Want to Get More Sales?

Last week I was interviewed by Annemarie Cross on her Career Success Radio program.  We talked about many things for just under an hour.  In particular, we were talking about sales and how to increase them.

I thought that it is the kind of thing many people would be interested in.  If you are interested visit Annemarie's Blog and have a listen.

If you like what you hear and are interested in finding out how to Double Your Return when exhibiting at your next Trade Show or Expo, then visit www.DoubleYourReturn.com to get your free copy of  the Double Your Return CD and special report on how you can Double Your Return when you next exhibit.


Enjoy!!

Are They Eating Out of Your Hand?

As I write this I am enjoying the last day of a four day get away at Wye River.  It is a stunning location where mountains meet the sea. The glorious gum trees are filled with bird life.  We have seen cockatoos, rosellas, willy wagtails (not sure of their real name but this is what I call them), currawongs and king parrots.  


I decided I wanted to get up close and as you can see I finally had them eating out of my hand. You can use the same process to get your customers eating out of your hand. 

1. Go where your customer is - I went on to balcony when the birds were there
2. Give them what they want - I had broken bits of biscuit that I knew they liked
3. Make it easy for them - I put some crumbs on the railing and then held my open handful of crumbs next to it
4. Support them and make them comfortable - I held my hand steady and gave them more crumbs as they stood on my hand
5. Show gratitude - As they fed I was saying thank you for visiting us
6. Celebrate your success - The rest of us staying at the house came out to say hello to the king parrots

What about you? Do you have your customers eating out of your hands? Use this process and you soon can!


Enjoy

PS Do you Exhibit at Tradeshows, Expo's or Conferences?  Want to have your visitors eating out of your hand? Register for the complimentary webinar 5 Steps to Double Your Return. 

Who Are You Talking To?

I have just finished three days on the floor of an expo for a client.  I continue to be amazed at behaviour of exhibitors. 

Let me back track.  It's easy to be an ORDINARY exhibitor.  All you need is cash and a product or service to sell and you can exhibit.  To be aGOOD exhibitor, you just have to do the basics right.  With a little extra effort and focus, you can be an EXCELLENT exhibitor.

At this stage, I just want to focus on being a GOOD exhibitor.  It is just about the basics.  The important thing is, who are you talking to?  So many exhibitors at the recent show were not talking to anyone.  Some were standing there with their arms crossed, some were sitting (I still can't believe people do that) and some were just waiting for others to talk to them.  Some even seem shy and unable to approach the visitors.

My theory is that if you are not talking to anyone, you talk to everyone.  

Nothing attracts attention like attention.  If you are not talking to anyone it makes you less approachable.  By speaking to someone, it is less intimidating for others to come and join in the conversation or look at your wares.  Talking to people also allows you to qualify them.  If they are not interested, politely move them on and if they are interested take them to the next level.

It you are not talking to anyone, talk to everyone.

Who are you talking to?

PS If you want to see how I exhibit, drop into see me at booth 48 at Meetings Mart.  It's free, on tomorrow at Crown Promenade in Melbourne and I promise I will talk to you!

How Sticky Are You?

I don't mean that in the brown and wooden stick kind of way, I mean do you stick to it?  Do you commit to a strategy and give it every chance to succeed? Or at the first (or maybe second) sign that it is struggling do you stop working on it?

Don't get me wrong, sometimes we try things and they don't work.  It makes sense to change the strategy or approach but too often people don't give it enough of a change.  Imagine if we did that in all aspects of life.

Maybe your parents were trying to get you to walk and after three times you kept falling over so much that they said, "They will never walk, it's crawling for them!"  Think of how much that would hold you back!  My friend's mother (now in her 90's) had a mild accident on her fourth driving lesson when she was 20 and then decided she couldn't drive and never did again. I still struggle with that.

So what is your strategy and as part of it, when are the check points and how will you know when to change strategy?  This is particularly relevant when exhibiting at shows.  In a previous business, my partner and I decided that we should exhibit our $900 product in the exhibitions at the International Coaching Federation (ICF) conferences globally.  We knew that the first one would not cover costs.  Two airfares, accommodation let alone exhibiting costs were significant.

