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Trade Show Strategies For the Novice Vendor - Or How to Survive Being Stuck Next to the Sham-Wow Guy |
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Trade Show Strategies For the Novice Vendor - Or How to Survive Being Stuck Next to the Sham-Wow GuyBy Delia Neal If you've never participated in a trade show before, your first time as a vendor can be a little intimidating, but it can also open up a world of possibilities. People who go to trade shows are usually entrepreneurs, trying to get their product or service out into the fabulous free market. If you are a hit at the trade show - you have a good shot at making it in the world outside. To clarify, when I say "Trade Show," I mean any event at which you have the opportunity to sell your product or service, and at which you solicit leads for future relationships. Bridal Shows, Expos, Holiday Boutiques, and Swap Meets are all trade shows, and you should treat every single one of them as incredibly valuable opportunities at which to make your fortune. Read on to learn more about maximizing your trade show experience. 1. WHAT ARE YOU SELLING? If you are involved in a home-based business like Mary Kay or Pampered chef, you have a product that is proven, desirable, and familiar. Your up line (or District rep) has probably also given you lots of cool ideas for display and your product is packaged professionally and beautifully. You have a head start on the rest of us at the trade show, but don't rest on those laurels! Read on. Those of us who are selling less-familiar products or services have to work a little harder on the prep. For example, I am an Event Coordinator (specializing in corporate events and trade shows, as it happens) and I am a consultant. My business is entirely service-based and, until I write a book or come out with a line of cookware, I do not have an actual product to put on a trade show table. It's just me standing there, trying to look like I know what I'm doing (and at the same time trying not to look too desperate). Potential customers only see me - they can't see my service, so drawing them in is my biggest challenge. Similarly, if your business involves a more entrepreneurial item, like couture baby clothes, or hand-painted mailboxes, you have to convince the audience that you are worth a second look. Even if your products are "proven" money-making, hand-crafted Dream Catchers you made from a kit you bought online, you need to do something that makes you stand out from the hundreds of other people who are making and selling the same darn thing at swap meets all over the country. 2. WHO IS YOUR MARKET? Buying a booth or table space at the local Holiday Market is NOT a good investment for me and my business. People go to Holiday Markets to get something cool for Aunt Sally, not to find an Event Coordinator, or arrange a consultation. Similarly, the Boat Show and Expo is probably not where the Lia Sophia rep wants to set up shop. There can be exceptions to this: I went to a Gun Show at which the man running the "Authentic Indian" jewelry table was doing quite a brisk bit of business. All those guys wasting their Saturday afternoon wandering around a dimly-lit convention center instead of picking up the dog poop in the backyard were thrilled to be able to get something, ANYTHING, to bring home as a peace offering. That being said, it's still a risk to purchase space at an event that has nothing to do with your product or service. You may make a bundle, or you may not, plan and assess accordingly. 3. DISPLAYING EFFECTIVELY As I mentioned above, some products are already packaged to sell, however, that doesn't mean that they'll fly off your table just because they're in pretty boxes. You have no more than 2.5 seconds to impress people walking by your booth enough to make them want to look closer, make that time work for you. Your Smiling Face. At a Bridal Show I did in Phoenix, there was one vendor in particular I will never forget. She was seated at her table which was laden with beautiful product and lots of samples (samples = VERY GOOD). She didn't get up once. She also rarely smiled (although that might have been due to botox poisoning). She just sat there, staring straight ahead, her thickly-lipsticked mouth twisted downward in a perma-scowl. For four hours. I took a picture of her for educational purposes but then realized I could never use it since I know too many of her acquaintances. You CANNOT remain seated at your table at the trade show (unless you have some physical infirmity which makes standing impossible or uncomfortable). Taking a quick break is fine, but you must be up and about, moving around, acknowledging people with a smile, straightening product, whatever. If your attitude is: "If they're interested, they'll come to me," you aren't going to do very well as a salesperson - no matter what you're selling. People like dealing with others who act and look alive - not zombies. Food. We are Americans - we eat