More than 50 pages longer than the previous edition, Sign Gallery 6 presents recent Signs of the Times competition winners, honorable mentions, and others in this expanded edition of electric ...
Ask these critical questions to assure customer satisfaction.
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I’ve been selling digital message-display technology for nearly 32 years. I started my career selling for a display manufacturer and will end my career doing the same. However, I spent most of my time as a sign contractor, free to select vendors according to my customers’ needs.
During my sales career, I’ve touted the benefits of 14 different manufacturers. Although that sounds excessive, my offerings were always what I deemed the best available at the time. For most of my career, only a handful of manufacturers existed. Today, they proliferate. More than 100 LED-technology manufacturers are based in China alone.
I’m writing this column just before the 2010 International Sign Assn. (ISA) Sign Expo, and you’ll read this after the show. For those of you who attended, congratulations. The education you received by visiting booths and learning about products is an important first step. This column hopefully will provide more guidance in selecting vendors for your customers’ needs.
Critical questions to ask a vendor
Here are essential questions to ask when establishing a relationship with the manufacturers you intend to represent. The many off-shore manufacturers that operate today make the following queries even more critical.
Where is your product manufactured? This dramatically affects most aspects of your business: shipping time and expense; parts and supplies; and payment (where, when and in what currency). What duties apply to products brought from that country?
I once represented a manufacturer that produced its product in China. Even though the product was exceptional, the company required payment prior to shipment. Because the displays I sold were large and expensive, I went to China to view them in operation before each shipment. The manufacturer paid for those trips, but the process was time consuming and exhausting. I arranged my own shipments and customs brokerage.
I’m not suggesting that an overseas product is never worth the bother. Instead, I’m advising you to know, in advance, the business transaction’s parameters.
Do you have an established, committed presence in the U.S. or Canada?
I recommend dealing only with companies that have an address on this continent. I even suggest visiting the American location. I’ve attended every ISA show for the last 20 years and have visited with many manufacturers who promptly disappeared after the show.
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