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A Bird in the Hand... Part Three

2011-07-27T08:00:00.004-04:00

We have been celebrating small businesses this month in honor of the Small Business Influencer Awards and discussing the decisions you may have to make as a small business owner when it comes to exhibiting. First, we talked about whether or not it’s worth the risk to exhibit at all and, then, we focused on where it would be most worthwhile to spend your time in the convention city. This week, we have one more decision to discuss.

Our final choice for this series is how much “excitement” you should create for your booth.

- The “bird in the hand” would be exhibiting (just exhibiting).

- The “two in the bush” would be investing in special activities to create excitement, like sponsorships, giveaways, receptions, performers, etc.

Is it worth the risk?

First, consider your resources.

Before you commit to anything extra, it is important to ensure that you have your finances in place. If you cannot afford to pay for the special activities, they are not an option to you.

Then, beyond the financial responsibilities associated with each individual activity, you will also need to identify the costs required to promote your participation in these activities. It will take time, effort, and money to ensure that enough of the right attendees are aware of your exciting offers to make the investment worthwhile (and, remember, the “free” publicity offered by show management should just be the tip of the iceberg where your pre-show promotions are concerned). Can you afford the extra “excitement” itself and any necessary promotion of your special excitement causing activities? If you can, check out the next consideration; if you can’t, stick with your “bird in the hand.”

Next, ensure that any of the activities you would choose align with your company’s values/mission statement and fit the way in which you would like to be perceived.

While it is unlikely that anyone would become offended if your company chose to sponsor lanyards or giveaway a new iPad, there some other activities which are more controversial (you will know them when you see them). Keep your supporters in mind as you wade through the opportunities available; although you cannot please everyone, it would be best to avoid offending the majority of your shareholders, clients, partners, etc. with an inappropriate event attraction.

Furthermore, you must consider the fit between your activity and the way in which you would like to be perceived. For example, a happy hour with scantily clad “Booth Bunnies” doesn’t scream family friendly and giving away boring old ball point pens doesn’t convey that your company is cutting edge. Let your (moral and branding) compass be your guide in choosing to move forward, or not.

Finally, evaluate the realistic potential

of each opportunity.

If you have selected an appropriate event, you know it will be worthwhile for you to exhibit; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will also be worthwhile for you to invest in special activities (just because you can make the investment, doesn’t mean you should). Here are some questions to help you decide:

- What percentage of registered attendees who fit within your specific target audience will take advantage this opportunity to be exposed to your company?

- How much of your time will you have to spend sorting through contacts who are not interested in your offerings but came to see you because of the excitement?

- Do you have a plan to quickly qualify the leads obtained through your participation in these activities during the activities themselves?

- Do you have scripts, marketing materials, etc. in place to support your team’s efforts before, during, and after each activity?

- Will this activity help you in achieving your goals or are the same results likely to be attained even if you don’t choose to participate?

Ask yourself these questions as you consider the sponsorships, giveaways, receptions, performers, and other activities that would be an option to you (according to your available resources) and make sense for your moral and branding requirements to determine whether or not they would have the potential to propel your results forward. From here, you will be fully equipped to decide between the proverbial “bird in the hand” and “two in the bush” so far as your exhibiting efforts are concerned.

Although this series is complete, we aren’t finished celebrating small businesses – come back next week for another post written just for you! Oh, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite small business influencers (you can vote up to once per ip address per day)!

A Bird in the Hand... Part Two

2011-07-20T08:00:00.035-04:00

In honor of the Small Business Influencer Awards (have you voted for your favorites yet today?), we have been discussing the choices you will have to make as a small business owner when it comes to exhibiting. Last week, we talked about whether or not it would be worth it to leave your office to exhibit at a particular event. This week, we have another risk to evaluate.

The second choice is where you will spend your time in the convention city.

- The “bird in the hand” would be staying in the booth to maintain your company’s presence and ensure that everything is being taken care of as you would prefer.

- The “two in the bush” would be scheduling meetings with current/prospective clients/partners, attending relevant sessions, and actively seeking other opportunities to network outside of the booth.

Is it worth the risk?

First, consider your staffing options.

If you have decided to exhibit alone, you should plan to spend all of the show hours in your booth (I would even encourage you to schedule breaks outside of exclusive show hours as much as possible). However, if you plan to bring additional representatives with you as well, you will have to decide whether or not they can manage the booth on their own in your absence. Ask yourself if your team:

- …is properly equipped to confidently represent your company?

- …has the focus and determination to do their professional best for extended periods of time without supervision?

- …will perform at the level your visitors desire/expect?

If you cannot answer yes to the above questions, you should plan to remain in the booth. However, if you are confident in your team, continue on to the next consideration.

Next, consider your interest.

Okay, it’s gut check time. Is this a question because you plan to maximize your time at the event by squeezing in as many working encounters as possible or are you trying to avoid booth duty and will likely spend your “free time” sleeping or sightseeing?

After answering this question, you can determine whether you should stick with the “bird in the hand” (and muster up as much positive energy as possible) or move forward to our last step. Because you are a professional and are interested enough to be reading this post, I don’t doubt that you are sincerely interested in succeeding during your next event; however, only you can truly say where you will be most productive.

Finally, ensure the completion of necessary pre-show

marketing efforts and schedule your time appropriately.

If you would like to remain busy (in a good way) outside of the booth (and we have established that you would), you must do your “homework” before the event to ensure there are people for you to see and places for you to be. Here are a few more questions you can ask yourself to make this decision:

- Will you have time to call current/prospective clients who you expect to attend as well as those who are based in the convention city?

- Will you take the initiative to look through the show program and select the sessions that are most relevant to you and your target audience?

- Will you put the effort into actually going out and mingling with others during scheduled networking events?

Many exhibitors assume that things will come together once they arrive and although you may end up with a few meetings that way, you will not be as productive as you could have been (time is valuable and the professionals you would like to meet are likely to also have other meetings to schedule as well). The key here is, that if you plan ahead to schedule your time appropriately, you have control over when and where you will meet with whom (this will help you to properly prepare for the encounter and appear more professional). However, if you do not plan ahead, you are likely to be scrambling with your regular contacts to schedule time around their existing schedules (with other professionals who had called before the event) and may not have any extra time to stop by your booth occasionally, add in extra meetings with new contacts, or handle emergencies as they arise.

These three considerations will show you where your time is better spent, in the booth for full show hours or taking full advantage of everything the event offers both on and off of the show floor. I hope this has been helpful to you; if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me or leave some thoughts in the comments section below.

Come back next week to read another post dedicated to the small business community in honor of the Small Business Influencer Awards (and don’t forget to vote)!

SemiCon West - AGS Plasma Systems

2011-07-15T10:30:00.003-04:00

This week (July 11-15, 2011), I was in San Jose and San Francisco to assist AGS Plasma Systems at SemiCon West. This had been their first time at SemiCon and first time exhibiting at a large trade show (over 25,000 attendees).

My week started at the AGS Plasma Systems headquarters in San Jose for on-site training. This company offers plasma etching and deposition systems and, after having an opportunity to experience their corporate environment and view their products in person, I was better equipped to present AGS Plasma Systems to attendees.

My main responsibilities during the event in San Francisco were to welcome visitors into our booth, identify their interest in the offerings available, and understand their specific needs to properly qualify and note important details for company representatives who would undertake follow up efforts after the event. Our interactions with both attendees and other exhibitors (potential partners) at SemiCon was a great way to start and continue relationships throughout the industry for future business as well.

This event was very successful for AGS Plasma Systems as we were able to exceed their goal for number of quality leads before the show concluded and our time on-site helped in raising the industry's awareness of this company. Also, although we hadn't had time to talk about booth design and set-up before this event, we were able to discuss what worked (as well as opportunities for improvement at future events) during and after this event - this should enable even greater future success for AGS Plasma Systems.

A Bird in the Hand or Two in the Bush?

2011-07-13T08:00:00.010-04:00

Voting for the Small Business Influencer Awards started earlier this week and I am honored to be nominated (if you’d like to show your support, please click here to view my profile and please don’t forget to vote for me). So, in today’s blog post, I wanted to speak directly to my readers in the small business community.

One of the most important parts of owning a small business is to make tough decisions to ensure the best possible outcome despite limited resources. Where exhibiting is concerned, this causes many small business owners to feel like they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. These professionals have to decide between the proverbial bird in the hand and two in the bush every step of the way.

The first choice is whether or not to exhibit.

- The “bird in the hand” would be staying in the office to maintain operations and ensure that you do an excellent job with your existing clients.

- The “two in the bush” would be taking a risk by investing in everything required to exhibit, spending time away from the office, and trying to capitalize on the opportunities provided.

Is it worth the risk?

First, consider your resources.

Exhibiting is very expensive and you are extremely busy, so a great place to start is by looking over the resources available to you. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine if you have the minimum requirements in place:

- Do you have a budget to invest?

- Do you have offering(s) to highlight?

- Do you have time to properly prepare?

- Are you motivated to succeed?

If you cannot answer yes to each of the above questions, you are very unlikely to be successful if you choose to exhibit at this time. On the other hand, if your resources are in place, move on to the next consideration.

Next, ensure you have selected an appropriate event.

The event itself can make or break your results. Although I hope it would be obvious that you wouldn’t want to exhibit at an event that is not a match for your needs, sometimes professionals can be tempted by a combination of reduced exhibiting costs, convenient timing or location, and the excitement of utilizing a new marketing method to reach your audience. However, if you are not exhibiting at an event where your target audience will be in attendance, you will not obtain the results you desire. Check out this post to read more about how to select an appropriate event. Then, if you are satisfied by your selection, move on to the final step; otherwise, stick with your “bird in the hand” and save exhibiting for another time.

Finally, consider your staffing options.

The size of your booth, the expected traffic on the show floor, and your choice of activity within your booth will dictate how many staff members you will need to represent your company on-site. For a 10x10 booth, I typically recommend bringing at least two or three representatives and, for a 10x20 booth, you are likely to obtain better results with the assistance of at least 3-6 team members. However, for exhibitors on a budget, staffing is often the first aspect to suffer as many small business owners may even attempt to go it alone (in some specific circumstances this will work, but, for the average exhibitor, it will not be as productive); so it is important to be aware of your availability as well as that of your current employees before deciding to move forward. Depending on the flexibility of the projects you have coming up and your trust in any employees you would send in your place or leave at home to take care of things during the show, you can make a decision as to if/how you will proceed.

This final step is a bit trickier because it’s not just the number of staff members you have in your booth that will ensure your success, instead it’s the quality of your staff that will directly correlate with your results. I would recommend considering your resources carefully (if you have or can hire the right staff for your event) to make this judgment call.

Hopefully these tips have helped you to determine whether or not exhibiting is currently a viable option for your small business. That being said, I know that this is not the only risk a small business would have to evaluate when it comes to exhibiting, so be sure to come back next week, when we will evaluate another important choice.

4 Steps to Selecting Appropriate Events

2011-07-06T08:00:00.005-04:00

In order to select events that would be appropriate for your company to participate in as an exhibitor, we will first have to determine what “appropriate” means to you and your company. Because you are reading this article, I would guess that you have already identified your target audience, reasons for exhibiting, and generally what you hope/expect to obtain through your exhibiting efforts. After you have completed this process, you will have also determined your specific goals, and then found, researched, and selected the events which will best help you accomplish those goals. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Set Goals

In this first step, you will be taking your general thoughts about exhibiting and transitioning them to become concrete focal points upon which you can base your final decisions. The goals I recommend you set are a “needs” goal and a “wants” goal (you can read more about these goals, why I recommend them, and how to set them here). Please pay special attention during this step because if you identify your goals properly now, it will be possible to easily select the best events for your company later. As you can imagine, if you don’t set smart goals now, it will be extremely difficult to determine which events will be beneficial to your company later.

Step 2: Seek out Options

Now that you have identified the types of events which would be appropriate for your company, you will need to seek out the actual events that fit your needs. I recommend a three tiered approach to accumulate a solid list of relevant events:

1 – Contact the professional organizations you belong to and the publications you receive and/or advertise in. Oftentimes, these groups will host events that fit your interests/needs.

2 – Contact the professional organizations your clients belong to and the publications they receive. Because these groups are a fit for your clients, it is likely that their events will attract qualified prospects that also fit your target audience.

3 – Search for additional events of interest on The Trade Show Calendar website (www.thetradeshowcalendar.com). This is a free resource, listing a wide range of trade shows held all over the world. The database they provide is searchable by industry, dates, location, size, etc. Here, you can identify other events which may help you to achieve your goals. Because there is a great deal of information available, use this to your advantage and add any events that spark your interest to the list.

By obtaining a full and organized list of options, you enable yourself to be highly selective with your final events (so that you don’t accidentally eliminate any events that may fit, don’t worry about qualifying for now - we will come back to this in another step).

Step 3: Research Available Events

In this step, we begin to sort through the events you identified in “Step 2.” Looking back at your original goals, find and record the essential information about each event that will help you to make your decisions. To obtain this information, study the statistics published on the show website, call the show management to ask questions (they will have a sales team in place whose goal it is to sell booth space to suitable companies, so they are happy to provide any information that will help you in your decision making process), and talk with previous exhibitors to hear their opinions as well.

If you begin this process far enough in advance, I would strongly recommend attending the events you are most interested in first to walk the show floor and form your own opinions. This first hand experience will not only help you in the decision making process, but will also help with the event preparations if you choose to exhibit in the future.

Step 4: Narrow your Choices

Now that you have had an opportunity to paint a full picture for each event, you are equipped to make decisions about their fit and likelihood to help you accomplish your goals. Look through your list and remove any events that are not as well suited for your company as you had initially anticipated. Then, after immediate exclusions are made, you can start to narrow your list further according to your availability, budget, and interest in the events that remain.

Although it is important to be realistic about number of events at which you can exhibit, I would encourage you to consider your resources carefully in this stage. If there is an event that fits every criteria except one (for example, perhaps you have identified an excellent event that you are confident would help you to reach your goals, but you are personally unavailable to remain in your booth for the duration), don’t give up until you have looked for creative ways to remedy this issue (for example, you could hire a professional to assist and/or split responsibilities with another representative from your company). For most companies, it makes better business sense to choose quality over quantity where exhibiting is concerned.

Our focus throughout this process should be on ensuring that you don’t miss any higher quality events due to relatively minor issues or because lower quality events were improperly qualified. This is why it is so important to start with setting smart goals then seek out a solid list of options, research them fully, and, finally, narrow your choices according to your specific situation. Utilizing these four steps, you should have no trouble selecting the most appropriate events for your company to participate in as an exhibitor.

Quick Tips

2011-06-29T08:00:00.010-04:00

…for Improved Listening Skills

1. Remove distractions

This is not the time to multi-task. Turn off and/or put away anything that may be a distraction (cell phones, noisy electronics, whatever you had been working on, etc) before you begin an important conversation.

2. Find a reason to invest in the conversation

Whether you care about the person speaking (and, by extension, whatever is important to them) or the specific subject matter discussed, focusing on why the conversation is important to you will help you maintain your attention throughout.

3. Turn your body towards the person who is speaking

Physically show that you are fully invested in the conversation by turning towards the person speaking (body language experts suggest that, if you are truly interested, you will do this anyway).

4. Be quiet

My teachers always said, “If you are talking, you can’t be listening.” If they had said, “If you are talking, you can’t be actively listening respectfully,” I would have agreed. Wait until the other person has stopped talking before you start.

5. Wait

If you suspect there may be more to the story, a long pause can encourage the other person to continue, but don’t wait too long or the other person may think you weren’t listening at all (instead, try number 7 below).

6. Confirm Understanding

Repeat what they said in different words to ensure that you not only heard their words but also understood their meaning.

7. Ask questions to clarify

Encourage the speaker to elaborate on the subject at hand or a related topic of interest by asking short, open-ended questions.

8. Don’t worry about what you will say next

In listening to the other person’s thoughts in their entirety, you may hear the answer to your next question. If you don't, it’s okay to take a few seconds to choose your words – you don’t have to rush the conversation.

Why Pre-Show Training is Essential – Part 3

2011-06-22T08:00:00.018-04:00

Over the past two weeks, we have covered two important benefits of pre-show training for your booth staff (first, we talked about adapting conversations according to each visitor’s specific situation, and next, we discussed quickly qualifying leads for efficient follow up). This week, we will highlight one more.

So, without further a do, a properly trained booth staffer can…

SHARE A CONSISTENT MESSAGE

WHILE REPRESENTING YOUR COMPANY

IN A POSITIVE MANNER

If your staff is not adequately prepared, they may inadvertently misinform your prospects or lessen a visitor’s opinion of your company by mishandling their questions. This happens because professionals don’t like to look or feel stupid and, when uneducated about a subject, some will fabricate an answer (typically one that they assume to be correct, but may or may not actually fit the situation). Specifically, making up an answer often results in one of three scenarios:

1 – your guests can tell that they are being deceived and, as a result, they become less likely to trust your company in the future,

2 – your representative promises something that cannot be delivered and that puts your sales team in a difficult position,

3 – your representative gets lucky and is correct (although, this tends to be the least common of the three).

I would recommend that you address this situation before it comes up by educating your staff on the FAQs they can expect and reinforcing that the most appropriate answer (as long as they actually follow through) may be “I’m not sure, but I will make a note [on your card/in the badge scanner] and find out for you.”

It is also important to provide your staff with information about any corporate promotions taking place before or during the event because it will reduce your visitors’ confidence if your team is completely unaware of their (your company’s) involvement in such activities. Show your staff any relevant literature attendees will have access to (including recent articles and advertisements you have produced or been mentioned in) and post a schedule of all speaking engagements, contests, and other activities you will be sponsoring or attending those days (like receptions, webinars, etc).

Finally, don’t allow your team to be blind-sighted by questions surrounding sensitive subjects, especially those of a high profile or heavily publicized nature; be sure to prepare your team with appropriate statement(s) before they encounter members of the media and other interested parties so they can represent your company in a positive light.

Key Training Items: expected questions with corresponding answers, promotional efforts, scheduling, appropriate responses for sensitive topics

The experience attendees enjoy when they come to your booth is heavily dependent on the personality, interest level, and communication skills of your staff; however, proper training before the event can enable your team to improve their performance despite their starting level. Without pre-show training, however, even your best representatives will not be able to confidently do their best work for your company. Don’t let your pre-show training fall any further down your to-do list, start planning today to prepare your staff for your next set of upcoming events.

Educomm - The DBA Shoppe

2011-06-16T10:30:00.000-04:00

This week (June 13 to 15), I was working with The DBA Shoppe in Orlando (do you remember when I worked with this company at Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco last fall?).

