{"id":22187,"date":"2026-02-04T20:15:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T20:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/?p=22187"},"modified":"2026-02-10T19:41:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:41:41","slug":"presidents-post-february-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/2026\/02\/04\/presidents-post-february-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"President’s Post – February 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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President's Post - February 2026<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Happy New Year!<\/strong> I hope you all had a great break and that 2026 is off to a strong start with good, profitable work and a full pipeline.<\/p>

There\u2019s a lot happening at NZSDA – membership is growing, Master Sign Maker is gaining momentum, planning for the Expo and Sign Awards is well underway, and we\u2019re launching the new Young Signmaker of the Year<\/em> competition. Add in webinars, new resources, and regional meetings, and it\u2019s shaping up to be a pretty big year. What a time to be in the sign game!<\/p>

A quick but important milestone – Melissa just celebrated 10 years with NZSDA<\/strong>. Huge congrats, Melissa. You\u2019re an absolute rock star and have made a massive contribution to the industry. Outstanding effort.<\/p>

A Strategic Start<\/h3>

We wrapped up last year with our NZSDA Board Strategic Planning Meeting, which really set the tone for 2026. I loved the process – pulling ideas together, setting priorities, getting honest about challenges, and putting names and timelines to the big stuff. One of the best sessions I\u2019ve been part of. Massive shout out to Scott for doing the heavy lifting on that.<\/p>

It reminded me how easy it is to spend the whole year running on a treadmill, going flat out but heading nowhere. That session lit a fire under me to do things better in my own business this year too, especially following through on ideas that usually just rattle around in my head all year.<\/p>

Would You Like Fries With That?<\/h3>

One of the big ones: How do we realistically increase revenue without pouring time and money into chasing new clients?<\/strong><\/p>

Let\u2019s assume we love all our clients. They pay on time, they fit our niche, and the work is right in our lane (There is a lot to unpack in that sentence another time)<\/em>. Even then, we still miss opportunities – not because we\u2019re lazy, but because we\u2019re so often under the pump and struggle to think strategically day to day.<\/p>

Like many of you, I am<\/em> the sales engine in my business. Two problems with that:<\/p>

  1. I can\u2019t be across every conversation with every client.<\/li>
  2. My energy on the day depends on how much is on my plate.<\/li><\/ol>

    This year, I\u2019m setting out to solve that. Here are three questions I\u2019ve documented to help my team and I make the most of every potential sale that comes through the door.
    Maybe they\u2019ll help you too:<\/p>

    1. Are we looking at the whole picture?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

      It\u2019s easy to quote what the client asked for, but what do they actually need?<\/p>

      Someone might ask for a fascia sign. But step back and you\u2019ll spot gaps. Maybe they also need window graphics, an under-veranda lightbox, and a pavement sign to help pull foot traffic.<\/p>

      By thinking bigger than the one product, we can offer a more complete solution. It shows we\u2019re not just ticking boxes, we\u2019re thinking like partners. And the bonus? It often turns into a bigger job, a better result, and a happier client.
      (And maybe even a great Shop Front entry for the Sign Awards!)<\/em><\/p>

      1. Are we offering something better than standard?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

        Everyone does standard. Standard is safe. Standard is forgettable.<\/p>

        If we want to grow revenue and create standout work, we need to show what \u201cbetter\u201d looks like:<\/p>

        • Folded ACM boxes instead of flat panels on buildings<\/li>
        • Fabric SEG lightboxes inside instead of a panel on an office wall<\/li>
        • Textured wallpaper over plain print vinyl in a retail space<\/li><\/ul>

          There are hundreds of these little upgrades. But don\u2019t just mention them, show<\/em> them! Bring samples. Link to previous installs. If it\u2019s a big job, buy the client a coffee and take them to visit similar projects. Help them feel<\/em> the difference and not just see the price.<\/p>

          These upgrades usually mean better margins, longer-lasting installs, and work your clients will actually rave about.<\/p>

          1. Are we building value into the process?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

            This one\u2019s about consistency. I read an article recently about upselling that resenated with me – Upselling shouldn\u2019t be something you \u201cremember to do\u201d at the end of a conversation. It should be baked into your culture and processes.<\/p>

            Are you offering \u201cGood, Better, Best\u201d options in your quotes? Are you showing value visually (eg – photos, links to your social channels, short videos of case studies of similar jobs)? Are you making it easy for your client to really see, and to really want the upgrades?<\/p>

            One practical example I\u2019m exploring is offering a cleaning or maintenance contract <\/strong>for shop front projects as an add-on. You could handle this in-house, or team up with a local window washer or water blasting company. It keeps signage looking sharp, builds in recurring income, and gives you regular contact with the client.<\/p>

            And when it\u2019s time to refresh or rebrand in a few years? You\u2019ll be top of the list.<\/p>

            Think Like a Consultant<\/h3>

            At the end of the day, this isn\u2019t just about squeezing extra dollars, it\u2019s about solving problems for your customer.<\/p>

            We\u2019re not just here to make signs, we\u2019re here to help businesses show up in the world with clarity, confidence, and consistency. That often takes more than one sign panel. And if we can offer more, the right kind of more<\/em>, then we should.<\/p>

            So here\u2019s my challenge this month: Pick one job this month. Just one.
            And instead of just quoting what they asked for, ask yourself:<\/p>

            • Am I looking at the whole picture?<\/li>
            • Am I offering something better than standard?<\/li>
            • Am I building value into the process?<\/li><\/ul>

              Focus on value. Think like a consultant. The revenue will follow.<\/p>

              See you out there!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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              Logan Sutton<\/strong>
              Creative Director \u2013 Future Grafix
              President \u2013 NZ Sign & Display Association<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great break and that 2026 is off to a strong start with good, profitable work and a full pipeline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21191,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nzsda-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22187"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22195,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22187\/revisions\/22195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}