Be a Hero- Run a PSA on Your LED Sign

- Mike Prongue

“Outdoor is perhaps the most overlooked medium of all when it comes to launching PSA campaigns. Admittedly, the cost of printing billboard paper can be expensive, but given the typical results we have experienced for clients, we believe that outdoor provides excellent exposure opportunities.

When used to inform the public about public causes, outdoor billboards provide many different communications advantages, and the total universe of outdoor opportunities is almost unlimited…”

- PSA Research Council

Some cultures, and certainly some religions, believe that God lays prior claim to the first 10% of everything earned as income. This is called the “tithe”. People through the ages have long understood to “tithe” is to give back, 10% of their income.

Whether you ascribe to this concept or not, there are other ideals such as the 10x rule that says whatever you give will come back to you in abundance, ten times more than you give. Regardless, a major component of our benevolent society is the allocation of resources for the greater good- charity, community, and other chances for the less fortunate.

If you are the owner of an LED Sign (Electronic Message Center) then you have an excellent tool that could help others. This is a win-win for you and those who need your support through a Public Service Announcement (PSA).

Unlike the above referenced “paper outdoor sign”, your LED sign lends itself directly to PSA activity since ads are easily created for near-zero cost, and can be inserted into the ad rotation with the click of a mouse. No pole has to be climbed and the PSA message does not have to consume the entire focus of the LED sign!

Here are 6 simple suggestions to gain respect, recognition and admiration in your community by using a small slice of your LED signs display cycle to give back to the community via a public service ad:

1) Help broadcast missing or exploited child information. You can receive this information directly from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Exploited Children. Having personally participated in this program, I can advise you to narrow your regions and keep it simple. There is a ton of information potentially available and you must be selective.

2) Approach your city or county government and see what they need. Whether it’s announcing an important upcoming city council meeting or congratulating a long-term employee on their upcoming retirement, you’ve shared information for the community good.

3) Local clubs need all the help they can get. What about the local garden club, the Art Fair, the VFW or Elks? Select a couple favorites to see what impact you can make. Just make sure their actions align with the interests of the community.

4) Be part of any community disaster plan. If you live on the coast you can work with local emergency management services to provide information about an approaching Hurricane or post-hurricane recovery information. Every area has some agency, usually county, that executes the “official” plan when disaster strikes. One phone call can get your business recognized as a community leader!

5) How do you design the message content? Usually the ad is provided. Encourage your provider to remember how fast cars drive, how far away the sign is from the traffic flow and ask them to “KISS” their subject- Keep it Simple Silly! Refer to this link for content help- Content Ideas.

6) Remember that regardless the size of the organization, their resources are limited and they need community help to be effective. Don’t be intimidated by the size of any agency or club. As is always the case, you will deal with one contact person not the entire City Council, for example.

Clearly the list of ways you can give back to your community is very long. In the early days of the LED sign industry some of the very first messages were PSAs- Time and Temperature. Now the ways to provide a PSA to your community, and gain a bit of respect in the process, are as varied as our “techology culture.”

Do not engage in the practice of “faux” PSAs. PSAs are fact, not opinion and they benefit everyone, or at least hurt no one. Stay neutral politically, maintaining a non-controversial, non-adversarial position on everything. You do not want to make the local newspaper by being labeled in any way other than “generous and genuine”.

You can follow your personal passion to some degree and even have fun with your PSA campaign by selecting broad-based messaging that you enjoy but which help everyone. But, remember that ultimately this is about the community and what they want and need.

Select your PSA messages wisely and you’ll enjoy the respect and appreciation of the community. In some ways, the PSA will get you more positive attention than anything else you could place on your LED sign.

Refer to the PSA Help website for simple ideas to get started and, as they say- “just do it!”

Note- all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.
 

Recipe for success: How to make a successful EMC/LED Sign sales program in 5 easy steps.

