Digital Signage Sales 101: Build bridges, don't burn them.

-Deacon Wardlow

Some of the best opportunities of arisen from a simple, "No." Adversity is an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve. When a client isn't interested in your solution, that's an opportunity to find out why and see if there's a way to make your solution more interesting or appealing. Sometimes the solution just isn't required and you move on to other opportunities but perhaps by moving on too quickly, you just missed a big one.

I enjoy building bridges (metaphorically and literally). This probably started somewhere when I was in the Boy Scouts where I helped construct trail markers, steps on inclines and bridges over streams (better for the hikers and easier on the nature they're there to see). I quickly realized building bridges in life helped others cross the gap we all sometimes have around us. There are times when "burning that bridge" feels great, but you're left with no connection to the past and sometimes that connection can be a huge benefit to your future.

I once had a three hour conversation with a potential client. We talked about technology, discussed the sign industry and advances in design and form. The potential client asked me about software and developments and we discussed the pros and cons of different approaches and different manufacturers. At the end of the conversation, he thanked me for my time and said he had nothing for me but would keep in touch. At the end of a 3 hour conversation when the client said he had nothing for me, I thanked him for his time and followed up with him periodically with updates and additional information (even when I figured chances were good there wouldn’t be any sales opportunities with him).

That particular potential client hasn't bought a single thing since we spoke, but he has directed several new clients my way and is one of my greatest backers as far as referrals and "cheerleading" goes. I've had several people say to me Mr. Soandso just couldn't emphasize enough how important it was for them to call me as I would likely have the solution they were looking for. Building that bridge drove a lot of traffic my way which wouldn't have otherwise come around.

The bridge building takes place closer to home as well. I've seen people in jobs they dislike. For one reason or another the culture doesn't agree with them, the pay isn't high enough, they feel unsupported or it's just not a great fit. I saw two individuals leave a company one month apart from each other. The first to leave stormed into the office of his manager and dropped his computer, equipment and office items (thrown in a box) on the manager's desk saying, "This is my last day; you've got my home address and can send my paycheck there. I'm done." He stormed out (no explanation, no exit interview, no further exchange). The manager mailed the check and that was that. The second person to leave sat down with the manager and they had a long discussion as to what was working and what wasn't. At the end of the talk, they realized the fit wasn't working and he needed to go elsewhere.

The second employee to leave touched-base with the manager from time-to-time, the first was never heard from again. A few months after both had left, the manager received a few phone calls from companies checking on the ex-employees' work records. While he had little more to say on the first employee other than employment dates, the second employee received a commendation from him, a full background on his work (effort was great, just the culture fit wasn't there) and a solid referral.

How we leave a situation and how we follow-up makes a difference between building bridges and burning them. We can never be sure where and from whom an opportunity will arise. It's best to treat each situation with the most dignity, respect and hard effort as it makes a huge difference in not only how others perceive you but in how you ultimately see yourself. The next time temptation arises to burn a bridge, take a moment and realize there's a reason for a bridge's existence. Once a bridge is burnt, it's very difficult to cross the gap.


-DH

*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 noted.

Digital Signs Need to Know- Business Relationship Suggestions

- Mike Prongue

Running your LED sign company is similar to participating in any relationship- a marriage, a team or being part of a church. The habits and the rules for success are very similar.

To make a business “great” instead of just “good” try to maximize each relationship- employees, customers, and supporting services that you utilize. I’m not suggesting that you become a smiling “Johnny Appleseed” tossing jokes and good cheer around the way Johnny used to throw his apple seeds. But slight changes in behavior in the work place can translate into better morale and better customer relationships.

Many of these business relationship suggestions you probably do anyway. Just review these time-tested ideals for communication and consistency and see if you can enhance your LED sign business as a result. Worst case is that you’ll probably improve your customer service potential.

The Top 10 business relationship suggestions:

• Clear and transparent communication- Employees and customers do not want to be subject to surprises or inconsistencies. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Words are like bullets and once they leave your mouth they have been “fired” and can’t be stuffed back in. Ask others to repeat back to you, the message you are attempting to communicate. Written communication can be even more insidious. Emails are cut and pasted and sent to others and what you thought was “privileged” communication winds up on Facebook. Don’t write or say anything you are not prepared to see in the newspaper.