Our main goal at this event was to introduce the higher education representatives attending Educomm to the remote database administration and support services offered by The DBA Shoppe. My responsibilities on-site were to greet attendees, share our value proposition, and scan their badges/record notes. Quickly qualifying leads was important because the exclusive booth hours scheduled were limited and each of our visitors had a different set of needs/interests. On the other hand, having some down time (when sessions were scheduled elsewhere) enabled company representatives to network with other exhibitors and discuss potential partnering opportunities. Also, our drawing (we gave away an iPad on the last day) created a buzz and provided an opening to introduce even more attendees to our offerings.

This show was a success! I enjoyed working with The DBA Shoppe again during Educomm and am looking forward to our next event together.

Why Pre-Show Training is Essential – Part 2

2011-06-15T08:00:00.009-04:00

In last week’s blog post, we started discussing the importance of pre-show training for your booth staff (read what you missed in last week’s blog post about adapting conversations according to each visitor’s specific situation). This week, we’ll continue our discussion with another benefit.

A properly trained booth staffer can also…

QUICKLY QUALIFY LEADS

FOR EFFICIENT FOLLOW UP

Expectations should have a prominent place in any training session. In this case, I am not only referring to your expectations regarding your team’s behavior in the booth, but it is also important to note the types of visitors you expect your staff to meet. Last week, we discussed how understanding this variation would help your staff connect with visitors, but this week, we expand upon that to discuss how your team’s understanding will help them move through the sales process and enable your sales team at home to stand out from the competition during follow up efforts.

First, you’ll want to sort through the list of companies scheduled to exhibit and those who may send representatives to attend (if you don’t already have this information, you can obtain it from the show management). When you consider your target audience, available offerings, and event goals, this group of professionals should be relatively easy to separate into categories. Then, you can prioritize these categories according to your personalized “hot to not” scale. Creating a short hand language and teaching it to your team will help your staff record pertinent information quickly and legibly so it can be conveyed to your sales team for follow up.

Trade shows tend to produce a flurry of activity so between the business cards, badge scanners, and lead sheets, the specific details you worked so hard to obtain may get lost if your team isn’t prepared to effectively and efficiently qualify those who visit your booth. Click here to request an e-mail based mini-series that can help you with the concept of “quality leads” and the steps discussed above.

This stage of your pre-show training provides a great opening for you to remind your team specifically who they should be looking for (especially any key clients and prospects – these are your “must see” attendees) as well as anyone they should politely avoid (like disgruntled past-employees and competitors who may be looking to stir up trouble – these are your “don’t see” attendees).

Key Training Items: expected visitors (by company, size, and type), defined target audience, priority ratings and “short hand” for qualifying notes, “must see” and “don’t see” attendees

I hope this information has been helpful to you so far, but don’t forget to check back in next week when we discuss one more benefit of pre-show training (and which items you need to include to obtain that benefit at your next event)!

NBM Show - BelQuette

2011-06-13T10:30:00.004-04:00

This weekend (June 9 to 11), I was in Indianapolis for my fifth event with BelQuette (read about our other events together here: ISS in Atlantic City, ISS in Orlando, ISS in Long Beach, SGIA in Las Vegas). This was their first time exhibiting at an NBM Show and their first time showing off a new booth design.

As at previous events, my responsibilities included welcoming attendees into our booth, assessing their need/interest in the available offerings, introducing them to the Mod-1 and PrintsRite bagged ink system, and scanning their badges before providing literature/samples to take home. We enjoyed connecting with attendees and other exhibitors in the booth and during the "After Hours" reception.

Even with a smaller team (some of our regular show team members stayed behind to work on the new offerings we hope to introduce during SGIA in New Orleans this fall), this event provided a great opportunity for BelQuette to connect with a new audience.

Why Pre-Show Training is Essential – Part 1

2011-06-08T08:00:00.012-04:00

When it comes to booth staff training, most exhibitors recognize that it is important and some may even have good intentions to provide this opportunity to their team; however, this training can quickly fall to the bottom of their pre-show to-do list during the busy weeks leading up to their events. In this week’s blog post, I hope to inspire you to bump pre-show training back up into the never ignored, “must do” part of your pre-show to-do list by highlighting some of the benefits you may miss otherwise.

A properly trained booth staffer can…

ADAPT THEIR CONVERSATIONS ACCORDING TO

EACH VISITOR'S SPECIFIC SITUATION

Above all else, when properly trained, your staff will be better able to communicate with your visitors, reflecting the fit between your company’s offerings and each attendee’s needs throughout their conversations.

During a long term sales cycle, there is plenty of time for “rapport building” and similar activities but, during a trade show, your on-site interactions should be brief and to the point. On the other hand, to make an attendee think your company cares about him or her specifically (which it does), the conversation should feel personal. To accomplish this, your staff must be prepared to provide relevant content and answers regardless of where the attendee fits into your spectrum of offerings.

Provide a refresher course on your company’s background (like how long you have been in business, where your offices are located, how you got to where you are now, and who the key staff members are moving forward); then highlight your available offerings. It is important to frame these topics within the context of the event at which you will be exhibiting and to introduce relevant industry terminology so that all of your staff can feel confident communicating with your visitors. It is unlikely that everyone who approaches your booth will have the same motivation for purchasing your offerings. Also, depending on what you sell, there may be some variation in the specific offerings your visitors will need.

Identifying the types of attendees and exhibitors who may come by your booth will be helpful to your staff as they prepare to tailor their conversations accordingly. Consider facilitating an exercise to let your team role play expected scenarios and become more comfortable switching between each one.

Key Training Items: company overview, offerings available, industry terminology, relationship between what you sell and who staff may meet

Next week, we will discuss another benefit of ensuring your booth staff is properly trained before the event. See you then!

Quick Tips

2011-06-01T08:00:00.004-04:00

...for “creating” time

1. Get a jump start

Before you start each day (whether it’s early that morning or the night before) confirm your activities and put together the items you will need to be successful. Taking a few extra minutes to organize yourself will save you time in “deciding” (read: "procrastinating") what to do or finding what is needed to do it.

2. Time yourself

Set a stopwatch while you complete basic tasks (like brushing your teeth) without distractions or multitasking. The added pressure of timing yourself will provide the focus/motivation you need to become more efficient.

3. Group your activities

Schedule like activities (like various phone calls, running errands in different parts of town, project work, etc) back-to-back to reduce the time spent transitioning between tasks.

4. Know your personality

Are you a morning person or an evening person? Schedule the tasks that require your most focused attention for the times of day it is easiest for you to be productive.

5. Set your alarm

Getting up earlier or staying up later by even 30 minutes will probably not significantly detract from how rested you feel, but it can provide you with extra uninterrupted time to complete tasks.

6. Don’t be afraid to say “no”

Most of you have heard this tip before, but you may still feel uncomfortable saying no. Whether it’s unsubscribing from a mailing list, firing a client, turning down a meeting, it’s okay to say no. In fact, there will be requests for your time that you must refuse to ensure that you will have that time to say yes to more pressing matters.

7. Make time for yourself

No one can be “on” 24/7/365. Determine how you recharge (whether it’s spending time with your family, working out, sitting quietly, or something else) and include time for that in your schedule. Think of this as an investment in your long term productivity.

8. Obtain assistance

Especially during busier times of year, call on your friends and family for help (show your appreciation and pay it back/forward however you can). Also, consider hiring an outside source to provide some assistance with tasks you can’t (or don’t care to) complete.

CIM - FWS Group

2011-05-25T10:00:00.008-04:00

This week (May 22 to 24), I was working with the FWS Group in Montreal at the CIM Exhibition. The FWS Group provides construction services and, at this event, we were highlighting their work specifically with those in the mining industry.

To prepare for the CIM Exposition, I reviewed our previous meeting notes (although CIM was our first full event together, this was my second time working with the FWS Group - I had also provided some pre-show consulting services to help with their planning for this event) and studied the company website as well as other available literature. Once I arrived in Canada, I had an opportunity to sit down for a meeting with a few representatives to further discuss their goals for this event and the information we would be sharing with attendees on-site.

My main responsibilities were to welcome attendees into our booth, assess their level of interest in/need for our offerings, and to collect/share pertinent information. Although other exhibitors may have had difficulty in maximizing their time during this event, we found that the relaxed atmosphere at CIM provided an excellent opportunity to network with current clients, potential partners, and other industry contacts. For example, because their booth was properly represented for the duration of the show, each FWS Group company representative was able to take the time to go out and about (enjoying informal meetings, evening receptions, and other work functions in Montreal).

This was a productive event for the FWS Group. I enjoyed working with their team and we all had a great time strengthening those industry connections.

Mental "Spring Cleaning"

2011-05-25T08:00:00.047-04:00

Before spring fades fully into the rapidly approaching summer season, I’d like to take a few minutes for some last minute (mental) “spring cleaning.” Take out a pen and paper (or open a text document) and, as you read the following questions, just write whatever comes to mind.

(1) What are your biggest concerns?

--- Look at your list and select one of these concerns to focus on for now ---

(2) Which specific issues comprise this concern (in other words, which little problems are building upon one another to create/add to the concern you selected)?

(3) How do you imagine your life would look if those issues didn’t exist any more? Pretend you are watching your future self in a movie or looking at a picture of your future self …how would you feel? …what would you do? …where would you be? …which aspects of your life would be the same/different?

(4) List anything you have been missing or unable to do/participate in that, if the life you have imagined was actually your real life, you could experience.

(5) What are the most off the wall, out there ways these issues could be resolved/removed? Nothing is too crazy for this answer – your solutions don’t even have to be possible.

(6) What are the most ordinary ways these issues could be resolved/removed? These solutions don’t have to be preferable, just ones that anyone else might recommend.

(7) Taking into consideration the spectrum of ideas you have written and any others you have now, what would be the ideal solution?

(8) How can you chip away at this problem? Break it down: what steps would you take to get from your current situation to your ideal solution?

(9) Who has access to the resources required for each step?

(10) How will you proceed? When will you contact the necessary resources and complete each of the steps you have listed? Also, by extension, when will you be enjoying the life you imagined in questions 3-4?

--- Mark these dates (your answer to question 10) on your calendar and stick to them. Refer back to your end goal (the life you have imagined in questions 3-4) often through out this process to remind yourself why you must continue to make these efforts a priority ---

After you have completed this process for the selected concern, start over with step one (in eliminating this first concern, you may find that others will have disappeared as well) and repeat steps 2-10 until you have removed/repaired all of the concerns that were troubling you. My hope is that, as you begin to experience the positive results you have planned for and worked towards over the coming weeks, this process will become enjoyable and you may choose to include it in your routine as a way to continuously improve your life and maintain a healthy stress level.

Have a safe and happy summer! Also, please don't forget to come back and let me know how this exercise has helped you by sharing your experience in the comments section below.

Should you Sell when Sick and Tired?

2011-05-18T08:00:00.008-04:00

Recently, I came across an article which, from the title, I expected to provide some tips for selling when one is feeling “tapped out” (we have all had those days, right?). However, instead of a motivational how-to style advice column, it seemed that the author was suggesting that when one is feeling this way, he or she should not be selling at all. I was even more surprised when I read the comments because they all seemed to agree with the author’s opinion. So, perhaps it’s the competitive small business owner mentality in me, but just feeling a bit under the weather doesn’t make the choice to “not sell” an easy one and it doesn’t make me feel like I’d be “better off” taking a day to recover (assuming there was a choice to be made) without some serious thought.

For today’s blog post, I’d like to share a different opinion** on this subject and some ideas on how I’d recommend weighing your options.

The main considerations when deciding if you should proceed with your sales responsibilities at all (due to your emotional/physical health) are:

(1) Extent of illness (are you suffering from a stubbed toe, some distractions in your personal life, or the plague?)

(2) Urgency of responsibility (are you scheduled for another set of daily prospecting calls or to attend a trade show that only occurs once a year? If it is the former, also consider the timing. For example, if today is Friday, could you complete your work for today and then be sick during the weekend?)

(3) Necessity of your involvement (is there someone else who could stand in for you with relative ease or do you need to be the person to take care of things? Be honest…)

As you know, with or without you, another work day will transpire. However, as long as you are not also contagious, if your illness is not extensive, your responsibilities are urgent, or your involvement is necessary, consider “Option One.” Otherwise, choose “Option Two” but only after you have made the appropriate accommodations, as below.

Option One: Power Through

If you choose to power through your sales responsibilities, commit to them fully (no excuses). Understanding that you are not feeling 100% leads to an understanding that you must work harder to obtain the same results. Instead of trying to multitask like you do on other days, focus your attention on one task at a time. Taking copious notes while working on a creative or interpersonal task will help you to remain engaged and remember the details afterwards. Drink plenty of water, don’t forget to eat, and monitor your condition (if you start feeling worse despite best efforts, take a mini-break to collect yourself and reevaluate your health before returning to work). Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Trust in the support system you have built to share some of your responsibilities and/or hire additional assistance so that you can focus on your most important action items while the others are taken care of as well.

Option Two: Make Time to Recover

If you choose to make time to recover, make the most of that time. After prioritizing the tasks you had intended on accomplishing and considering your resources, delegate what you can and reschedule anything you can’t. At the very least, provide instructions to your assistant so that he can pass along your sincere apologies. Then, focus on yourself by resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and following your doctor’s advice for treatment. Also, don’t replace work life stressors with personal life stressors during your time away. It may be difficult to shut out distractions, but you must focus fully on your recovery while you can because, if you don’t, you may have to repeat this whole process again tomorrow (which puts you even further behind, adding to your workload and stress when you return).

You know yourself better that I do, so, although this choice can be a challenge for dedicated professionals like you and me, I hope these comments will provide the perspective necessary to help you make the right decision for yourself.

** DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional. Regardless of work concerns, your health is important; to ensure appropriate care, I would encourage you to seek the advice of a qualified medical professional whenever you are feeling under the weather.

Compare your Results to "Trade Show Trends"

2011-05-11T08:00:00.016-04:00

In the April 2011 issue of Exhibitor Magazine, an article called “Trade Show Trends” was published. This article highlighted various statistics from an annual survey (completed by Exhibit Surveys, Inc) of attendees at more than 30 U.S. trade shows that took place in 2010.

As you read the following statistics (all of which are listed in the above article), I would encourage you to take some time to reflect on your previous event efforts.

- Cost -

STATISTIC: Exhibitors spent an average of $189 per “attendee who entered their exhibits” and an average of $276 per “attendee with whom a face-to-face conversation took place in their exhibits.”

…For every attendee who walked by your booth, how many came inside? For every attendee who entered your exhibit, how many stayed for a conversation with one of your representatives?

Divide your average costs by your total number of visitors/conversations and compare your results to the average, as above. To improve your ROI, consider the way in which your staff greets attendees (to encourage them to enter your booth) and their preparedness to proceed through introductions to a brief, but meaningful, conversation.

- Quality -

STATISTIC: On average, about 80% of attendees at all 2010 shows “have the power to recommend or make final purchasing decisions.”

… For every face-to-face conversation that took place in your exhibit, how many of those were with quality leads?

Divide, from your total volume of leads obtained, the ones with buying power and compare your results to the average, as above. To improve your percentage of quality leads, consider the fit of the shows at which you exhibit, the way in which your booth design, pre-show promotions, and staff are drawing visitors in, and how your team is allocating their time with each guest.

- Potential -

STATISTIC: The percentage of “attendees who plan[ned] to buy within 12 months of a show… seems to moving in the right direction.” This value is up (from 47% of attendees in 2009) to an average of 50% at all shows in 2010.

For every quality lead you encountered, how many of those did your team actually follow up with? For every follow up effort, how many of those resulted in a sale within the following 12 months?

Divide your sales (to attendees who visited your booth, within 12 months of the event) by the total number of attendees who visited your booth and compare your results to the average, as above. To improve your sales, consider your follow up efforts (how realistic your plan is so that it can be followed and how those leads are transitioned/nurtured through the selling process).

- Reputation -

STATISTIC: Nearly a third (31 percent) of attendees surveyed “reported that their purchase intentions were more favorable after visiting companies’ exhibits.”

… For every prospect who had been researching your company without your knowledge, how many did you encounter on-site? For every prospect you had encountered outside of your exhibit before the event, how many did you encounter again while exhibiting? For every encounter, how much did your efforts improve their impression of your company?

This statistic may be a bit more difficult to personalize fully; however, through surveys and other methods, you can approximate your exhibiting impact and compare the value of your trade show presence to the average, as above. To improve these results, consider the experience your visitors enjoy when they encounter your company’s booth, from start to finish (every little detail matters).

Although these statistics reflect the “all show” averages and the numbers may vary according to your industry or specific events, they do provide a great place to start when you are evaluating your company’s recent exhibiting efforts. If these numbers are not easily accessible for your last several shows, consider adding them to your list of post-show ROI calculations so you can continue to improve your results during future events.

Note: As always, if there is anything I can do to help you with any of the above items, please let me know. To refresh your memory, my company, When I Need Help (WINH), offers on-site sales and marketing support as well as pre-/post-event consulting services – I’d love to help in any way I can.

Determine your Involvement Style

2011-05-04T08:00:00.011-04:00

... the results to last week's quiz

In last week’s blog post, you completed a quiz to determine your involvement style (if you haven’t done so yet, go back to answer the questions now). Keep reading to match your score to one of the following styles.

SCORING:

Mostly As - "Independent Overachiever"

Mostly Bs - "Splitting Time"

Mostly Cs - "Party Like It's..."

Mostly Ds - "Do as you're Told"

Mostly Es - "Delegate, Delegate, Delegate"

Independent Overachiever

You view exhibiting as one of the most important marketing efforts your company will engage in all year. Knowing no one else can do as good a job as you can, you take the entire burden on your shoulders. You will do whatever it takes to make sure that your company succeeds.

You can be found… in the booth (practically 24/7 while you’re in the convention city).

So what? Trying to do everything by yourself generally means that something will be missed (even if that something is just an appropriate amount of sleep). Don’t spend another minute deciding between the proverbial bird in the hand and two in the bush. Find some help: train your existing staff or hire a consultant with your best interests in mind. You will be surprised by how much better able you are to manage the rest of your life before, during, and after your event with just a little breathing room on-site.

Splitting Time

You view exhibiting as a necessary evil. You know you need to be there (if nothing else, you have to make back your investment – trade shows are expensive) but you have more pressing matters at home that require your attention. It can be hard to decide where you are needed most, so you try to do both. You multitask.

You can be found… on your phone or laptop in the booth, hotel room, or hallway (as long as your phone/internet connection is strong).