A couple of shows with no sales was tough but we stuck to the strategy.  After three years (nine shows) it started to pay off financially, but the payoff in reputation and awareness happened far sooner and was more strategic.  My partner went on to be Australasian President of the ICF as developing a significant database of prospects for future work for us.

So what is your strategy?  Where is the payoff? How will you measure your success or lack thereof?  Most importantly, how sticky are you?

Enjoy!!



PS If you are in Melbourne next Tuesday 26th, come and visit me at the Meetings Mart Expo at Crown Promenade. I will be giving away copies of my new CD 7 Secrets of Successful Sessions as well as creating solutions for business wanting to Get More from their next Conference or Training Session.  Come as a guest of the Get More Guy and you even get free parking!


Image: Oaklara Nutgrabber

Do You Feel Special?

More importantly than do you feel special, do you make your customers, your prospects or your team feel special?

The research has shown what many of us knew instinctively. Customer loyalty and purchase decisions are more based on how your customer/prospects feel than a logical decision. So do you make them feel special?  Look at any exhibitor, leader, company or sales person who you think is "Extraordinary".  The reality is that they are not extraordinary, they are simply ordinary people doing extraordinary things.  They do a little bit more than your average person or company does and this makes them stand out.

For example, wifey and I went to dinner last night with friends to Borsh, Vodka and Tears.  Knowing it is popular I made sure that I had booked for 4 at 7:30pm.  So far all was proceeding as usual.  I got the phone call from them earlier in the day to confirm my booking (as has become standard with many restaurants now) and wifey and I headed in at the designated time.  Most places will just have "reserved" on the table, typically with a credit card logo as they will sponsor the sign and pay for them, but not here.  I was quite excited to find that their reservation system was.....My Name!!  Check it out. 

Now they didn't spell it correctly, but I didn't care because it was close enough.  To help them manage all of their bookings, it was also systemised.  Noticed the table number, the number of people and time of the booking is also on the card.  While I know it is only a little thing, it made me feel special.  Not just "another booking" but "Warwick's" booking.

In what you do, do you make your customers and colleagues feel special?  Do you just do that little bit extra to make it extraordinary?  You could be an exhibitor, a sales person or simply part of a larger organisation.  What will you do TODAY to make those around you feel special?

Enjoy!!

Warwick

PS I got plenty of feedback from last week's Get More Goer.  For those of you who really wanted to know, yes Mum did lick the spoon.
Also, demand for the Frangelico and Brownies recipe was high.  For those of you who missed it, you can download it here.

Sales Tips from a 10 Year Old Sri Lankan

It is amazing what you can learn in the strangest of places.

On the road from Colombo to Yala I learnt a valuable sales tip that is applicable to any sales situation but particularly to exhibitors.  All across Sri Lanka there are huts on the side of the road where the locals sell their produce.  Here is one we stopped at that had a lot of different beans, peas, grains and chillies.

Some of the more humble huts are staffed by children.  (Hut is a bit generous. It is more a simple table!)  As you got closer they were smiling, holding high what they had to sell and inviting you to stop and look at their produce.  Originally I just dismissed them as kids selling vegetables but then I noticed something.  After we went past, they were still smiling and simply tried to engage the next passer by.  It got me thinking and comparing this young boy to many of the exhibitors I have seen and worked with.

Here is what that 10 year old Sri Lankan taught me: 

• Smile! It helps to engage with the passers by.
• Make sure the prospect knows exactly what you are offering - even if this means waving around your product.
• Use some kind of pick up line to engage the passer by.
• If they don't stop, don't take it personally. Keep smiling and look for the next person.

Such simple things that so many in sales, and particularly those exhibiting at Trade Shows or Expos, forget to do.

Enjoy!

Would You Like A Drink?

One of the things that many people forget to do is drink.  I don't mean whip down to the pub and have a sly bevy, I mean drink plenty of fluids during the day.  Too often we can get so involved in what we are working on that we neglect to have enough fluids.  This leads to the typical symptoms of being thirsty, dry lips and also headaches, dizziness and cramping.

For those of us on the trade show or expo floor it is worse.  One of the best ways to release fluid from the body is by talking.  We exhibitors talk non-stop for 8 hours and it is common to do this without any breaks.  So often I see exhibitors get headaches or cramps and lose focus.  I believe a lot of this is not looking after your basic needs.
So the question is how much fluid should you have?