-Deacon Wardlow

Thanksgiving got me thinking about recipes. The recipes I’ve had the most luck with tend to be incredibly simple. They’ve been handed-down from friends and family, tested, tweaked, and altered-to-taste over the years until they’re just right. Following along this idea, I present a recipe for success with Digital Outdoor LED Signage:

Ingredients

- an awesome resource/partner for manufacturing of your Digital Signage product
- an educated, informed and motivated sales team
- resources and sales tools to help the sales team effectively sell the product
- resources/documentation for your sales/installation/service and PM teams
- a great sales rep from your partner who not goes beyond just quoting options and helps you find the best fit for each and every client

Instructions

Qualify your partner. Don’t accept a company who’s going to be an ok vendor/source for product. You should have higher expectations from a manufacturer. The manufacturer needs to be an active partner, ensuring you get everything you need to be successful with sales. When you can’t close on a sale, you should be able to go back to the manufacturer and discuss what went right/wrong and get assistance (sales training, tools, resources, information) to help close on the next deal. Don’t accept anything at face value, really dig into the manufacturer and make sure they cover all bases. Checkout some of the hard questions and other resources we’ve created to ensure you’re making the right decision for a partnership.

Educate your sales team. Your manufacturing partner should have educational resources to help your sales team effectively discuss and source the best solution with clients. The sales team for sign companies have enough on their plate to deal with and learn, the partner should make it easy for them to feel confident/knowledgeable selling the product.

Analyze your client’s needs. The manufacturing partner should have resources for you to be able to quickly, effectively, and easily handle this. The best solution for a client is not always the most expensive product. Sometimes, the cheaper option is the most effective solution for your client and sourcing the best solution, every time, will build a solid reputation for you as the go-to business.

Bring it home to your team and make sure the majority agrees the partner is an effective, price-conscious and quality solution for both your company and your clients. Dynamic LED Signage is a long term investment for your clients. Make sure you’re sourcing the best solution with the best engineering to provide a system which will last out the lifetime expectancy. Signage isn’t a purchase, it’s an investment in the long-term success of a business and you need to make sure your client is getting everything they expect for the cost of that investment.

The recipe for success is simple and straightforward. Don’t be misled by weird add-ons and misdirection. If your choice of manufacturer can’t give you a simple explanation or a quick response on your need, assess if the relationship is everything you want it to be and find a  partner who can meet your needs to make the recipe work each and every time.

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Thank you!

-Deacon Wardlow

Thank you. I've seen it on shopping bags, at the tag-end of emails, cards, texts, and (surprisingly, on rare occasions) on the lips of my daughters... usually when I've gotten them a treat or the latest weird-sounding band's CD (yes, kids still listen to CDs). The power of those two words together is impressive.

This week, in the USA, we're celebrating Thanksgiving. This is one of my personal favorites for holidays. Friends and family gather together from far and wide to celebrate the things they have to be thankful for.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, the readers, clients of Vantage LED, friends and family of those who work for, with, and alongside us. You drive us forward and have given us many opportunities to be the resource the industry wants and needs to get straight answers and information as well as awesome systems. If you have a moment, checkout the press release regarding the newest software we've developed in collaboration with Spectacular Media: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/11/prweb10116746.htm

Great things are in the works. We're glad you're a part of it. Please drop us an email, give us a call, and let us know what you want to know more of. Scott, Mike and I will be here to help you along the path and ensure you don't get lost or misdirected. Digital Signage (especially LED sign systems) aren't as complicated as others would have you believe. Thank you and have a happy Thanksgiving weekend (wherever you are in the world). If you can, take a moment to reach out to someone who might have a little less to be thankful for and spread the goodness.

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

The New Yellow Pages - Like A Good LED Sign a Website Works For Your Business 24/7

- Scott Hofheins

Its hard to believe, but there are still many businesses without a good website. I would like to discuss the reasons why, and talk about the importance of a good website. We will be focusing on the sign industry, but I think this topic will be helpful for business owners in any industry.

This post should go along nicely with Mike’s post about the different approaches to selling LED signs. A website is one of the best tools you have to generate leads and expand your potential customer base. There is a reason Google has been so successful: The web is a central source of information for consumers and having a strong advertising presence there is essential. Even businesses that deal strictly locally benefit from a strong online presence.

Do you make quality signs? If the answer is yes, then you will most likely have a high quality sign standing on your property. Can you still make quality signs, but have a run down-poorly made sign out front? Yes, but you will have a hard time convincing potential customers of this fact. They will associate the quality of your sign to the quality of their potential sign. Sometimes this is an active thought process, but can also be a subconscious trigger to move onto another company with better signage.

When we talk about it in those terms, it’s easy to see the importance of a quality sign for a quality business. But many forget that a website has the same effect in the minds of online consumers. They will associate the quality of your website with the quality of your business. This could be a buyer from a national company looking for a good local source to fabricate or install signage, or a local businessman beginning his search for a new sign just down the street. This is not to say that a company with a poor website will not get business, but the amount of business they do get will fall short of their potential.