So what? Whether or not you believe there is value in exhibiting, your company won’t enjoy the maximum benefits if proper attention isn’t being paid to your on-site efforts. Your home office will feel neglected and your visitors will feel ignored; because you cannot provide your full attention to either, your continual state of distraction will be apparent to all. Consider acquiring some assistance to take care of your office while you’re away or to focus fully on representing your company in the booth.

Party like it’s…

You view exhibiting as the perfect excuse to mix and mingle in a new city. You do lunches, dinners, and drinks with clients, partners, and old friends. Networking should be your middle name because you are the life of the party both day and night during the events you attend. You spare no expense – this isn’t just work, it’s a working vacation and you’re going to enjoy it.

You can be found… at the golf courses, fancy restaurants, and evening receptions (good times follow you).

So what? All of the after hours networking may mean that your team can’t count on you for anything before noon. Shifting the time you have allotted for networking from late at night to morning hours (i.e. for coffee or breakfast instead of club hopping) will increase your productivity and enable you to be more available to your staff should any challenges arise. Lead by example – look and feel your best (even early in the morning, get up and to your booth before the show opens).

Do as you’re Told

You view exhibiting as any other work day. Extensive planning has been completed before you arrive on-site so that the booth remains adequately staffed; you know which clothes to wear, what words to say, and when you’re supposed to be somewhere. You do a good job in the booth, just as you do in the office, but, as far as you’re concerned, exhibiting isn’t anything special.

You can be found… wherever the schedule tells you to be (otherwise, it’s nobody’s business).

So what? Balance is important, as is fulfilling your responsibilities; however, the opportunities available to you while exhibiting are endless. On your own time, take full advantage by attending educational sessions, visiting with important contacts, considering potential areas of improvement for future events, and getting a jump start on other time sensitive tasks (like follow up).

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

You view exhibiting as an opportunity for your team to excel. After months of preparation (scheduling, training, purchasing, etc), you are confident in your staff’s ability to execute your vision. You supervise their efforts as needed, but you aren’t in the convention city to get your hands dirty.

You can be found… anywhere you want (your staff has everything covered).

So what? Although your team can respect your position and your authority to choose how you will spend your time at events, by the end of the show week, they may begin to resent you. However, a little good will goes a long way. Trade shows provide an excellent opening to build morale amongst your team members; so spend as much quality time in your booth as you can and share your sincere appreciation with each of your staff members.

Determine your Involvement Style

2011-04-27T08:00:00.018-04:00

... a quiz for exhibitors

I always say that every client and event is unique. One of the ways I have found exhibitors to differ is in how they are typically involved on-site. For today’s blog post, I have created a quick quiz so you can determine which style best suits you.

(1) On the plane ride over, how do you spend your time?

A – Sleeping; because once you land, you won’t have much time for anything outside of ensuring your company’s trade show success.

B – Putting the finishing touches on a report you have been working on non-stop for your biggest client.

C – Chatting with those seated around you.

D – Glancing through your travel information, schedule, and talking points before relaxing however you please.

E – Napping a little, eating a snack, watching a movie, or reading a book.

(2) When you arrive in the convention city, what do you do first?

A – Pick up your badge from registration, ensure that your materials made it to the booth safely, and start setting up your booth.

B – Check your voicemail and e-mail. Then, call your administrative assistant to correct the latest crisis at home.

C – Order a drink from the lobby bar and scope out the crowd to see whom you may want to meet.

D – Check into your room and get ready for that evening’s team dinner.

E – Call over to your team at the convention center to ensure that your booth has been set up as planned so you can relax however you please.

(3) During the afternoon of your first show day, where can you be found?

A – In the booth, of course!

B – In the booth waiting for attendees, that is, when you aren’t in the aisle taking important phone calls.

C – Tasting whiskey or wine at the various booths sponsoring open bars and mingling with other guests.

D – You are scheduled for booth duty until 2pm and, after a quick client meeting at 2:30, you have the rest of the day to yourself.

E – Walking around the exhibit hall, exploring the city, or having lunch with VIP contacts.

(4) Then, on the last morning, where can you be found?

A – In the booth (as always).

B – Finishing up a conference call that ran over with your home office before making your way down to the booth.

C – Sleeping in until you have to get ready for your lunch appointment with a prospect.

D – You are scheduled for tear down that afternoon, so you don’t have to be anywhere in particular at that time.

E – You may stop by the booth, just to check in with your team briefly; but, then you’ll be out and about to enjoy your last day in the convention city.

(5) Oh no! There is a crisis in the booth! How do you handle this?

A – Solve the problem and then solve all of the smaller problems that were caused by your absence while solving the original problem.

B – Triage; depending on the crisis, you choose between continuing to fight fires remotely for the home office and the ones on-site.

C – No worries; you don’t let anything stress you out. You make reservations at the best steakhouse in the city and plan to smooth everything over with an expensive dinner.

D – You do whatever the protocol says; that’s why a Plan B, C, D, and E were created after all.

E – Break up the main issue into more manageable tasks and assign all of the tasks to capable members of your team for resolution.

(6) What is your favorite part of the exhibiting process?

A – A quite moment within the chaos to reflect on the success your hard work has produced.

B – Heading home; you feel guilty being away from your office for so long.

C – Meeting new people – prospects, clients, partners, anyone!

D – Hmm… You hadn’t ever thought of it that way; trade shows feel the same to you as any other work day.

E – You enjoy the entire show; it is a wonderful change of pace to not be bogged down with so many responsibilities.

Come back next week to score your quiz and find out what your answers mean ... OR, if you can't wait until next Wednesday's blog post, opt-in to the WINH General Information mailing list for a sneak peek of the results!

April Photo Shoot

2011-04-22T11:00:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month, I worked with Bob Clarke of Imagine This Photography to shoot some images for his fantastic new studio in Gatlinburg. Here are a few of my favorites:

What "Celebrity Apprentice" can Teach Exhibitors

2011-04-20T08:00:00.022-04:00

Do you watch the Celebrity Apprentice? If you don’t, you may be surprised by the parallels between this show and exhibiting...

http://www.nbc.com/the-apprentice/

In this week’s episode, the teams were tasked with performing cooking demonstrations for a live studio audience on behalf of Omaha Steaks. For Team Backbone, Meatloaf was appointed as the “chef” (despite his admitted lack of cooking experience). Drama plagued the men’s team, but remembering their charities motivated the contestants to do their best. On stage, Meatloaf remained calm and added value to the team’s presentation by engaging the audience, providing helpful cooking tips, and ensuring that all dishes were prepared correctly within the allotted time. His performance was praised heavily by the executives/judges (they even mentioned that, based on this presentation, Meatloaf could be a real spokesperson for their company); however, off stage, he expressed his personal discomfort and frustration in performing without adequate time to prepare.

Although the women’s team wasn’t without issues of their own, the drama on the men’s team proved to be a greater issue (at least where “winning” and “losing” was concerned). Meatloaf and the other members of Team Backbone cited their project manager’s poor time management/organizational skills as the cause of their problems.

I can relate and, unfortunately, your staff may be able to relate as well. I work in events full time so I can certainly appreciate (and promote) the need for flexibility; however, for example, just because I can learn volumes about your company on the fly and politely find an excuse or solution (when meeting with attendees) for the lack of planning/organization in your booth, doesn't mean I enjoy it (which is a shame, because events can be very enjoyable with proper planning!). Most likely, your staff feels the same way. Although your attendees don't see or (hopefully) feel the effects of the chaos that occurs "off stage," your staff does and it impacts their overall feelings towards the event and, sometimes, your company.

Hopefully this is not an issue for you but, if it is, here are four things we can take away from this episode:

(1) Place your staff in positions that suit them.

As professionals who take pride in their work (just as the celebrities care about their charities), your staff will likely try their best to ensure your company’s success while exhibiting. However, by matching your staff to the available opportunities in your booth (according to their interest and experience), you will enable them to excel without as much stress. Even if you only make this small change during your next event, you will enjoy a noticeable difference in team morale, personal interactions on-site, and your overall results.

(2) Provide your staff with necessary education.

You already have a program in place for training new staffers (right?), but hopefully you haven't forgotten that even the most seasoned veterans also require continued education to ensure your messaging is current and consistent for all visitors. Meatloaf said, “I have never gone into a situation where I didn’t rehearse,” and your trade show efforts should be no different. Take the time to rehearse specific situations (role playing may feel silly but can be helpful in solidifying understanding), review the “company approved” answers to common questions, and discuss the event itself (to provide your staff with an understanding of what they will encounter on-site).

(3) Outline your expectations for your staff.

John Rich said, “In Celebrity Apprentice, time is everything,” and one could argue that, in exhibiting, this statement also applies. Your staff needs to know when you expect them to be where, what the guidelines are for their activities before, during, and after the event, as well as how they can help your company to achieve its goals. Preparing a packet with relevant administrative information and distributing it to those involved well before the event provides the opportunity for your staff to manage their time appropriately, which provides you with the opportunity to enjoy a smooth execution.

(4) Lead your team.

Finally, as the leader of your team, you must set an example (this was a big issue for Team Backbone). If you appear to be in control of the situation, your team will feel more comfortable following you. If your team can see that you are maximizing your time for work during the event, they will feel motivated to put forth an extra effort as well. As a leader, it is also important that you are supportive of your staff. This can be done easily by making time to check in with your staff members individually, asking for their input, and listening actively to their thoughts. When issues arise, address them directly with your team and be confident as you convey solutions.

Before you leave this post, take another minute to reflect upon your recent/upcoming events. How do you typically handle the general planning/preparations, on-site execution, and post-show wrap up/follow up efforts? Does/will your team know exactly what they are getting themselves into before each event or, despite your (lack of) best efforts, do things just happen to come together at the last minute, producing reasonable results? If you applied what we have learned from the Celebrity Apprentice this week, how could your situation be improved in the future?

RFID Journal Live! - RFID Global Solution

2011-04-15T10:00:00.007-04:00

Last week (April 12 to 14, 2011), I was in Orlando at the RFID Journal Live! event with RFID Global Solution (speaking of, do you remember when I worked with this company at IBM Pulse in Las Vegas?). Our booth had an aerospace theme to highlight the work RFID Global does in the aerospace and defense industry for clients like Boeing.

During this event, RFID Global Solution was represented by a team of its employees and partners in both our main 20x30 booth as well as at a podium in a partner's booth. However, this company's reach wasn't limited to these areas alone; Diana Hage (CEO) had a few speaking engagements, RFID Global was an application sponsor, and the various giveaway items created quite a buzz.

I was responsible for managing our main podium. I qualified attendees before introducing them to the most appropriate company representative(s), scanned their badges and edited contact information as needed, and providing literature (or squishy airplanes, space shuttles, transforming pens, and brightly colored bags) to our visitors. In order to do this properly, I had to know where our company representatives were at any given time, which opportunities were available to our visitors (like the flight simulator in our booth, presentations elsewhere, and Visi-Trac demonstrations, etc), and company/industry facts most applicable to current/prospective clients as well as current/potential partners.

Overall, this was a successful event for RFID Global Solution. By generating quality leads and boosting industry awareness, RFID Global Solution had cause for celebration.

Quick Tips

2011-04-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

... for improved telephone conversations

1. Respect their time

Either request an appointment (be on time) or call within their preferred phone schedule (avoid hours typically reserved for sleeping, family, and other commitments).

2. Prepare yourself

Outline the specific topics you’d like to discuss and do any research necessary to enable a productive conversation.

3. Minimize distractions

Step away from your computer, turn down your music player, and isolate yourself to allow for complete focus during your phone calls.

4. Smile while you talk

Not only will a smile help you to maintain your positive attitude, but smiling can be heard in your tone.

5. Speak clearly

Especially when leaving a message, slow your speech and enunciate each word to ensure that you are understood.

6. Verify or repeat important information

Provide the listener with an opportunity to confirm that they heard the important information (like spelling, phone numbers, meeting times, pricing, etc) you said as you meant for them to.

7. Follow through with your promises

Whether you have promised to send an article, make an introduction, or something else, completing this action within the time frame you had discussed shows the listener that you care.

8. Remember discussion items for future conversations

Take notes if needed to recall the opinions, experiences, and other thoughts shared. In remembering the specifics of your conversation, less time will be wasted on repetition in the future and the listener will appreciate your effort.

Handling Interruptions - Scenario Three

2011-04-06T08:00:00.007-04:00

Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing different interruptions you may encounter while exhibiting (like when your colleague interrupts your conversation with an attendee and when an attendee interrupts your conversation with a colleague). This week, we will consider one final scenario…

Today’s Scenario: While working in your company’s trade show booth, you are speaking with an attendee who asks you a question to which you do not know the answer. The person who does know the answer is in your booth, but is currently talking to another staff member or an attendee.

What do you do?

(A) Make something up. Problem solved; no interruption needed.

(B) Tell the attendee that you aren’t sure but can find out. Make a note in your lead retrieval system and plan to follow up later.

(C) Point out the proper contact at your company and let the attendee decide whether or not she’d like to wait for an answer.

(D) Walk over to your colleague and stand awkwardly close to him until he asks what you need.

(E) Interrupt your colleague (as politely as possible) and request that he come to speak to the attendee or tell you the answer right away.

This scenario is our toughest one yet because the most appropriate solution could be different from one encounter to the next. You will have to weigh the importance of the attendee and urgency of her question against the availability of your colleague (who he’s talking to and how important that conversation might be). Let’s consider your options.

First, we can quickly eliminate option (A). Although, it’s not uncommon for some booth staffers to take this easy way out, I would not recommend it. Depending on the answer you provide, it could cause serious problems for your company (especially if you promise something you cannot deliver).

Option (B) is a good start to helping the attendee because you should document any encounter on-site anyway. If your booth is busy or you can’t justify interrupting your colleague (assuming your company has a plan in place and will actually follow up in a timely manner), this is your best option. The attendee may choose to take a quick walk and come back later, during which you can obtain the information. If the attendee plans on waiting, you may choose to provide any relevant and available literature as well as a business card for the company representative who can help, if it makes sense to do so.

On the other hand, if you aren’t quite sure whether or not your attendee’s question is important/urgent enough to interrupt your colleague (perhaps, you aren’t sure who he’s talking to or aren’t completely confident your follow up team will return an answer later), you may consider option (C). Although I wouldn’t recommend being awkward about it, standing close to your colleague can be helpful in making your decision. If your colleague’s conversation can be interrupted, he is likely to notice you and ask how he can help. If your colleague is just making small talk, you may be able to find a brief opening to politely ask for the information you need. However, just remember that, while you are waiting, your attendee is not only waiting but also watching you wait; this can be awkward too.

Finally, option (D) is a great fit for anytime you are confident that your attendee’s question is more important/urgent than the conversation your colleague is having (for example, perhaps your attendee is a hot lead or your colleague is chatting with one of your company’s other representatives). When employing this option, be sure to listen to the answer your colleague provides so that you won’t be dependent on him next time that question is asked… and don’t forget your manners (not only is it the right thing to do, but also remember that your attendee is watching the interaction).

In each of the scenarios we have discussed over the past few weeks, one of the most important considerations should be your reaction in the moment. In order to ensure that you will choose to react appropriately and to enable your team to do the same, I would strongly encourage you to facilitate a similar discussion during your training before the event.

Can you think of any other scenarios in which you may encounter an interruption while exhibiting? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Handling Interruptions - Scenario Two

2011-03-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

Last week, we discussed what you might do if your colleague interrupts you while you are talking with an attendee. This week, we will discuss a different scenario… Also, don’t forget to come back next week when we tackle one final interruption.

Today's Scenario: You are chatting with one of your colleagues during a slow time in the exhibit hall. You could be gossiping about drama in your home office or getting to know one another’s background, it could be even be something related to work… but while your colleague is talking, you happen to look up and notice an attendee walking by your booth.

What do you think you’re “supposed to” do in this scenario?

What would you actually do if it happened to you?

(A) This wouldn’t happen to you – you never, ever talk to other representatives during expo hours, especially while you’re working in the booth.

(B) Finish your conversation with your colleague, trusting that the attendee will come back if they have a real interest/need.

(C) Wait for your colleague to finish his sentence, say “excuse me,” and then try to catch the attendee with one of your standard opening lines. When that doesn’t work, shrug it off and get back to your conversation.

(D) Look up at the attendee and say hello, if they stop, ask if they may be interested in your company/offering/industry. After they leave, continue your conversation with your colleague.

In my experience, I have found that option (A) is typically a lie told by exhibitors who haven’t obtained the results they were looking for during the event. Although it sounds like the best answer on the surface, it may not be realistic (after all, you were likely to have been selected for booth duty due to your outgoing personality and talkative nature). So, let’s set this option aside for now and come back to it later.

Moving on…

Most often, I observe exhibitors who choose option (B); although, in doing so, they are portraying to attendees that they think their conversation is much more important than meeting a potential client. This is a problem because, while your company may be the only one who does exactly what you do exactly how you do it, if your behavior is offensive enough, your prospects may be swayed to look elsewhere for a lesser product that comes with better customer service.

On the other hand, option (C) sounds like it may be a good choice because you are politely excusing yourself from your conversation and trying to encounter another attendee; however, to walk past your booth (or at least past the area in which you can communicate effectively without shouting) only a few second are required. In the time it takes to say “excuse me” and then your opening line (let alone the time it takes to listen to your colleague finish his sentence), your attendee is probably on to the next booth.

Obviously (or at least I hope it’s obvious), I would recommend option (D). In this option, you are making your prospective clients your first priority while still enjoying your time in the booth responsibly. Your colleague should not be offended by this interruption because your purpose in being at the event is to engage attendees and bring home the contact information of qualified leads. You may consider discussing this scenario with your team before the show opens so that you can ensure there are no hard feelings during the event and that all of your colleagues will also be focused on achieving your company’s goals.

Before we wrap this up for today, I’d like to acknowledge a simple fact. Sometimes an attendee who is interested enough (and whose personality supports this) will return, wait, or interrupt a conversation between staff members to ask about your company’s offerings; however, a much larger percentage of potentially interested attendees will not. To maximize your opportunity to engage those attendees, I’d encourage you to share the following tips with your team:

(1) Embrace your outgoing personality. In case you are still wondering why option (A) isn’t my top recommendation, this is why: it is more important to the success of your on-site efforts that you appear to be enjoying yourself (in a professional manner) than that you do not speak with your colleagues while waiting for attendees to walk past your booth. As humans, we are more attracted to someone who is smiling and appears to be enjoying himself than to someone staring pleasantly (or, if you’re like most staffers who are forced to stand in silence, resentfully) into nothingness.

