Estate sale signs are an important part of the liquidation process, it gets the buyers there! but there’s much more than directing buyers to an estate sale. Marketing and branding play a big part in creating catchy estate sale signage.
In today’s fast pace, high tech world, there’s a lot of conversation about social media, online marketing and advertising.
When it comes to grabbing the attention of potential clients and estate sale shoppers, a good estate sale sign might be your best bet.
Brad and Stacie Boerger with Best Sales by Boerger said “The signs are so important, depending on the area, we could use up to 10 signs or more. They do attract new people who happen to stumble upon a sign and many become great customers.”.
A nationwide survey by FedEX which polled more than 500 small businesses across the United States showed that 64 percent of millennial small-business owners (age 18 to 34) place value on creativity in graphics while older business owners place a higher emphasis on simple designs when creating signage.
No matter what you prefer, how you design your estate sale signs will have a big influence on your company’s ability to acquire new customers and get your brand recognized in a highly competitive industry.
Estate Sale Signage Cost
When we spoke to a number of estate sale companies, estate sale signage cost was their biggest concern. There are many options to choose from that vary in price, but don’t rush to order the least expensive ones first. The cost of your estate sale signs should not be the top motivator. Quality, and durability should also be a big deciding factor. You want signs that withstand the outdoors so you can use them over and over.
Signs Needed at An Estate Sale
There are various signs you will need when holding an estate sale, sure there are many over the counter signs and ones you can easily print on a printer at home. Attractive signs shouldn’t only be focused on the direction signs. Use multiple colors even when you’re printing indoor signage such as safety signs, policy signs, including the sign-up sheet outside for people when they arrive. Use every possible opportunity you can to keep the name of your company in front of people in order to become a recognizable brand.
Here are a few of the signs most often used as estate sales:
- Directional Signs
- Yard Signs
- Balloons or Flags in front of the home
- Safety & Policy Signs
- Vehicle Magnetic Signs
- Vinyl Banners
We’ve seen many estate sale signs that are “homemade” but some are unprofessional, in fact they even misspell estate sale as “a state sale”. If you’re starting in the estate sale industry, your reputation is the key to the success of your company and the clients you serve.
If a client is signing an estate sale contract and hiring you to conduct a liquidation sale, they are relying on you to present their sale and the contents of their home in a professional manner.
Many new companies dive into the estate sale business without taking the marketing and advertising aspects into consideration early. They begin by telling friends and family members, stage their first estate sale, and make do with estate sale signage by using whatever they come across, even a marker on a big piece of paper!
This strategy is short lived and will only gain you limited attention in a fast-growing industry with many reputable, and well-established estate sale companies you must compete with in order to get a slice of the pie.
If you’re ready to establish an estate sale business, begin by defining an estate sale marketing and advertising strategy that involves all the details down to your stationary, brand, and estate sale signs.
Designing Your Estate Sale Signs
Unique, memorable and eye-catching is the key. Coming up with estate sale sign ideas isn’t a piece of cake or at least shouldn’t be.
Focusing on your marketing efforts when designing these signs is crucial because while you’re busy meeting clients and generating estate sale leads, your marketing is working for you 24/7 including holidays and weekends.
So, if you want to stand out, be remembered, and distinguish your brand from what your competitors have to offer, don’t get lost by following the same old estate sale sign designs.
Dan Ahrens, estate liquidator and owner of Ocean Estate Services and design agency DA Design & Media, offers professional design services to help your brand stand out. Give him a text or call at 949-444-8754 if you’d like to discuss getting a custom design.
Branded Estate Sale Signs and Themes
Let the signs speak for themselves, but don’t stray too far away from your branded theme. If you already have an estate sale website, business cards, and marketing material in a particular color and style, you wouldn’t want to choose a completely different color for your signs.
Signage Themes
Whether you want the professional look, modern look, or simple style in your signs, you must stay branded and consistent.
The estate sale industry is not much different than the real estate industry when it comes to marketing. You have the opportunity to build your own identity on your own terms, but this must remain consistent with your stationery, online material, yard signs, estate sale flyers, safety signs, magnetic vehicle signs and estate sale direction signs.
We spoke to Dan Demille, owner of Reichert’s Signs. A company that specializes in custom real estate signs and has been serving Realtors, builders, and business owners nationwide for the past 30 years.
What are the most important factors in creating a memorable design?
“Font, color, and the size of the sign. Consistency is key, and depending on where the signs will be used, the size and message will obviously vary. This is something we do take into consideration with every sign order we get” Said Mr. Demille.
How do you help small businesses like an estate sale company create unique signs?
Mr. Demille replied, “Many companies rely on our art department to create a design for them. They don’t necessarily have to have a design in mind, we can help them create something unique and branded. Once the signs are approved and chosen, we can create a profile specific to their company so they can quickly order from a list of signs anytime they’d like directly online”.
Many estate sale companies have their signs go missing any tips you can recommend to prevent this?
He wasn’t too surprised and said “Unfortunately, signs do go missing even in the real estate industry, it’s not always theft, sometimes it’s the county or city that pulls them. If it happens a lot we do recommend the economy signs, they are less expensive, making them very affordable and easy to replace. We also recommend more secure and heavy weight stakes and poles to hold their signs, it doesn’t prevent possible theft, but may make it a bit more difficult for someone to take”
Reichert’s signs receives orders from all over the country, once the signs are approved, it takes approximately 5 days to be completed, and they ship all over the US. They do follow up with each client to insure they’re happy with their orders and that’s what sets them apart from their competitors. Their attention to detail and customer service.
