Michael Antonelli

Wanted to pass on this sad news.  One of my fellow employees, Michael Antonelli, apparantly drowned this last fourth of July weekend. The Everett Herald has a brief story here - http://bit.ly/oNKBTq.  Personally, I have fond memories during the too brief time I worked with Mike in the shop.  I also have included the official memo from our company's owners:

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of Mike.

Think of a caption for this photo :-)

Here is a funny sign in Roslyn, WA.  I met someone at a fund-raising event for MDA.  They took this photo.  I'm not going to even attempt a quip to accompany the photo; I'm sure you can think of a few...

Push-Thru letters...

I recently was talking with a business owner who didn't have the space to go with a very large set of channel letters. Push-thru letters are a great alternative. They work great for viewing from a 25-50 yd range in medium traffic (30-40 mph). They also do not have the cost associations of channel letters, and most important, they look beautiful!

Fundraising Event

Hello,
I got stuck in a fundraiser for MDA - muscular dystrophy organization. Luckily, I have a personal connection with MDA as it runs in my family. I have 1 uncle and 5 cousins who died from muscular dystrophy. My mom didn't have me until she was 40, because she was afraid of having a son with muscular dystrophy.  Also, one of my cousin's grandsons has it now. His great-grandmother, my aunt Blanche Lohner was one of the people who helped start the organization in the late 40s. Please feel free to donate $5-$30 by April 27th. If you donate more than that, I will have to send you a Starbuck's card as a gift.

Here is the link - http://bit.ly/fWfrKm

Thank you for helping,
Isaac Duke

yelm chamber message center sign

Just Like New - the maintenance advantage

       One of our clients really values well-maintained signage and lighting at their 22 locations.  They understand that in their industry, signage is crucial to their sales.  Yes, they are a QSF(quick service food) franchisee; and yes, they get help from national ad campaigns.

       I had the opportunity to see one of their locations that was situated right next to a major interstate arterial, and it was hopping!  We had recently cleaned their signs, and replaced quite a few outages.  They were located next door to another huge franchisee in this part of the country, and the amount of difference in traffic was like night and day (no pun intended).  The competitor's store was dark, unclean, and generally looked dingy.  Our client's store was bright, spotless, and looked warm and inviting.  Not only was our client's store generating high volumes of drive-thru traffic; the well lit parking spaces were filled with customers.  It was fairly late - about 9:15pm - but the place was busy.

     We definitely can't take all the credit for this store's success, but it was sure a clear example of how well-maintained lighting and signage makes a difference in sales!

Your Best Customer

What makes a great salesman? 

Do they "turn it on" when they get into that important meeting with a "big" client?

Do they only focus on serving their important clients?

It isn't bad to prepare for important customers.  It isn't even bad to focus on how you address them.  However, I am learning that that part is easy if I have a mindset of serving everyone around me all the time.  Whether it is a customer, a fellow employee, my managers, my friends, and yes, my wife, everyone I come into contact with is an opportunity for me to enrich their life in some way.
Good business owners can smell someone who is "turning it on" a mile away.  They know if someone is approaching them to "get" something.  They can sense whether I am trying to use them to get money, or whether I am looking on their cares.  If I am not continually serving everyone I come in contact with, then it will be hard to honestly treat my customers with that integrity.

So, who is my best customer?

The person right in front of me!