(2) Pay attention to your surroundings. Keep conversation topics light and any discussions brief so you can shift your focus to others as soon as you notice them. It is important that, although you are chatting with your colleague, you are also actively watching for any attendees who may be interested in your offerings (remember, this is your first priority - you are not being rude to your colleague, you are simply doing your job).

(3) Use appropriate body language. Stand up (even if your feet hurt or there are chairs in your booth), open your stance towards the aisle (instead of facing your colleague directly), uncross your arms, and smile. Remembering these small changes makes you appear to be more approachable and enables attendees to feel less like you are bothered when their presence interrupts your conversation.

(4) Include others in your fun. Make an effort to speak with everyone who passes by (even if they are exhibitors), especially when the show traffic has slowed. This way, no one feels excluded and you are more likely to make a meaningful connection with a potential (and perhaps, unexpected) client or partner. When one person outside of your company appears to be enjoying their time in your booth, others will follow.

Handling Interruptions - Scenario One

2011-03-23T08:00:00.025-04:00

Working in a trade show booth can be hectic, which means it is highly unlikely that any staffer will make it through an entire event without being interrupted or having to consider interrupting someone else. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some of the most common scenarios where this happens and then I’ll explain how you can handle each interruption with class.

Today's Scenario: You are listening to an attendee explain what they do, why they are attending this event, and where your offerings may be most relevant. The conversation is going very well. Then they make a statement or ask a question that indicates their specific interest in what you offer and just as you are about to respond, your colleague pops out of no where with the exact same statement (but less eloquently, of course) that you were about to make.

Have you ever experienced this? What would you do next?

You have a few choices:

(A) Stand awkwardly between them so you can listen as they speak over you.

(B) Back out of the conversation gracefully and allow your colleague to take over.

(D) Politely thank your colleague for sharing and elaborate on the answer to the attendee.

If you are not confident about the topic at hand, (A) may seem like a logical choice. However, I’d recommend an improvement; take a step back and turn your body toward the aisle so that you can be attentive to any other attendees who may walk by your booth while you are listening in to your colleague’s explanation. If you choose this option, remember the answer and ask any clarifying questions after the attendee leaves so that you can feel confident answering similar questions when they are asked again in the future.

If the event is particularly busy, your colleague holds a more senior position in your company, or if your colleague is an expert on the specific application the attendee will require, (B) may be a good choice. After assuring that your colleague will continue the conversation and take care of your contact, you can step away and seek out the next attendee who will walk by your booth.

Quite the opposite of (B), I cannot think of a situation in which I would recommend (C). This behavior is extremely abrasive, immature, and appears desperate. Engaging in a shouting match with another representative (especially directly in front of a potential client) reflects very poorly on your company and yourself.

Finally, there is (D). In most situations, this would be your best option because it allows you to regain control of the encounter without causing a scene and to maintain the reputation you have built with that attendee as a competent professional. Physically turning your body to thank your colleague and then turning back to the attendee to add more value to the conversation will reinforce with your colleague that you’d prefer to continue without his assistance.

If you notice that you are experiencing this scenario more often than you’d like (even if “more often” is once) or that you are particularly bothered by the interruption (so much so that it affects your other encounters), it is important that you take steps to remedy this as soon as it is appropriate.

When you both have a free moment, pull your colleague aside and ask if there is a reason why he chooses to interject himself into your encounters. Listen to what he says (there may be a weakness upon which you could improve, your colleague may have some anxiety in approaching attendees "cold," or he may not realize he is stepping on your toes). According to what is said, you can appreciate the feedback and work towards improving yourself, share advice to assist with an issue your colleague is experiencing, and/or ask that he become aware of how the interruption is affecting you and refrain from doing it in the future. This conversation, when done away from the booth in a calm and respectful manner, can improve the in-booth experience for everyone involved.

Next week, we will talk about another scenario that you may encounter while working in your company’s trade show booth and how to handle that interruption with class too. Stay tuned!

Quick Tips

2011-03-16T08:00:00.036-04:00

...for reducing everyday stress

1. Make a list

List all of the people, activities, and other influences in your life that are stressful to you and write them down so that you can view a complete picture of your situation. Don’t leave anything off of your list, no matter how silly or insignificant it seems now.

2. Classify your stress

Some stress is good and some stress is necessary – which kind are you experiencing? If your stress is neither good nor necessary, determine why it is impacting you.

3. Prioritize

Reorganize your list of stressors according to how heavily they weigh on your life.

4. Determine actionable steps

Be creative in finding ways to improve your situation and make a plan to incorporate the options that fit your current needs and resources. Write down your next steps in a logical order.

5. Work towards solutions

Start at the top of your list (this may be the stressor weighing on you the most heavily or the one weighing the least - your choice) and focus on what you can do about it by referring to the steps you have written for this stressor.

6. Choose a coping mechanism

Improvement takes time. While you're working on your situation, select a constructive coping mechanism to help you deal with the underlying issues in a healthy way. For example, structured breathing, working out, and journaling can be good ways to handle stress.

7. If all else fails, distract yourself

Just kidding! But seriously, sometimes all it takes to come back to your life with a fresh perspective and renewed spirit is a quick time out. Enjoy a brief distraction, but set a time limit for this and stick to it.

8. Monitor your progress

Bring out your stress list periodically to assess your progress. Update your list by removing stressors that are no longer affecting you and add any new ones as they arise. Celebrate your success and continue working towards a healthy balance.

ISS Atlantic City - BelQuette

2011-03-14T08:00:00.005-04:00

This weekend (March 11 to 13), I was in Atlantic City to help BelQuette with their final ISS Show of the year. This was my fourth show with BelQuette (read more about our work at ISS - Orlando 2011, ISS - Long Beach 2011, and SGIA 2010 in Las Vegas).

ISS - Atlantic City went well for BelQuette. We stayed very busy interacting with new partners, current clients, and interested attendees (both in the booth and during the t-shirt forums evening reception). Aside from teaching attendees about the unique offerings currently available from BelQuette and hinting at some of the exciting developments coming soon, we enjoyed learning about the specific needs of our visitors to better determine how the Mod-1 and other products would be most helpful. As you may have guessed, my responsibilities on-site remained consistent with the ISS events I had participated in previously.

Also, before arriving in Atlantic City, I had completed a few consulting projects for BelQuette, so it was great to further discuss implementation and recommended next steps in person. I am looking forward to seeing how their event efforts will evolve in the near future.

Pyramid of Staffing Options

2011-03-09T08:00:00.048-05:00

Your booth staff represents your company during events. So, before we continue with today's blog post, I'd like you to take a minute to think about how you are being represented... If we were to create a pyramid to illustrate what the attendees are looking for from the staff they find in your booth, it may look like this:

Just as with any pyramid, this one is built from the base to the top.

Tier One: Is anyone there?

As an exhibitor, at a minimum you must ensure that someone is in your booth for any hours the exhibit hall is open for two reasons. First, this is required (or “strongly encouraged”) by show management and, second, this affects your company’s image. When your booth is not staffed, it appears that your company doesn’t care enough about their prospective clients to show up and meet them in person. To accommodate the meetings, sessions, and other responsibilities your representatives will have to deal with during the event, consider scheduling your team for shifts of “booth duty” and/or hiring a capable hostess to maintain your presence while everyone else is away.

Tier Two: Is anyone engaging attendees?

Once you have scheduled adequate coverage for your booth, you’ll want to consider how the staffers you have chosen are representing your company. Their attitudes, demeanor, and apparent interest in interacting with attendees will impact the volume of visitors who come into your booth. Remind your staff to smile and follow the “be a good booth staffer” tips you have all read before. Then, if all else fails, remove the chairs for a little extra motivation (and, to inspire their cooperation even without chairs, spring for the double padded carpet).

Tier Three: Can anyone speak intelligently

about your offerings?

After ensuring that your representatives will be facilitating positive interactions in your booth, you can shift your focus to their ability to converse with your visitors in a clear and confident manner. Attendees come to the exhibit hall to learn about the offerings available to them, so it is important that your staff is capable of clearly conveying your value proposition. To prepare your staff, teach them what you do, who you help, and how that applies to the attendees they will meet. To support their encounters on-site, be sure to provide applicable literature as well.

Tier Four: Can anyone answer questions?

Talking about your offerings is one thing, but answering questions about them is another. Select booth staff who can answer questions patiently and competently so that attendees feel their needs are important to you and that your company is qualified to assist them as clients. To accomplish this, your staff will require additional training (you may consider role playing a variety of frequently asked questions to help them prepare). This is very worthwhile because another benefit of answering and asking questions in the booth is that your staffers can then learn enough about your visitors’ needs to qualify them for your sales team – properly qualified leads commonly translate to a solid return on your investment after the event.

Tier Five: Will anyone keep their promises

after the event?

In the business world today, it is becoming more and more difficult to find salespeople who actually keep the promises they make. Your company, however, can prove you're different by instructing on-site representatives to record notes along with the contact information of qualified leads. As long as there is a plan in place to sort through the leads and follow up according to the notes taken, you will be able to keep any promises that were made (for example, requests for additional information, demonstrations, or specific pricing). This will help to prove to attendees that you are reliable (consistent reliability is a good step to being seen as trustworthy). Create your follow up plan before the event so that all promises can be fulfilled as quickly as possible after you return.

This pyramid should serve as a guide for sorting through your booth staffing options according to the needs of your attendees and the way in which your company is represented. If you are involved with the staffing for your next event in any way, think again about those who have been selected, which tier would best suit them currently, and how you will improve your booth presence for next time by helping your staff to progress through any remaining tiers.

IBM Pulse - RFID Global Solution

2011-03-03T11:00:00.002-05:00

This week (February 27 to March 2, 2011), I have been in Las Vegas at IBM Pulse 2011 working with RFID Global Solution. This company, based near Baltimore, MD, offers RFID solutions for asset visibility to clients like Boeing and Bank of America.

During the IBM Pulse Solutions Expo, I was responsible for welcoming attendees into our booth and scanning their badges for future contact. Also, I took care of setting up the booth each morning, interacting with prospective clients and partners to educate them about the available solutions (especially Visi-Trac, RFID Global Solution's software offering), and distributing literature to assist with the decision making process. My presence in the booth and ability to communicate RFID Global Solution's unique value proposition independently, enabled company executives to attend sessions, meet with clients/partners, and complete other important business without worrying about leaving behind an empty booth. This event was a success for RFID Global Solution due to the connections formed and strengthened both in and out of the booth.

ISS Orlando - BelQuette

2011-03-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, February 24-26, 2011, I was in Orlando, FL for another ISS Show with BelQuette, Inc. This was the third event for which I have been contracted with BelQuette.

If you're interested, take a few minutes to read my blog posts about ISS-Long Beach 2011 and SGIA 2010 as well.

This event was special for BelQuette because it was so close to home (they are based in St. Petersburg, FL). We introduced the Mod-1 to attendees, as we have at other events, and printed samples for them to enjoy. These samples are very useful to potential clients who are trying to decide between the Mod-1 and other direct-to-garment digital printers because they can be used to compare print quality, speed, and ease of use. I was responsible for engaging consumers, introducing the unique features of the Mod-1 (as well as BelQuette's other offerings), answering their questions, and obtaining contact information by scanning their badges and accurate taking notes.

The response at ISS-Orlando was fantastic! We met with so many great leads that we ran out of literature during the second show day. Furthermore, one of the most interesting parts of any BelQuette event is interacting with current and prospective clients. We enjoyed getting to know everyone better during the T-Shirt Forums reception and company dinners through out the weekend.

Missed Connections Wrap Up

2011-03-02T08:00:00.033-05:00

Over the past month, we have been talking about missed (networking) connections and how you can avoid them. Read the other posts in this series: …Introduction, …Networking Events, …Waiting, and …Off the Clock. Today, we will wrap up this series with a summary of the steps we learned (also, I have added a special bonus to the end of this post).

First, preparation is key. Consider your situation (the degree of interest others may have in work and/or networking), educate yourself (read the newspaper and other information that may apply to those around you), and practice, practice, practice (work out your wording before you leave the house to enhance your comfort and confidence).

The hardest part is your opening line, but keep it simple and you’ll be just fine. In most situations, “Hi, I’m Robyn” is effective. If, however, it makes you feel more comfortable, break the ice with an observation or question first and then introduce yourself.

Next, engage your audience by asking intelligent questions, actively listening, and tailoring your responses according to what is said. By focusing solely on the other person for the duration of your conversation, they will feel more important and you will be better able to remember the details of your encounter later. If it makes sense, transition the conversation to business and share just enough to pique their interest.

Respect the other person by closing the conversation within an appropriate amount of time in a way that fits your situation. This is an excellent opening to trade business cards and schedule another occasion to continue chatting. Take notes on the back of their business card (or type them into your phone if a card is not available) so you can follow up as promised.

Finally, follow up is extremely important. Do as you promised – communicate how (by phone, e-mail, or in person meeting, for example), when (typically within 24-48 hours is best), and what (including any additional information requested) you said you would. This follow up is the way you can begin to transition your professional relationship from acquaintance to trusted friend.

Anywhere you go, your potential clients may be as well. So, when you follow the steps above and outlined through out this series, you will be less likely to miss the opportunity to connect with them. I hope you won’t take this opportunity lightly because it could impact your business in a life changing way.

BONUS: Here is one more resource you can download to help with your networking efforts at evening receptions.

Missed Connections while "Off the Clock"

2011-02-23T08:00:00.003-05:00

This post is part of a series on missed (networking) connections – click here to read the introductory post, here to read the post on missed connections at networking events, and here to read last week’s post on missed connections while waiting.

Today we will be discussing the opportunities that may pass you by while you are not technically working. Many professionals attend various social functions (e.g. church barbeques, weddings, house parties, children’s sporting events, volunteer projects, etc.) every weekend but don’t take the time to learn with whom they are socializing. Stop for a minute now and consider those who may also be frequenting your typical weekend haunts. Over the course of any given weekend, you are likely to encounter at least a few openings to connect with decision makers outside of work hours. The process for maximizing these opportunities is a bit different than those outlined over the past few weeks, so read closely.

Preparation is key.

Before you leave for your next series of social functions, put a pen in your pocket and a few business cards in your wallet, jacket, and car (this way, you will be prepared regardless of where you end up closing your conversations). Also, before you walk into any social function, consider the types of people you may meet and what topics they may find interesting. Read (or at least skim) the newspaper sections or newsletters that are most relevant to those you expect to meet (for example, if you are attending a sporting event for one of your children, you could read their school newsletter, the sports section of the newspaper, and a magazine for parents). Remember, it will be easier to interact intelligently with those around you if you are informed on current affairs. Also, be sure to keep up to date with the most recent news surrounding your business – any topic that can segue nicely from casual matters to your specific offerings is a great one to keep in mind.

Adjust your mindset.

These types of social situations, where those attending are making a conscious effort not to think about work, must be handled differently than planned networking sessions you participate in for business. In fact, you may wish to think about such potential encounters like this: any professional benefit you find is a bonus, to be appreciated above and beyond the relaxation, enjoyment, and personal benefits you experience. I definitely recommend that you take advantage of your weekend time to mix and mingle, but don’t forget how much better your Monday through Friday would be if you could start the week on the right foot, with an extra bonus.

Be an active listener.

During casual conversations, pay attention to the person or people with whom you are speaking. Listen for cues that tell you:

(1) Their interest level in discussing work related topics outside of working hours

(2) The industry in which they work

(3) Their role/responsibilities at their company (and basic information about the company itself)

(4) Any major pain points at work and/or how their personal life is affected by those challenges

(5) How they may be connected to someone else your company could help

If you listen closely, you will notice that many of these items will come up naturally and, from what you’ve observed, you will be able to more easily determine what type of self-introduction is most appropriate.

Don’t push.

Engage those around you in a friendly way by mirroring their tone and energy level. Then, introduce yourself as a person, not just as a business person (for example, you could mention your passion for the activity in which you are participating). When you do have an opportunity to mention your company’s offerings, keep it light and conversational. Don’t use technical terms or carry on about your specific solutions; instead, remember the cues you observed and say just enough to leave them wanting more. If you feel yourself getting caught up and saying too much, turn the discussion back to your new friend by asking a question about his situation.

Close the conversation.

Just as in the past few weeks, as your time together is ending, this is when you would trade business cards and set up another meeting to continue your conversation. However, remember this is still not the situation to push. Provide your card and ask politely if there is a good way to keep in touch (offering to connect on LinkedIn or to set up another gathering with family or friends is typically perceived as non-threatening). Also, by the end of the conversation, you should have acquired at least one non-work related excuse to follow up (e.g. sharing the specifics of your favorite local restaurant/service provider/other resource or forwarding a copy of an article you discussed). If nothing else, you can always ask the host of the event (or PTA President, Volunteer Committee Chair, etc) to connect you after the event (as long as you remember the personal details you had discussed, it shouldn’t be difficult to obtain an introduction).

Finally, follow up.

In your follow up communications (whether by e-mail, phone, or LinkedIn, etc), you can transition the focus of your interaction from a new friendship to a work opportunity and request a specific appointment time to discuss your applicable offerings. The comfortable sales cycle for these encounters may be slightly longer than those of other “warm” leads, but the wait will be worth it because most professionals would much rather do business with someone they have come to like as a friend than a random salesperson who walked in off the street (this means, if there is a fit, your new friend would be more likely to become a loyal, long term client for you).

In following these simple steps, you will be less likely to miss connections while you are off the clock and maximize your weekend encounters. I hope you will take advantage of these opportunities this weekend and then come back on Monday morning to let me know how everything went. Good luck and see you next week!

Missed Connections while Waiting

2011-02-16T08:00:00.003-05:00

This post is part of a series on missed (networking) connections – click here to read the introductory post and here to read last week’s post on missed connections at networking events.

This week, I’d like to focus on connections you may miss while waiting. Some professionals don’t realize they spend time waiting or think of that time as such a small part of their day that they don’t consider how it could (or should) be productive. However, when you aren’t taking an active role in this part of your day, you may miss the opportunity to make valuable connections. Think about the last time you were waiting in line (stores, quick serve restaurants, ticket counters), in a lobby (hotels, offices, restaurants), or for transportation (airports, bus/train stations, etc) – was there anyone else waiting near you? Is it possible that connecting with them would have been a better use of your time than whatever you were doing instead? Follow these steps to maximize your waiting time by making (instead of missing) connections.

Break the ice.

Just like at a networking event, the opening line is always the hardest part. However, for situations where you are waiting, we can break this line into two pieces:

(1) Start with an open observation, drawing inspiration from your surroundings. This can be a statement (“It is such a beautiful day today”) or a question (“Isn’t that painting interesting?”).