• Promote others success- Andrew Carnegie was just one of the great industrialists that shaped American industry. He recognized that making others successful, making them rich, bonded them in many ways to his own cause. Pulling people up and making them proud to be part of the team with a vested interest in the success of the cause goes a long way. You can’t grow a business without people being as involved and committed as yourself.

• Behave consistently- Remember Dr. Jekyll and the evil Edward Hyde? Which one are you today? Do you think an employee will confide in you and then when the “going gets tough” you throw his confidential comment back in his face? What do you expect from people? Okay then, present that behavior to them.

• Communicate respectfully- Always find a way to say “yes”. Use words of courtesy- thank you, please, kindly, “if I may”, “if you don’t mind”, and “when you get time”. Some people think assertive communication means being a true jerk. Soft power is the more effective power.

• Apologize quickly- Some say apologizing is a sign of weakness. I think that was Ziva on the popular NCIS hit TV show. But a life lesson is that “it’s not the weak who apologize” it’s the strong who can admit mistakes and correct them promptly.

• Under promise and over deliver- My father started every Summer  when my brother and I were growing up with “let’s get a boat” but at the end of the Summer we never saw a boat. Many years later I use this annual “sucker punch” as an example of Over Promise and Under Deliver. All he had to say was “I wish we had enough money to get a boat, and we’ll try to find a good used one, but no promises.” 

• Be truthful- See the previous paragraph. Know your own truth and stick to it. It’s easy to lie accidentally and you have to manage the collective message coming from your company. Don’t twist the truth, lying by omission is still a lie- “You did not ask about installation and I did not tell you….” Just does not work in 2013 when there are other business choices for customer.

• Ask for participation and feedback- You may be a genius but you are not the only genius. Get your people involved, give them some responsibility and grow them into the next you. I like to surround myself with people smarter than myself. It makes life much easier.

• Publicly praise and privately coach- How many times have you had someone “call you out” in a group? Nothing destroys morale and encourages a homicide more than being embarrassed in public. Coach behind closed doors but present awards and great accomplishments in the group.

• Take Responsibility-  Where does the buck stop in your organization. Notice how Presidents of the USA take ownership and responsibility for…. Everything. It’s your company, and the buck stops with you. Don’t pinch a nickel to create 6 pennies and destroy a customer relationship. If you mess up, just confess and get past it.

Many of these suggestions are self-evident. Most of them circle back to the subject of Ethics.

No one ever faulted a company for being too ethical and treating customers  too well!  Remember the Golden Rule- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is sage advice that we sometimes forget in the heat of business battle.

These comments belong to me, Mike Prongue, and do not reflect the views, opinions, hopes or dreams of anyone else, anywhere else and this includes Vantage LED. I appreciate your constructive opinion which may be sent to me at michael@vantageled.com.  

Why LED Signs: Common Misconceptions About LED Signs

- Scott Hofheins

I would like to talk about some common misconceptions about LED signs and some reasons people may avoid making the initial investment. The LED sign industry is not always the most transparent arena to get information from, and I believe this has only added to the confusion for many in the public.

LED Sign are Distracting

This claim may have made more sense in the past than it does today. Any new technology held against the backdrop of the old will stand out. However, LED signs are no more distracting these days than traditional signage was for over 100 years. We live in a country where businesses, for the most part, try to be responsible citizens of the community. Most do not “strobe” their LED signs to gain attention, or put up borderline offensive material to turn your head. This choice may not always be done out of goodwill, but because it just makes good business sense.

We are in an era where communication is so fast that it’s creating a “small town” environment on a national scale where everyone knows everyone, and a bad reputation can spread like wild fire. Most (but not all) businesses don’t want to risk a bad reputation by mis-managing their LED sign so poorly that they actually creating a negative blatant distraction. Personally, I find sign twirlers on the street corner more distracting than LED signs.

LED Signs Cause Accidents

This has been around since the infancy of LED signage. A significant number of studies have been done since the famous SBA “Electronic Message Centre (EMC’s)” paper was released in 2001. The recent studies continue to show that LED signs are safe and do not cause accidents. This has also included digital billboards, the sworn enemy of so many sign ordinances across the country. I remember researching sign code at the beginning of my LED sign career that specifically outlawed LED signs with Red or Green colors, because people might mistake them for traffic lights. Unfortunately these types of codes are still out there, not as common, but still out there. The fact is, it has been proven over and over again that LED signs do not cause accidents.