The correct answer is, "It depends".  The old standard of 8 cups (2 litres) of water a day is not entirely accurate.  There are many factors to consider.  The best thing to do is review this simple guide on the Kidney Health Australia website.  There is some great information there.

Personally, I swear by the old backpacker trick I learned while traveling (it gets handed down from generation to generation).  If your urine is yellow, you are dehydrated so you need to drink more fluids.  Water is the best fluid but others will contribute to re-hydrating you.
So to keep your head clear, your mind focused, your day on track (and your urine clear), drink more fluids!!

Can I offer you a drink?

Enjoy!

PS For those of you who based in Melbourne or who are in Melbourne on Tuesday 26th of October, come and visit me at Meeting Mart.  Tickets are free from the website and I will be exhibiting my wares as a Speaker and MC. For my Exhibiting clients, come and see how I do it and for my speaking clients, come and get some great resources from myself and others to make your next session fabulous.

What a Disaster!

I couldn't believe it! I was just giving myself a "tidy up trim" an hour before I flew out to work for three days on an Expo with a major client and a DISASTER happened!  


Being male and with a simple hair style means that I cut my own hair.  Simple "Number 2" attachment on the clippers and just move it all over my head.  I also have a technique to tidy the base of the hair cut at the back.  Just take off the attachment and trim a little with my guide.


Naturally, as a well trained husband I then show my "new do" to wifey for the final approval.  In business you always ask for a second opinion, this is just the same.  She spotted a few "tufty bits" at the back so I returned to the bathroom to trim them. A quick trim and then...... hang on..... that is way more hair falling off than a "tuft".


Nooooooooo!!!!!


I had neglected to put the Number 2 attachment back on so now I had a Number 0 on the crown of my head!!  I couldn't cover it up, I couldn't "blend" it in.  There was no alternative, it all had to come off.  What a disaster!!!  Here is the result.

The surprising thing is that several of the exhibitors mentioned how much they liked my hair cut when I was coaching them.  They didn't even realise I wear my hair longer.  But most people didn't even notice.  Have you noticed that happening in your business and in your life?  Something happens that you swear is a major catastrophe, the worst thing that could possibly happen, we will never get over it, how can we cope....... but most people don't notice or just don't care.


My hair will grow back (well... most of it), your situation will resolve one way or the other. Life and business continues.  Don't get distracted by your own perspective. Keep your focus on what counts for your customers.


Enjoy!!

How Good is Your Signage?

A speaking colleague of mine and Marketing Guru Winston Marsh, told me years ago that you have to be a better Marketer of what you do than a Doer of what you do.  Without some effective marketing, people wont know what product, service or value you offer.


At a Trade Show or Expo, you need to put this principle on steroids!


You have such a short time to get the visitor's attention, let alone their interest.  It astounds me how people still put up posters with sooooo much text on it that it makes your head spin. Or has a fabulous picture but nothing that actually tells you what they do.  You have to make your signage work for you.


Here is a great example of signage which misses the mark.

It may have worked in 1919 for the Temperance Movement (I have my doubts), but it wouldn't work today.  People would just keep on drinking!

How is your signage?  

Is it easy to grasp? 

Does it encourage your target market to find out more?

Does it lead to more sales or qualified prospects?

If it doesn't do these things, then change it.  You don't want your target market to just go on drinking!

PICTURE: Not sure of the original source, but lovely Bronwyn sent it to me. It sure is funny!

Avoid the Empty Aisle Syndrome

I was looking at my Twitter stream recently and saw some disturbing pictures from @TimboReid as he was visiting an Expo in Melbourne.  The scariest of which was this one:





Unfortunately exhibitors get into the habit of expecting the organiser to bring in the crowds.  That is not how it always works.  They are flat out organising the exhibitors, the set up, charging the visitors and doing some broad marketing for the entire show.  What you want is people and companies who are specifically focussed on your product and services.  No one knows them better that you.  Typically the Expo organiser will give you some free tickets as part of your exhibitor package, if they don't then ask for some - they can only say no!


