Use Visible Signage to Make a Good First Impression
By: Stephen Cook

It happens to a lot of us. You use a particular road in the community for years – perhaps your entire life. You know every traffic light, every building…every bend in the road. In fact, that mind of yours goes on autopilot every time you come upon a certain stretch of asphalt. You're thinking about the homework your daughter brought home last week, the dry cleaning you forgot to drop off yesterday, or that cluttered garage waiting quite patiently for you back at home.

Then, unexplainably, the landscape feels different. Could this be? A church where a church had never been before? The building certainly isn't new. You've just never noticed it. With fingers on chin, your logical side assures you that buildings do not spring up overnight.

You do a double take. Like a beacon, a new sign in front of the building makes it abundantly clear—it's a church alright, and you've been zooming past it for decades.

A half mile farther along, your brain begins cross examining itself. "But I've been driving past that structure for years. You mean there's a church there?"

Our happy motorist shouldn't feel embarrassed. He's off the hook. How could that church possibly expect him to take notice of their grounds? Even when a church building exudes, "Yes, we are a place of worship," it doesn't necessarily convey the much-needed follow up, "and we want you to know what we are all about!"

Without a sign, that church building has to fend for itself in order to make first impressions. Like time-lapse photography, an entire generation of motorists goes by ignorant to all the excitement and fellowship going on within the church's four walls. But, with a sign, properly placed and tailored to the needs of the community, this church not only makes a first impression, it shouts out to the complacent driving by, "There's a lot of good happening here, and we'd love for you to be a part of our future!"

Community Expectations
Places of worship tend to forget that the church sign standing alongside the road isn't even theirs.It belongs to those who drive by going about the normal (sometimes mundane) routines of life. Motorists expect information. The community you are part of can grow with you when they feel connected to you.Your pews, choir robes, central air conditioning, and playground equipment…yes, all of these belong to the church. Yet all of these items combined have not an ounce of sway over the hundreds of unchurched who will drive by your church tomorrow. Indeed, some of them blissfully pass by year after year never knowing you are there at all.

First impressions occur between two people as part of human nature. The human condition is a wonderful thing, though. Assuming the first impression is a positive one a seed is sown for a potential blossoming relationship.

Any new faces you saw last Sunday morning probably came to worship because someone they trusted invited them. Before they'd even set one foot in your church, the newcomer's first impression of your churchwas the result of positive word of mouth.

Now consider the amount of traffic in front of your church. Imagine a church member actually stopping each and every car and politely inviting them to worship with you next Sunday. That, of course, would be impractical and unsafe. But other than that, how can newcomers in your community become informed about the warm fellowship inside your church when they are stuck behind a steering wheel?

Use What Is Already Yours
Your church has a built-in audience. It's the road or intersection in front of your building. Hundreds of first impressions are already waiting to be hatched. Perhaps you have an old sign growing out of the lawn like a weed nobody wants to look at anymore. A pilgrimage out to your church sign might be in order. When was the last time you even walked out to that old roadside friend of yours?

Stand about 30 feet away from the front of the sign and visually take in your entire front yard. Try your best to pretend you've never before seen this part of the property next to the road. With all of the objectivity you can muster, ask yourself if you and your family would feel welcome at your own church.

Look at every detail. How long has it been since the green thumb in your congregation tended to the flowers and shrubbery around the sign? Your church has nothing but good intentions, although we're all human. We all procrastinate to a degree.

Closely examine the message area. Has it cracked or yellowed over time? Is the tracking that the letters rest in intact and fully functional? If the sign has a transparent vandal cover protecting the changeable letters, does it still lock firmly into place or do you have to jiggle – or even worse – whack it with the bottom of your palm in order for it to close?

And does it remain closed?

Get up close and personal to the sign faces and any logo panels. Have the once-white areas turned yellow with age? When that sign was new, its faces were vibrant with color. How are they doing today? Have the colors faded along with your own interest in maintaining the sign?

Is Your Sign Doing Its Job?
A church sign that takes away from the beauty of the front of your property is a church sign sending the wrong message. Okay, so you and your flock have gotten used to it, but have you ever given any thought to what newcomers in the community glean from your front lawn? The first impression your property broadcasts needs to mirror the standard of the scripture you teach on Sunday mornings. In a thousand years, you would never deliver a sermon on par with a poorly landscaped church front.

It's a wide-open universe out there when a church goes shopping for a new church sign. Since any new sign will potentially be in your family for decades to come, it is wise to understand the features and benefits offered by the countless sign manufacturers.