LED Signs are Too Bright

I wrote a bit about this in my last post regarding the responsible use of LED signage. Brightness control is standard on virtually every LED sign in the market. This takes us down a familiar path that we discussed earlier. Businesses want the public to read the content of the LED sign, not just see a big blurry flood-light at night. In the end, most businesses will understand that an extremely bright sign at night does them no good. Most local codes correctly prohibit operation of LED signs at full brightness at night.

LED Signs Turn Respectable Towns Into Las Vegas

This is a classic, and I’ll reference my last post again. To summarize: Broken LED signs look tacky. LED signs with poorly designed content look tacky. Cheap, sub-par LED signs look tacky. Good quality, well manufactured and operated LED signs look great, and function at minimum as a very much needed upgrade to manual changeable copy boards. Functioning at full capacity, they are a tasteful upgrade to traditional signage that allows better communication to both consumers and the general community.

LED Signs are Too Expensive

Yes, LED signs are more expensive investment than traditional signage. However, they are not as expensive as they used to be. Newer technology and the growth of the industry offer much more bang for the buck. There are also a growing number of financing options available for LED signs with some companies working exclusively in the LED sign market. These options help lessen the risk, while providing the opportunity to increase sales with a fully installed unit onsite.

Return on Investment

I’ve interviewed many LED sign owners and discussed this specific subject. In almost every case the owner received a complete return on the initial investment much quicker than expected. Many owners have used a portion (or in some cases, all) their advertising budget to invest in the LED sign. This was money they were going to spend anyway, re-directed to a sign in hopes of reaching a larger local audience. When the sign is up and running many businesses report a direct correlation to specific promotions on the sign, to specific sales increases and find that the money was well invested.  

Restrictive Sign Codes

Some sign codes ban LED signs altogether, others regulate the operation of the sign. Some areas may require messages play at least 10 seconds, others only allow “static images”. LED signs can still be a benefit in these situations. Static images can be just as effective as animations, especially if the content is professional and sharp. In the end, a sign that can change content for specific promotions, is better than a sign that can’t change at all or has to be changed manually.

LED Signs are Too Complicated

This depends on the quality of the product and support the sign company and/or manufacturer offer. LED sign technology continues to get better and more easier to work with. The software is 100% better than it was 5 years ago, and the hardware designs are getting streamlined and easier to work with. The key is to find a good sign company who provides a good solid product. Doing the research and using resources like this blog will help.

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I know I haven’t covered everything, so please feel free to comment on any more items I missed or additional points of view. I would love to do another post on this subject. I’m a big fan of truth.

-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.

Digital Signage Need To Know: When comparing LED Sign solutions (EMC/EDS/CMS/Etc), make sure you're getting what you expect.

-Deacon Wardlow

It's not all apples and oranges in the Digital Signage world. With all the "geek speak" and "tech terms" it's difficult to tell the difference between good and gimmick. Comparisons used to be a lot more straightforward. What LEDs are you using? What's your software like? Now things are a lot more complex and many manufacturers will play a bit of a game with dealers and end-users. When manufacturers play games, the winner isn't likely to be the buyer. Here are a few ways to tell the difference between good and gimmicky to sort product in the right places and be sure the comparison is on equal footing or not.

Size Matters
As written in my blog last June be sure to compare the proposed solutions by not just size, but the active matrix. Different LED Sign manufacturers have different borders on their product (some have no borders). A 16mm 4'x8' sign can have VERY different active matrices. A smaller active matrix means smaller viewing area = smaller display. Some companies will promote the "low cost" of their system compared to other displays of the same size. Make sure the "same size" means the active viewing area and not the cabinet.

Support
As Scott Hofheins explains in his October blog, "When looking for a good LED sign supplier, don’t trade short term value for long term headaches." Back-end support is critical for any system. This is not just limited to the techs available on the other side of the phone, but rather the complete package. Can you get in touch with your sales rep whenever you need them? Does the company have comprehensive documentation/guides on installation and service for the system? When you speak with the company reps, are they knowledgeable on the product and do they make recommendations when you're unsure of the best solution for a particular opportunity?