Once you have some of these free tickets, use them wisely.  Invite some people from the group below and even book some appointment times with them so you can focus on them.  So here is who to invite:


Your existing customers   
It is commonly accepted that it is five times easier to sell to an existing customer yet most organisations focus solely on marketing to new clients.  Build on your existing relationships and re-engage with your customers by having them refresh what they think they know about you.  You can show them what is new for you and what else you can do for them


Industry Leaders
If you have been wanting to get the attention of Industry Leaders or key players, invite them along to visit your stand.  You know they will probably want to come to the show anyway, so why not make a time for them to be at your stand.  At the very least it will be a good photo opportunity for your marketing or internal newsletter.


Hot Prospects
If you have some hot prospects or organisations then get them to your stand.  Yes they will probably visit your competitor or see what else is around but they will know who invited them.  You will have enough confidence in your own solutions that you can deal with the fact that they will be visiting your competitor.  Take the opportunity to shine in front of your prospect.


Your Niche
No doubt you have some kind of regular marketing process, be it your blog, newsletter, twitter stream, advertising or networking.  Make sure that your niche know that you will be at the Expo and you would love for them to visit.  Give them a reason to visit - maybe a "Mention this newsletter/blog/card and get a free....."  If you are giving away gifts you may as well give it to someone in your niche versus someone who just walks past.


So now it's your turn.  Who are you going to invite to your next show?  Get it started well before the show and you will definitely avoid the Empty Aisle Syndrome.


Enjoy!


Warwick 
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

Are you Good or are you There?

I heard at a National Speakers Association of Australia meeting that there is a difference between being Good and being There.  (Sorry I can't recall who said it!)
Basically what they said was, are you rewriting, practicing, polishing, learning, waiting, refining until what you are doing is really good or are you just getting it out there?
The Pareto principle tells us that it will take 20% if the effort to get us to 80% of the result we are after.  Can you afford the next 80% of the effort?


I know there are some of you saying, "Yeah, but you would want your surgeon to get it 100% right!!"  I agree.  There are some professions and situations you would want the 100% effort and result.  My point for you is, does it have to be perfect?  With what you are working on at work or at home, are you in one of those "has to be 100%" jobs?  Do you have to have it "just right" before you release it?  Can you get the majority of your results by getting it or yourself out there?  It may not be perfect, but I am sure it is damn good!!


At a recent Trade Show is Los Vegas, an exhibitor had this very problem.  His stand didn't arrive and wouldn't until half way through the show. To avoid being fined by the organiser for an empty booth, he did what he could.  He built one out of other people's scraps.  The result was so good, when the "real" stand arrived, he left it out the back.  What he did wasn't perfect.  It probably breached corporate brand guidelines, it hadn't been tested, he didn't know the best message to send but it worked.  It wasn't Good but it was There.  You can read the Exhibitor article here (it is worth the read!) 


What are you delaying on because you want it to be Good?  Maybe you could just get it There?




Image: Flickr Matt N Johnson

Need More Adventure?

Need More Adventure?

When was your last "Adventure"?  I don't mean tracking wombats through the state forest (although some people may have done that), I mean done something that is an adventure for you.  Something that gets your heart racing, your adrenaline flowing and your sense of anticipation at full alert.

So many people get into the rut of everyday life.  All of a sudden it becomes: get up, go to work, come home, have dinner, watch TV, go to bed and repeat.  Even if you have a few hobbies like sport, study or theatre thrown in, it can get repetitive.  So where's the Adventure?

Your routine maybe different. It may include flying around the countryside exhibiting at Expo's and Trade Shows, but we have all had that feeling where one show just blends into another.  Sometimes we need a bit of adventure to break the routine.  (By the way, the adventure can frequently give us ideas to use at the next show!)

My challenge to you is to plan for and then have some adventure in your life.  Plan and do something within 2 months time, something that challenges and excites you and that you are interested in doing.
It could be:

• 10 minutes of stand up at an open mic night
• Karaoke singing with friends
• Auditioning for a local theatre production
• Booking guitar lessons
• Going skiing (we almost have snow on the Victorian high plains)
• Writing a book (if you want the short cut to a best seller, check out this great opportunity that I am taking part in)

Mine is going in a radio competition to be on Melbourne's Fox FM Breaky Show.  It's a little out there but you can check out the details (and please vote Yes for me and No for the others) on http://www.fox.com.au/shows/mattandjo/you-and-jo-entries

What is your challenge?  Let me know what it is as I would love to hear about it.