(2) Draw others into your observation by directing it towards someone in particular. You could use a question to compliment your statement (“… don’t you agree?”) or a statement to compliment your question (“…the colors/style almost match your shoes/briefcase/hat”), for example.

Again, don’t stress out about the exact line you choose, the main goal here is to spark awareness of yourself by engaging those around you. It is very important, however, to stick to neutral subjects (you never know who’s listening) and to try to stay positive (no one wants to be friends with a complainer).

Introduce yourself…

Now that the other person has noticed you, it is polite to introduce yourself. Simply extend your hand and greet your new friend, “Hi, I’m Robyn,” is easy enough. Typically, the other person will shake your hand then respond in kind, but if they don’t, just ask (“…what’s your name?” works fine).

…and transition to business.

This should be simple, for example you could say, “It’s nice to meet you, Mary [people like when you use their names (and it helps you to remember), just don’t be obsessive about it]. What do you do?” Then, you can follow our conversation cues from last week’s article to continue the conversation. However, instead of timing the conversation to respect the other person’s time, you have something else to contend with… the end of your wait.

Adjust the conversation content to fit the time allotted.

Depending on which specific waiting situation you are in, you may have more or less than our limit of 3-7 minutes from last week. If you have less time (say, if you’re waiting for the barista to finish making your specialty coffees), be sure the close the conversation before one of you needs to leave. If you have more time (if you’re waiting to catch a flight that has been delayed, for example), you can start this process over again to include others in your conversation (you can follow the steps above, but this time, dig a little deeper and be sure to introduce your new friend as well). In either situation, don’t forget to trade business cards (or phone numbers, if your/their cards are unavailable), take notes, and follow up as promised.

Networking is a great way to productively fill any time you would have been playing games on your cell phone, stressing about your next big project, or otherwise wasting while waiting. Following the above steps can help you to maximize your waiting time by making (instead of missing) connections with prospective clients, partners, and other interesting professionals. Whom might you meet this week?

Next week we’ll continue our series on “missed connections,” so stay tuned! Also, in the mean time, please feel free to share any thoughts, stories, comments, or questions below…

Informex - Federal Equipment Company

2011-02-11T08:30:00.001-05:00

This week (February 8-9, 2011), I was in Charlotte for Informex. I attended this event to provide on-site sales and marketing support to Federal Equipment Company.

Federal Equipment Company buys and sells used processing equipment for chemical, pharmaceutical, and other industries. Working with three company representatives in the booth, we encountered a wide range of prospects over the course of the show, including current, former, and (hopefully) future clients. My main responsibility on-site was to engage attendees by inviting them into our booth, assessing their needs, scanning their badges (as well as taking accurate and detailed notes to accompany each scan), and offering sweepstakes entry/giveaway items. In these interactions, I introduced attendees to company representatives so that specific information could be discussed and quotes could be prepared. Making and strengthening these connections in the booth enabled Informex to be a successful event for Federal Equipment Company.

Missed Connections at Networking Events

2011-02-09T08:00:00.004-05:00

This blog post is part of a series in which I will show you how you can avoid missed (networking) connections in your real (professional) life…

This week, we’ll start with networking events. Networking is obviously supposed to occur at networking events; however, many of our missed connections happen at receptions, corporate mixers, happy hours, and other functions that are created for the express purpose of networking.

I hope this point is also clear... at one of these events, everyone is (or should) be in attendance to meet others. So, in case no one has told you yet, if you are attending a networking event, you are supposed to go out and meet people. I realize this may sound difficult (don't worry, you're not alone: few people, especially c-/v-level executives, are self proclaimed “experts” at networking) but today I’m going to help you make it feel a little easier.

The hardest part is your opening line.

With your opening, you really don’t need to get too creative. “Hi, I’m Robyn…” works well. Or you could try asking permission (“Excuse me, do you mind if I sit with you?”), stating the obvious (“Hi – I just wanted to introduce myself… you know, take advantage of the opportunity to mix and mingle.”), or making a comment about the atmosphere (“Hey, this band is great/unexpected/fun, don’t you think?”). In keeping this phrasing simple and straightforward, you will appear confident and no one will wonder if you prepared by memorizing pick up lines out of a book.

The next part, your second line, is easy.

“What do you do?” “How did you hear about this event/organization?” “How long have you been affiliated with [the company hosting the event]?” The key is to ask something relevant that opens up the conversation and gets the other person talking, then listen closely to what they tell you. It’s also beneficial to ask a follow up question or two so you can better understand with whom you’re speaking. Once the other person has explained their situation, they’re likely to return to you with a similar question (even if it’s just to be polite) but, if they don’t (cue awkward silence), you can continue the conversation anyway.

Tailor your self-introduction according to their response.

“I/my company help(s) professionals like you to…” “I tend to work with companies like [others they’d recognize – perhaps their clients or vendors], we help them…” This should get the conversation started (consider what you might say beforehand and practice a few times based on the kinds of people you expect to meet). Continue asking and answering questions, but don’t feel like you have to force anything (you should plan for a short conversation), after all, you’re both there to network, remember?

Then, within about 3-7 minutes, close the conversation.

This part is also easy; basically you want to (1) trade business cards, (2) determine your next step, and (3) finish with something nice. Here’s an example of what you can say:
(1) “Do you have a business card?” (Extend your hand and they will put one in it; accept the card respectfully.) “Thanks – your card is great, I love the [aspect you like]” (Say something nice about the card, but don’t lie, I’m sure there’s something you like.) “Here’s one of mine” (Offer your card.)
(2) “I should probably check in with my company/let you get back to [tie into opening line]… Let’s set up a time to chat more next week – I’ll call/e-mail you [specific time within two days] about the article/restaurant/contact we discussed.”
(3) "It was so nice to meet you, [contact's name]; enjoy the rest of [the event]!"
At these kinds of events, it’s especially important to respect the other person’s time and not take up more than 3-7 minutes with your initial conversation (no matter how good of a prospect they might be, a networking function really isn’t the right place to close a sale anyway). In parts (2) and (3) above, don’t forget to confirm another time to talk soon after the event, take a minute to jot down some notes on the back of the business card to help you remember your conversation as well as any promises you made, and then put the card away in a safe place.

Finally, after the event, follow up as you said you would.

- this step is essential -

When you get home (or back to your hotel) after the event, go through the cards you collected, sort them, and schedule your follow up time (according to what you had discussed). Actually calling, e-mailing, or writing as you said you would contributes to your image with that contact because you will be seen as reliable and that’s a great first step towards becoming trustworthy (which is important because trust is essential to building a solid relationship).

Following the above steps will help you to miss fewer connections at networking events.

Still not convinced you can do this? Remember, few people feel like they are networking experts. When you take the lead on introducing yourself to someone else, you are helping them, not bothering them, especially if you are introducing yourself to someone who is also attending a networking event. Next week, we’ll talk about missed connections in a different category of situations, but before we do, share your thoughts about networking events in the comments section below. Do you have any relevant tips, tricks, or stories?

LegalTech NY - Kiersted/Systems

2011-02-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

This week (January 31 to February 2, 2011), I was in New York City for LegalTech NY. (Do you remember when I helped Kiersted/Systems with this event last year? If not, read all about it here.) Kiersted/Systems provides full service e-discovery solutions as well as consulting services like legal hold and litigation support. This year, our booth had a "Rock Star" theme.

Similar to last year, I was responsible for engaging attendees and encouraging them to come into the booth, enter our sweepstakes (this year, we gave away a guitar signed by Bruce Springsteen), and discuss their needs with Kiersted/Systems representatives on-site. One of the ways they could do this was in playing Guitar Hero with key staff members (having this activity in the booth was fun for both attendees and other exhibitors). Also, a number of give away items were available - t-shirts (hundreds of these were made and distributed in the booth to announce and celebrate the recent opening of a Kiersted/Systems office in New York) were very popular. In addition to overseeing these promotions, I was responsible for collecting contact information from attendees (in paper and electronic formats) and determining their interest/need in available offerings.

There was a lot to share with our visitors during this event, even outside of the Kiersted/Systems booth. For example, George Kiersted (company President) moderated two sessions on Wednesday and consulting experts spent time each day in a partner's booth to demonstrate legal hold offerings. While quite different from last year's efforts, the success we experienced was similar. This was a great event for Kiersted/Systems!

Missed (Networking) Connections

2011-02-02T08:00:00.008-05:00

Are you familiar with the “Missed Connections” section on Craigslist? In case you aren’t, the idea is that if there is someone you would have liked to connect with but for whatever reason you didn’t, you can post something in this section and hope that they will contact you so you can pick up where you left off (or didn’t quite begin).

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

If they had a “Missed Connections” section on LinkedIn or in the Wall Street Journal, I imagine the posts would sound like this:

It was Saturday and I was with my fiancée in that cooking store on 3rd St. I saw you walking to the register with a set of very expensive but substandard knives, at least compared to the ones I sell. I didn’t approach you because we were waiting in line at the other register… If you haven’t used those knives yet, call me. I have what you need at a better price and a better quality (for the record, I wouldn’t have posted this, but I’m getting married next month – I could really use the commission).

We were at the trade show’s Big Night Out reception and I recognized you from one of the sessions – you spoke at 1:15. I was sitting in the second row, wearing a dark green shirt, and stayed a few minutes late to ask a question. Do you remember me? When I saw you at the reception, I thought you did, but every time I walked by, you seemed distracted, laughing with the other guys wearing your company shirts. I didn’t want to interrupt, but I’m ready to buy and your competitor introduced herself there (her team also followed up this morning). Please call me – I think your product may be a better fit for what I need but, then again, hers might not be a bad alternative…

About six months ago, you approached me at the coffee shop and we chatted briefly about our respective businesses. You seemed like a nice enough guy, so I’m embarrassed to admit that I tossed your card (and deleted your follow up e-mail) because I didn’t think you would be able to use my services... Now, I need you. My biggest potential client really wants what you sell and it would make me look like a star if I could make this introduction. Could you e-mail me again please? I need you.

Do any of these imaginary posts sound a little too familiar? Over the coming weeks, I’ll introduce you to some situations where these missed connections are common and I’ll teach you how to avoid them in the future. Stay tuned!

Goal Setting: Consider Needs and Wants

2011-01-26T08:00:00.020-05:00

This article has been nominated for

Sales Article of the Month (April 2011).

In the initial planning stages of any event, I encourage my clients to set two goals and I would encourage you to do the same. These particular goals are especially important during the planning process because they can help you in selecting appropriate events for your company, facilitating your team’s understanding of why you are exhibiting and what is needed from them, and determining which marketing methods should be employed to maximize your results. Specifically, the two goals I encourage my clients to set are a “needs goal” and a “wants goal.”

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

First, a “needs goal” is what you must accomplish in order to break even at an event; this is the objective you need to complete so that the event does not hurt your company nor is it remembered as a terrible failure. To set this goal, take a few minutes to consider what you have (or would have) invested in your event (time, money, energy, etc.) and how much that is worth to you (it may be your total financial investment plus a small percentage to account for the time, energy, and other intangibles invested).

The main benefit of identifying a “needs goal” is in better understanding your investment. Sometimes, professionals decide to exhibit at a new event or implement a new marketing strategy because it’s “fresh” and the “only way to stay ahead of the times” or continue a tradition of exhibiting at an old event with the same marketing techniques because “it is what has always been done” (neither of which, in and of itself, makes a sound business decision). Regardless, evaluating what you need to accomplish can help in finding the events and approaches that are the correct fit for your company today.

If you cannot reasonably expect to accomplish your “needs goal” at your next event, there is a problem with the fit of the event itself or the approaches you have selected for that event.

Next, a “wants goal” is what you would like to accomplish if you were exhibiting in a near-perfect world; this is the objective you want to complete so that the event exceeds your expectations and is remembered to be a great success. Sit back and dream a little to determine your “wants goal” – this may be a financial goal, but is also likely to have some intangible components (better connections with current/future clients, greater team morale, improved visibility in your industry space, etc.). Don’t forget, even with intangible components, you still want your goals themselves to be measurable.

The main benefit of identifying a “wants goal” is in motivating yourself to start thinking bigger. Exhibiting brings a world of possibilities to those involved but if you haven’t started dreaming about specific areas within which your company would like to improve, you may not be able to see the opportunities available to maximize your overall results. Brainstorming creative methods to accomplish your “wants goal” is one way to include your team in the event preparations and begin building team ownership of your collective results.

If you can reasonably expect to surpass your “wants goal” at your next event, your problem is that you haven’t started thinking big enough yet.

If you are just starting your planning for an upcoming event, I would encourage you to personalize these goals to your situation and refer back to them as you make each major decision along the way. If your event is past the early planning stages, you can still incorporate these goals into your remaining planning and on-site efforts. So, wherever you are in your preparations, get started today in taking the necessary steps to ensure that you surpass your “needs goal” and continue striving towards your “wants goal.”

This article has been published by Sales Gravy and Salesopedia. It has also been distributed in the TSNN ExpoFiles Newsletter (2/17/11).

ISS Long Beach - BelQuette

2011-01-25T10:00:00.007-05:00

This weekend, (January 21 to 23, 2011), I was in Long Beach, California for the first ISS show of the year. This was my second event with BelQuette (do you remember when I was in Las Vegas for SGIA? If not, read about it here). BelQuette designs, builds, and innovates direct-to-garment, digital printers. Our goal for ISS Long Beach was to introduce attendees to the Mod-1.

To prepare for this event, I reviewed my notes from the on-site training I had completed before SGIA and the Mod-1 user manual. Also, I created flash cards to solidify my memory of important printing industry terms. My responsibilities during this event, similar to SGIA, were to welcome attendees into our booth, highlight the unique features of the Mod-1, answer questions, and scan the badges of quality leads for follow up after the event. Additionally, I promoted BelQuette's show special (a sale on white ink) and actively pursued attendees walking by to inquire about their interest in digital printing (and, of course, to ensure that they were familiar with the offerings available to them from BelQuette).

Our booth was very busy for the entire show and we had the opportunity to spend some quality time with current/prospective clients over the course of the weekend (in the booth, during the T-Shirt Forums evening reception, and over dinner, etc). The BelQuette team was a pleasure to work with and I am looking forward to participating in their next event!

Dealing with Professional Disappointment

2011-01-19T08:00:00.057-05:00

This article has been nominated for

Sales Article of the Month (February 2011).

I hate disappointing the people I care about, whether they are friends, family, or business associates. So, on the rare occasion when this happens, I don’t take it well; I obsess over what I could have done differently, how I can ensure this won’t happen again, and what I will do to make up for the error. Emotion has no place in effective problem solving, so I make sure I save my obsessions until after the situation has stabilized. However, if someone else has disappointed me, I don’t typically give it a second thought, I resolve the situation and press on…

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

How do you handle disappointment in your professional life? Whether you have been the disappoint-er or the disappoint-ee, these tips will help you to become better able to resolve your next potential crisis.

Immediately – Take preventative measures and

play “what if” to identify potential solutions
with a clear head.

Consider the obstacles you may face and how you can prepare for them. If you get stuck in an airport or find yourself with a flat tire, how will you get to your destination? If your baggage is lost, what will you wear to your meetings? If you encounter the perfect prospective client while you are waiting somewhere, what will you give/show him? I’m not saying you need to go to the extremes here, but take a moment to think about what could happen and prepare yourself to succeed despite the elements. Then, consider what could happen if your Plan B turns out to be ineffective. What would you do next? Repeat this process to form a Plan C, D, and E for the most important aspects of your next business trip. By completing this “what if” exercise, you are teaching yourself to look at situations from multiple angles, which will be very helpful during a crisis.

Remember, the best time to think clearly about an appropriate solution is before you find yourself needing it. Not only will you be better prepared to act in the moment, but you can also bring along anything special that could help you.

During the crisis – Pause and think creatively.

Sure, your first solution didn’t work. But, you wouldn’t be as successful as you are now if you were incapable of coming through with the results when it counts. Before you act, take a moment to consider your options (I realize it won’t seem like you have any, but I’m telling you that you do so you can ignore that thought). Remember the solutions you have prepared and start with the one that makes the most sense. Don’t accept failure as an option… if your new solution doesn’t work, try another. Look at the resources you have at your disposal and think creatively. As a worst case scenario, either deliver part of what you have promised with a plan to complete the rest within an agreed upon amount of time or be prepared to pay out of your own pocket to find someone else to do the job (they may not be as good as you would have been, but something is likely to be better than nothing).

There is a fine line between alarming those involved unnecessarily and waiting until it’s too late to solve the problem. Especially if the crisis is due to circumstances beyond your control, collaboration may provide the idea or resource you had been missing.

Afterwards – Learn from your mistakes
and make amends.

If you have disappointed someone by failing to deliver on your promises, remedying the situation should be your first priority. Apologies are a must, but a reliable professional will find a way to do more to account for any losses the other party has encountered (a promise to do better next time is nice, but doesn’t pay the bills and is hard to believe until it’s proven). When the dust settles, calmly reflect and evaluate your actions. Ask yourself how you could have been better prepared, what other options you didn’t see but you did have in the moment, what you would do if you were facing a similar situation today, and what else you can do to correct your error. Don’t dwell on the past, but don’t move forward until you have learned from your mistakes.

Oftentimes the greatest clarity comes after the fact. Whether you were successful or unsuccessful, this is the best time to implement a better plan for the future.

Disappointment isn’t fun for anyone involved so act upon this advice and help your associates to do the same: start immediately to prepare for the next potential crisis, keep a clear head and think creatively when you find yourself in a difficult situation, and remember to evaluate your choices afterwards to better prepare yourself for next time.

When was the last time you faced disappointment and how did you handle it? Share your story in the comments section below.

This article has been published by Salesopedia.

New and Exciting at WINH

2011-01-12T08:00:00.032-05:00

Welcome to 2011! I know that you have been reading about goal setting, forward thinking, and personal development from a variety of sources this week, so instead of sharing my thoughts on the same topics, I will use this opportunity to introduce (shamelessly plug) a few new and exciting offerings from When I Need Help.

1 - “Quality Leads: What, Why, and How”

(a new mini-series for exhibitors from WINH)

Taking a back-to-basics approach to the concept of quality leads, this complimentary e-mail based mini-series provides you with an opportunity to revitalize your lead generation efforts over the course of one week. A text e-mail (with audio recording) will arrive in your in-box daily and logically progress through the what, why, and how of quality leads. This educational content is presented in a non-threatening manner, without annoying sales pitches, so that you can apply it to your current situation immediately. Read more here and, when you’re ready, click here to start revitalizing your lead generation practices.

