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“I need a magnet that sticks to glass.” This is a classic request, along with the specifications for “double-sided wall decals” and “clear aluminum” that come across our desks on a regular basis. Obvious and humorous to us, they are also perfect examples of the challenges that our resellers face in communicating with their clients.

It’s all in the Details

The technical details of hundreds of media options and combinations are daunting, and at SignCenter we spend hours just keeping up with the new product introductions and application techniques.

However, to be successful at reselling wholesale graphics, you don’t need to be fluent in the adhesive chemistry, just in understanding your customer’s needs.

We are often asked why SignCenter doesn’t have a wholesale web store. The answer is simple: If your customer goes online and orders the wrong material for a project, then they can chalk it up to experience; however, if you order the wrong product for them, you can lose a customer and risk your reputation as a reseller.

We are experts at specifying the correct media, ink and finishing solutions for a graphic, but we need our resellers to ask the right questions.

To help, we’ve posted a checklist of questions on our website. You can find it here.

Understanding Customer Needs

This is a great starting point, but the more you can learn about your customer’s project and expectations, the higher the probability that we can provide the ideal solution, and make you a hero!

Ask for pictures of where the graphics will be installed, how long they are expecting to use them, and if possible, pictures of what they have used before, or have seen that they liked.

You don’t have to speak “large format” at all.  Simply be curious about all the parameters of the project, and don’t be afraid to ask for more information.  (Remember the old saying about what the word “assume” stands for!)

Don’t stress, it gets easier with each job.

At SignCenter we are all about long-term relationships with our affiliates, and the key to a good relationship is communication.  There is no such thing as “too much information” in this case.  And that “magnet that sticks to glass” question turns into you discovering what they really need is a static cling decal.

Have questions? Get in touch today!