The following collection is a few of our customer success stories. While each company offers different primary products, their diversification goal was the same for each. They all wanted a low cost, high profit method of increasing sales and profit, which didn’t require a big investment.

Offering sublimated products was the method they all chose to attract brand new customers, and to profitably sell more to their existing customers.

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"Signs Of Success"

After laughing at our one of our favorite quotes (sometimes opportunity doesn’t knock on your door, but if you look out the window you can catch it before it slips by) a sign company ordered a sublimation cartridge, press and plate cutter. They had decided to offer some sublimated signs as a way to make small quick signs, without tying up their vinyl cutter. We were surprised when they reordered about four months later and we remarked that "there must be an awful lot of customers wanting small quick signs." The owner replied that was only a small part of what they were doing. Most of the work was regularly supplying desk name sets and badges to scores of companies in eight large office buildings, as well as interior signage and recognition plaques. To test the market, the owner sublimated a gold plate and inserted it into a plastic, black JRS architectural frame. Deciding he had a winner, he went around to area office buildings, to test reactions and the reactions were excellent. That is why he needed another cartridge. Like most companies, sublimation didn’t replace their regular business. It just gives them profitable sales in other areas. They are happy with their sublimation business and the new vinyl sign and banner customers they have added, because of it. Granted they are a very aggressive company, but that doesn't change the facts.

"Add-on Sales Add Up"

This story is from a company who specializes in screen-printed signs. He does no marketing of sublimated products, except to customers who actually come into his shop.

He reports average add-on (extra) sales of about 8% per invoice and he is happy. His exact words were (he is country to the bone)- "I ain't complainin' with 8%, 'cause the profits are higher 'n that and goes straight into my pocket". Amen!

"Plaques For Profits"

After seven months, one of our sign shop customers reports average monthly plaque sales of just under $1,100 a month, in addition to sublimated signs and plates. He also estimates another $200-$300 in monthly vinyl sign and banner sales because of plaques (the new customer originally came in as an awards customer, but then also became a sign shop customer).

He did five things to market his new sublimation business.

1. He added "Awards" to his name. He has not given us permission to use his name, so for example, ABC Instant Signs became ABC Instant Signs & Awards.
2. He put a big, bold, vinyl lettered message on his window announcing his new products (we loved the irony of vinyl, advertising sublimation).
3. As soon as he got a small display up in his showroom he sent an announcement letter to every sign customer he had ever had.
4. He listed himself in the phone book, under "Trophies" with an inexpensive two-line in-column ad. In bold print, line 1 states- Very Fast Lettering Services. Line 2, also in bold print, states- Plaques · Badges · Nameplates. He said that now it was a rare Thursday that he didn't get 1 or 2 calls for plaques to be done by Friday afternoon.
5. In addition to his regular business card, he gives every new customer two, 2x3 sublimated "awards" business card he designed himself. He asks the customer to give the second card to a friend.

"Motivational Motto’s"

Award and sign company customers nearly always go into a shop with a specific quantity of items that they want. A shop may be able to suggest what they get, but not how many. If they need six, then they won’t buy seven. An award's company decided to increase sales per person by displaying an "impulse buy" item on their front counter. The item is a 5x7 plaque with a sublimated motto on a gold plate. The motto is: "Success is a journey, not a destination, so always keep moving!" A small sublimated sign beside the plaque says - "A dozen successful motto’s to live by." A list beside the sign has all twelve mottoes, and they change the display plaque each month. Every sale is obviously an add-on (to the regular order) gravy sale. They tell customers they sell the "motto" plaques at about half the price of their regular plaques (gee, only a 500% profit) because it’s not custom and is already made up (they do keep three of each plate sublimated so they can quickly assemble it, without the customer waiting). They said that in addition to nice monthly single sales, they also occasionally sell all 12 at one time to sales mangers and others, who display a different one each month in their office. Clever idea.

"Among The World’s Greatest"

A specialty T-shirt shop, realizing that any one customer was only going to buy so many shirts during a visit, added an "impulse buy," gift line - "Among The World’s Greatest." The entire line consists of an 8x10 walnut finish plaque, with a gold plate. At the top of the plate is a title like "Among The World’s Greatest Golfers." Under the title is always a list of 10 names associated with the title. The third position is always where the recipient’s name goes. They have developed "Greatest" lists for every sport, coaches of the sport, hobby, activity and interest you can think of. They even have one for "Among The World’s Greatest Cooks." One of their most popular is "Among The World’s Greatest Couples." The list starts with Romeo & Juliet.

They display three samples at the cash register, along with a loose-leaf notebook, containing page after page of lists. With all layouts already in the computer, they can fill orders while the customer waits. Retail price: $14.95. Materials cost: under $2.00. They keep about a $100 in inventory, at any one time. They report one sale for about each 14 T-shirt customers. That’s not bad add-on sales.

"Kiosk Inspiration"

The owner of a kiosk, specializing in small, religious orientated gifts, called and asked how she might use sublimation to increase sales. After offering some suggestions, she thanked us and said she would get back in touch. A few days later she called and said she was going to try our "Bible Verse" idea and ordered a cartridge and press. She displays six 5x7 plaques with a "standard" Bible verse on them at $5.95 each. A sign beside them states, "Customized plaques, with your favorite Bible verse only $7.95." She hasn’t said how well she is doing, but we do know one thing for sure. She has bought three sublimation cartridges in ten months, and that’s a lot of little 5x7’s.

"SOHO Success"

Working in her spare time, a small office/home office entrepreneur, has made many thousands of dollars selling just one item - magnetic note holders! Her biggest seller is a 1.25" x 3.25" gold-tone aluminum plate attractively bagged in a clear 2x4 poly-bag. It’s magnetic because she sticks a .75 x 1 magnetic strip on the back of the plate. Her minimum order is 25 and she brings her price down to $1.25 each, if you buy a 100. The customer can get up to 5 lines of lettering and 1 logo, with one line change allowed.

She sells them to companies for trade shows, schools for special events, non-profits as memento’s and even to individuals for family reunions. She also sells to dozens of churches that use them as "Homecoming" mementos and for special ministries and programs in their church.

She has so many people calling her now that she has been able to stop making sales calls herself. Every one of those thousands of note holders has her little sticker on the back. Marketing under the name "MagnaNotes," her slogan is, "A message always seen, is never forgotten."

Just for the fun of it, when we heard her story, we calculated her material costs. We calculated the cost of the magnetic strip, the plastic bag, the metal, the toner to print the metal, and even threw in a penny for the cost of the paper. Her material costs per note holder - less than a dime. Wow!

"Sublimation Addition"

A very successful awards company offering only laser engraved products decided they were missing sales and profit. They contacted us and we spent about 45 minutes thoroughly discussing the pros and cons of inkjet vs. laser printing as well as production and marketing ideas. They decided to "take the plunge" and bought a cartridge and heat press from us (they already had a computer, Corel Draw and a laser printer). They reported they made enough profit to pay for the cartridge the first week and the heat press - the next month. These were all new sales. Customers with fixed budgets who couldn’t afford lasered products had something nice to fill their needs - and didn’t go to a competitor. Many brand new customers actually preferred the graphic look of a nicely sublimated plaque. He was very busy, the last time he ordered a cartridge, so we didn’t talk much, but he did comment, "Boy, I’m glad we started doing sublimation!"