Hopefully we can all agree that a good website is a good thing, and these days - essential. If this is the case, why do we still see poorly designed sites, or the lack of a website at all? Here are some common reasons and my thoughts on why they are not entirely valid.

Time and Money
The cost of operating a website has gone down over the years. You don’t have to buy your own servers or pay an IT staff to maintain them. Basic virtual hosting is cheap and sometimes free. Many services will help you get a general site up in minutes, not weeks or months. The costs for website design are well worth the investment when compared to the benefits received from a good website.

Word of Mouth is Working
You may be doing great now, but eventually your growth will be limited as more and more people use the web as their main source for referrals from the online community. The ease and convenience of searching online will win over the less convenient act of physically calling others for word of mouth referrals.

Too Complicated
It’s not that complicated anymore. With the use of PHP and other web “applications”, generating a basic website is easier than ever. WordPress, Drupal, Google Sites, and others offer some great options.

When designing your website, it’s important to keep the following principles in mind.

• Keep it simple. You don’t need to have an in-depth massive website to communicate quality to your potential customers. A simple design with tasteful colors and organization including a gallery, contact info, and a description of your services is 100% better than no website, or a complicated poorly designed site.

• Keep it focused. Your website should focus on what you have to offer and why customers should contact you specifically. Good grammar and a clear message is important.

• Keep it organized. There is nothing worse than a website that is difficult to navigate. Always err on the side of fewer pages than more and keep the design simple and intuitive.

• Keep it clean. The layout should be uncluttered and easy to read. A simple, direct layout communicates more effectively to the viewer than a pages filled to the brim with text and graphics.

• Keep it fresh. Don’t forget about your site. You don’t have to update it every week, but make sure it stays relevant and purposeful. At a bare minimum, update your site every 6 months or so.

There are other aspects to a website like maximizing your SEO (search engine optimization) and interactive content like Flash,  but the goal of this post is to focus on the fundamental need to have a website in general. Whether you invest in a well designed 3-4 page site or a full fledged integrated website, the benefits are unquestionable. 

The bottom line is this: Most people do not open a phone book anymore, they open a web browser...Make sure you're there.

-SH



I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I've missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Different Approaches to Selling LED Signage

- Mike Prongue


Unless your business is selling gold at ½ price, or pouring concrete for free, chances are you have competition. Advertising is not an option, it is essential.

You probably already agree that LED Signs are the most effective way to advertise, providing a very low cost per exposure and leaving radio, TV and newspaper in the dust. You’ve done your homework and have reviewed domestic manufacturers who can supply you  with  projects that “wow” the customer with a low failure rate. You’ve probably sold a few, if not several projects but need a little more perspective on the common ways to sell LED Signs.

Three approaches are spotlighted here:

Dollar per Day- This simple approach takes the cost of owning an LED Sign and expresses it to the customer in dollars per day. You must assume a period of time, for example 36 months, in which the sign will be paid for and then just do the math:

$10,000 LED Sign, to be re-paid in three years = $10,000/ (12months x 3 years) = $277 per month, or $277/ 30.4 (days per month) = $9 per day.

Can you customer afford $9.00 per day? They may have that much in spare change in their car’s ashtray!

Reallocation of Existing Ad Budget- Every business advertises. Unfortunately many business owners think that their purchase of an LED Sign must place an additional burden on their existing advertising budget. Customers are quite surprised by your suggestion to simply reallocate money currently being spent in some less-efficient medium such as radio, or some other broad-based advertising option (newspaper or TV). Since the majority of customer typically live within 5-10 miles of most small businesses, why spend money to target  customers on the fringe of a radio station’s broadcast range (30-50 miles plus) who will never travel to the customer’s store?

Where can the customer find that $9.00 per day?

A simple probing question, “How do you currently advertise your business?” then a follow-up of “May I ask how much you allocate per month for this?” Ask them if they’d consider reducing their current advertising program by enough to fund the LED sign. Go slow, here… run before walking. Let the customer see the results of the LED sign.

Return on Investment- How much of a sales increase does the LED sign actually create? A recent blog covered this topic and is available in its entirety here- Full Blog.