Mr. Demille offered our estate sale companies an exclusive discount. All you have to do is mention the word “EstateSales.org” and you’ll get 4 FREE signs when you order a bundle of 12.
Choosing a Theme Color
What’s your brand color? If you don’t already have a brand color, this is the first step:
Did you know colors have meanings? The color red is associated with energy, power, strength and determination.
The color blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom and confidence.
Black is associated with power and elegance. If you already have a theme color to work with, there’s no need to research meanings and make a pick, go with your existing branded color.
Always keep in mind longevity of your signs and try to choose colors and quality that will withstand the outdoors, sun fading, and harsh weather if you’re in other parts of the country.
You’ll also want to choose a color wisely in order to have a good contrast for your signs to be visually attractive. For example: Bright Orange will look great with a Blue background.
Do you have a slogan? If not, it may be time to develop one and carry it throughout your marketing materials including your signs for estate sales.
Ask yourself, how do I want my company to be perceived? Begin by building a slogan that will gain you a professional reputation in the estate sale industry and creates a positive feeling towards your business at first glance.
Estate Sale Directional Signs
The direction signs have limited space, so make it count! Keep the slogan, short, sweet, and simple. “Selling with a Passion”, “Anxiety-Free Estate Sales” or “Estate Sales with care”. Whatever you choose, it must be catchy at first glance and relay a message to the viewer.
Yard Signs for Estate Sales
Yard Signs are great to use on the scheduled estate sale days. No directions needed. They are placed in an area where people waiting in line will have all the time in the world to read your message.
This is why crafting a clear, consistent and compelling message is very important. If they see it often, it becomes engraved in their mind.
Messages and Call to Action
Your message may stay consistent but your call to action can change and that will depend on what you’re crafting. A flyer, outdoor banner, direction sign for estate sales, or a yard sign to use during the sale may each have a different call to action.
Think of your audience not yourself and what you do. Imagine you’re standing in front of that sign as a perspective client, or driving by it, you’ll want to attract positive attention.
Let’s use a yard sign for an example. A yard sign during the scheduled estate sale is seen by buyers, potential clients that are neighbors and others driving by. What would you want to tell these people? If you are those people what would you want to see?
Give them a reason to call you, follow you on social media or sign up to your email list. Make your “CTA” Call to Action clear and loud.
Strategically placing the information on the sign is also important and will depend on the purpose of the sign.
What action you want them to take should be first, followed by how to take that action and your logo.
If it’s a direction sign, the arrow is obviously the most important to properly direct them to the estate sale, followed by your phone number, logo and message.
Remember, the order of priority and placement will depend on the estate sale sign purpose.
Vinyl Banners at Estate Sales
Banners can generally be used at the estate sale to hang in front of the check out table, they are light weight, very portable and easy to hang.
Capture the attention of the audience at they enter the sale or as they are driving by. Get your company name noticed along with important information such as a phone number or a slogan you want associated with your company and brand.
At EstateSales.org we take great pride in providing our members with information and ways for them to save. We have reached out to VistaPrint.com and asked for a savings promotional code you can use on signs or marketing material.
From now until July of 2018, you can use “signs25” to get 25% off your sign order or “marketing25” to save on other marketing materials such as flyers, stationary, business cards, etc.
You may use those two promo codes over and over until they expire.
Marketing Beyond the Estate Sale Direction Signs
In the estate sale industry, when signs are mentioned, one automatically thinks of the directional signs which points buyers to the sale, but there are many other signs that can be used on a daily basis outside of the estate sale to create brand recognition such as vehicle magnetic signs.
Even when you’re driving around on the off days, people will begin to notice your brand and get familiar with your company name. No matter what you do, consistency is very important.
On the days of the sale, use the same theme and branding for your front door list, safety and policy signs posted outside of the house and throughout the home. Even if it’s as simple as your logo and company name along with a slogan. Like they always say “repetition brings retention”.
Some estate sale companies go a step further and print branded balloons to be used on the day of the sale or place branded flags in the front yard to bring attention to the home during a sale.
Neighbors, people driving by including buyers coming to the sale are automatically attracted to the location. Balloons also create a friendly feel since they are generally associated with happy events such as birthdays and parties. An inexpensive option that brings a lot of attention to the brand and the sale location.
If you’re not ready to have branded balloons printed, it may be just as simple as using balloons that match the color of your brand.
Estate Sale Sign Placement
Now that you have a set of well branded estate sale signs, you must take placement into consideration. Each city will have its own requirements for estate sale sign placement.
Some cities may require you to only place signs on private property and not encroach onto or above any street, sidewalk, parkway, or other public right-of-way. This may make your placement challenging but not completely impossible.
You must check with each city by contacting the city hall of where your estate sale address is located to get clarification. Just like taxes at estate sales, and business license requirements, estate sale signage may also have local rules and regulations to follow.
EstateSales.org sponsors the largest Facebook group for estate sale business owners. It is dedicated to the estate sale industry with thousands of estate sale companies that network, share information, ask and answer questions that help each other grow.
We strive to help each and every estate sale company by providing information and platforms that assist in their marketing and advertising and growth efforts.
If you’re starting an estate sale company, and want to learn more, join our exclusive estate sale company group, list your estate sale business online for potential estate sale leads and take advantage of our estate sale online auction to reach thousands of estate sale buyers worldwide.
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