Sign MFG Day Toolkit

Don’t Assume Visitors Know Anything About the Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Industry. In planning a good tour – especially when the intended audience members are primarily people with no manufacturing or industry background – you want to start by creating a story of your company that anyone could understand.

Make Your Story Memorable and Relatable. How did your company get started? What are your products and what do they do? Who are your customers?

Know What You Want to Say and How You Want to Say It. No matter how long you’ve been with the company, it helps to plan ahead. Make notes about what you want to say – from key points to fun anecdotes. How you tell the story also matters. Stand up and speak up. When you look and sound sure of what you’re saying, that’s the positive image visitors will take away. Make eye contact and smile! A smile changes your voice and the listener’s perceptions.

Keep Explanations Simple and Free of Industry Jargon. Think storytelling with illustrations rather than textbooks packed with pages of small print. Relate to them. Using the phrase “just like” is a powerful tool in creating a relatable story. You can also use video content such as

• This video featuring Alfonso Guida whose Sign MFG Day tour opened his eyes to the opportunity to turn his welding training into a career as a sign fabricator/welder.
• ISA’s career focused video, “Discover a Career in the Sign & Graphics Industry,” which talks about the wide-ranging career possibilities in the sign industry.

Clean Up Before Hosting an In-Person or Virtual Event. First impressions are everything. Keep clutter to a minimum, showcase your shop in a way that makes you proud – keep a visual of how you want to present the shop to your toughest customer. Sell them on why your company is the best. Perceptions are everything – and dispelling the myth that manufacturing is a dangerous job goes a long way in connecting with / getting future generations excited about careers in the industry.

Put up a Welcome Sign. Welcome students and teachers warmly – this is a big day for them and many of them may not know much at all about the industry. This is important both literally and figuratively. Welcome visitors to your company and make it easy for them to find. Put a sign on the door, shake hands (or bump elbows) with visitors, thank them for coming, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the opportunity you have to share your company’s information with them

Provide Everyone With Adequate Event Resources Upon Arrival. Everyone should have the right gear to be on the shop floor, so make sure you’re prepared for hosting the students, teachers, and/or community members by providing the following:

• Safety Gear / PPE (if needed in your shop floor)
• Information packets, if available. Packets could include information on your company, potential co-op, internship and/or job-shadowing opportunities and information on your hiring process including your job application, or the interest form ISA has developed.
• Branded items, giveaways – you’re a sign shop so get creative! Students love freebies!

Know Your Event Route / Tour Stops. Give a high-level tour. Pick a few stops that represent key stages in the production process and allow you to demonstrate the progress a product makes through the shop (i.e. design, welding, electrical wiring, etc.). Where will visitors get the best view? Can they hear you? Which of your team members are the most enthusiastic about their work and comfortable explaining what they do and why it is important to the process and the company?

Utilize Younger Employees (Ambassadors).  Engage your younger employees to share their experience. These younger individuals (typically under the age of 30) represent a group that is relatable to students and can deliver a powerful message – what it is like to work for your company, what attracted them to your company, what is most interesting about their job, and importantly, why a career in the industry matters. Potential insights to have the “ambassadors” share:

• What attracted you to our company?
• What are some of your job duties?
• What are the best/most interesting things about your job?
• What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
• What kind of classes/training prepared you with the necessary skills for your job?

Create Hands-On Participation Opportunities. Show your guests why your facility is special, how your machinery works, how different items are put together, what new technologies are being used and your workers’ overall productivity. Show how a product, such as a channel letter, is made and then pass it around for the students and guests to feel and see the construction. Active participation engages and involves students in the process of the tour.

Give Your Audience a Reason to Listen – and Interact. Rather than reciting dry historical information, “ABC Company opened in 1922 and has operated out of three different locations,” hook visitors with interesting anecdotes and often give interactive opportunities for a more conversational tour. Students appreciate interaction in learning new things. If you’re not sure what your “hook” is, ask yourself: What fun fact can I tell visitors that will make them say, wow? Do I work on brands they might know and recognize, maybe at the mall or local places? What successes stand out? Is there something about your company that might surprise people?

Back up Your Stories with Facts. Anecdotes backed up by figures create a strong impression. If your company employs 50 talented people and the average employee has worked at the facility for 9 years that tells people something. While visitors may not remember the numbers, they will remember what those numbers mean – professionals who work at your company, stay with your company.

Identify Key Skills You Need. Students are the workforce of the future. This is your opportunity to provide advice about the kinds of careers your company offers and the type of training and educational coursework you seek when hiring employees. If there are specific kinds of training or skills that you need and find it hard to hire for, let them know.

Wrap Up On A Positive Note.

• It’s important to give your visitors a chance to ask more questions. However, people often hesitate to ask the first question. If you’d like to lead a deeper discussion, start one. A great leading question could be: “I know one of the questions we’re often asked is, ‘How long does it take to produce …?'” Ask the question and answer it. That can sometimes kick things off in the right direction.
• Don’t forget to encourage everyone to share their experience on social media!
• Follow up with the Post-Event Survey. Encourage students, teachers and community members to follow up the event by taking the survey included in this toolkit to showcase what they learned, how their perceptions changed, and whether they would consider a career in the industry.

Considerations for Future Event Planning. Continue to engage with your contacts post event – it’s a great way to start an internship program, gain positive business publicity, and expand your relationship with the local schools and community. Consider making Sign Mfg Day a “365 event” (every day!) – either with smaller in-person community events or virtual events. Some ideas include:

• Participate in Community Expos – these are often organized or sponsored by local Chambers of Commerce and can be a great way to get more involved in your local community. It’s also an opportunity to connect with elected officials for future events.
• Participate in Educational Fairs throughout the year – staying in touch with your local Career and Technical Education Resource is a great way to share information about your company with a bigger audience of students and parents.
• Celebrations – hosting a small local celebration, such as a lunch event for your local community, is a great way to get publicity for your Sign Mfg Day event or celebration. Consider inviting your local media to cover your event as well.