The business does $500,000 per year in sales and has a 35 percent sales margin. Adding a LED sign may then increase sales to $575,000 per year with an income increase of .35 x $75,000 or $26,250 in profit before taxes. The LED sign cost $25,000 to buy and install, so they put an extra $1,250 in their pocket, and completely paid off the LED sign. The following year there is no LED sign to pay off so any increase in sales makes an even bigger impact. In this scenario the sign pays for itself and actually drives additional sales.

A few additional ideas to sell LED signs:

·Create a customer-friendly interview sheet so you can present a plan back to the customer from the information they will provide.

·Establish a relationship with a Commercial Leasing Company. Typically they will act on your behalf and approach the customer to assist in financing the project. Beware- interview many Leasing Companies, there are differences and they are not created equally!

·Take a digital image of their existing outdoor display. Photoshop an LED sign into the target location to show the customer what the project would look like before approaching the customer.

The build-out of the outdoor LED sign industry is just now starting to heat up. There are millions of projects to sell across the country.

Define your approach, collect the presentation tools you need and participate in this modern-day Gold Rush! But beware, and choose wisely because there is much Fool’s Gold, in “them thar hills!”

**Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Be S.M.A.R.T. with your choices: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and Time-driven ways to ensure your investment with Digital Signage is a good one.

-Deacon Wardlow

I’m an avid hiker, mountain climber, outdoorsmen and it all started at a young age. The first time I solo climbed a mountain was nerve-wracking. I had climbed hundreds of times before, but never on my own (and by climbing, I’m referring to a solo “hike” not actual rock ascension). The sensation was exhilarating, being out on my own with the beauty all around me. The experience could easily have been a nightmare. Without a map, compass and the right experience in place I could have been frightened and gotten lost or seriously in trouble.

To make the right decisions, you’ve got to have all the information in place and know where you’re going. You’ve got to have SMART goals to achieve your desired end result.. SMART goals are - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-driven. By making the right choices from the start, you can save yourself (and possibly many others) frustrations, headaches and time (money). Here's a brief bit on how to start (and finish) SMART:

SPECIFIC:
Be specific about what your objective is with the Digital LED Signage System. Do you want to reach out to the community? Share information about a group/business? Create business opportunities? Draw people into the store? Share specials and pricing to the public to incentivise them to stop in? Perhaps all or a few different selections from these options? The more specific the objective, the better fit you’ll get with a solution.

MEASURABLE:
How will success with the system be measured? Will a call to action (i.e. SPECIAL RENTAL PRICES ON COFFEE CUPS, unlimited refill with 2 hour cup rental for $2.50/2 hours!) be made and sales tracked against the special (which is only on the system)? Perhaps SMS (texting) integration? Events listed only on the LED Sign with a tracking of attendance? The better the measurement of success, the more the client can utilize the board and fine-tune the content to meet their needs.

ACHIEVABLE:
Depending on the system selected, can the end-user get what they want out of the system? In an area flooded with single-color LED Signage, a small FULL COLOR system may achieve the end-goal/objective of standing out from the crowd. If the client is an auto-dealer and wants to put up big pictures of their newest vehicles, a 2’ x 4’ display likely is not going to achieve their objective.

REALISTIC:
While a 150% return on their investment may not be realistic, what is? Can a business expect to see a 10-20% growth in business because of the LED Sign purchase? NO! They can expect a 10% (or greater) return by USING the LED Sign they purchase. Simply purchasing the sign isn’t enough, content has to be constantly and consistently refreshed/changed to keep people’s eyes on the prize.

Time-Driven:
Quality takes time. There’s an old graphic showing a triangle with three sides. Written on each side is a single word: Quality, Price, Time. Under the triangle is the phrase, you can only have two (low price, high quality; but longer build time. Low price, fast turnaround; but low quality, etcetera). These days an average build time will be 5-8 weeks. If you’re looking for a custom solution or a large-scale system with a lot of bells and whistles, you should expect the system to take a little more time to build. If someone promises you they can build a high-quality system in a short turnaround (i.e. 2 weeks) you should immediately be concerned as to how that’s possible. Think of the triangle. If they’re delivering a low-cost system with a fast turnaround, you’re not getting that third side in the deal...

Be SMART when making your selection for a quality manufacturer/partner with Digital Signage. The wrong choice could cost you a lot more than money. Making the SMART choice now, will benefit both you and the end-user over the lifetime of their investment.