Photo Credit:  www.studentsoftheworld.info It's a Wombat! 

Are You Insane?

Of late I have seen more insanity in the workplace that usual.  Here are some samples of insanity I have been a witness to:

• A friend of mine told me how one of her peers had her office door removed (without consulting her) so he could "better communicate with his team".  
• I was chatting to someone on a flight to Alice Springs who worked for a major bank. An external consultant recommended that as part of an OH&S audit one of the branches to be sampled was Tennant Creek. An external OH&S lawyer and senior HR person had to travel for a day and a half to perform a 90 minute interview that was not permitted to be done by phone.
• I have personally sat in a meeting called to discuss why we were having so many meetings

Personally, I cannot understand why any of these and many other things happen.  I see insanity on the Trade Show and Expo floor also.

At a recent three day trade show, one of the exhibitors was so embarrassed about how her stand was doing, she would not call her manager and tell them their figures at the end of each day.  They were 75% down on previous shows.  I asked if she had done anything different from a previous show and she said yes.  Their new products needed some explaining so they kept the stock out of the customers reach.  For almost two days they had this format.  Even though in the old format they had made major sales!  I told her to instantly change the booth back to have the stock at the front with the new stock to one side.  They had not finished the change and it started to make an impact.  Visitors saw the stock and came up to ask questions and buy.

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

If what you are doing on a show floor is not working, change it.  If your greetings and attempts to engage don't work, change them. If you booth doesn't look good, change it. If your staff are not working out, change them.  Most shows are at least two days long, don't get to the end and say "It didn't work".  That would be insane.  If something is not working, change it.

What insanity do you need to change at your next show or in your work place?


Warwick

PS Many people have asked where can they see me speak.  I am speaking at an upcoming seminar (that is remarkably affordable - some would say insane!) in Melbourne on How to Get More Face to Face Sales.  Get the details here. 

Big Impressions - Part II

It happened again!

I am not sure if I should be surprised or not that the very next day after I blogged on making a big impression that it happened again.

Wifey and I are big fans of the Coco Lounge in Glen Waverley.  In particular we like to go there for a Fraus.  For the uninitated, this is a thick European Hot Chocolate.  Typically, I like it extra thick so it becomes like chocolate custard.  Yes, yes, I know I am a bit of a foody.  (You can find out more about Fraus' here, including their flavoursome cafe.)

Anyway, after seeing Robin Hood on tight arse Tuesday (by the way, wait for the DVD.  It is very boring) we adjourned to Coco Lounge for the Fraus.  When we asked for one, the waiter indicated that they no longer served them.  Naturally I went "Noooooooo!!!!!" rather loudly.  We had a few laughs and then a coffee instead.

As we paid, I was speaking to the manager and discussing why they stopped selling the Fraus and he basically said that they were not selling enough and the product would be wasted.  I joked about how would I live without it and then he said "Wait a second"

This is what he brought back to me:

That is 1 KILO of Fraus mix.  He gave it to me free of charge.  It was a very generous gesture and makes me love Coco Lounge even more!  But it wouldn't have happened if I didn't make a significant impression, lets face it, my good looks didn't make it happen!

So what will happen if you make a big impression?  Try it and see.

Let me know what happens for you!

Lovin' your work!

Warwick Merry

The Get More Guy

What Sort of Impression Do You Make?

There are so many competitors out there.  They may not be exactly competitors but there are company and businesses that overlap on your patch of the world.  It may be a team member "competing" for the next new opportunity, a similar business that competes with yours or someone exhibiting at the same show as you vying for the visitors attention.


Wifey reminded me this morning that I make big impressions everywhere I go.  Whenever we go shopping, I have fun with the check out chick (or check out chap).  I figure they are not going anywhere and I know there name (courtesy of the name tag) so I talk to them.  They give me the standard "Hi how are you?" and I make a big impression "Fantastic, Fabulous, Any happier and I would explode".  Maybe not all of those words but some of them!  Then have a bit of a laugh with them.  When wifey went to the supermarket on the weekend, the checkout operator said, "Shopping on your own today?"  My impression was so big that the checkout operator remembered me and Wifey and noticed that I wasn't there.