For starters, does your denomination recommend one church sign company over the others? If your denomination has a long history with a particular brand, there has to be a reason for such. Earned trust speaks volumes. It can take years to get a new customer, but it only takes seconds to lose one.

Consider not buying "just a sign;" rather, an integral part of your landscape working in tandem with the speed of traffic. It would be quite a long shot indeed if your local sign guy understood the wherefores and whys of effective church sign communication.

There is also workmanship to think about – not to mention materials. You can expect many years of rust-free service from a sign where the powder-coated paint is applied before assembly. In addition, sign faces should not be made of acrylic but rather 3M Lexan. Only Lexan can withstand the day in and day out exposure to the sun and brutal weather elements.

After whittling down the various sign brand choices to two or three companies, carefully read the warranties of the remaining candidates. With the myriad of improved raw materials and gained skill the church sign industry has experienced over the decades, there is no reason whatsoever your chosen sign company should not offer a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

Even more important is the companybehind that warranty. Pick up the telephone and actually call the manufacturer. Ask them how long they've been building church signs. Only a warranty from a company with a long history of serving churches is worthy of your resources.

But enough of this grownup stuff! Do you remember our happy motorist? Yes, he noticed our church. It took a while, though. A few decades to be exact. Guess what? He's not alone out there on that highway. Folks are driving back and forth in front of your church even as you read this article.

Stephen Cook is convention coordinator for Stewart Church Signs, www.stewartsigns.com.

Sidebar
Give Them a Sign!
By Richard L Reising

Take with me, if you will, a walk through your church using the eyes of a first-time visitor. Let's make him (Steve, for example) a first-time visitor that was especially courageous and made his way to church one Sunday morning completely by himself. He makes his way into the parking lot by his best-guessed method then stares for just a second at the myriad of entry points that face him. Steve, of course, does not stare long, as he does not wish anyone to recognize him as "an outsider." Of course, at "our" church, he does not need to worry about that, but unfortunately Steve does not know that.

Signage sets the foundation.
Steve might be wealthy—he might be struggling—he might be getting along just fine, but a door in his heart has opened and he is willing to step within our doors to see if what we claim is true. What is his single greatest need in life at this moment? Direction. As Christians, we know that direction comes from God (through us) and leads to God (through Christ). But there is an even more practical direction that he needs. He needs to know where to enter—where to take his children—where to visit the restroom.

As institutions that have been given a mandate for providing direction to a lost world, our churches lag dramatically behind when it comes to providing direction within our four walls.

Visitors are not supposed to feel like an imposition. They are our guests. They deserve our forethought, our care, and our direction. Greeters are important, but they can never replace a sign that gives direction to the restroom from someone exiting the service. Signage is a part of your fundamental infrastructure for acclimating people—helping them feel comfortable and at home.

Ask yourself this, "Is my church built to make visitors, like Steve, feel as if you thought of everything for them, or does it make them feel as if they are an afterthought—uninvited to the party?"

Signage can be so much more.
When you walk in Starbucks and see their latest graphic on the iron stand, or when you see the light-post banners lining the entry at Disney World, two things are happening that you are likely to miss. One, your expectation level for what is being offered goes up, and two, subconsciously, you are ascribed value by them and you begin to feel all the more welcomed. Signage tells people they are valuable. It is a deep thing that you rarely recognize, but once you notice it, is it any wonder you are polarized to be a part of it and want to make it a part of you? Great signage simply does that.

Steve also notices something we forgot about: style. The style and quality of your signage also gives him a window into the mind of your church. The decade it was designed in tells him a quick anecdote—the timeframe the church was at its high-water mark. Subconsciously, to the visitor it says, "This style reflects the year the church was most outwardly focused and financially sound." To harness this reality for our benefit, we need smart signage solutions that are able to adapt to changes in style. Furthermore, smart churches will use their signage to reinforce the growing spirit of their brands—the essence of who they are as a church. It ultimately becomes part of your intangible asset list that makes visitors respect you all the more and regulars inherently more proud to belong to your church.

Ask yourself this, "Does our signage attract and tell the story that we are a church for "today"—or does it indicate that we are the church from a time gone by?"

Signage welcomes, it enhances a sense of belonging, and it indicates the standards of your vision. It is an intangible with great effect. It is the starting point to providing Steve with the direction he needs. If done well, it might even lead him and your whole church towards your vision.

Richard Reising is the author of ChurchMarketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth (Baker Books). Reising is president of the Dallas-based Artistry Marketing, www.ArtistryMarketing.com.

Special thanks to Irving Bible Church, Irving, Texas for location photos.