constantly, regardless of whether we're even actually hungry. If you have a bowl of candy or pretzels on your table (have a little scoop or tongs available for the squeamish), people are going to help themselves, but will then feel obligated to at least look at your table and smile at you. You must take advantage of that brief opportunity and try to engage your potential customer in a non-sales-oriented conversation. If they like you, they will look at your product more closely. Oh, and don't say anything like "take all you want" when they're dipping into the goodies, you'll just make them uncomfortable. Most people don't like to be watched while they eat - and NO ONE likes having a stranger make comments about how much they're eating - no matter how innocent the comment may be! If the show allows, and if it's appropriate for your product or service, prepping or actually cooking food at your booth will draw a crowd EVERY time. Have you ever watched the guys selling those EZ chopper things that dice and mince veggies? Even if no one gets a taste, there's always a crowd around because the guy is DOING SOMETHING, and he's doing it with FOOD!! Even if you can't cook at your table - more than likely you can give free samples. Offering mini muffins made from Pampered Chef muffin mix and presented in a Pampered Chef mini muffin pan (with all the Pampered Chef utensils, bowls and measuring devices you used to make the muffins arranged neatly nearby) is fool-proof. Keep in mind food safety issues and try not to poison anyone or feed them anything with dog fur in or on it. If you are selling services, either try to match the food to your service, or just bring lots of candy. CAVEATS: (1) chocolate and Phoenix in the summer are a bad combo; (2) gummi anything must be individually wrapped; (3) no one actually likes those chalky white peppermint Life Savers. You can also invest in cookies with your logo on them or personalized M & Ms (but see above). For a change, bring pretzels, peanuts, or something else salty. Trade Shows have been known to produce insulin shock in hungry attendees so many people will appreciate the vendor who brings something different. At one event, I gave out "gourmet" lollipops with my card attached to the twisty-tie used to close the packaging - they were all clear, brightly-colored, shaped like flowers and stuck on foot-long plastic sticks. I arranged them in a large flower vase and they looked like a beautiful multi-colored bouquet AND they went like hotcakes. Cost me less than 30 cents per lollipop. Plus, people would have to handle my card when unwrapping their candy and would be likely to at least look at it. Bright, Shiny Objects. My husband jokes that I'm just like a bird in that I'm easily distracted by anything shiny or flashy. In my defense however, most people do automatically look toward flashy, bright things (why do you think so many drunk drivers plow into police cars?). If you can draw attention that way, it may add an additional second to your window of opportunity with the potential customer so, again, make it count! The guy with the personalized punched-tin lampshades should have several of them placed over light bulbs to show off the design. CAVEAT: Strobe lights are overused and obnoxious (especially for the people at the booth next to you). Also, they can cause seizures in some people. Unless you run an actual disco, avoid at all costs. Ditto the fake traffic light - it just screams "CHEESY DISPLAY HERE!!!" Demos. Like the Food Chopper guy - any vendor who can demonstrate their product in a couple of minutes will draw a crowd. In addition to looking at bright, shiny things, we also like to watch other people do stuff. We aren't all that complicated. While you're doing the demo, however, make sure you acknowledge the people watching or make some friendly little comments about the demo (perhaps make a joke about yourself messing up the demo), or even just explain what you're doing. If you don't say anything or even smile at anyone, your demo is going to come off as weird and stilted. You need to appear comfortable and easy-going - or have someone else with these attributes do the demo for you. At the yearly SHOT show for the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor industry, small vendors are thrown in the mix right along with multi-million dollar businesses like Beretta and Springfield Armory. The little guy has to do something with his or her booth to drag the potential customer away from the gigantic displays of the "big guys." Beretta actually puts up log cabin-style walls (complete with fake fireplace) to act as a cozy setting for their high-end hunting clothes. Springfield Armory offers a series of gun-handling demonstrations put on by Rob Leatham - the Michael Jordan of competition pistol. In response, the smaller guys bring out dynamic displays, compelling videos running on loops, and members of military or law enforcement groups who use their product - anything they can to stand out. Unfortunately there is also a