Here's the sign you always read in parking lots: "These spots are reserved for [business name] only. All others will be ticketed and towed."

I don't think people even give these signs a second thought anymore. That's the standard, default wording you see on signs all over the place. If you've got a parking lot and want to tell people they shouldn't park in your spots to go into the business next door, this is the sign you'll probably be able to buy online pretty easily. You just put in the name of your company, place an order, and it's shipped to you.

So why is something so callous and off-putting the default? "Don't park here or we'll tow your car"? How did we get to the point where we assume "asshole" is the only tone that people will motivate people or get their attention?

There's an opportunity here: make a sign that's polite, asking them to not park there if they're not going to be offering your business their patronage.

Better yet: make it a funny sign. How about "If you park here and you're not planning to shop at [business name], angry drunk leprechauns will kick the tires of your car when you leave."

Better still: how about running a business that people love so much they're willing to park and walk a couple of extra blocks just to come shop at your store? That's much harder to do, but that's the kind of mentality and action that the market rewards.