You'll hear every trade show tip include "branding" as critical. But as a start-up, no one has heard of you. Money spent on promotion of brand is wasted. Don't even bother with a logo.
Brand is built organically, one sale at a time. To have first rate customers buying from you is to advance the brand in the most leveraged way. To offer ad allowances is to leverage the customers' brand with your own.
All thought of trade shows should focus on orders, the only activity that advances the goals of the business, and necessarily, enhancing the image, or brand. Money elsewhere spent is wasted.
Here are some tips with which I will argue... here dealing with non-customers:
No. Your attitude is "I came here to sell, why are you here?" If you discover the party is not a qualified buyer, then you hand that person copy of your MOQ FOB and desire he study it and come back when ready to place an order. Next. The only alternative is when you discover the person is press, at which point you snatch one of the half dozen articles you've prewritten, each with a different slant, and a money quote, and say "I am busy right now, but feel free to use this, and email me any quesitons, this press release is unique. (Meaning the writer can slap a by-line on it and be assured won't get embarrassed when another writer puts up the same content.) An enhancement is to have $50 bill in the envelope with the article and a note saying there is another one of these if the article gets published, and you get a copy.
I cannot think of anything more insulting to a real buyer. Visit our website? How about "I'll work on your objection and report back what we find." Next.
And within this focus, do as much on the floor as you can. Don't put off anything for later that can be done now. If the buyer has merely a logistics question, that can be answered by phone within a few minutes, jump on the phone with him there and get the answer. Be as productive as you can while you are there. What can be done later that cannot be done in booth, on the spot?
No cards. The orders should have all of the contact info, and if no order, no need to exchange cards. Unless someone will be doing business with you, do not give out your business card.
No chairs. No trade show booth should have chairs, either for you or your customers. If people need to sit, let them sit in a coffee shop. Shows are too expensive and too short to provide for rest and relaxation.
Next.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
Brand is built organically, one sale at a time. To have first rate customers buying from you is to advance the brand in the most leveraged way. To offer ad allowances is to leverage the customers' brand with your own.
All thought of trade shows should focus on orders, the only activity that advances the goals of the business, and necessarily, enhancing the image, or brand. Money elsewhere spent is wasted.
Here are some tips with which I will argue... here dealing with non-customers:
Siskind offers up two strategies in his report: “presumptive disengagement” and “conciliatory disengagement.” Here’s a closer look at both.I say the booth itself constitutes "the approach.." so the next step is "qualification". Is the person with whom you are speaking a buyer, as defined as ready, willing and able to place an order? With this in mind, let's look at the next point...
The first part is to refocus the prospect’s attention from business to a graceful conclusion. Siskind suggests saying something along the lines of, “I am glad we had the opportunity to talk today” or, “I am looking forward to getting your feedback once you have received the initial order.”Well, how about "I came here to sell, why are you here?" That is what should be in your mind as you speak with people. Assuming you have a qualified buyer in front of you, and if your original focus "Here is our MOQ FOB which will meet all of your needs, don't you agree?" does not lead to an order, then you solicit feedback. From solid feedback you advise the buyer you will look into making the changes recommended and get back to the buyer. Next.
The next step is to take full ownership for the disengagement. You could say something like, “I know you are anxious to see the rest of the exhibition.”No. Why be manipulative? We are all busy, and all these things assume wimpy buyers. Real buyers are tough, and want to be matched in toughness. Your success depends on going toe to toe with tough buyers. How about, "I'll call you at four o'clock on Friday your time in two weeks to report what I have found." Shake hands and turn around and walk away. Next.
The final step—the proposition—could involve giving the visitor a promotional gift, which allows you to thank him or her for stopping by and gives the offering real value and is a tangible symbol that the conversation is complete.Real buyers see that crap and wince. They know if they place an order with you they have to pay for the ten thousand geegaws you gave away. That is false economy waste. Crap is real value? The tangible symbol the conversation is complete is the back of my suit. Which a real buyer will not notice because he has turned and left as well. How did we get to this place that people hand out crap ti simulate something important happened? How about, instead, make something important happen?
Conciliatory disengagement. This approach should be used by exhibitors when they are stuck in a conversation that won’t produce a viable sales lead.
No. Your attitude is "I came here to sell, why are you here?" If you discover the party is not a qualified buyer, then you hand that person copy of your MOQ FOB and desire he study it and come back when ready to place an order. Next. The only alternative is when you discover the person is press, at which point you snatch one of the half dozen articles you've prewritten, each with a different slant, and a money quote, and say "I am busy right now, but feel free to use this, and email me any quesitons, this press release is unique. (Meaning the writer can slap a by-line on it and be assured won't get embarrassed when another writer puts up the same content.) An enhancement is to have $50 bill in the envelope with the article and a note saying there is another one of these if the article gets published, and you get a copy.
The first step is acknowledgment. For an established customer, it may be along the lines of, “Thanks for dropping by this afternoon. I am really pleased to know that we can count on your ongoing business.” While to those your product can’t help, you may say something such as, “It doesn’t look like we have a solution that will address your concerns.”Hang on, to old customers you show new products, and new customers old products. You either get an order, or if not, why not? You end the conversation with "I'll study your objections and get back to you with what we find." Next.
The next step is the invitation. Exhibitors want to be polite and leave themselves and their products open for opportunities in the future. So, for the visitor the product currently can’t help, exhibitors may want to suggest they stop by the website from time to time to see if things have changed and if new products and services are being offered.
I cannot think of anything more insulting to a real buyer. Visit our website? How about "I'll work on your objection and report back what we find." Next.
The third piece is the reality check, where exhibitors explain to the visitor why continuing the conversation won’t help either party. This all wraps up with a call for action where the exhibitors sets up a plan for the future, such as suggesting meeting for coffee after the meeting or providing contact information so the visitor can reach out if wanted.Wow. Again, why did the conversation not end in an order, or solid feedback? If you realize continuing the conversation will not help either side, then the conversation is over. The plan for the future is either changes which will elicit an order, or nothing else. They buyer came to buy, the seller to sell. If that does not occur, then the meet was wasted, or raison d'etre delayed. For both the buyer and the seller the order is the thing. Nothing else.
And within this focus, do as much on the floor as you can. Don't put off anything for later that can be done now. If the buyer has merely a logistics question, that can be answered by phone within a few minutes, jump on the phone with him there and get the answer. Be as productive as you can while you are there. What can be done later that cannot be done in booth, on the spot?
No cards. The orders should have all of the contact info, and if no order, no need to exchange cards. Unless someone will be doing business with you, do not give out your business card.
No chairs. No trade show booth should have chairs, either for you or your customers. If people need to sit, let them sit in a coffee shop. Shows are too expensive and too short to provide for rest and relaxation.
Next.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
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