Does techno speak work for you?

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Rick Colunga

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Posts
129
Loc
San Antonio, Texas
Being a young, hetro male, I sometimes find it hard to convince customers that I know what I'm doing. I look more like the guy that built the house and not the person that they trust to design it. I have never had a client hate what we have decided on together but I know that streak won't continue forever. The problem is that the average framing client is stand-offish at first. The irony is that I can do both.
I battle this by talking above my customers in savy questions and techno wordology. I have been in the customer service all my life from one degree to another. The one thing that I have learned is that people have no idea what they want. Consumers will agree with anything as long as the techno wordology is pleasing. I'm not saying I lie to my clients but rather pull them to my way of thinking with techno wordology and also what I have in stock.
My question, to anyone who wants to post, is how often do you do the same? Every business owner is full aware of thier inventory and should always try to make money from surplus stock. Thier is a thousand ways to frame a picture and I just want to know how many of you frame with the awareness of what moulding you have in stock.
I will be the first to admit that I pimp the **** out of my in stock moulding.


I love metal moulding, but until I get a CTD double miter, "I love woods for thier luster, imperfections and depth." I hate ordering anything chop and metal mark-ups are not worth messing with a compound saw even with a measureing system.
 
Ah, yessss. This is what I refer to as the "Bull***t Vocabulary. Luster is a good one. I use Chameleon, Architectural, Naturalistic, Sophisticated, Upscale, etc. I have even been known to use "je ne sais qua" What are some other favorites?
 
That's kinda like - if you only use manual tools (hammer and vise, regular matcutter) you're "perpetuating the tradition that craftsmen have used for hundreds of years."

And if you have pneumatic v-nailers and CMCs, etc, you're "embracing the latest technology."

Some call it "techno speak", some call it "accentuating the positive", and some even call it "baloney" but we all do what we have to do.

I look at it this way. I do the best I can with what I have. Perhaps there is a moulding or mat color out there somewhere that would look a little better, but if I don't know about it, what good does it do me?

Same with "in stock and out of stock" - I say to myself, "what if I didn't know this moulding or mat color existed - well, I'd use what I knew about." And so I do.

I give the customer the best that I have.

PS. I only use the REAL "techno-speak" if the customer is a real "know-it-all" then I have my PHD - (Piled Higher and Deeper) degree for them...
 
Instead of "butt-ugly" when responding to the lavender mat the customer has pulled for that B&W portrait (to bring out her eyes) try "distracting." It's not so much that it makes you "want to throw up." It "competes" with the photograph.

The trickiest words are the ones you use to gently steer a customer away from a really bad idea.
 
There is truthiness in what you say...

Thank goodness for Art History 101, and dabbling in oenology (no spell check at home). The art history actually did get some of the history part imbedded in my brain, but the vocabulary ! Coupled with the descriptive phrases (pre-UC Davis' codification) for wine,and you've got the quintessence of befuddlement. (Ever refer to a frame as unctious?)
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Seriously, knowing the correct descriptive phrase in defense of a design (formalism) goes far into convincing your customer that you know of what you speak. All said and done they have to have a positive visceral reaction to the finished product for all your convincing to have been successful. Talking too far over their heads can come off as condescending.

I do try to sell stock moulding selections, and I try to maintain a selection with enough diversity that I can provide a good solution from stock, but I will always design to the picture and that may require that I order in small quantities.
 
Originally posted by B. Newman:
That's kinda like - if you only use manual tools (hammer and vise, regular matcutter) you're "perpetuating the tradition that craftsmen have used for hundreds of years."
Click to expand...
So this Saturday, there was a 3 page spread in our weekend lifestyle section on the ins and outs of custom framing. After showing the reporter my new wizard and feeding her about 75% of the article, the pictures were of one of my closest competitors (across the street)in the process of framing. The caption?

"While some framers use computerized mat cutters, ________(he shall remain nameless)prefers to cut by hand which takes concentration."

You can't win 'em all.

Despite that, the article was terrific for me. She quoted many of my sooooo articulate comments and interviewed one of my best clients who said such nice things about me. Anyways, I take terrible pictures.
 