Experience
Zenith, RCA and others used to be leaders for in-home entertainment (TV/Radio/etc.), but they were quickly put the wayside by competitors who were able to take advantage of newer technologies and options in the market at a better price. New companies will come along all the time, the question is how long will they be around after the sale? Look for companies with a presence in the market and a strong background. We're not talking a century or so (Microsoft is a monolithic company and they've only been around for 22 years, Google for about 14 years). Make sure the company has a solid position in the market, experience with the product and they're in a place where they'll be around for another 5, 10 or more years. Age doesn't always mean reliability, but a company who's been in business for five or ten years is more reliable than one who opened their doors a year or so ago...

Quality Control 
As I wrote back in November, take a deep look at who you're working with and the alternatives and make sure the company is a solid partner. What makes the company different? When considering an off-shore alternative, keep in mind how quality control can be ensured along the entire build process through to delivery. With many off-shore companies you get what you inspect, not what you expect. With a domestic company, they (usually) have to answer to the authorities and there are remedies to be pursued when something goes wrong. With a non-domestic company, there are few options/remedies available and A LOT of trust required.

After Service 
As mentioned on support, don't let after service be an after-thought. What steps has the manufacturer taken to protect both you (the dealer) and the end-user in case something goes wrong? Does the manufacturer offer an insured/bonded 5 year on-site service program option along with the standard 5 year parts/labor? Are parts readily available at the manufacturer's factory and what's the fastest they can get a part to a dealer/end-user? Will the components come with a replacement guide or is the field tech reliant solely on phone support? Is the system capable of auto-diagnostics and reporting? For large-scale spectacular systems, can redundancies be built-in to the system and does the manufacturer have prior-experience with redundant data/power/etc.?

Innovation
Change, in all things, is inevitable. Scott Hofheins wrote a blog last December where he points out a company which isn't moving forward is standing still and being left behind by the companies who choose to grow/change. Technology is constantly in flux (faster network connections, bigger storage, faster processors). It's important the manufacturer chosen as a partner is consistently looking to the future and working to ensure their product is changing to meet not just the needs of the present but the future needs ahead.


When a close look is taken at an "apples to apples" comparison, you'll start to see the difference show through. Two systems which look similar at first glance can be almost completely different depending on what the partner is bringing to the table.

-DH

*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 noted.

Digital Signage, Need to Know: You Deserve to Make a Profit on LED Signs

- Mike Prongue

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. You read the title of this post " You Deserve to Make a Profit on LED Signs" and you asked the snarky question "Really, ya' think so Mike?"

Yes, I do, in fact. But how many of you leave profit dollars on the proverbial table?

Hey, I know it’s a tough environment out there in American business – still! It doesn't matter if you sell mums, straw, pumpkins or LED signs. Is this the new normal? No one knows for sure, but we all know that infinite multi-digit sales growth is impossible mathematically. So, what you do sell must provide profit- makes sense to me.

Competition for many LED sign dealers is intense. There’s a battle going on in the industry of the “imports” versus the “domestics”. However, this competition is not like the one that impacted the US automobile market when Japan produced a high-quality, high-technology, reasonably priced, value intense option with Honda and the Toyota and whacked the market share of GM, Ford and Chrysler.

The current war in the LED sign industry is a curious one where LED sign companies have sampled imported LED sign products and despite a documented record of poor performance and customer unhappiness the cost is compelling low. Never mind that the cost of the subsequent service issues, the loss of trusted customers and the hassle with every element of dealing with the importing process wipes out any net profit on the project.

Sadly, I think that some dealers are content with losing money on an LED sign project, then trying to make up for it on subsequent projects by doing exactly the same thing. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Look, you have a right (if not an obligation) to make money on the sale of an LED sign and allow that profit contribution to enhance the profitability of the overall project- labor, static sign upgrades, permitting, whatever your project entails. If you’re not making some reasonable profit margin, for argument sake say 30% on the LED sign (cost is $7,000, sales price is $9,999) then you need a plan to regain what you are entitled to. 

Oh yes, I have one, a patented 5-step plan for your review:

• Sell a product that works and does not drive your true profit margin to zero, or worse, with service calls and customer hassle. 