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

CRM / ERP Options for Customer Management in the LED Sign Industry

- Scott Hofheins

Whether its cave drawings, paper files, or high tech data centers, record keeping has been important for society and business in any age. Today we can electronically store more information and records than ever before, but the transition from hard copy to soft copy is still difficult for many businesses. The sign industry has some unique challenges when it comes to record keeping, and I would like to talk about some good options and techniques that can hopefully make it easier.

Good record keeping is essential to the long term success and growth of a business. Organized electronic records improve your ability to see sales trends, support customers, and focus marketing resources, among a host of other benefits. It is truly worth the time and investment to make sure you have a dynamic, accurate, and scalable system in place. If you don’t have a good one yet, the sooner you do this the easier it will be in the long run.

The systems that businesses use to keep track of sales and customer records are typically called CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems. A more robust and “all inclusive” system is called an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). However, the line between a CRM and an ERP has become much less distinct in the last couple of years, with more CRM programs offering traditional ERP features like inventory, product, and accounting options. Although there are some CRMs that can be used on a local server, most systems are now in “the cloud” (located on the internet) so I will be focusing on this approach.

An internet search for CRM will provide a host of options like Salesforce, SugarCRM, Zoho, vTiger, and others. Many of them integrate with Google Apps (of which I am a big fan). Most sign companies probably won’t need to invest in a large ERP; a CRM with some good customizable features will usually work just fine. Some things to look for are:

Lead/Sales Tracking and Integration
Your sales team should be able to track the status of every lead from initial call to closing the sale. The system should be able to accept leads from your website with minimal setup and have the ability to generate useful reports on sales history, status, and trends.

Customizable “modules” and Fields
Every business is different. The ability to add custom fields that relate directly to your specific needs is important. Most sign companies don’t sell a lot of “inventory” items like a retail store. The products tend to be more custom by nature and the CRM should be able to support this.

Scalable and Supported
Your CRM should be able to grow with you. Many systems give you the ability to enable certain features as you need them, and disable ones you don’t need. The CRM should be well tended too with a good support community and timely updates and improvements.

Support Tickets
A ticket system for support will allow you to support customers more fully in the long run. You may not need this feature immediately, but as you get more and more product in the field this system will become more important.

Export Options
The ability to export your data into a standardized format like a CSV or spreadsheet has many benefits including the ability to use your data with third party applications, custom reports, and will be helpful if you decide to move your data to another provider.

Try Before You Buy
Most providers offer a trial period where you can use their system for a certain amount of time. This is very beneficial so don’t be scared to try a couple different options. It costs you nothing, and you can really get a good idea of what provider will work best for you

When using a CRM it is important to keep your processes balanced. Technology is exciting but it can sometimes be easy to over do it. For a successful system to work, there has to be a good balance between the physical process and the electronic process. It is ok to have a mixture of both. Every single document doesn’t need to be scanned or entered into the system, and every full length conversation doesn’t need to be transcribed into the CRM notes. Focus on the purpose of the CRM: to make you a more effective and streamlined business.
.
Once the CRM is in place it’s up to you to use it. Old habits can be hard to break, but the effort is worth it in the long run. When used correctly, technology can allow you to do more, support your sales staff, your customers, and ultimately grow the business

-SH


I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Electronic Message Center Ownership Makes Dollar Sense

- Mike Prongue


“Businesses who added an outdoor LED sign enjoyed typical sales increases of 15%-150%. Not only does an LED Display produce a great return on investment, it costs very little compared to other types of advertising.”                       - SBA Study

Anyone who’s been involved in the Sign Industry has probably read this report. If not, it’s a very inspiring and reassuring review to get you through a slow Wednesday afternoon the day before Thanksgiving.  Like any good report, it has its supporters and its detractors who debate to what degree an Electronic Message Center (EMC) financially benefits the end-user. 

 
The SBA report makes several assertions that seem to make sense and "feel good":
 

• Sales increase from 15-150% as a result of the EMC.
• Low advertising cost of less than 15 cents per 1,000 exposures versus over $6.00 for TV, $7.39 for newspaper, and $5.47 for radio.
• Most customers live locally and drive by the business several times per month.
• The EMC is working non-stop (if so desired), 24-7-365, with no complaints, no coffee breaks and is essentially the business’ “man on the street”.