2 - Thought Provoking Blog Posts

(posted weekly – Wednesday mornings)

As you may have noticed, I have been (and will continue) writing a new blog post each week to discuss some topics that are important, educational, and/or interesting. In these blog posts, I share some of my experience and insight as an accomplished event hostess and experienced marketing consultant to help you improve your business. If you are interested in a specific topic and would like me to write about it, please let me know here. Also, if you have any thoughts about what I have written, please share them in the comments section below each post – I am always interested to hear your opinions.

3 - “General Information” Mailing List

(arrives monthly – 1st Tuesday of each month)

Would you like to receive updates from WINH? By “opting-in” to this mailing list, you will receive a monthly e-mail where I share thought provoking blog posts, announce new articles, provide advanced opportunities to check out new tools (like the mini-series mentioned above), and other exciting information that may be helpful to you. Check out the January updates e-mail here and then follow the directions here to receive future messages.

These three new and exciting offerings are only the beginning of what is to come for friends and clients of When I Need Help. I encourage you to take advantage of the offerings above and stay tuned for more!

The Spirit of the Season, Professionally and Year Round

2011-01-05T08:00:00.009-05:00

This holiday season was great, wasn’t it? I always enjoy the holidays. The friends and family, food and fun… I mean, it’s nice to see everyone in such good spirits. It may be selfish, but my favorite part of the holidays is the gifts (not the getting, the giving, silly!). I love helping people – making things better for someone else makes me feel good – and it’s great to be appreciated for the hard work I put into selecting those perfect presents for my favorite people. Even more than that though, I just like to see them genuinely enjoying their gifts. Couldn’t we extend all of that giving, helping, and appreciating a little bit longer?

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Some people do. Guys who participate in Movember (a month dedicated to curing prostate cancer), folks who train for 5ks and other athletic competitions aimed at fundraising for a variety of charities (these are held in cities all over the country throughout the year), and even me (I donated 12 inches of my hair to Locks of Love, so I am reminded of my contribution every time I look in the mirror) enjoy the spirit of this season for more than just a few weeks.

It seems like all of this giving, helping, and appreciating is not completely uncommon for most people on a personal level, so I started thinking about the professional world too. During those special holiday weeks, there are the treats most companies send to their clients, the bonus an employee might receive from his superiors, and the well deserved vacation time most people cash in to travel somewhere tropical… not to mention the holiday parties, awards, and other public honors, but these examples all fade away as the season changes. So, I wondered, how we could extend the holiday spirit through out the year but on a professional level too…

Here is what I came up with:

1 -- One of the things I look forward to doing each year is breaking in a fresh calendar book (a little old fashioned, I realize). When I’m doing that, I scatter reminders throughout: I plan to contact my clients, I plan to appreciate my family and friends, and I plan to consider my situation. You can do this too. Open your new calendar book (or scroll to your phone’s calendar app or log in to your internet calendar) and skip ahead to February. Write an inspirational quote, something you’re thankful for, or block out some time to reflect. Then do the same for April, June, August… you get the idea. At least every other month, make a plan to give, help, and appreciate.

TIP: When you set aside time for this on a regular basis, you won’t feel the stress and pressure of appreciating everyone all at once (like most people do around the holidays). As long as you make sure to appreciate everyone eventually (preferably a few times each year), the VIPs in your life will know you care.

2 -- Many experts recommend that you write and post your goals where you can review them on a regular basis. Whether or not you follow their goal setting recommendations, as you accomplish your goals (or check important items off of your to-do list), you can celebrate your success with a prize appropriate to the situation. Then, while you are enjoying your reward, remember all of the “little people” (clients, associates, colleagues, vendors, family, friends…) who helped you get there. Call and/or send a quick note thanking them for their involvement. Not only will a small celebration encourage you to complete the next task right away for yourself, you will also be accountable to the others helping you along the way.

TIP: It will feel less awkward to call and tell others they helped you reach one of your goals if you explain what you are working towards up front. Don’t be shy; maybe they will have something exciting to share too. Celebrating together is a great way to deepen relationships and motivate each other to succeed.

3 -- Everyone knows it is important to give back. Can you imagine what our world would be like if people actually did it? My final suggestion is to volunteer on a regular basis (you can do this on your own or with your company). What I mean is, pick a cause and don’t just send a check (although I know charities do appreciate that as well), but instead, go out and actually get your hands dirty. Some companies build houses, others host food/clothing drives, and still more organize events benefiting their local charities. However you choose to get involved, go and feel how you are helping those less fortunate. Feeling the difference you’ve made can be life changing, contagious, and may inspire you to appreciate your situation and then pay it forward even further.

TIP: New to volunteering? Don’t feel like you have to jump in with something extreme. Instead, be honest with yourself and do what you can when you can. Lending a hand to your colleagues and associates would be a great place to start: you could stay late to help someone else meet their deadline, make a coffee run for the team before that early morning staff meeting, or choose one of the less glamorous roles no one else is interested in for the next big project.

How will you extend the holiday spirit throughout the year personally and professionally? Let me know in the comments.

This article has been published by Salesopedia.

An Intervention for the 80% Rumor

2010-12-29T08:00:00.015-05:00

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

For years and years, the rumor has been that 80% of leads obtained at trade shows do not receive any follow up contact and even within the last month, I have read a number of discussions citing this statistic and arguing both sides. However, I don’t believe it. In fact, I refuse to believe it because it just doesn’t make any sense.

For those of you who don’t know, I help exhibitors obtain quality leads, it’s what I do. I ask qualifying questions, really get to know the attendees who come into the booth (speed dating style, in a 2-7 minute conversation, typically), and then record the highlights so that the sales team back at the home office will know enough about their new prospects to help them feel like long time friends when they call to follow up.

So, you see, I know this doesn’t make any sense because my clients hire me to help them collect and qualify leads. That’s actually one of the biggest reasons most exhibitors spend tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars on their marketing efforts at conventions and trade shows. So, to go through all of that effort in obtaining qualified leads and then essentially throw them away by not following up would be a serious waste of time and money. My clients are smart, so I know they aren’t doing that… I also know my readers are smart, so you aren’t doing that either (right?)… But think about the other exhibitors you know, are they wasting their time and money in exhibiting without following up on the leads they gather?

It may be time for an intervention.

In the September 2010 issue of Exhibitor Magazine there was an article published called “The Myths of Lead Management” in which they discuss new statistics that dance around that old rumor. Here are a few of the statistics they provide:

- “98% of respondents collect sales leads at their trade shows and/or corporate events”

- “69% of respondents have a formal follow up plan in place for leads collected at trade shows and/or events”

- “47% of respondents report that more than 80% of the leads collected at trade shows and/or events receive any sort of post show follow up”

- “34% of respondents have a formal lead-scoring or lead-ranking process”

- “28% of respondents measure and report the percentage of leads that convert to a sale as part of each event’s ROI”

While these new statistics show that exhibitors could do more, they also show that a number of the exhibitors out there are off to a great start, certainly more than the 20% that old rumor suggests. So, for those of you still citing this old 80% rumor in your arguments, please stop. Instead, focus on helping the exhibitors you encounter to maximize their trade show efforts by making a plan to follow up and then actually following through with their follow up plan. If you need help, call me or another event professional you trust.

Business Cards vs. Badge Scanners

2010-12-22T08:00:00.019-05:00

A lot of new exhibitors look at the cost of participating in a convention or trade show and start to wonder if there is anything they can do reduce their expenses. One area that is evaluated carefully is the way in which an exhibitor will collect contact information from attendees who visit the booth. This leads to one of the great debates, business cards vs. badge scanners.

For most of my clients, I recommend utilizing a badge scanner. The specific scanner depends on the situation but, at a minimum, I recommend a badge scanner that will scan the badges and provide an area where you can record some notes. This is key for your follow up efforts after the event (speaking of follow up… there is a rumor floating around that 80% of exhibitors do not follow up with their leads after the event – is that true in your office? If it is, why do you exhibit in the first place? …but I digress).

Why do I recommend a badge scanner instead of just collecting business cards?

Quickly, here are a few of the issues:

(1) People never bring enough business cards (it doesn’t really matter how many you bring, it’s never enough – another one of those weird trade show phenomenons… don’t try to understand it, just accept it), which leads to (2) people wanting to save their cards for only the “most important contacts” they may or may not meet (or the sweepstakes entries that require them – walk around any exhibit hall and you can lose hundreds in those fishbowls if you aren’t careful). Regardless, even with a quality card scanner that you would use when you get back to the office to electronically capture the information from the cards (which means (3) a delay in compiling your list for follow up), the process of relying on business cards alone is: (4) less reliable (who will be responsible for not losing a single one of the cards in transit between the exhibit hall and the hotel, the hotel and the airport, the airport and baggage claim, and then baggage claim and your office the next Monday morning?), (5) less legible (between background colors and handwritten corrections, you will need to double check the scans – will you still be able to read your handwriting and the handwriting of your prospective clients days later?), and (6) more time consuming (even before you take the cards out of the exhibit hall, it’s a bit much: find the card, explain the card, give the card, handwrite notes, then try to read and transcribe the notes for every single person – then you can start over at issue number 3).

On the other hand, I do agree, business cards are a must for networking success. However, it is probably not safest to rely on them exclusively for the leads you obtain in your booth. When you're cutting costs at your next trade show, don't give up the badge scanner.

SGIA - BelQuette

2010-10-16T07:53:00.004-04:00

For the second half of this week (October 13 to 15, 2010), I was in the BelQuette booth at SGIA in Las Vegas. BelQuette designs, manufactures, and builds direct-to-garment (digital) printers and we were promoting the Mod1 during SGIA.

In order to properly prepare for this event, I attended a day of training at BelQuette's office in St. Petersburg, FL. I learned about the company's history, their products, and the printing industry as a whole. With this knowledge, I was able to speak to attendees from experience (in using the Mod1) and answer their questions with confidence.

In addition to discussing the benefits of the Mod1 and BelQuette's other offerings (for example, the PrintsRite bagged ink system is very impressive), I was responsible for scanning badges and qualifying leads. We sold all of the show floor models and made excellent contacts, improving our presence in the industry, deepening relationships with current clients, and building a solid foundation for continued conversations with new (and prospective) clients. Overall, SGIA went very well for BelQuette - I had a great time working with their team and interacting with attendees on-site.

PMI Global Congress - PMT

2010-10-16T07:24:00.002-04:00

This week (October 10 to 12, 2010), I was representing Project Management Technologies in Washington, DC for the 2010 PMI Global Congress (Do you remember when I participated in the 2009 PMI Global Congress in Orlando? If not, read about it here). PMT provides CD based training that covers project planning and program control processes. Our main objective was to introduce this training option to as many PMP certified attendees as possible.

Similar to last year's event, my main responsibilities were to welcome attendees into the booth, explain the available offerings, and provide introduction to company representatives and/or additional information as needed. In addition, this year, PMT participated in the sponsors' passport program where attendees were invited to visit the booth in exchange for a sticker in their show passport (I quickly conveyed our value proposition to interested participants and placed the stickers). Also, there was special show pricing for anyone interested in purchasing the first course worth 45 PDUs before December 31, 2010 (I explained this offer to attendees and encouraged them to take advantage as soon as possible).

Our booth was much busier than it was last year and we were able to distribute all of our promotional materials before the end of the show again (despite bringing an even greater number of demo CDs and brochures). Even follow up efforts were simplified over last year's efforts by utilizing a lead scanner in the booth to record contact information (as opposed to collecting business cards, I scanned the badges of qualified visitors). This event went very well for Project Management Technologies and I enjoyed working with the company's founder on-site.

Oracle OpenWorld - The DBA Shoppe

2010-09-26T15:25:00.004-04:00

Last week, I was in California for Oracle OpenWorld (San Francisco's biggest convention at 41,000 attendees this year) working with The DBA Shoppe. The DBA Shoppe specializes in remote database administration and this was their first time exhibiting at Oracle OpenWorld.

Before arriving on-site, I participated in conference calls to better understand The DBA Shoppe, its industry, and specific goals for this event. I contributed to the final stages of the company's planning for Oracle OpenWorld by sharing some "best practices" and providing useful advice according to their specific needs. During this event, I welcomed consumers into our booth and qualified the potential leads by asking a few questions. After a brief conversation to identify each attendee's area of interest, I explained The DBA Shoppe's three lines of business, provided brochures and business cards for future contact, introduced company representatives as appropriate, and scanned our visitors' badges (making notes when needed). Each afternoon, we also held a drawing in the booth. I was responsible for checking the attendees back in and noting the winner after each day's drawing. This event was very successful and I enjoyed working with The DBA Shoppe.

What is Missing from ROI?

2010-09-05T19:00:00.008-04:00

QUESTION: What is missing from most return on investment (ROI) calculations?

ANSWER: Many exhibitors leave out items they cannot quantify easily, for example, the cost of time spent away from the office or the benefit of supporting the host organization.

The key here is to creatively determine an appropriate metric for each expense and benefit (whether that is time, money, number of quality leads, or percentage of market share) AND then to translate each metric into one common denominator (most likely money). How much is your time worth? How many quality leads do you need to obtain during the event to result in a sale afterwards (and how much is your average sale)? To compile some of this information, you will need to collaborate with other departments within your company. If they have not started tracking the impact of items you need (i.e. results from advertising, benefit of team building, or the numbers for each step of your long term sales cycles), encourage them to start now. That way, at least you will be able to include their data in next year’s reporting.

What about "Give Away" Items?

2010-09-05T18:00:00.003-04:00

QUESTION: How do you feel about promotional “give away” items?

ANSWER: It depends on what you are trying to accomplish…

First, if you are hoping to improve your visibility or brand awareness, carefully selected premiums can be useful in getting your name out there. If you would like to show your existing clients you appreciate them with a small gift when they visit your booth (see “HOW to REACH your CURRENT CLIENTS at CONVENTIONS and TRADE SHOWS”), that makes sense. On the other hand, if your goal is to find a handful of quality leads out of a sea of unqualified attendees, this may not be a great strategy.

Above all else, you must find a way to connect any distributed premiums to your company and offerings. The reason you are investing in these items is that you want people to associate your company with the item every time they see it in the future. If you cannot explain a logical relationship between the two, do not bother purchasing the items.

How do your Feet Survive?

2010-09-05T17:00:00.002-04:00

QUESTION: How do you and your feet survive standing throughout so many long event days?

ANSWER: Eventually you become (more) used to it, but in the mean time, here are a few tricks:

Splurge on padded carpet (see Which Booth Furnishing is Essential?).
Wear stylish but comfortable shoes with insoles – if you are buying new shoes for this purpose, break them in before you get to the convention city.
Take some time to soak your feet in the hotel’s hot tub while decompressing after booth hours and vary your shoes for any evening activities.
Sleep with your feet raised (I pile all of those extra hotel pillows at the bottom of my bed) to bring yourself back to equilibrium before the next event day.

Which Booth Furnishing is Essential?

2010-09-05T16:00:00.005-04:00

QUESTION: What is the one booth furnishing no exhibitor should do without?

ANSWER: The one item I typically recommend to my clients is padded carpet. It is expensive, but essential.

Think about it this way: most of the attendees you want to speak with (not to mention your company representatives who are expected to stand and maintain a positive attitude while answering questions and enthusiastically conveying your value proposition) spend eight hours a day sitting behind a desk in their regular lives.

Long show days are filled with walking and standing; even outside of booth hours, attendees are stretched thin. Between traveling, keeping up with regular office responsibilities virtually, and round the clock networking efforts, attending these events can be exhausting! It may sound small now, but that extra padding can make all of the difference in how much focus these professionals can provide to enjoying your carefully crafted presentation.

What Printed Materials are Necessary?

2010-09-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

QUESTION: What printed marketing materials will I need to bring with me to distribute on the show floor?

ANSWER: In this day and age, some attendees (and exhibit managers) would prefer if materials were transmitted electronically, in an effort to be “green” or keep their baggage underweight. However, many attendees are still more comfortable with hard copies and you may feel unprepared if you do not bring these essentials:

1. Business cards: It is important that your cards are printed with your current title, phone number, and other correct contact information – it looks sloppy to write on an old card and indicates to your new contact that you do not value them or their business enough to provide a nice, new card.

a. Between the “fish bowl” giveaways (admit it, you cannot resist another chance to win an iPad) and the networking you will do on-site (along with scheduled meetings and other opportunities to connect, you will be attending evening receptions, running into attendees in the hotel lobby, and meeting visitors in your booth), at a typical show you will use more cards than you think you need – bring extra.

2. Brochures, one-sheets, newsletters, flyers, or other materials discussing your company and general offerings: This content should be designed to be easy to understand and provide more information than your welcoming elevator speech but not so much detailed information as to overwhelm a new contact.

3. Materials (like applicable whitepapers, articles, and brochures) that will be of specific interest to the attendees at this event: Consider the event you are attending and tailor some of your materials to that industry – be specific in how you can help these guests. Especially if you are launching a new product, expanding one of your lines of service, or focusing only part of your efforts on something relevant to these consumers, print something that speaks to their needs.

Where to Start Exhibit Planning?

2010-09-05T14:00:00.014-04:00

QUESTION: I am ready to work on the planning for my next event, where should I start?

ANSWER: Setting reasonable goals is one of the first tasks you will need to approach because all of your remaining preparations should focus on ensuring these goals are achieved.

First determine what you “need” to happen (what is your breakeven point?) and then determine what you “want” to happen (what is both possible and would enable you to feel that your participation has been successful?).

Clarify your goals, write them down, and share them with the other members of your team. Visualize not only what has to happen for your goals to be achieved (this is essentially what you will be doing in the rest of your planning) but also what you will feel like after the event is over and you have surpassed your goals.

Who is Attending Trade Shows Today?

2010-09-05T13:00:00.013-04:00

QUESTION: According to the trends you are observing, who is coming to trade shows today and how can I reach these attendees?

ANSWER: The events industry had been slowing with the economy, but also with the economy, it is picking back up again. I have observed fewer attendees on the show floors in general but, of those who are attending, there are more decision makers who have researched any products and services of interest before the event.

Today’s attendees are focusing their time on a few viable options and bringing prepared questions to ask those exhibitors. If your company is not on their short list but may be a good fit, quickly demonstrate your value for an opportunity to continue the conversation. When you are speaking to these attendees, listen and then respond with authority. Also, follow up as soon as possible after your encounter. Otherwise, you may lose a sale to a competitor who sent their first follow up messages at the end of the day or sooner.

Beyond these qualified buyers, you will meet other attendees (i.e. magazine advertisement sellers, people looking for anything free, and those who want to help you expand your market overseas), but elaborating on those attendees would be a topic for another article…

Decisions, Outsourcing Decisions

2010-09-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

How do you know when to outsource a task?