I do the same things when I am working with my exhibitor clients.  I live by the theory, if you are speaking to no-one, speak to everyone!  When someone walks by the booth I make an impression.  I engage with them by simple small talk that can then engage them in to a relevant discussion.  It could be a memorable one liner, and engaging question about them or a statement that makes them laugh.  Play with it and see what works.


What about you?  What sort of impression do you make?  Will they remember you?  Will they notice if you are not there?  How can you make it bigger, better and more memorable?

Five Observations Fresh From the Floor

I am fresh off the floor from the 2010 Pregnancy Babies and Children's Expo and I have some valuable observations to share.  I spent three days working with exhibitors to help them Get More from their show experience and here are the top 5 learning points:

1. It's all about Engagement.  Some of the exhibitors were concerned about not getting enough interest in their product/service.  It was usually the same exhibitor who was just standing in the booth saying nothing as someone walked past.  Live by the rule, if you are not speaking to anyone, speak to everyone!  If ever you have a quiet time, engage with the very next person.
2. Why are you there?  Some exhibitors forget why they are there.  They get swept up in the excitement and buzz of the show that they forget their prime objective.  Start each day with a briefing refreshing the objectives for the day and what actions are required to meet it.  If you are there to get names and addresses, then get names and addresses.
3. How is your signage? Do you have short, snappy, easy to read (that means HUGE font), action oriented signs?  If not, get some.  People don't really care much about your brand, your long winded mission statement or the features of what you have, they care about a problem they have and how you will solve it.  Find the problem and let them know you solve it.
4. Prepare for the show.  I don't understand people and organisations that spend thousands of dollars to get to a show and all they do is turn up!  At the very least read the exhibitor manual to find out information about the show.  Know what signage, stationery, product, and other items you need in your booth.  Be crystal clear on what you want from the show and what your message is.  Know how you will measure your success and whether it was worthwhile.  If you don't know these things, then why are you even there?
5. Stop whinging!!  Shows are part science, part art and a big chunk of magic.  Things will always be different than expectected.  There will be lulls and peak times.  If things are not going how you want, then change.  You can't expect to turn up last minute, lack half your signage and get the results you got last time with out some change in your approach.  Focus on what is going well and then change the things that are within your power.  Once you start whinging, you bring a whole lot of negativity to your booth which guarantees you wont get the results you are after.

Master these five, and you are half way there!

Enjoy


Warwick

Do you Do the Numbers?

Not just the simple "How much money did we make?"  I mean really do the numbers.

• Do you consider the total costs? (not just booth cost but labour, pre show marketing, post show followup, accomodation etc)
• Do you know how many people stopped at your booth? (you could measure people for 6 mins each hour and multiply by 10 for an hourly average)
• Do you know how to measure your brand impact?
• Do you know how many people bought from you after the show because they met you at the show? (maybe using a special code from the show)
• Do you know whether the numbers add up to make exhibiting worthwhile?

Use these ideas to make sure you do the numbers for your next show!


Lovin' your work!


Warwick

Would your Hard Drive survive?

At any show, it is hard to stand out above the crowd.  Thousands of people coming in the doors, hundreds of exhibitors, loads of press, blogging and tweeting, how can you bee seen???

Here is how ioSafe did it. 

• They invited reporters to leave the show and go on a field trip
• They arrived at a typical suburban house
• Photos were taken of the reporters and loaded on the hard drive in the ioSafe
• The ioSafe was tossed into the backyard pool
• It was retrieved about 5 mins later
• The ioSafe was then placed in a pottery furnace and baked
• It was removed from the oven and hosed down until it was cool enough to handle
• The drive was then taken from the safe and the photos were loaded on a handy computer

For the full story, check out Corporate Event Magazine's write up (full credit to them for the photo too).  It is worth the read as it also talks about how they handled the press releases to their advantage.

While this sounds like a cool thing to do, I am sure most of you don't have data safes to drown, burn or explode.  But some principals can still be used for your next expo.

