Well, today I was driving down a street in my community and noticed a bored-looking guy holding up a wind-blown sign that said, "Fast Oil Change Here". My immediate thought was, "If someone needs a quick oil change, wouldn't they have planned for it, booked the appointment, and placed the time in their calendar?" For the life of me, I couldn't figure out who that sign was meant to draw. Someone on their lunch break? A person on the way back from the doctor? Or perhaps a jogger, with a lot of time on her hands (!) 

My other thought was, "How much do they have to pay that guy to stand in the grass and hold up a sign on a windy day?" If you're like me, you would have pondered these questions, as well. It was all rapid-fire thinking, but the questions peaked my curiosity enough to make me write about it here!

So, if you want to know what YOUR "sign" should look like, and perhaps who your "sign" should draw, here are some tips:

1. Your sign should LOOK/SOUND GOOD. (His didn't.) Part of your "sign" is your physical appearance. Your "sign" is your voice on the telephone. Your "sign" is proper grammar in your email messages. Your "sign" is your company messaging coming from YOU!

2. Determine who your "sign" is FOR. I don't believe whoever hired that gentleman to hold up the sign, had a clue. Do people really pull into an oil change station and make an impulsive decision to get their oil changed? I just don't believe so, especially when everyone is so busy. Even kids have play-dates! People aren't that spontaneous anymore.

3. What does your "sign" SAY? Their banner indicated that the oil change was fast, but how long does that take? For some, 2 hours could be considered "fast". For others, it's 5 minutes. And what if a line of 14 cars pulled in to have their "fast oil change" at the same time? Is that still considered "fast"? So for you, does your message leave something your customer wants and can you back it up? Think about that before you make your sign.

Lastly, if you want to know about my sign...it's Sagittarius. Thanks for asking.

(c)Renee Walkup, All Rights Reserved, www.salespeak.com, 678 587-9911