These days, if you look hard enough, you can find and pay someone to do just about anything for you. On the other hand, many professionals prefer to complete a large number of projects themselves, sometimes so many it becomes detrimental. Think about it. How and when do you decide what to do yourself, what to delegate to your team, and what to outsource? Use this outline to help you with your outsourcing decisions.

TASK:

REASON FOR TASK:

DEADLINE:

RESOURCES:

CONSIDER YOUR STRENGTHS:

Consider the skills and abilities you have acquired that would help you in completing this task.

Are you capable of completing this task successfully?
Have you had any relevant training?
Have you successfully completed similar tasks in the recent past?

CONSIDER YOUR AVAILABLE TIME:

…emphasis on the word “available” – this means, after you have completed all of the other things you need to do, consider only the time that is left to complete this task.

Is there any available (left over/free) time?
Is that time adequate to complete the task as well as you would like it to be completed?

CONSIDER YOUR RESOURCES:

When delegating to members of your team, it is important that you consider their strengths and available time as you would if you were delegating to yourself. As an employee and member of your team, he or she is an extension of you for work related matters.

For outsourcing decisions, it is important to consider who you know or who your associates can refer you to that is qualified and would be a good fit for this task (i.e. to perform your root canal, you would consider a reputable dentist but not a landscaper or a chef).

Who could you delegate this to?
Consider their strengths and available time:

Are they capable of completing this task successfully?
Have they had any relevant training?
Have they successfully completed similar tasks in the recent past?
Is there any available (left over/free) time in their schedule?
Is that time adequate to complete the task as well as you would like it to be completed?

Who could you outsource this to?

CONSIDER THE EXPENSE:

Include all of the expenses (i.e. time, money, stress, quality, lack of input/control, impact on your reputation, etc.) even if they seem small because sometimes it is the large number of small expenses that makes your choice clear.

What would it cost you to do this task yourself?
What would it cost you to delegate this task to your team?
What would it cost you to outsource this task?

CONSIDER THE BENEFIT:

This section should include all of the benefits – many of the same items that were an expense in one or more answers above will likely be a benefit in other answers below.

What would you gain from doing this task yourself?
What would you gain from delegating this task to your team?
What would you gain from outsourcing this task?

WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS AND DECIDE.

Quick Tips

2010-09-05T11:00:00.010-04:00

…for networking success at an evening reception

1. Read the newspaper

Current affairs are an excellent conversation starter – consider the Wall Street Journal or one of your industry’s top magazines as a starting point. If those are not readily available, try the USA Today or a local paper instead.

2. Wear something interesting

Nice shoes, a stylish watch, beautiful jewelry, or a handsome tie provides others with something to say. Accept their compliments with grace.

3. Prepare for an introduction

Hold your drink in your left hand so you can shake hands with your right. Make sure your name tag is visible and keep your business cards handy.

4. Ask thoughtful questions

Everyone asks about “what” you do. Be different. Ask “why” or “how” and then relate what is said to something you have read or experienced.

5. Pay attention

Carefully listen to the person you are speaking with – do not check your watch or look for a new contact until you have finished your conversation.

6. Mix and mingle

After spending some time with one person or group, exchange contact information and politely excuse yourself. Promise to continue the conversation at another time and follow through.

7. Share the wealth

Remember connections you meet who may not be a great fit for you personally or your business and introduce them to others who may be more compatible – trust your new connections to do the same for you.

8. Organize and Follow Up
At the end of the evening, make notes on the business cards you have received. Send a quick message within 24-48 hours to thank each person for your encounter.

No (Travel) Excuses - Be Healthy

2010-09-05T10:00:00.009-04:00

Easy ways to stay fit and feel good while on the road

Everyone knows it is important to “be healthy” and most people try to do so consistently. However, especially for those who travel, almost everyone can think of a few excuses as to why they did not exercise their bodies, eat smart, enrich their minds, and obtain quality sleep. Here are some easy ways to counter the most common excuses:
EXERCISE YOUR BODY

If you are thinking, I can’t do my regular exercises away from my gym…

Take advantage of the hotel gym. Some hotels have relationships with local fitness centers as well, so if their facilities are not up to the standards you expect, ask about an exchange opportunity.

If you are thinking, I didn’t travel all this way to stay inside…

Explore the city and get your heart rate up by running or walking along a safe, well lit path (some cities even have pre-set “walking tour” routes you can follow – use your GPS or ask the hotel concierge for a map).

If you are thinking, I don’t have time to work out…

Utilize the time you do have by adding extra exercise into what you have to do anyway. Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator, carry your materials and luggage yourself, and park further away from your destination.

EAT SMART

If you are thinking, I don’t know where to start – this menu is huge!

Look through the menu and find an entrée in one of the “Heart Smart” or “Reduced Calorie” sections (these items are designed to be both healthy and tasty). Even at most quick service restaurants, you can choose from salads, fruit, and other healthy options for your convenience on the go.

If you are thinking, the food I like is not healthy…

Ask your server to tailor your menu choice to better suit your needs by substituting healthy items for any included items that are less healthy. For example, request vegetables instead of onion rings, ask for your salad dressing on the side, and select grilled chicken instead of chicken that has been breaded and fried. Most chefs will be happy to accommodate your requests and these small changes at each meal can make a huge difference over the course of your trip.

If you are thinking, but I was invited to attend a special meal…

Make the most of the options available to you if possible. However, to account for any meals where the “healthy” options still are not great for you, plan to allow yourself one meal where you can splurge. Just hold yourself to a condition: limit all of your remaining food and drink to healthy items only – no excuses.

ENRICH YOUR MIND

If you are thinking, I am always in my car…

Listen to a book on tape (or CD) while you are driving across town. If your trip is not long enough for a whole book, select a series of short motivational recordings instead.

If you are thinking, sometimes it’s not my fault that I miss the time I set aside to read…

Keep a book in your carry on, purchase a handheld e-reading device, or download an application for your phone so you can read relevant content while you are waiting for a delayed flight or in between appointments. Also, keep a notebook handy so you can record your thoughts and ideas as they come to you.

If you are thinking, by the time my day is finished, I’m too tired to learn …

Take advantage of a quiet moment to just think. Visualize what your life will be like after you have accomplished your current goals. Consider any challenges you are facing and meditate on possible solutions.

OBTAIN QUALITY SLEEP

If you are thinking, it’s too loud to fall asleep quickly and too bright to stay asleep…

When you confirm your hotel reservation, ask for a room that is on a high floor and away from noise (including elevators, traffic, and ice machines). Bring a sleep mask and pair of ear plugs, just in case.

If you are thinking, I was going to go to bed early, but I had to take care of a last minute issue…

Make sure that everything you need to accomplish for your trip is done before you leave. This way, you will have more time to handle the unexpected on-site without losing sleep. Do not forget to set voicemail and e-mail notifications, assign a contact person for any ongoing projects, and create a Plan B, C, and D for any issues that could arise.

If you are thinking, I don’t know why I’m so tired – I slept well last night…

Research suggests that your body is most affected by the sleep you get (or do not get) two nights before a big event. Be sure that you are well rested not only the night before your next event but also the night before the night before the big day to ensure you are on top of your game.

How to Reach your Current Clients at Conventions and Trade Shows

2010-09-05T09:00:00.007-04:00

Expanding your focus and improving your results

Although many exhibitors will tell you they are focused solely on generating new leads and cultivating new business at conventions and trade shows, by ignoring the opportunity to engage existing clients, they are missing out on an opportunity to improve results. Statistics say it is five times more expensive to acquire a new client than it is to keep a current client. At the same time, experts suggest you contact your current clients between once a month and once every two weeks to stay in the forefront of their minds. Keep your current clients and improve your frequency of contact by expanding your focus to include these clients in your efforts as an exhibitor at upcoming conventions and trade shows.

As you are making your preparations for an upcoming event, you will want to consider your client list. First determine which clients are based in the immediate area or between your office and the host city and then consider which clients may be planning to attend the event.

For clients who are not currently planning on attending your event but are based in the same city, reach out to let them know you are coming to town. Then, utilize this time to connect by offering free expo hall tickets (if available – check with the Event Management first to be sure), inviting them to an evening reception you are hosting/sponsoring, or setting up another time to meet outside of booth hours. You may even consider extending your trip by a day or two to plan for meetings with clients nearby or along the path you travel to get there. If it makes more sense, consider driving so you can visit these clients on the way. Although you may miss your airline miles, your clients will appreciate your extra effort in providing personal, face-to-face attention and your finance department will appreciate the budget conscious way you are accomplishing a number of client visits in one extended trip.

For clients who are also attendees, start by including them in your pre-show marketing efforts. In the time leading up to the event, send them a tailored version of the e-mails, physical mailers, and other communications you have already prepared for prospective clients. Inviting them to come by and receive a special gift (even if the special gift is not expensive) or an extra entry in your sweepstakes, for example, will make your clients feel appreciated.

Once your clients come into the booth to enjoy whatever your pre-show marketing efforts have promised, you can introduce them to key company personnel and highlight some of your new offerings which may be of specific interest to them. If you happen to have prospective clients in your booth that may benefit from a quick conversation, an introduction may be appropriate but only if your happy client is happy to share a few kind words.

Keep your visits inside the booth brief so as not to distract from the business at hand (greeting and quickly conveying your value proposition to attendees) and to conserve space (so that other meetings, demonstrations, or even just brief conversations can take place). If your company has access to a meeting room, you can use that to continue your discussion or iron out details for a new contract. However, most of your existing clients will probably prefer a meeting somewhere less formal when possible (keep reading for more on this).

After leaving your booth, one option is to escort your clients around the exhibit hall, introducing them to vendors who may be useful to their business and providing advice as to those who may not. This can be a helpful way to get to know your clients even better if you take full advantage of it. Be sure to listen to the comments they make and the questions they ask – this way you can better tailor your future conversations according to their current needs as you observe them even if they are not able or willing to verbalize them to you.

Another option is to attend a pertinent session with your clients. During the session, you will both learn about some of the current industry trends and/or gain a more in depth understanding of a specific topic of interest. As before, pay attention during the session and make notes as needed so you can, not only answer your client’s questions, but also provide your own insight as to how your company can help to improve their results in this area or one related to it (for any session you would attend with a client, there should be direct relevance or a logical jump from the session content to your company’s offerings).

Outside of booth hours, be sure to take advantage of the time you have. Remembering that you are on a business trip for work, not enjoying a vacation, will be the key to your success at any event. First, plan to take full advantage of your meal times by scheduling each of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners as time to meet with clients. You may even consider hosting an evening reception to maximize your visibility with many of your current and prospective clients at once (this can be especially time and cost effective if you have many clients in attendance but only a few days in town).

On the other hand, while you are working, you can incorporate a little fun. Many clients would love to attend a local sporting event or meet up for drinks – think about putting together a foursome for golf, inviting your clients up to your corporate box seats at the baseball/basketball/hockey/other game, or meeting down at the hotel bar during cocktail hour. As long as you remain professional and these encounters take place outside of booth hours, you are only adding to your potential for results.

Finally, after the event, follow up as soon as possible. Thank your clients for taking the time to meet with you and refresh their memory as to any relevant information you had discussed. Deepening your professional relationship with current clients is essential – as they say, people do business with people they know and like. With these tips, you can expand your focus to use your next convention or trade show as another opportunity to remind your clients why they continue working with you.

Happy Anniversary, WINH!

2010-09-05T08:00:00.023-04:00

Today marks the first anniversary of When I Need Help. A special thank you goes to all of my clients and friends for your support over the past year!

In celebration, please enjoy the first anniversary issue of "Elevate your Marketing Efforts" - also, be sure to check out the special consulting services insert. The newsletter is available in its entirety by following the link above and each article will be posted separately on this blog throughout the day.

Thank you again - enjoy this issue!

CTPMA Conference - Burger King

2010-07-24T11:23:00.000-04:00

This week, I was contracted by Burger King for the CTPMA Conference in Hilton Head. The corporation's main goals were to further its industry connections and introduce co-branding to attendees.

In the weeks prior to this event, I participated in informational meetings and completed research to learn important data about Burger King and the petroleum industry. Once on-site, I attended the trade show with a company representative to meet exhibitors and explore partnering opportunities. Later, we also attended the president's reception and dinner to network with potential partners and franchisees. Each of these activities provided the proper atmosphere to improve relationships within this industry.

The following day, I assisted with preparations for a workshop led by Burger King's Luis Laboy, co-branding Subject Matter Expert. I distributed presentation materials as guests arrived, handled technical aspects of the PowerPoint slides and video, and awarded guests for their participation with branded merchandise. The successful execution of this workshop was very important and we were pleased with the results.

June Photo Shoot

2010-07-24T10:25:00.003-04:00

Last month, I worked with Chamberlain Digital on some new head shots. The photographer, Michael, was great and really put in an extra effort to make sure that we obtained quality images - here are a few of my favorites:

Make the Most of a "Slow Show"

2010-06-19T11:46:00.011-04:00

As an event hostess, I participate in a number of trade shows, conventions, and other events. Recently, I was contracted for an event that was miserably slow. On the plus side, this gave me an opportunity to observe how different company representatives will act when they think no one is watching… let’s just say it’s not always positive. Hopefully, these tips will help you to make the most of your next miserably slow event or even just those last few trying hours of any event.

1. Put your best self forward.

When I was younger my musical theater group was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and every year, we would hear the same speech from our director (paraphrasing a little): “Thanksgiving morning will be cold and we will all be tired, but you’ll regret it if you don’t look your best when the cameras come on… So, make yourself look like you do when you feel your best – put your shoulders back, raise your eyebrows, and smile with a big toothy grin.” I am sure your company feels the same way about this trade show that our director did about the parade. Regardless of how you feel (stressed, tired, overworked…) when the show opens each morning, it is essential that you make yourself look like you do when you feel your best. Once you look like you are excited to be exhibiting at the event, you will start to feel that way too.

2. Literally, make the most of it.

Engage every single attendee who walks past you, taking advantage of every second you have on the show floor to create positive interactions and promote your company’s products/services. If the passersby are not your target consumer, they probably know someone who is (your marketing department did select this particular event for a reason, right?) or at the very least, they are giving you another opportunity to improve yourself. Work on your approach, practice variations on your full pitch, and solidify your best “elevator speech” summary. If another exhibitor walks by, be polite and ask how their show is going. Talking to anyone and everyone helps you to build momentum – once you have one visitor, more will follow.

3. Count the no’s.

A very popular cold calling book talks about a company that rewarded their salespeople when they could check 250 boxes (one symbolizing each rejected call). This company knew that within those first 250 no’s, a salesperson would encounter at least one positive response. Take an hour and count how many “Sorry, not interested,” “I’m a vendor too,” and “I’m running late for a session” statements you have to hear before an attendee takes your information, lets you scan their badge, or offers a business card. Try to improve that average in the next hour or, if that seems out of reach, use your number to maintain your motivation because you know when you hear the 249^th “no” that the next “yes” is right around the corner.

4. Find the take away points.

Look around at the other booths. First, observe those that appear to be the most successful. What are they doing differently? Check out their staff (attire, body language, energy level), their display (equipment, seating, décor), and overall presentation (premiums/pamphlets/give-aways, booth organization, and other special additives). Would any of those items enhance your booth? Next, observe the elements of those that are less successful. Which specific attributes are contributing to their poor performance? If you were managing their booth what would you change? Finally, take an objective look at your own booth as well – list your own pros and cons. Mentally compare and contrast all three categories so that you can make recommendations (or changes, if you are the person who does that at your company) for the next conference.

5. Be on your best behavior.

When a show is slow, that is when you are taking time to observe others, so it is logical to assume someone may be watching you too. Especially in this digital age where almost every cell phone has a camera and anything less than satisfactory is being tweeted about as it happens, you want to make sure that your company maintains the positive image you are attending this event to portray. So, ignore the pain in your toes and the text message from your associate a few steps away (not to mention the yummy appetizers and tempting beverages the servers are carrying past you) and remember those be-a-good-booth-staffer tips you were not only trained on, but have also read about in every other trade show article.

BONUS: If you have “extra” staff (or a competent hostess who was hired for the express purpose of working in your booth during event hours), rotate representatives through a series of five minute mini-breaks. Sometimes, taking a moment to read a few e-mails, taste one of those appetizers, or just zone out, can be all you need to come back feeling refreshed and ready to finish the day. If your situation permits a longer period of time away from the booth, this can be a great opportunity to allow your staff to sit in on a session, meet up with prospective clients, or check in with the office for any matters that should be taken care of immediately.

These five tips will equip any exhibitor to make the most of their next slow show, no matter how miserable it seems. If you happen to have additional resources at your disposal, that bonus tip is for you. Regardless, make sure that your company looks its best even when you think no one is watching so, maybe next time, the successful company others are learning from will be yours.

This article has been published by Salesopedia and Sales Pro Magazine (June/July 2010). This article has also been nominated for Top Sales Article of the Month (July 2010) - if you enjoyed this article, please click here to vote before the end of the month.

International FEW - GreenShift

2010-06-18T11:46:00.001-04:00

This week (June 14 to 16, 2010), I was in St. Louis, MO for the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo to represent GreenShift and the backend corn oil extraction technologies they have developed and patented.

After receiving some training documents earlier in the week, I met with company representatives on-site to further discuss their products and services. We also finished up some basic preparations for the event itself. During booth hours, we spoke with attendees about the company's offerings and their upcoming webinar on the impact of current regulations and backend fractionation on the ethanol industry. My presence allowed company representatives to attend informational sessions and meet with prospective clients without leaving their booth understaffed.

Bonnaroo - Canon

2010-06-18T11:22:00.002-04:00

Last week (June 9 to 13, 2010), I attended Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN on behalf of Canon. Our tent, the Photo Pit, was a popular destination for the festival attendees due to the activities available (and the air conditioning).

My main responsibility for the weekend was to manage the flow of traffic in half of our tent. In my half of the tent, we had an display area of product (featuring a number of new Canon cameras) coupled with a computer station where visitors could learn more about the products and purchase items with free shipping. On the first two event days, we held a sweepstakes where pairs of attendees could sign up to win upgraded tickets to enjoy VIP status during the remainder of the festival. Also within my side of the tent, we offered the opportunity to upload and/or print images from personal cameras and cell phones. Each participant could spend approximately 15 minutes utilizing the internet on a laptop or print up to five postcards with the Selphy photo printers. I was responsible for introducing guests to the technology available and taking care of technical issues (including changing print cartridges and troubleshooting internet/card reader issues). I was also responsible for enforcing our requirements for participation (regarding timing and use of computers/printers, open containers, fire code capacity/placement of those seeking refuge from weather, etc).