• Can you do something specifically for the press (it would need to be special and not just "let me tell you about my product")?
• Can you arrange an offsite meeting?  It could be for hot prospects, press, existing customers, influential industry members - get them away from the cacophony of the show and you are more likely to have their attention.
• How can you demonstrate your product in action? Telling people about it is never as good as showing them.
• What can you do that is different from the others, and in particular, different from your competitors?

Now you can take action!

What's New?

Happy Easter!

I hope you had a fun long weekend - with or without chocolate!!

This time of year is a celebration of new life.  I recommend you do the same. Stay with me, I am not going to be preachy.

What I mean is how will you celebrate what's new?  New ideas, new starts, new careers, new relationships, new business, new niche's, new employee's, new team members, new hobbies, new approaches, new booth, new engagement technique, new resources, new business coach, anything that is new.

You may also want to consider is it time for something new? New ideas, new start, new career.... (see list above)

You may not need anything new but it is a good question to ask.

So what's new?

What is Most Important?

I have just come back from three days hosting an Expo/Trade Show. There was a great array of brands, products and services all displayed and promoted in different ways.  It struck me that the most important thing was most over looked.

It wasn't the booth set up, some of the simplest booths were extremely busy.
It wasn't the give aways, samples or bowl of lollies on the table.
It wasn't the price of the product or service as items of all prices were selling.

It was the "Engagement" process, how the exhibitor captured the attention of the visitor.  Many of the expensive corporate booths had people walk past because the people on the booth were not focussed on attracting the people.  Some smaller business owners were a bit shy and waited until people came to them. Yet there were some star performers who ALWAYS had someone at their booth, and nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.

The same can be said no matter what you sell.  The first step is to get the prospect's attention, to get them engaged with you so they can discover what you are selling.

So no matter what you are selling, it could be a new idea to colleagues or a the idea of taking a holiday to your partner or selling the concept of staying off drugs to your kids or selling an actual product to your prospects, how will you engage with them? How can you put yourself aside and appeal to what is important or interesting to them?

That's what is most important!

What does Johnny Cash Know?

This week's Blog comes from Johnny Cash.


I was listening to his American III album which has covers of other songs and the first song is "Won't Back Down" written by Tom Petty.  I checked the lyrics and discovered that there are not many.  It is essentially repeating the phrase "I won't back down" and every now and again it's 


"Well I know what's right, I got just one life 
 in a world that keeps on pushin' me around 
 but I'll stand my ground 
 ...and I won't back down"


It is the simplicity of the song and the lyrics that amplify its message.  


When things get tough do you back down?  
Do you stand up for your beliefs? 
Do you avoid the difficult conversations, the challenging situations, the draining and demanding actions, the very things that will make you stronger? 


Don't back down!


Persistence and commitment will pay off - don't quit before the miracle happens.


Thanks Johnny!! 





Photo: www.cbc.ca 

Get More Sales

There is a very simple formula for sales:
More Connections = More Sales


But this doesn't mean you have to go out and find a truck load of more connections yourself, sometimes you only need to work with you existing connections to increase your sales. Selling more to an existing client or selling them additional products or services is so much more cost effective than trying to find a whole lot of new customers.


They already know you, they already like you and they already trust you. It is simply a matter of finding out what their needs are and then satisfying them with a product or service (it doesn't even have to be yours!! Could be a joint venture or affiliate!)


Find out more on this video I did for Broker News TV - while the picture below looks like I am in pain, trust me there really is some good stuff in it!! 

What Inspires your Booth?

In talking with many exhibitors, one of the things that comes up frequently as an issue is "How should my booth look?"

Now you don't have to have a person bungy jumping through the floor or hanging from the cross beam like these guys did, but what can you do to stand out and still reflect the values of your business?


A common suggestion I make to my clients is look at the big players in your category.  If you are selling a low to medium priced product, check out the department stores.  Department stores spend millions of dollars on their visual merchandising and store layout.  Get inspiration on what you think appeals to your customer and what can be adapted to your product.  Maybe they have a certain rack or shelving system or types of posters or backdrops that would work well for you.  Be open to anything.


If you sell higher priced items, make sure the quality and presence of your booth reflects your product.  If you are selling high end, high quality products, you can't afford to have a cheap, dodgy or low quality looking booth.  Again, inspiration can come from your own product.  Like our bungy friends above, maybe you product shown in action is what your clients would like.  Or a large replica that your prospects can interact with how they never could before.  For example, if you sell high end data storage, imagine a hard disk device about 10 times normal size that a prospect can touch the insides of.


