Furniture China 2012 www.furniture-china.cn The Top furniture expo in Asia 11-15 September 2012 in Shanghai.
Custom Rental Exhibits www.cbdisplays.com/exhibit-rentals Custom Rental Exhibits Worldwide Design here, build there...
It costs a small fortune to exhibit, but so few companies get
anywhere near their money's worth. Sure, they go to the effort and
expense of creating a look for their booth, shipping it, and paying
staff to man that booth. However, like in some many other areas related
to management and/ or leadership, they often neglect, or inadequately
address training, and/ or a strategy for the actual show. Few exhibitors
carefully track their results, and fewer still translate any leads into
customers. In order to maximize their return, exhibitors should: (1)
Adequately, comprehensively and professionally train staff; (2) Develop a
lead retrieval, sales, and follow- up strategy; (3) Unclutter the
booth, and make the booth and the staff welcoming, as well as
knowledgeable, proactive and helpful; (4) Capture leads; (5) Ask for the
sale (if they need something); and (6) Have an easy to read and review
sale sheet, with a short and concise explanation of why the potential
customer/ client should do business with you. Regardless of whether an
organization is exhibiting product/ products and/ or services, the story
must be evident, clear, and quick to explain.
(1) Companies should not just send representatives to man their booth, but should professionally train these personnel as to how to man the booth. Even items like how to greet customers, how to dress, eye contact and body language, and a mini- script should be discussed, trained and emphasized.
(2) I have been involved with over a hundred shows personally, as well as many hundreds more as a consultant, in addition to the large number of expos I have attended. It is amazing to me that so few exhibitors create the need for their service, or any type of compelling story. Even fewer capture leads in any meaningful, personalized manner. It is even more amazing how rarely these leads are followed up on in a significant manner. One must remember that unless the exhibitor makes a memorable impression on the attendee in the few moments he has, the follow up ends up being little more than the expensive equivalent of a cold call.
(3) Make the booth clean, uncluttered, easy to understand, and compelling. Staff's job must be a proactive one, making someone want to come over rather than avoid the booth. The typical attendee to an expo actually stops at very few booths, yet exhibitors often equate overall attendance at the expo to a "good show." It is the number that come over to your booth, and your ability to capture first their attention, then their interest, and finally (but importantly) their contact information that determines how worthwhile a show may be. It is incredible to me how rarely show staff even ask an attendee how they might help/ serve them, whether they are familiar with the company, or develop any type of relationship, not to mention asking for the sale.
(4) Too many companies consider automated scanning of badges to be equivalent to capturing leads. However, without gathering some sort of personal information, or needs information, when the lead is followed up on (which statistics show is paltry), the attendee rarely remembers anything about the exhibitor, or even stopping by. If, on the other hand, the need was created properly and the right impression made, the otherwise cold call becomes a follow up, and the conversion statistics are far higher.
(5) Why is it so rare that a booth person ever asks for a sale, or even attempts to sell? Make the story compelling, offer show incentives to encourage action (and make the incentive extremely visible and attractive), and have staff actually ask someone what they would like to order today.
(6) Exhibitors should have printed up, or otherwise easily accessible show sale sheets, and a simplified explanation of why the company deserves the attendees business. This should explain benefits beyond simply pricing. Companies must understand that pricing will often make an individual sale, but only reliability and service will create a loyal customer.
Companies and organizations must ask themselves if they are willing to commit at least to these basic six steps. If they are not, they should then ask themselves, why are they exhibiting at all. Get the most bang for your buck, and be productive, by using this common sense approach to exhibiting.
(1) Companies should not just send representatives to man their booth, but should professionally train these personnel as to how to man the booth. Even items like how to greet customers, how to dress, eye contact and body language, and a mini- script should be discussed, trained and emphasized.
(2) I have been involved with over a hundred shows personally, as well as many hundreds more as a consultant, in addition to the large number of expos I have attended. It is amazing to me that so few exhibitors create the need for their service, or any type of compelling story. Even fewer capture leads in any meaningful, personalized manner. It is even more amazing how rarely these leads are followed up on in a significant manner. One must remember that unless the exhibitor makes a memorable impression on the attendee in the few moments he has, the follow up ends up being little more than the expensive equivalent of a cold call.
(3) Make the booth clean, uncluttered, easy to understand, and compelling. Staff's job must be a proactive one, making someone want to come over rather than avoid the booth. The typical attendee to an expo actually stops at very few booths, yet exhibitors often equate overall attendance at the expo to a "good show." It is the number that come over to your booth, and your ability to capture first their attention, then their interest, and finally (but importantly) their contact information that determines how worthwhile a show may be. It is incredible to me how rarely show staff even ask an attendee how they might help/ serve them, whether they are familiar with the company, or develop any type of relationship, not to mention asking for the sale.
(4) Too many companies consider automated scanning of badges to be equivalent to capturing leads. However, without gathering some sort of personal information, or needs information, when the lead is followed up on (which statistics show is paltry), the attendee rarely remembers anything about the exhibitor, or even stopping by. If, on the other hand, the need was created properly and the right impression made, the otherwise cold call becomes a follow up, and the conversion statistics are far higher.
(5) Why is it so rare that a booth person ever asks for a sale, or even attempts to sell? Make the story compelling, offer show incentives to encourage action (and make the incentive extremely visible and attractive), and have staff actually ask someone what they would like to order today.
(6) Exhibitors should have printed up, or otherwise easily accessible show sale sheets, and a simplified explanation of why the company deserves the attendees business. This should explain benefits beyond simply pricing. Companies must understand that pricing will often make an individual sale, but only reliability and service will create a loyal customer.
Companies and organizations must ask themselves if they are willing to commit at least to these basic six steps. If they are not, they should then ask themselves, why are they exhibiting at all. Get the most bang for your buck, and be productive, by using this common sense approach to exhibiting.
With over 30 years consultative sales, marketing, training,
managerial, and operations experience, Richard Brody has trained sales
and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars,
appeared as company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television
programs. He's negotiated, arranged and organized hundreds of events.
Richard's owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, and Director of Development, as well as a consultant. His company Website is http://www.plan2lead.net, and he can be followed on Twitter @rgbrody. For great information on many topics, visit PLAN2LEAD's Facebook page and LIKE ( http://www.facebook.com/Plan2lead )
Richard's owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, and Director of Development, as well as a consultant. His company Website is http://www.plan2lead.net, and he can be followed on Twitter @rgbrody. For great information on many topics, visit PLAN2LEAD's Facebook page and LIKE ( http://www.facebook.com/Plan2lead )
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