When the low maintenance cost associated with owning a high-quality EMC is reviewed, even with the cost of electricity added into the equation (pennies per day in some instances) there seems to be limited downside associated with an EMC. This of course can change if the manufacturer is not vetted thoroughly and a decision is made to “go cheap”- Caveat Emptor!

Somewhere in the “percentage universe” is the absolute correct number that defines the average sales increase realized from adding an EMC.  Let’s assume the number is 15%.

Our little bicycle shop does $500,000 per year in sales and we average 35 percent margin. Adding an EMC may then increase sales to $575,000 per year with an income increase of .35 x $75,000 or $26,250 in profit before taxes. The EMC cost $25,000 to buy and install, so they put an extra $1,250 in their pocket, and completely paid off the EMC. The following year there is no EMC to pay off so any increase in sales makes an even bigger impact.

Of course the above example has been simplified but who does not need an EMC?

If you are a sign company, do your homework and select a manufacturer who has been in business long enough to have engineered and manufactured several generations of hardware and software. Check them out and call their customers, call their engineers, visit their plant, call the end-users of the product, check their financials at Dun and Bradstreet, call the Better Business Bureau in their area and even the Chamber of Commerce, and finally, you guessed it- Google them!

Once an excellent domestic manufacturer is chosen you are well on your way to selling your customer an advertising “cash cow” that reaches customers in a cost-effective manner, rapidly responds to change, and, with good message content, packs a powerful advertising punch to deliver the message and improve sales.

An EMC may have a different mission than just improving sales when sold to a community, church, government agency or school but every EMC, no matter the exact application, shares the common goal of delivering some message in a cost-effective manner and that’s what the EMC industry is all about.

Electronic Message Center ownership makes dollar sense- spread the word!

Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

LED Signage 101 Continued: The good, the bad and how to tell the difference

-Deacon Wardlow

Having hopped around the globe a few times and seen what’s out there for Digital Signage (specifically LED Displays), I’ve seen a lot of the good, the bad and the indifferent. As a kid, I loved Times Square in NYC. It was big, bright and amazing. The tech adult in me kind of kills the joy. I look at displays which have bad pixels, panels which are discolored, slow refresh rates which cause a slight “jitter” in image transitions and overall a mix of amazing systems and poorly produced displays which I’m surprised someone’s not asking for their money back.

Spotting problems with LED Sign systems is not usually a task for the layperson. I’ve brought my friends out to see some big displays (yes, they put up with my weirdness) and ask them what they see. They see an impressive sign. I ask them to then hold their hands up like they’re preparing to take a picture and look at sections of the display in isolation from the rest and suddenly they can’t unsee what I’ve shown them. I admit, I’m one of those people who looks for the wire when the magician is pulling a trick out of “thin air” however the world needs sceptics. Some companies try to pull tricks when it’s not a magic show you’re looking for.

How can you tell when you’re getting buried in “geek speak” vs. being given the straight truth? Here are a few bits you can run with to separate the good from the bad:

1. Take the salesperson out of the equation and ask to speak with a tech or engineer for the company. If they don’t have one, you should start raising the red flag. Techs and engineers are problem solvers by nature and you can’t solve a problem by holding back information. They’ll often tell you a lot more than you ever wanted to know, but you’ll get a straight story more often than not. Don’t let the salesperson reword anything or jump-in on the conversation.

2. Look at the documentation. Does the manufacturer lay everything out in an easy-to-understand format? Is there any “funny English” in the documentation or software help file? Do they have replacement guides covering every component in their system; when someone’s 80 feet in the air, they don’t often want to be on the phone and would prefer a simple sheet showing what has to be done, step-by-step.

3. Don’t let someone bury you in “geek speak” and numbers. When it comes down to it, an LED sign system is fairly uncomplicated. There are important technical details, but the system itself should be easy to explain. Why do they put conformal coating on a power supply or why do they NOT put conformal coating on? Why do they build the system the way they do? How long have they developed software for the system and how many changes have occurred over the years? If they don’t make their own software or engineer their build (from scratch), raise the red flag high.

After a brief conversation using these tactics with the manufacturer, you should get a clearer picture of what you’re really getting from them when you chose them as a partner. At the end of the day, it’s not their system which will go up in front of a business, it’s your business’ reputation and name people will associate with the system. Make sure it’s a solid solution which will benefit both the end-user and yourself. Dig deeper.

*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.