What about Booth Babes and Booth Blokes?

I am often asked whether it is worthwhile having "Hired Beauty" (what I call Booth Babes and Booth Blokes) on your stand.


This is what I think!

What are you doing for 2010?

2010 is just around the corner.  You know it will be here quicker than you expect (look how quick Christmas crept up on us!).  So what are you doing for it?

From a Trade Show or Expo sense, what are you doing for 2010?  Exhibiting is a magnificent way to build and grow your business, but as I have always said, you will hemorrhage cash if you don't do it right!  So take some time over the coming weeks to decide:

• What is the best target market for you and your business?
• What exhibitions does this target market go to?
• What kind of presence do you want to have at this exhibition?
• How can you build a presence that becomes a hub at the exhibition?
• What do you want to get out of your exhibition?
• How will you measure your "success" in 2010?
• What do you need to do NOW to put you on the way to achieving this success?
• Who do you need on your team to help you?

The questions are simple but the answers will help you define 2010 and the success you will achieve.

I think 2010 will be an absolute cracker and I would love for yours to be also.  Let me know if I can assist you getting there.

Enjoy!

Engage or Exit!

So many visitors to a Trade Show or Expo have on their mind "Engage or Exit".

It's not a conscious thought, but they know if you don't pay them attention or at the very least acknowledge their presence, they are out of there.  How do you do that?  It's easy when there are only one or two people per staff member in your booth, but what about peak hour?  You MUST have a strategy to deal with the busy times.  Even if you have one of your team nominated as the "Preview Person".

The Preview Person will quickly move among the people, get their contact details and what they are interested in.  They do not have to be as knowledgable as your key staff members but they can quickly engage, comment on how busy it is and get someone to get back to them.  It is a way that everyone gets engaged and your can then follow up later in the show by calling their mobile phone or follow up after the show.

How do you deal with peak hour?

You gotta Stand in the Stand!

One of the things that annoys me, but more importantly, costs exhibitors money, is sitting in your stand.

Let me explain.

If you were an exhibitor at a Trade Show or Expo, you would have paid thousands of dollars for the privilege. Dollars for the space, dollars for the stand, dollars for the promotion, dollars for the travel to get there and back, dollars for accomodation and meals and dollars for emergency sundry things that you forgot about and needed to get last minute. So after spending all of these dolllars, what do you get?

Anyone who has worked at a Trade Show knows that the biggest thing that you get is the pain in your feet! The show floor is concrete with a "film" of carpet if you are lucky. No matter how good your shoes are, the feet hurt. If only I could just sit down!!

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Nothing will scare a prospect away quicker that someone sitting in the stand. Think about you own reaction when you walk up to someone who is sitting in their stand. Because it starts with the sitting, then the person sitting says to themselves, "I'll just relax a little". When the prospect comes over, they say to themselves, "I'll get up if they are interested".
The person coming over thinks, "They are not that interested so I'll move on."
The seated person thinks, "Yay, I don't have to get up because my feet hurt!"

Prospect, potential sale, potential lifelong value of customer GONE! The thousands (if not tens of thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands) invested in the show WASTED all because you have sore feet.

The Trade Show or Expo may be on for one, three or maybe eight days. That's only eight days of your life that you have to have sore feet. As wifey says to me when I am whining, "Suck it up princess!!" This is why they call it a Stand. You have to stand there. You have to be on full alert. You have to make your guest feel welcomed when they come over and not feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of your booth welcoming guests, being friendly, engaging with prospects will do this so much better than sitting at the back of the Stand thinking about your sore feet.

Each prospect visiting will be visiting your stand for the first time, so for you it has to be the first time. With all the enthusiasm and vigour of the first time.

You Gotta Stand in the Stand!!

Enjoy

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy

Don't be a Vulture!

I was at an Expo recently and saw some Vultures. I strongly encourage you to NOT be a Trade Show or Expo Vulture. Watch the video and see what I mean!



So what about you? Are you a Vulture? What can you do differently so that you add value to your visitor and not be a Vulture?

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy

How Easy is it?

I have just spent three days working at the Pregnancy, Babies and Children's Expo. I am continually fascinated with how business and individuals present themselves, particularly at Expo's and Trade Shows.

The key learning from the show I would give you is, make it easy for your customer to buy from you.

For me, Expo's and Trade Shows are speed dating for your business. When going speed dating, the person who clams up, won't share about who they are and what they are there for, doesn't get the date.

So be clear:

• What are you selling?
• Why would the customer want it?
• What discounts do you have?
• What is the Key benefit?

Trade Show research has shown that the majority of visitors are there either to find out what's new in the market or to get a "bargain". Knowing that, wouldn't you put up some simple signs saying "NEW", "Expo Deal" or "20% off"? I am continually amazed at how people will stop to explore a bargain without consideration of what they are actually buying!

People want to buy from you. They want to use your services.

DON"T MAKE IT HARD TO DO SO!!

In your business, how can you make it easier for your customer to buy from you?

How is your Fish Bowl?

Here are a couple of key points about how to Get More from your Fish Bowl at your next Trade Show