For some reason, when I’m working out at a club, I don’t expect to see the greatest signage or callouts. Truthfully, most of my encounters with personal training promotions, or smoothie deals, have come off like a 3rd grader created them in arts and crafts.
I’ve seen black and white images printed off an ink jet printer, taped to a dry-erase board with different colored markers writing callouts on the board. I’ve seen poster boards being held up by flimsy stands that had callouts, again, written in marker.
When I see this type of signage, I believe my club is broke. I immediately lose a level of respect for my club. Where is the creativity in fitness? We spend a large amount of time developing unique workouts for clients and new members, but we can’t create an attractive sign to promote those workouts?
Creating quality signage is no more than taking a little time to consult staff members on their ideas. Use a basic computer program, such as Photoshop, and create something that stands out. Don’t use Microsoft Paint — if you do, save your time and stick with Crayola markers.
Design an enticing sign in Photoshop, generate a PDF — use this link to learn how — and simply take the file on a zip drive down to the local FedEx Store. You can also e-mail it to yourself and login to your account from the FedEx Store.
The FedEx Store will provide you with multiple options for printing quality signage in all shapes and sizes. Also, they can sometimes assist you in creating signs to the proper dimensions.
Creating great signs and posters for your club isn’t difficult. Although, if you decide to avoid the FedEx cost and create posters yourself to save $5.99, you should also be OK with the situation when your members begin to disrespect your club, or leave for greener pastures, down the line.
Here are some design tips:
1) Stay simple. You don’t need to attempt to be Picasso, it’s just a basic informative sign.
2) Be creative. Simple doesn’t mean you lose creativity. Use your colors and a hi-resolution image.
3) Take hi-resolution images. These would be 300 dpi, and can be captured with just about any hand-held camera. If you’re confused, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll walk you through these steps.
4) DON’T USE MARKERS! As readily available as they are, they look cheap and aren’t professional.
5) Use a great card stock. When you go to the FedEx Store, explain to the clerk what you’re trying to accomplish. They will be able to direct you to the best card stock for your purpose.
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
Certainly, if you don’t have a knack for design there’s always #6 Enlist the help of a trained professional. The environment you create in your club is an extension of you and your brand. Clean, inspiring design can make the difference.