Product Roundup

3Vue Totem
3Vue Totem Digital Displays offers multi-screen technology. Members and visitors see a state-of-the-art, one-stop digital information center. Display announcements and up-to-date information on the top screen, provide daily schedules in the middle, and show videos of past events on the bottom. The 3Vue System was developed specifically as an indoor visual communication tool for displaying dynamic information in public areas. Multiple screens allow people to focus on information that is relevant to them. The totem is highly visible and attracts attention with its tall, slim and elegant design.
www.sheletron.com

CaptiVue from Trans-Lux
CaptiVue LED electronic message centers from Trans-Lux are an investment in the future growth of a church. It does not merely sit out front of a church to display a stagnant, stale message day after day. Instead, it has the vital task of greeting new visitors, inspiring others, and creating a great first impression of the church to everyone. Trans-Lux is aware of the need to fit new projects into existing budgets, and the ones that various churches are working under. Electronic LED signs attract more viewers for less cost than other standard media – using targeted messages that capture your audience with light, motion, and color – for pennies a day.
www.tlxcommercial.com

EZSignsOnline.com
EZSignsOnline.com offers beautiful, affordable, low-maintenance church signs. Its unique Web site is designed for fast, easy, step-by-step online ordering. Browse many options and see prices online. Choose, size, shape, color, font, etc. Complete line of mounting options is available. Lease-to-purchase payment plans are available. The company also makes vinyl church banners, magnetic signs, mini billboards, parking lot signs, and more. Their church signs use a state-of-the-art computer cut and printed high-quality outdoor vinyl transfer system. This is then applied to an aluminum or PVC signboard.  That means no paint to chip and peel and no wood to rot.  www.EZSignsOnline.com/church

INNERFACE Accent Series
INNERFACE Architectural Signage, Inc. continues to add new materials to its innovative Accent Series. Recent project successes have combined a variety of acrylics, metals, and digital graphics to create unique modular changeable interior signage and wayfinding systems. Their environmental graphic design team works to ensure that each signage and wayfinding system reinforces client branding. Available Accent Series materials include components with up to 100 percent post-consumer recycled content, and most accent series components are 100 percent recyclable.
www.innerfacesign.com

Aavelin SignMate
The new Aavelin SignMate provides the functionality, ease of use, and reliability of the current Aavelin offering in a new, compact design—perfect for mounting behind displays. Use text, graphics, Flash, crawl lines, logo graphics, and a host of available options, including RSS data feeds and weather forecasts, to make your digital signs as dynamic and attention-grabbing as possible.  The EZ Stream Software option allows the SignMate to dynamically pull data from EMS Software solutions, such as PeopleCube, Dean Evans and Delphi. With Ethernet support built-in, SignMate can turn any display into a dynamic, networked resource for easy, frequent updates and even emergency notifications. 
www.magicboxinc.com

FASTSIGNS
With more than 525 locations worldwide, FASTSIGNS sign and graphics centers use innovation and technology to make the sign buying process simple by offering consulting, design, production, file transfer, delivery, installation for a full range of custom sign and graphic products, including wide format banners and POP, site signs, exhibit graphics, window and vehicle graphics, decals and labels, safety and identification signage and floor graphics for interior and exterior use.
www.fastsigns.com

National Signs
Would you like to greet your parishioners and guests with all of life's glory?  Would you like them to feel welcome even before they enter your doors?  National Signs will help you create the perfect welcome. They have helped thousands of churches communicate their brand and their mission. They offer a full five-year warranty on all their LED message center signs. They also provide in-house financing, so no message needs to go unheard. They will create a sign that will win  hearts, minds and souls.
www.nationalsigns.com

HTS Sign Systems
More than 500 churches around the country use the Original Sign Shop Changeable Banner System. This product not only allows you to have a changeable sign at a moment's notice, but it is also lightweight, portable, indoor, outdoor, and wind and weather-proof. It eliminates one-time use banners.  It comes with more than 237 letters, number and symbols. It is made of heavy-duty plastic that attach to the banner with Velcro. The company offers assorted sizes, colors, shapes, as well as PVC display frames. The Sign Shop Changeable Banner System has everything your church needs to change your announcements. 
www.htssignshop.com

Great Lakes Specialty
Great Lakes Specialty is a leading manufacturer of premium furnishings. This custom signage lasts for decades and requires very little maintenance (no painting, ever!). Great Lakes Specialty has 10 standard color combinations and can make any size and any shape up to 48 inches by 96 inches. Great Lakes Specialty has complete flexibility on options. Custom messages or logos are easy to incorporate, as are additional colors with their special resin finishes. Great Lakes Specialty signs can be found on a variety of properties.
www.greatlakesspecialty.com