sales and working backwards to figure what an owner has to sell to pay for your sign. If you can figure that out objectively, then you will figure out your target market. So for example, if you are asking $2000 a month for your sign and decide to approach a restaurant, you better understand how many burgers, fries, and drinks your cutomer is going to have to sell just to pay for your sign.
I own a 14x28 center post V and 1 acre of property. Many boards on this state route are either 5x11 or 12x24. I purposely went with the size I have so I could claim the “largest” billboard on this stretch of road between two small cities. It is also the only board that is illuminated. They are great features and talking points but ultimately the sign doesn’t make the sale.
I learned alot in the past 18 months and I have no regrets. I believe I have figured out how to make this work for the customer. Now I need to apply what I learned and make it work for me.