tendency (amongst big and small vendors) toward bringing out the scantily-clad poster models (most of whom have never handled a firearm outside of the photo shoot) to sign calendars and pose with attendees. As cringe-inducing as I find this technique - those booths do always have quite a crowd. Again, as humans, we aren't all that complicated If your product is a service - try to get some (GOOD QUALITY) video of you performing that service or offer service "samples" at the Show. Massage therapists bring massage chairs, what can you bring to demo your service? I always try to get stylists or makeup artists to give live demos of their skills using show attendees - it draws a crowd and the lucky test subject gets a free 'do. Are you a web design service? Have a loop running on video showing quick shots of sites you've designed or before and afters of sites you renovated. With customer permission, of course. The upshot is that you want something dynamic and mobile to draw people in and interest them enough to start asking you questions. 4. HOW TO TALK TO "THEM" One of the best pieces of sales advice I have ever heard (I think it was from Patricia Drain) was to make your customers think it was their idea to buy your product or service. I don't think there's any actual voodoo or hypnotism involved here, but it has more to do with the way in which you engage your prospects. I know that Mary Kay tells their consultants to remark on a person's stylish look, or wrinkle-free face as a way to start the beauty conversation. However, at a trade show, you're going to look like an idiot hollering out to passers-by that you think that shade of aqua is particularly flattering with their hazel eyes. If people are walking in the middle of the walkway, eyes forward or deep in conversation, they aren't interested anyway and will only be offended or embarrassed if you try to rope them in by shouting things at them or singling them out from the crowd. Concentrate instead on those people who are actually at or near your table, or walking slowly and close to all the tables. They are your pool of potentials. When a potential customer is looking at a particular product or individual item, a casual remark like "those come in green as well" or "I think that one is my favorite" is a neutral low-pressure opener. Don't EVER ask "what are you looking for?" or "can I help you?" to a trade show customer. It sounds like you're trying to rush them out - that's the kind of dialog you hear in Target - where customers are there for a particular reason and actually do need help finding the detergent. You are in a completely different environment in a trade show and you need to act that way. These people aren't looking for anything in particular - they truly ARE just browsing and if something happens to interest them, they will move in closer. If you are uncomfortable engaging with strangers - you may be in the wrong line of work - entrepreneurs cannot afford to be shy. However, a simple "hello" or comment on the weather is harmless and non-threatening and perfectly OK - just don't completely ignore them. One of the most unprofessional habits (anywhere - not just at the Show) is the vendor who has a buddy sitting with them at their table, and spends the entire time talking to the buddy instead of paying attention to customers. It's no problem having another person at the table - in fact that sometimes makes you more approachable - but that person cannot be your focus. Customers should NEVER have to wait for you to acknowledge them while you get every last detail about so-and-sos very personal medical issues. 5. WRAP-UP. Hopefully you can find something in this article to give you that extra edge at the next show you participate in. Keep in mind that while you may not make any money AT the show - you will definitely see your participation pay off in future prospects if you make enough of a good impression on the attendees. It sounds like a cliche (and it indeed is - which means it must be somewhat accurate!), but the best thing you can do at the show is to have fun yourself. You've already spent the money on your booth or table so put that out of your mind and focus on your great product or service and how much you look forward to providing it to a whole new group of people. Your enthusiasm will rub off on others and will bring an energy to your table that will, in turn, bring in more people. Bring plenty of water, stash a couple of energy bars in your bag, make sure you know where the nearest bathroom is - and go out there and vend!! Delia Neal is a lawyer, part-time judge, consultant and Event Coordinator in Mesa, Arizona. After over ten years as an attorney (most of that time as a prosecutor), she started Delia In Any Event, LLC - a corporate and special event planning business. She also offers corporate training in areas as diverse as employee theft and fraud prevention to strategies and tactics for restaurateurs and other service industry managers.
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