Inspiration can also come from other displays in a completely different industry.  As an example, if you are selling custom made clothes, you could display your range of fabrics and accessories like a Lexus dealer displays their car colour charts.


You will be amazed at where your ideas come from.  The secret is that you have to go out looking for them.  You are far more likely to get the burst of brilliance when you are submersing your senses in possibility rather than sitting at your desk willing the ideas to come!


So what inspires you?

Nothing Changes

Have you noticed how if nothing changes, nothing changes?


I know it's a bit obvious, but sometimes it is up to us to change a situation.


For example, I have been writing a proposal for the last week or so and have been struggling. I just couldn't get in to it. So I decided a change of geography would shift my mindset. I took my sexy new netbook to a shopping centre and did the majority of the work in a couple of hours. A simple change got me over my mental block.


What about you? What simple changes can you make when you are stuck - a geographical change (even if it is just changing desks), a physical change (go for a walk) or a mental change (call someone else and ask how they are and don't mention your stuff)?


Next time you get stuck, try something different - you have to make the change happen sometimes.


Enjoy!

Motivating your Team

Sometimes you will find that your team are not as motivated as you would like.  Check the video recorded for Broker TV for some ideas on motivating your team more.

Let them touch it!

People want to touch it!!


They want to feel the new product.  They want to see photo's of the service. They want to experience what it's like.  Brochures can be good but the real thing is better.


I was speaking to my brother who is big in Send Out Cards (among other entrepreneurial ventures!) and he was describing a booth he was going to show Send Out Cards at.  We talked about different ideas but just seeing cards was not enough.  You could hold the cards or see big pictures on the walls. You could talk about how easy it is to send out personalised cards to your clients, prospects or family members but it's not the same as doing it yourself.


I suggested that he let them do it.  Let them work through the whole process so that they are doing it and can touch and feel the process not just hear about it.  So he was going to look at setting up at the booth with his camera and laptop.  Prospects get their photo taken and then use the system to send themselves a card with their own message.  So not only do they see how simple it is to use, two or three days later they get a card with their photo on it showing them how cool it is to receive the card.


Let them touch it!


If you can find a way, get the prospect physically touching your product or service.  This makes it personal, memorable and way more sellable.


So what about your next show?  How can you take your product or service and make it touchable?  Make it real for your prospect and very soon they will be your client!


Let me know if you need ideas to make it touchable.

Get More Success

Everyone loves success.  We continue to strive for it, however you measure it!  The way to continue your success is to make it a habit.  I am of the firm belief that if you make celebrating success a habit, success becomes a habit.

Trade Shows and Expos, like any business, are full of their ups and downs.  They depend on many people and they are hard, but enjoyable work. 

The video below was recorded for Broker TV - a site for mortgage brokers.  The message given is as relevant for exhibitors as it is for brokers.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Get your Blog Started!

I recently recorded several sessions for Broker News TV, a service for Mortgage Brokers.  While the information was targetted at brokers, it is just as relevant for all business.  Particularly for any one who exhibits.

Having a blog will help build your tribe - people who know you, like you and trust you.  It keeps you connected to customers, prospects, fans and friends of you, your business and your products and services.  As an exhibitor, you can't be in business without one.

The good news is that they are easy to set up and manage.

Check out the video on how to do it.





As seen on Brokernews.com.au

What Motivates You?

What Motivates you?


Technically the short answer is "Pleasure" and "pain".


The truth is we are motivated about the idea of an event or thing or what we think will happen if we do or dont have/do a thing.


The issue is 80% of people are motivated by pain and only 20% by pleasure - yet pleasure is more sustainable!


Everyone is different. The key is to tap in to what motivates us as an individual and use that. So what keeps us going when we want to stop? what drives us when we can't help but move forward? What is the "Idea" or "Vision" we can't live without?


Mine is the idea of a business operating how I want it to, a family life that supports me and I can contribute to and to be the man I can be.

When it comes to exhibiting in a Trade Show or Expo, or just in business and life, what motivates you?