•  Sell something that stands out (differentiated for you marketing elite)- technology, simple for the customer to understand and use, or has something that makes the customer want it. An electric seat warmer is one odd example that has sold many an automobile for those customers living in cold weather.  

• Promote your company and stand out from the crowd. Does your office have an LED display outside? You have to “walk the talk”. Many domestic suppliers will offer price concessions for a display on your own wall or pole. Also, what about your Website? Sure it has vehicle wraps displayed prominently on it and that looks great, but what about the LED sign page? Does it need a little work? A better set of LED display images?

•  Do you have a LED sign demo trailer? There are many awesome designs for compact trailers engineered for LED signs. If you email me at Michael@vantageled.com I’ll turn you on to a company I recently ran across that provides a compact trailer with LED sign lift capability for under $8000. There are countless examples but dollar for dollar this is the best one I've seen.

• Promote LED signs in different ways. Participate in charity events, actually go to those Chamber of Commerce meetings, attend regional trade shows and rent a booth (some are affordable). Having a great Website is one way to attract customers, but taking the LED sign to the streets via a trailer or a portable display of some kind, allows you to market the old fashioned way – “eyeball to eyeball”. Not every customer appreciates your e-efforts as much as you do despite the planned upgrades to your LED sign page. They’d rather have the old “touch and feel and inspect” buying experience.

These ideas are not new. Very little is truly new, but rather a rehash or a recompilation of an old idea. But think over these five points.

What am I saying? You deserve to make a profit on LED sign, but if you're not, then you may have to "earn the right" to make a profit. LED signs are not a commodity, at least not yet. There are major differences, but sometimes, not unlike other major purchases, the customer needs a reason to pay more. They are paying as much for many LED sign projects as a new car. How many times have you purchased a new car by going to the Web and saying "okay, I'll take one of those, let me click here"?

You have to figure out what kind of dealer you want to be. If you want to be the “lowest priced kid on the block” then you’ll attract customers with the least money to spend. Not only will they have just $8,000 to spend, but they’ll try to spend only $4,000 of it. They’ll come to you and buy the lowest priced LED sign on the market, work an even lower price than your first quoted price then get you to promise some type of support and hold you accountable each and every time the LED sign hiccups. You know what I’m talking about.

On the other hand, if you are able to prove you have an LED sign product that shows a great return on investment by driving new customers in the door, installed by experts, with a “no fooling around” warranty, you will have proved  you are not just dabbling in the LED sign game. You’ll attract smarter customers who want a quality product and are willing to pay for it… hence, your 30% margin.

Your choice, but it’s your right to make good money on what you sell. If it’s a no-win, “toxic”, request for bid… run away, don’t try to administer CPR to a dead chicken.

These comments belong to me, Mike Prongue, and do not reflect the views, opinions, hopes or dreams of anyone else, anywhere else and this includes Vantage LED. I appreciate your constructive opinion which may be sent to me at michael@vantageled.com.  

Digital Signage Need to Know: Quality LED Signs Managed Responsibly Improve the Community

- Scott Hofheins

LED signs have been given a bad rap over the years for being “tacky” and threatening to turn peaceful towns into “Las Vegas”. Although progress has been made as local leaders realize this new technology can be regulated reasonably, the old “Las Vegas” stigma still continues to affect the industry. There are a couple of reasons why, and I would like to focus on the few here to help educate both existing and potential LED sign owners.

I saw a local news clip last week on LED signs in Florida. Unfortunately, some of the first words you hear in the segment are “tacky” and “distracting”. As I watched the clip, I was not surprised to see it go immediately to shots of Las Vegas with the reporter narrating about how you wouldn't want the place you live to look “like this”. It moved on to clips of LED signs, Hulk Hogan's new restaurant, and interviews with city leaders. It included some great examples of why LED signs still have a less than perfect reputation.

Quality
All but one or two of the LED signs in the clip had some sort of quality issue. This is a major problem for LED signs and it effects the industry as a whole. High quality LED signs that are working correctly do not look “tacky” or “distracting”. It’s the broken, sub-par signs that give everyone else a bad name. Even if a sign is physically working, it doesn’t mean it looks good. The news clip showed modules issues, color inconsistency, LED binning issues, missing pixels, etc... 