Judi,

Is it possible to post a link to that article? It would be interestng to read, even if it is a competitor of yours.
 
Rick, it goes both ways. Lots of male customers want to speak to a manager to resolve a prob., and are surprised (disappointed?) when they are female. Sorry, it just happens more than I care to see.
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Re: the "spin" at the counter, well, it just really depends on the customer. ( I am envisioning some kind of flow chart on the wall, with customer types,and things to say, if pleased, go to next step, if still not happy, a different path..
)

Words for artists: arresting, stunning, lucious, gorgeous, unique
Words for moms: affordable, unbreakable, timeless
Words for GA Tech grads: cheap, simple, quick :D
Words for UGA grads: huge, that is our biggest, 'reddest' suede/silk mat, won't miss this degree!


It's hard to think of specifics now, but I know I use the lingo all the time!! I don't think it's deceitful, it's more encouraging and persuasive. Yeah, that's it. Persuasive!
 
I spent several years in trucking management. It was an asset for me to be able to speak to several different levels of understanding, and effectively communicate.

One day, I trained an entry-level dumpster cleaning guy who had minimal education, but was street-wise. He fully understood the words I chose to communicate with him, and always performed in an acceptable manner.

Later that day, I flew to Houston for a management meeting at the corporate office. In attendance was the CEO, senior managers, regional managers, and peer managers. We enjoyed the verbal interchange of ideas and proposals.

My point is - speak to the person in front of you. It may take a minute or two to determine what level of understanding the person has, but be respectful. I don't use 5 dollar words on Joe Average.

My impression of someone who uses obscure, difficult verbage is someone who hides from their own lack of communication skills.

"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance..."
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Deacon makes a good point. We always have to adjust our way of speaking and vocabulary to our audience.

I've had GA Tech grads grill me about the exact level of UV protection in what wavelengths provided by conservation glass and the pH level of the mats we were using. As in that case, sure I'll pull out all the stops. This guy is interested and I'd lose credibility with him of I didn't know or dumbed it down for him.

The average person though is perfectly content with the analogy "It's like sunscreen for your art" and the term acid-free* in relation to her mats. That's enough to assure her that her artwork is protected without putting her to sleep or make her feel like I'm talking down.


*Yes I know the term acid-free is awful and inaccurate. I hate myself for using it. But for better or worse it's a term consumers know and they can relate to it. One upside though is that the scrapbooking industry is introducing them to lignin-free. Baby steps.
 
Yup, I do it, too and I also enjoy it.
Some of my favorite terms to describe a design are: lively, playful, organic, tailored, elegant, earthy, exuberant, museum-style, classic, bold, manly, girly, European, French, casual, etc.

I have a few pet phrases. When a piece is calling for a frame that is chunkier than what most folks are used to, I say that a bigger frame gives it more importance, that it 'makes a statement' on the wall. When a delicious, but wee mini of a painting is being framed in a big honker of a frame, I say that it will look like a precious gem in its setting. When a piece is a sweet little thing to tuck on a wall next to a nightstand or in a bookcase, I call it an 'intimate piece.' When I frame four somewhat similiar photos (say) in four identical frames, I call that 'gallery-' or 'museum style.'

It's all fun.

edie the workingtheschmooze goddess
 
ETFG,
"manly and girly"...almost snorted my coffee.

I do use gender specific references, masculine and feminine, but never "Yah, vot chew haft der iss a girly frame."

Gotta know your clientèle!
 
I've been getting a lot of "Where did you go to school for this?" questions over the past year and a half or so, which I think means that my patter is in rare form.
 
Hey-I am with Edie all the way. Help yourself by helping them agree with themselves. Most folks come to you because they expect "expert" help.

And, in our stores, we "expertly" try and find out what works best for them. In reality, it's all about listening and responding to what resonates with the client. We teach designers to "read" the clients eyes. When you place those mats down, don't look at the art but look at the client's eyes. It's a trick every Poker player ever uses.

When you see a "positive" response, then use a "reinforcing" phrase. When you see a "negative" reaction, we lay on a comment about "I didn't think you woud like that fancy pants (thanks, Edie I use it all the time)look"

Our favorite words are "compelling" as in "this frame is not very compelling" or "look at how this mat makes such a more compelling look"

Whatever you use, make sure it is genuine and sincere. I hate words that just sound contrived
 
This is a great topic. It is expressive, yet informative. Exciting, yet not confrontational. It draws the eye toward our fellow grumblers' linguistic methods, while enhancing and focussing our own. Our ideas interact as we broaden our perspective through increasing emphasis on our contrasting approaches, creating a spirited and textured interchange. :rolleyes:
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I have always been interested in language, and I think we help put our customers at ease (and enhance their trust in us) by developing a distinctive and effective vocabulary for discerning their needs and wants and for describing our design solutions for them.
:cool: Rick
 
My customers (lawyers have clients) range from those who know exactly what they want and are bang on, to those who also do but are definitely not. Also from those that do not have a clue and are grateful of my advice and experience, to those that also don't and seem to resent it.

My advice ranges from agreement, maybe with fine adjustment, to outright bullying - in a nice way!

I'm always aware of stock but would never push an in stock moulding for a better out of stock one.

I don't use big words - customers get full artcare protection in total ignorance unless the converstation goes the preservation route - even then I don't mention 'zeolites' and 'microchambers' or 'nanometers' with glass.

But they can read notices around the place and literature we give with the finished job, singing the praises of our standards.

When I take my car in for a service I don't want to know about compression ratios and plug gaps, likewise most framing customers don't expect the Spanish inquisition.

Some words I use to get a nice job done......

"The wider mount ISOLATES the artwork from its surroundings, including the frame and has the effect of taking your eye to it rather than the package as a whole"

"I think a mount that narrow looks FRUGAL - you'll always see the frame AND the picture together"

"If you are working from the furnishings IN, instead of from the picture OUT, then maybe you have the wrong picture - but we can surely compromise"
 
Paul Frederic gave me the best "helper" to tell the customer why that (awful, gawdy, you're-not-really-gonna-use-that-mat-are-you?) bright red mat and (oh-my-gawd, fru-fru, huge, way-too-flashy) frame just "isn't quite right"....anyone remember this from Paul?... "The artwork is jealous! Do not make the artwork jealous with that mat or frame, or you are a baaad framer!" I tell them about Paul and, in my really bad french accent. They usually get the drift. Don't make the artwork jealous.
 
I love this because it shows everyone on the grumble that we are all human and business people. Gumbogirl, I realize that I am not the only person that deals with gender issues. We all do to some degree or another based on the person in front of us at a certain moment. I get the luxury of men that I play golf with, go fishing with, guys that I ride with and or military enthusiasts that just drop off the print and ask when it will be ready. "What ever looks good, your the professional."


We all bring up the BB's and I think this is one of the areas we shine. Anyone who does lenght molding has the luxury of selling what we all ready have. Box programs rock! As long as I have framed, I have had my favorite 10 to 20 frames and sold the **** out of them. Now that I own my own place, I can order my favs in bulk and pimp the **** out of them.
I bought about 5000 feet of Williamson Co. oem Clark basic moulding in black metal some years back and have made thousands of dollars on low end framing from it. I think I paid .45 cents a foot for it. Got to love suggestive selling. A 24x36 cost me $4.50 at cost and I sold it as a bargain for $60 with regular glass and dry mounting.
 
Not only is it important to quickly assess a client's need, or lack thereof, for technical information and pursuasive description, but it is equally important to gauge a client's tolerance level for verbosity.

IMHO, reading a client's personality is just as important to making a sale. Too much framespeak can come across as pushy and overbearing to one who is introverted. Conversely, not engaging a talkative client in enough conversation can give the impression of aloofness. Most of us adjust to differing communication styles automatically, but I have seen others who do not. As it was said before, it's all about listening.
 
I love selling. It's challenging and every customer is different. W/new customers, I like to explain that I'm gonna start w/3 options for their matting and framing. They normally love the most expensive "look" I design. For married women, who aren't sure they should spend that much, I tell them, "It's much easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission." For the men that are seeing dollar signs, I explain while I'm laying the mats & frames down that I can help them spend their money in a heartbeat. They normally laugh w/me. As we progress and they complain that the price is too high, my comeback is always, "No one has ever told me I was cheap, but I've always been told I am good!"

We all have our "ways". But isn't it fun? No major techno talk here. Just plain old southern charm and trying to make it fun for my customers.
 
Readin all these little tidbits about how you all do it has been fun. Good selling techniques seem to be pretty instinctive for most of us. Like Cathy,(it must be the musician in us)I find being a good listener and pschologist my biggest strength in adjusting my selling techniques to my clients.

But I'd like to hear about techniques for teaching these techniques to employees.

I've been teaching for the better part of my life and know that I am a good at it. And yet, in this domain, I have to say I am a complete failure. In 25 years of business, I've had only one employee that could sell as well as me. And I didn't teach her. She was a natural. Too bad she moved to another city.

I'm so tired of being "ON" all the time because I don't want to lose sales. Help.

Judi
 
My most rewarding experience my previous life as framing mgr. at a BB, was hearing one of my framers say to a customer "Val's framing teacher says The Artwork Is Jealous". She didn't know I was listening. My best teaching is by being a good example and asking the "student" to watch and listen for awhile, at first. Then, compliment them when they've made a sale, or even if they haven't, tell them what they did right and offer suggestions of "a better way to say that would've been...", and not in front of the customer. If I see them struggling I will wander up and look and gently make another suggestion. Framing is fun, but not everyone has the personality to sell. For some, being on the design "stage" is torture, and for those shy folks, better to keep them in the back where their other talents can be best utilized.
As for the customers, like Cathy said, observance, intuition and eye contact are key. The worst thing to do is let the customer do all the work. That red mat (oh-my-gawd-you-don't-really-want-that-one) and that huge gold ornate frame (fru-fru, gawdy, eeewww!) is "not quite right yet, may I make a suggestion?" Usually they are eager for you to do so. Then again, there are customers who want to do all the work, have definate ideas and nothing you suggest will change their mind.Wisdom to know the difference comes with experience and observance of their body language.
Selling is a game, have fun! I rarely have a customer who takes 2 hours to make up "our" mind. For those newbie framers, I tell them that until they're confident, if you're not sure what to offer, then pretend! Fake it till you make it (anyone heard that before?) Confidence will come with experience and your positive input. We are not only framers. We are educators and psychologists and mind-readers! FRAMING IS FUN!
Welcome to the Grumble, Wendolene/Cathy!
 
This has been a great read!!! Thanks for starting this thread....

Recently, one of my favorites has been, "According to FACTS, blah blah blah". This is usually when a customer starts to buck me on preservation techniques or they start to act like they know better than I do.

Recently, I had a real jerk in the shop. He started degrading his wife in front of me and was ready to chuck the whole thing because he "didn't get to have any say." I pulled my lingo, but it didn't work. He had me so frustrated about what he liked and that I didn't know what I was doing, I forgot to put the frame into the computer. And, I had the wrong the mat colors entered. This is the first time in all my 18 years that I didn't care, I framed it and got them out of my hair. He was so rude and nasty. However, my lingo may have made him even more ugly because he didn't want to be shown up. Oh, well, you can't win with everyone.
 
I LOVE HUSBAND AND WIFE CHOOSING A FRAME.

Sometimes they work together and compromise, sometimes it's 'Well, it's not BAD - but if you like it, darling, I do too' (BARF)

But sometimes it's fun - Wife doing the work, husband hovering, looking frequently at his watch, agreeing with anything she says just to get away. Then realises he ain't gonna get away unless he pulls his weight - feigns interest - "Oh Yes, that REALLY sets it off well" (looks at watch, glances furtively around - only sees me as part of the fittings) "Do you really think so?" says wife (Catches him out the corner of her eye rolling his and rocking on his heels)

"Oh yes, darling - PERFECT"

"YOU'RE ONLY SAYING THAT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GET HOME FOR THE MATCH.................. YOU BASTARD!"

Who needs telly.
 
Committee framing if "fun" too.
Or the customer that says, "I need to have my daughter (or sister, or whoever) look at this because she is really good at this stuff." This will bring out my lingo using words like design elements, color coordinations, the colors are such and such on the color spectrum (another word for color wheel), etc. :D
 
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