Anyone who’s ever worked in retail can tell you a very important truth: when a customer has their wallet or purse out, they don’t mind making an impulse buy. It’s a simple aspect of human psychology that even we as customers recognize…yet we still bust out an additional buck to pay for that pack of gum.

For anyone who sells point-of-sale products or hosts a business featuring a point of sale, getting the customer’s attention at this crucial point in the interaction is paramount. It doesn’t only allow you to make more sales, but can be a great way to ensure that you get a key message across: for example, if you want to raise money for a charity, then the best place to do it is at the point of sale.

But that doesn’t mean simply putting up any old sign at the point of sale is going to work. You’ve got to catch the customer’s eye using a few tried-and-true principles:

• Standing out: The most important aspect of the POS “conundrum” is making sure that your sign stands out. If you put a brown message on a brown background, you’re not likely going to attract many eyes. And while it’s possible to attract plenty of eyes with gaudy, obnoxious tactics, those will just turn people off. It’s about finding a balance between eye-catching and tasteful, because this combination will help you win over the customer’s attention as well as make the sale.
• Clear messaging: So how does a sign stand out? You want the message to be clear. A large font of “Now Leasing” in a white color against a black background is a great way to draw attention to what your message has to say without being gaudy or over-the-top. You also want to make sure that the font is large enough to be read at each customer’s point of eye contact. Going too big or too small will make sure that your sign only registers as “marketing noise” in their mind.
• Enticing attention: It’s not enough to demand attention; you have to “entice” it in. You can do this with attractive designs. For example, a large picture of a pack of gum at a POS is a great way to entice someone into making an impulse purchase. Making the colors attractive within the context of the retail environment is just as important; people are often turned off by what seems to be incongruence between a sign and the context in which the sign appears.

Building a quality POS sign is something like half-art and half-science. There are a few time-tested variables you need, of course, but in order to create a high-quality POS and bring it all together, you’ll need creative people working on your corner. Request a Quote with Sign It Quick to find out how it can all take place at your POS in order to ensure that your message reaches your customers directly.