No LED sign is perfect, but many of the signs in the story looked like this wasn’t the first time they had issues. Surprisingly, one of these was a sign for a Hulk Hogan restaurant. It illustrates the fact that expensive and big, doesn’t equal higher quality.

I know I speak for many in the industry who would plead with anyone getting an LED sign to Do Your Homework. Your business image is counting on it There are great manufactures right here in the USA that can provide you a quality sign. You may pay a little more, but it’s worth it. I’m not saying that every single US manufacturer is guaranteed to be great, but your research is much easier to do when it’s domestic and you can talk directly to the people making your sign.

Content
Poor content is almost as bad as a broken sign. People expect more from LED signs these days, and the viewers will only get more picky as the technology improves. The content must be clean, readable, relevant and beautiful. Showing a 30 second long firework animation won’t get people into your business anymore. You need real content, with real information. People are looking to LED signs as they would look at their smart phone: quick, relevant information that they can use.

If you’re doing your own content, make sure it’s on par with the other signs out there. Having talent in house is good, as long as they keep the sign fresh with updated content. If you don’t have your own designers or time to do the content yourself, use a content creation service. It’s worth the investment.

If you have an old or lower quality sign, don’t be afraid to experiment with colors and fonts that DO look good on your display. White backgrounds are usually a bad choice for a low quality sign. Keep it simple and strong with dark backgrounds, thick text and deep colors. Blues and greens work well, but stay away from light blue, light green, light yellow, etc... Find what works with your display and stick to it.

Brightness
This is a big one for me. I still see a number of signs out there that are way too bright at night. I believe most of this is due to a lack of education on the subject, but there are still some out there who think that brighter = better. This is simply not the case at night.

When a sign is too bright, your audience will have less time to read the message. They may see the beacon of light from 5 miles away, but they will not be able to actually read the text until much closer than normal. If your sign is lighting up the freeway it’s too bright. It may be cool to say “hey our LED is so bright it lights up the street”, but that’s about all it’s doing. This is one of the bigger reasons for negative attitudes toward LED signs.

Take the time to really look at your sign at night. Is your audience spending their time seeing just the sign, or the actual content. You want them to see the content. Compare the brightness of the LED sign to the brightness of other lighted signs in the area. The LED sign should be just a bit brighter, but not much.

Most LED signs give you the ability to change the brightness settings. Some use automatic sensors, and others use scheduling or a mixture of both. Sensors are not always the best method, as they can be affected by ambient light, and their own values (how much it dims according the light value) can’t be set for every situation. If you can set these values, do it.  If your sign utilizes a brightness schedule, adjust it. Every time I see these signs, I feel bad for the business because they may be unknowingly losing potential customers at night because they can’t read the sign.

Reasonable Regulations
I’ve always been a proponent of empowering the people, but I’ve found that it’s not always smart to directly confront the city code. If you want reasonable regulations, you have to be reasonable too. Being a good example, and using an LED sign in a reasonable way gives you much more power than if you drop in a huge sign, and literally try to run it like “Vegas”. You’re only hurting yourself at that point. The Hulk Hogan sign in the news story was a good example of what NOT to do in my opinion, but not for the reasons you may think.

If you’re going to fight a battle, you need to have the best weapons to ensure victory. The quality of the sign in this case does them no favors and only supports the notion that LED signs are “tacky”. The discoloration and module issues on the sign detract from the content, and even though the content is colorful and attention getting, it loses significant power on a broken sign.

I have a better scenario. Imagine a high quality 12-16mm with great color balance, and deep high contrast colors. The content is classy and tasteful with smooth fades between the messages, and subtle but effective animations supporting the content, but not overdoing it. This is much better for the operator, the community, and the reputation of LED signs. Instead of people saying “hey that’s a cool looking sign, but it’s kind of cheesy”, they will see the quality and say “that’s a really good looking sign, I wonder why our city doesn’t like these”.

Quality Hardware, Effective Content, Visibility at Night, and keeping it Classy will improve the look of your LED sign and your business. If you are on the lookout for an LED sign, please do your research and make sure you're getting the best quality you can, at a reasonable price. There are good resources out there (like this blog) that will help you with this. Remember, sacrificing quality for a cheap price is a short term plan in a long term game. Lead by example, and look good doing it! 

-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.