Before the event began, I participated in a conference call and on-site training session where we discussed expectations for the event and completed some remaining preparations. In addition to maintaining my half of the tent once on-site, I helped with set up and tear down each day, wrote the schedule of photo shoots (for the other half of the tent), and directed staffers as to other tasks to be completed. I briefly filled in for staffers taking photos on the other side of the tent for the "I'm in Bonnaroo Mode" sessions and provided assistance for the artist photo shoots (introducing available technology to band members and fulfilling additional photographer needs) as needed. Finally, I wrote a number of attendee comments and stories to be used in reporting about the event.

This was a very busy week that required hard work, patience, and a number of creative solutions. The attendees really enjoyed themselves and the Canon products - so overall it was a success.

NRA Show - SlipGrips

2010-06-04T10:08:00.011-04:00

Last week, I was in Chicago, IL for the National Restaurant Show. I had been contracted by SlipGrips to handle their marketing efforts on-site. SlipGrips sells non-slip safety shoes for the hospitality industry and announced the release of their new line of Michelin shoes (utilizing the same technology from your tires for your shoes) at the NRA Show. We even had the Michelin Man in our booth!

I was responsible for helping the Michelin Man into and out of costume each day, walking him to and from the booth, and speaking with consumers on his behalf. Learning about each attendee, assessing their needs, and showing them our most relevant products was one of my most important tasks at this event. For potential customers who were interested in additional information, I scanned their badges, provided catalogs, and/or introduced them to sales staff on-site.

On the first day, SlipGrips gave away 10 pairs of shoes to one group. To facilitate this, I explained the contest rules to attendees, distributed keys to our treasure chest, and encouraged participants to return at the appropriate time. When they returned, I gave a number to each guest (so they could try their keys in order). After overseeing this process, I collected the contact information of our winner and provided consolation prizes to others.

On the next day, I administered six drawings - one drawing per hour, with each winner receiving one pair of shoes. I encouraged consumers to provide their contact information (for the contest and future follow up by SlipGrips sales staff) and pulled the winners for each hour. I also wrote the results on our board to announce the winners to all show attendees and encourage participation in remaining drawings.

Finally, on my last day, a video company came to create a promotional video for SlipGrips. During this process, I served as a liaison to the video company to ensure that all of the corresponding booth display areas were taped and I did all of the speaking on camera (see initial copy below). Between working with the Michelin Man, interacting with consumers, distributing various prizes, and managing this video, it was a busy day. Overall, the NRA Show went very well for SlipGrips and I enjoyed myself too.

BIO International - Beckloff Associates

2010-05-07T08:13:00.002-04:00

This week (May 4 to 6, 2010) I was contracted by Beckloff Associates for the BIO International Convention in Chicago, IL. Beckloff Associates, a subsidiary of Cardinal Health, provides on scientific and regulatory consulting services. This was their first year exhibiting in a stand alone booth (outside of the Kansas pavilion) and it was very successful.

To prepare for this event, I did some preliminary research on the Beckloff Associates website. Then, I learned additional business details through correspondence and conversation with their leadership team. Once on-site, I was responsible for greeting attendees and inviting them to learn more about the company's offerings with a brief overview. I collected business cards for our booth giveaway contest (as well as future opportunities with Beckloff Associates) and scanned leads for attendees interested but without cards - noting important details as a reminder to the sales team for follow up. Finally, I introduced visitors to company representatives and provided information for post-show contact.

Coal Prep - Nalco

2010-04-29T15:44:00.001-04:00

This week (April 26 to 28, 2010), I was working with Nalco in Lexington, KY at the International Coal Prep Exhibition.

Nalco chose an outdoor/fishing theme to highlight their environmental programs. I was responsible for distributing "coal candy" to attendees who walked past our booth and inviting them to participate in our fishing challenge. We had a Wii gaming system set up where attendees could compete to catch the biggest fish - I helped them to quickly understand how to play and recorded the results on our leader board. Then, I scanned the badges of participants (as well as other interested parties) and introduced them to company representatives or distributed additional information when applicable.

Nintendo DSi - "Connect and Share Lounge"

2010-04-12T15:09:00.001-04:00

After leaving LegalTech NY, I drove south to execute another event with Nintendo (Do you remember the others? Read about them here, here, and here). I was promoting the Nintendo DSi at the Southern Women's Show in Savannah, GA on February 5 to 7.

During this event, our main focus was on encouraging the ladies to enter our contest to win their own Nintendo DSi systems and the programs to go along with them - in doing this, we were able to reach a number of consumers who wouldn't have otherwise visited our display. Many of these ladies enjoyed learning about the Nintendo products and planned to purchase after the event (or actually did purchase on site). Please click below to view a short video clip of me demonstrating the "Personal Trainer: Cooking" program on the Nintendo DSi (note: there is a significant amount of background noise during this clip, please excuse the distraction).

Southern Women's Show - Chevrolet

2010-04-12T10:39:00.004-04:00

This weekend (April 8 to 11, 2010), I was contracted for another Southern Women's Show (this time in Nashville, TN). My main responsibilities were encouraging women to complete a short survey in exchange for a bag, experience the vehicles within the footprint, and complete a test drive either on-site (upstairs at the convention center) or with a local Chevy dealership in exchange for a gift certificate.

Final Four - LG

2010-04-12T10:03:00.002-04:00

I was in Indianapolis, IN from April 1 to 5, 2010 for the Final Four, working with LG in Bracket Town.

On the first day, we spent most of the morning becoming familiar with the booth set-up, opportunities available to attendees, and other staffers we'd be working with. My main responsibility for this event was overseeing the LG Netbook station. We had a number of LG Netbooks positioned on a round stand which attendees could use to enter a sweepstakes for tickets and hotel accommodations at the 2011 Final Four. I supervised their entries and assisted with typing/other technical issues before introducing them to an LG Product Specialist as needed.

On the second day, I was classified as a "floater" which means my main responsibility was to cover for the other girls when it was time for their breaks. I helped two of the new girls understand the training items we had learned the day before by walking them through the display area and explaining the specific stations before the crowds arrived. I covered for the DJ Booth area, where I encouraged consumers to try out some music/DJ themed activities - layering radio stations, creating their own beats, and mixing two songs together. I also covered for the 3-D TV station, where I encouraged attendees to put on 3-D glasses and see what it would feel like to watch television in 3-D. One of the other important responsibilities in these areas was distributing prize redemption cards so that attendees could receive special gifts each day for their participation in our activities.

For the rest of the event, I was positioned near the LG Netbooks. Our footprint was busy throughout the event and maintaining all of the LG Netbooks, sometimes independently, was a fun challenge. But it was all worth it because the attendees really enjoyed their experiences. On Sunday, I was recognized as the "Best Brand Ambassador" for that day - only three staffers were specifically selected for a daily award within a team that was said to be, overall, one of the best groups management had worked with previously.

Tape Track - Data Center World

2010-03-15T10:20:00.000-04:00

Last week (March 9-10), I worked with Tape Track at Data Center World in Nashville, TN. Tape Track is focused on helping companies better manage their backup tapes. As their event hostess, I was responsible for engaging attendees, qualifying potential leads, and introducing them to the company representatives in our booth or collecting their contact information for future follow up. For companies without an appropriate representative on-site, I briefly explained our offerings and traded business cards (noting the name and/or e-mail address of the intended recipient) so that Tape Track would be able to connect with the correct personnel upon returning to the office.

EMS eSchedule - EMS Today

2010-03-06T15:07:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (March 5), I attended the EMS Today Expo in Baltimore, MD to work with a company called EMS eSchedule. This company provides workforce management software to help EMS personnel with their scheduling, payroll, training/certifications, and more.

Before arriving in Baltimore, I learned some basic product information and prepared for my on-site responsibilities by completing a webinar training session. Once in the booth, I welcomed attendees, scanned their badges, and assessed their interest/need relative to the EMS eSchedule product with some quick survey questions. I was then able to introduce each visitor to a company representative and/or the product itself as well as it's most relevant features. After answering questions and providing appropriate literature to the attendees, I documented each encounter so that office staff would be fully equipped to follow up after the event. We stayed busy during show hours and exceeded our day's goal for quality leads.

Chicago Auto Show - US Army

2010-02-24T21:58:00.003-05:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been working with the US Army at the Chicago Auto Show (February 12 to 21). My responsibilities varied over the 10 day event.

As a lead, I was specifically responsible for taking and submitting pictures of the staff working, consumers enjoying their experience, and the event itself. Also, I made sure that the staff members were okay in their responsibilities - I provided additional supplies, found answers to questions, resolved any issues, and filled in to accommodate staff during their break times. When serving as a leader, I feel very strongly that one of my most important duties is to make life easier for both my superiors and our staff however possible.

My remaining tasks included working the registration counter, executing the flight simulator, and assisting with the combat simulator. When working the registration counter, I welcomed attendees, explained the touch screen process to complete a survey and waiver, and answered general questions (secondarily, I was responsible for assembling lanyards for participants and correcting any minor technical errors with the computers and printers, especially during busy periods). For the flight simulator, I explained the safety precautions, ensured that participants were buckled securely into their seats, started/stopped the simulations, and distributed parting gifts. When working specifically with the combat simulator, I organized the line groupings, ensured that only attendees eligible to participate were waiting, and assisted with the preparation/distribution of dog tags.

As a team, we performed some smaller tasks. We cleaned the area, enforced rules (such as participation required to receive premiums and prohibited food/drinks in the footprint), and maintained a positive attitude throughout each of the 13 hour days. Arriving on time was sometimes difficult for others during Chicago's rush hour, but coming early each day to ensure everything was ready for the event was a key to our success. This was a fun event, especially for the participants, but meaningful as well because we were helping to support the people who support our country every day.

Kiersted/Systems - LegalTech NY

2010-02-09T10:36:00.001-05:00

Last week (February 1 to 3), I worked with Kiersted/Systems (a company specializing in full service e-discovery) at LegalTech NY in New York City. To celebrate their smart solutions and smart customers, Kiersted/Systems decided to give away a smart car!

It was my main responsibility to scan the badges of attendees who were interested in the smart car sweepstakes and/or Kiersted/Systems themselves. Due to the scanning machines available at this event, we were limited in the options for categorizing the attendee information - quickly thinking on my feet, I created a system of patterns working within our listed options to enable the sales people to follow up more efficiently. At this event, more badges were scanned during the first day than in the prior show in its entirety. This trend was continued through out the second day as well (doubling the leads from the prior show in just two days this year). I was also responsible for overseeing any paper submissions (business cards or entry forms) and we did collect a number of those as well. After scanning an attendee's badge (or assisting with a paper sweepstakes entry) and categorizing his/her interest for our system, I provided basic information about Kiersted/Systems and introduced him/her to a company representative who was specifically involved with that area of interest or provided applicable literature for him/her to take home. This event went very well and I enjoyed being a part of it.

An Evening in Orange - Nestlé

2010-01-17T14:27:00.013-05:00

This weekend, I was the local manager for the dessert portion of An Evening in Orange (gala for UT Hospital donors) in Knoxville, TN.

I participated in some short pre-event briefings and on-site walk-throughs. On event day, I coordinated with the florist, caterers, sculptors, designers, and lighting technicians to oversee all deliveries and ensure that all aspects of the event would be in-place and working properly on-time. I also directly managed three staff members who assisted me in preparing our main display areas. The biggest challenge for the event was expected to be a quick turn around time (scheduled to last about 1-2 hours) between the conclusion of a wine tasting and the beginning of our dessert portion. With a little muscle from the event's lighting/decor staff, we were able to completely transform the terrace earlier than planned, permitting extra time to add impactful finishing touches. Once the guests entered, our biggest priority was ensuring that everyone experienced the same quality, whether they were first or last to enjoy the Wonka treatment. My staff worked very hard to replenish desserts and attend to the visitors as quickly as possible. Utilizing quick, creative thinking and executive decision making skills were very important to the success of the event as we faced some challenges (staffing, equipment, and schedule oriented) throughout the course of the evening. Overall the event went very well and our guests were impressed by the presentation we prepared for them (see images below).

An Unexpected Solution to "Overstaffing"

2009-12-30T12:19:00.008-05:00

Especially in today’s economy, it is difficult to predict which events will be well attended and which will not. Many companies choose to send a number of existing staff members and err on the side of “overstaffing” but, without appropriate consideration, this can become an issue souring the entire experience for everyone involved. When representatives feel as though they could be better utilized anywhere else, they are less likely to take the event seriously. Unfortunately, this is not just a personal problem for them – a negative attitude in your booth is infectious and can hurt your company’s bottom line – fewer people will leave the event with a positive impression of your company, you are less likely to achieve your stated goals, and future marketing strategies could face resistance when your company remembers this failure. However, instead of erring on the side of “understaffing” (which brings an entirely different set of challenges); I would encourage you to resolve this issue by adding one more person to your team.

You may be thinking, “If I already have too many representatives – how could the solution be to select one more?” Keep reading and I’ll show you three ways adding a competent hostess can provide some structure and stability to your booth.

ONE: As a consistent face for attendees throughout the event, your hostess enables visitors to feel comfortable in knowing your booth is under control. She politely greets attendees and recognizes them upon second and third visits, maintains a general idea of which company representatives are where (and when they’ll return), and passes along the messages left with visitors’ business cards as directed. Maintaining a booth presence for your company allows representatives to attend sessions, meet with VIP clients and attendees, resolve issues, as well as explore the show floor without worrying about missing important contacts who visit the booth in their absence.

If you have a competent hostess in your booth, your representatives can maximize the use of their time at the event (outside the booth) while your company still appears to be fully committed to maintaining a strong showing inside the booth.

TWO: As she takes a moment to engage attendees, your hostess enables visitors to have more quality interactions and take away positive memories of your company. With casual conversation, she determines which attendees would be best suited for immediate introduction to a company representative, others who would require a brief overview of company capabilities along with traded business cards, and still others who are only looking for a sweepstakes entry. At the same time, she can tell which on-site representative is currently the most appropriate to introduce according to attitude, availability, and experience. Jumping into these conversations is not awkward for anyone because your hostess introduces each party with a short sentence to describe why they needed to meet.

If you have a competent hostess in your booth, your representatives can meet pre-qualified attendees and waste less of their time and energy on interactions with those who may not be a great fit.

THREE: As quality leads are verified, your hostess ensures future contact is possible. She scans badges, collects business cards, and records notes while your company representatives finish their conversations. Without drawing your representatives’ attention away from the current interaction or abruptly disrupting the positive connection forming with your visitors, all of the necessary information is collected for follow up at another time.

If you have a competent hostess in your booth, your representatives can focus their efforts on building relationships instead of verifying necessary contact information.

Having a competent hostess in your booth enables your company to make more meaningful connections with current clients, form positive impressions on potential, future clients, and to improve your appearance within your industry as a whole. Don’t reduce the number of representatives you send to each event – increase it… consider a hostess when you need help, whether you know it or not.

This article has been published by Salesopedia, Sales Pro Magazine, and Event Solutions Magazine (page 28 of February 2010 issue).

Nintendo DSi - "Connect and Share Lounge"

2009-12-16T23:23:00.003-05:00

Last week, I attended the Food Expo and Women's Show in Columbus, OH as a representative for Nintendo. The "Connect and Share Lounge" gave attendees the opportunity to experience the Nintendo DSi (taking a picture, editing it, and enjoying one of the programs available) and to enter a sweepstakes to win two free Nintendo DSi units as well as 10 games to accompany them - it was my responsibility to see our guests through the entire process.

First, I introduced the system to the women and helped them to select an appropriate program. I also enabled the women to take pictures of themselves and then printed these pictures so that they could be posted on our wall (as shown above) with handwritten life tips. I collected signatures for necessary waivers from the participants and made sure that each one enjoyed her experience within our display. Finally, after some time to enjoy the system, I helped our guests enter the sweepstakes and provided a small gift for each of them to take home. On site, I also provided information to managers for use in their reports and assisted with clean-up duties.

PS. Do you remember the other women's conventions I worked this spring with Nintendo? You can read about them here: http://whenineedhelp.blogspot.com/2009/09/nintendo-dsi-spa.html and http://whenineedhelp.blogspot.com/2009/03/nintendo-ds-spa.html.

September Photo Shoots (2)

2009-12-01T16:25:00.002-05:00

As you may remember from my previous post here, I did three photo shoots in September. You already read about one, but as promised, I have some more pictures to share.

My first shoot in Chicago, IL was with Paul Funovits. He works only in film and we shot in his hair salon, so this was an interesting experience. See below for one of the candid images he took.

After working with Paul and then Randy, I had a chance to meet up with Molly of MVK Photography. We walked around in downtown Chicago for a night shoot - she was a blast! Here is one of my favorite images:

Sprint FanView at Homestead

2009-11-23T08:55:00.003-05:00

Good morning! Remember the Sprint FanView promotion I managed in Bristol (if not, you can read about it here)? Well, this weekend, I managed a similar promotion - also for Sprint FanView, but this time at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida..

I had a staff of 6-7 local team members who introduced attendees to the Sprint FanView during this two day promotion. My staff was responsible for speaking with attendees while demonstrating the unit, distributing brochures, and encouraging rentals. I answered questions from all staff, documented our activity (with written reporting as well as pictures), and assured that the event ran smoothly for our client throughout the weekend by taking care of any issues on site (providing additional training to new staff, coordinating breaks, communicating with the office, etc). This was the final NASCAR race of the season.. but, don't worry, I'll see you at the tracks again next year!

AHA - Critical Diagnostics

2009-11-17T20:55:00.001-05:00

This week (November 15 to 17), I attended the AHA Scientific Sessions in Orlando, FL to work with Critical Diagnostics. I was responsible for maintaining our booth presence independently during many of the event hours so that company representatives were able to attend relevant sessions and focus on other important meetings.

I distributed literature, answered questions, and collected contact information from attendees to raise awareness about Critical Diagnostics, in general, and the new ST2 Biomarker (currently pending FDA approval), more specifically.

November Photo Shoot

2009-11-12T12:27:00.009-05:00

This past weekend (November 8), I did a fitness/athletic shoot with Dustin Patrick in Oak Ridge, TN - it was a beautiful day and the images turned out really well. See below for a few of my favorites!

October Photo Shoot

2009-11-06T18:00:00.002-05:00

Last month, I worked with Cluttered Studio Photography for a bridal shoot in Gatlinburg, TN. We waded through a creek to get to this waterfall, but the guys were so much fun to work with and we got some great images, so it was definitely worth the extra effort! Here are a few of my favorites: