The Sales Confessional

Forgive us. We have to admit our top sales sin…we know exactly how to reach our audience, and get what we all need from them: their business. We’re delivering them to your Event Solutions Tradeshow booth doorstep, hungry and excited for new products and services.

Whether you’re a tradeshow virgin or a well-exposed exhibiting pro, take a glance through our little confession box of insider secrets. Don’t just take it from us – we scoured our resources to come up with this complete list of everything you need to know to get everything you want out of your investment with Event Solutions.

Click on the following topics and download the guides at the end of this page, courtesy of exhibit expert Susan Ratliff. She will be presenting the session especially for exhibitors on Sunday to get you revved up for a successful sales week with the Event Solutions and Catersource Conference and Tradeshow, Feb. 22 - 26, 2009. Don’t miss it!

So follow our Vegas mantra, and join us at the Las Vegas Convention Center to Sin a little. Sell a lot. If you haven’t booked your exhibit space yet, just e-mail Meredith at meredith@event-solutions.com and she’ll get you what you need, or click here for more details.

Sincerely,
The Event Solutions Team

Getting Started
The Exhibit Expert’s Top 10 Tradeshow Tips
Trade Show Planning Timeline
Before You Go: The Final Trade Show Check List

Exhibiting Design
Bling My Booth
Exhibit Display: 3 Seconds to Make an Impression
Top Tips for Tabletop Exhibiting

Staffing Tips
Strategic Trade Show Staffing
Avoid Booth Staff Duds
10 Web Marketing Tips for Tradeshow Exhibitors

Marketing Your Booth
Attracting Visitors to Your Booth
Get the Most out of your Trade Show Dollar

Scoring Best Leads
Cheat Sheet: Exhibitor Lead Tracking
Taking Action at the Booth

Secrets to Great Follow Up
Trade Show Follow-Up Through eNewsletters
Post-Show Follow-Up

The Exhibit Expert’s Top 10 Tradeshow Tips
by Susan Ratliff
Plan Ahead
Begin preparations for each event well in advance. Attention to details will save you time, money and headaches.

Set Objectives

Know what you want to accomplish at the show. Make sure the booth staff understands what is expected of them.

Design a Dynamic Display
You have 7 seconds to attract attention. To receive maximum visibility, coordinate every element of your display around a theme.

Reinforce Your Marketing Message

Use large pictures, vibrant colors and minimal text to illustrate products and services. Sell Benefits!

Project a Positive Image

First impressions are critical. Every element of your display must reflect your company’s personality, professionalism and integrity.

Train Your Staff

80% of tradeshow attendees base their opinion of your company on the actions of your employees at the booth. Prepare your people.

Develop a Sales Strategy

Script a presentation that engages, qualifies and solicits the desired response from prospects. Require the staff to memorize and use it consistently.

Follow-Up Effectively

Contact all leads within one week. Phone, fax, e-mail or mail information that solicits an appointment, interview or sale. Include a deadline for reply.

Exude Enthusiasm

Nothing makes a better impression than happy, smiling employees eager to assist inquisitive prospects.

Factor in Some Fun

Don’t be too conservative. Tradeshow attendees want to be entertained as well as informed. Winners combine the two.

Copyright 2007 The Exhibit Expert. Reproduced with permission of the author, Susan Ratliff, The Exhibit Expert. Hire the expert to train your exhibit staff or speak to your organization. susan@exhibitexpertsaz.com, 602-437-3634, www.exhibitexpertsaz.com

Trade Show Planning Timeline: Utilize a Trade Show Planning Timeline to Maximize Results
Please see Trade Show Advisor for full article.

Before You Go: The Final Trade Show Check List
Please see Trade Show Advisor here for checklist.

BLING MY BOOTH: 20 Tips to Trick out Your Tradeshow Display or Customize Your Consumer Show Exhibit
by Susan Ratliff

1. Exude professionalism: Image is everything. Don’t go cheap on any element of design.

2. Project a personality: Conservative, trendy, cutting edge? Show off your style in your space.

3. Make it memorable: Be clever, funny, bold or intriguing in your design and in your message.

4. Capture attention with color: Don’t be afraid to go bright and bold. Accent the décor with the corporate colors. Contrast colors, use light text on dark backgrounds or go monochrome for impact.

5. Think of a theme: Create a clever, memorable theme to reinforce your marketing message, company slogan or tagline. Tie into a current event, or holiday. Have fun with sports, movies, music themes.

6. Get your name noticed: It should only take seconds to understand who you are and what you do.

7. Give graphics the Wow Factor: Use large, attention grabbing photos & striking pictures.

8. Make the message clear: Keep signs simple. More pictures less text. Say it succinctly.

9. Give benefits first: Feel their pain. Make the message about benefits to them and less about the features you offer. How you will solve their most pressing problems is the most important message.

10. Add punch with props: Illustrate an intangible service or promote your product line with a variety of creative and interesting items that help to decorate, illustrate the message and bring the booth to life.

11. Master effective Merchandising: Showcase an impressive variety of colors, sizes, prices, qualities and styles of your product. Less is more. Keep excess stock out of sight.

12. Cut the clutter: Keep it clean and simple. No need to show everything you sell.

13. Elevate your offerings: Use decorative containers, risers, boxes or unusual props to bring products and literature closer to eye level and add three-dimensional impact to your space.

14. Light things up: Lighting techniques can illuminate, spotlight, highlight or add motion to your display.

15. Dress up the staff: Whether it’s a costume, company uniform or casual clothes, wear something that makes your team stand out from attendees or enhance your theme. If it works, wear what you sell.

16. Build your image: Display awards, community connections and company spirit. Share your company’s personal side in order to connect with attendees and help them find a common bond.

17. Make sure it matches: Every element of the display should be cohesive, coordinated and complementary. That includes the carpet, counters, backdrop, graphics, props colors and theme.

18. Look over your layout: Step back and observe your display like a customer. Would you do business with your company? Does the display match the hype and exemplify the company image?

19. Train the staff: Brainstorm with the team to script a sales presentation that will accomplish your goals. Memorize the presentation, use it consistently and reward positive results.

20. Project professionalism: People will be watching. Be approachable. Practice good exhibitor etiquette. Take out the chairs, no eating at the booth, put away the cell phone and greet everyone with a smile. Exude enthusiasm for your company and offerings.

Copyright 2007 The Exhibit Expert. Reproduced with permission of the author, Susan Ratliff, The Exhibit Expert. Hire the expert to train your exhibit staff or speak to your organization. susan@exhibitexpertsaz.com, 602-437-3634, www.exhibitexpertsaz.com

Trade Show Exhibit Displays: 3 Seconds to Make an Impression
Please see Trade Show Advisor here for full article.

THE EXHIBIT EXPERT’S TOP TIPS FOR TABLETOP EXHIBITING

A table top exhibit provides the surface of a six or eight foot table as your entire exhibit area.

You can operate behind the table using the entire surface to market your product or service or you can place a portable display on the table and work the booth from in front of the table. Either way assures you exposure to attendees as they walk by. Table top exhibits at conferences provide exhibitors with exposure to attendees at scheduled times in between educational sessions and speakers. This marketplace format allows exhibitors to leave their display tables to attend the sessions and enjoy the meals too. Exhibitors wishing to remain at the table can register an additional staff member and alternate attending sessions.

Below are some tips to make your experience enjoyable, productive and profitable.

• Dress for success.

• Wear comfortable shoes.

• Set goals for the staff to accomplish at the event.

• Set up early. This provides time to view other exhibits. Be ready when attendees arrive.

• Design an attractive, dynamic, professional presentation.

• Stand out by adding a custom table cover. Place it directly over top of the drape provided.

• Include professional signage. No hand lettered signs. At a glance attendees should be able to understand who you are, what you do and what you sell.

• Emphasize Benefit over Features. Elevate your wares. Use containers, boxes or props to display your products at different heights bringing your goods closer to eye level and provide a more interesting presentation.

• Use color to draw attention and capture interest.

• Use props and pictures to illustrate a service.

• Demonstrate your product or service when possible. Get interactive.

• If retailing products, post pricing or any special offers.

• Don’t sit down. Removing chairs is advised. You are not approachable when seated.

• Make eye contact as attendees pass by. Greet everyone who stops at your table.

• Smile a lot.

• Prepare a sales strategy for selling products or collecting leads.

• Collect business cards or provide a lead slip to fill out. Let attendees register to receive a newsletter or sign a guest book. Hold a drawing or have a contest. Prospects can turn into customers when followed-up after the show. Jot a note for each lead as to what their needs were so you can provide information when the follow up call is made.

• Promote your participation by notifying your customers when and where you are exhibiting.

• Customize a sales flyer with an incentive to buy and a deadline for ordering after the show.

• Come prepared to do business. Pens, cash, order forms, credit slips etc.

Copyright 2007 The Exhibit Expert. Reproduced with permission of the author, Susan Ratliff, The Exhibit Expert. Hire the expert to train your exhibit staff or speak to your organization. susan@exhibitexpertsaz.com, 602-437-3634, www.exhibitexpertsaz.com

A Strategic Approach to Trade Show Staffing
by Barry Siskind
Courtesy of Siskind Training, International Management and Training Company

Imagine you have invited friends and neighbours to an open house at your home. The coffee is ready, the snacks prepared and the house is spotless. Nothing is left to chance….well almost nothing. The outstanding issue is who in your family should greet your guests? Certainly not your daughter who has body rings in the most unfathomable places, or your son who has sprouted permanently attached earphones. Then there is your couch potato spouse who would rather watch Sunday football than make small talk with the neighbours. That leaves you, but you can’t be everywhere at once. What do you do?

Exhibitors face a similar dilemma. “We have a great exhibit at an important show, who should we recruit to staff the booth?”

At an exhibition lots of people meet under one roof for one purpose and for a limited amount of time. By opening up this opportunity to people with different experiences within your organization you may be uncovering valuable hidden possibilities.

The bottom line - when it comes to staffing your booth there is a place for anyone within your organization to benefit. Opening the doors to these people can be a serendipitous beginning to otherwise concealed possibilities. The secret is choosing people with the following criteria—

1. They want to be there. Asking or coercing those who have no desire to work at a show is an exercise in futility and an invitation to a “self-fulfilling prophesy.” When the show is over and you look at this person and their abysmal results they will say “See, I know I wasn’t right for this.”

2. They have to understand what to do. Working a show requires a unique set of skills. No matter what their background, dedicated time needs to be set aside to hone their current skills to the show environment.

3. They need to be credible. Credibility starts inside the person. It’s the passion and enthusiasm they feel for your product or service. They develop this by fully understanding your products or services. When they truly like what they represent, they exude an aura of credibility.

Avoid Booth Staff Duds: Thirteen Essential Questions You Have to Ask
By Susan Friedman, THE TRADE SHOW COACH

Booth staff selection is the single most important factor in your exhibiting success. More than graphics, signage, literature, giveaways, or any other variable, it is the people you put on the show floor that influence visitor’s opinion of your organization. They are your ambassadors, representing your company for the whole world to see. It is impossible to stress enough how crucial your team is to your overall success.

To ensure a top notch performance, begin preparing your booth team four to six months prior to the event. You will need the answers to the following questions:

1. How many people are needed to staff the booth?

• A number of variables need to be considered. How big is your exhibit? How long is the show? Will you need employees to give product demonstrations, work the hospitality suite, teach seminars, or supervise contests? Ensure you have enough staffing to have your booth manned at all times, while giving your team a break every four to six hours. No one can be ‘on’ for twelve hours at a time.

2. Who are the best people to represent the organization?

• Working a trade show requires a unique mix of skills. You want employees with excellent product knowledge, superlative people skills, killer sales instincts, and a warm, engaging personality. These people should be motivated self-starters, able to think on their feet and work with little or no direction.

3. Has staff training been organized?

• To ensure success, prepare your team with all the skills and tools they need. Training should cover assessing visitor types, asking qualifying questions, handling difficult attendees, lead generation and follow up, and many other factors.

4. Has a pre-show meeting been scheduled?

• Pre-show meetings play a critical role in ensuring that your team understands their goals and objectives, expected roles and duties, and is adequately supplied with background knowledge to handle any unexpected surprises. Use this time to clarify any areas of confusion and to address any staff concerns.

5. Is the booth team familiar with the products or services being displayed?

• To effectively sell products, you need to have thorough, complete product knowledge. Too many times, organizations send out rookie employees who only possess rudimentary knowledge. This is frustrating for attendees, who won’t come back to find another employee who might have an answer – they’ll go to the competition instead.

6. Has a practice demonstation session been organized?

• Never assume that your employees know how to use the products that they sell. It is entirely possible that they are not completely familiar with every feature, especially if you are introducing a new product. Take the time to thoroughly train your team, and have them practice demonstrating the product to familiarize themselves with the show floor routine.

7. Will a technical representative be available to answer questions?

• Depending on your product/service line, it may be entirely appropriate to send a technical representative to handle specific product questions. Train this person in the basics of salesmanship, but keep their duties largely relegated to providing technical answers. Make sure they are aware of the possibility of trade show espionage, to prevent them from sharing too much information.

8. Has a dress code been established?

• Well before you arrive at the event, a dress code should be established. Uniforms may be appropriate for your company, but if they are not, clearly specify what you want your team to be wearing. “Casual business” gives far too much leeway. Instead, spell out “Black trousers or skirt, white shirt, black blazer, red tie,” or the equivalent.

9. Have badges been ordered for all booth personnel?

• Everyone on your team needs a badge to enter the show floor, access hospitality areas, and move freely about. Order these badges well ahead of time, so that any errors or omissions can be remedied in a timely fashion.

10. Do booth personnel have sufficient business cards?

• It is amazing how many business cards you can hand out during the course of one trade show. Make sure your team is adequately prepared.

11. Has a booth schedule been planned?

• A complete schedule will cover every moment from show arrival to departure. Include who will be staffing the booth, break times, technical support and assorted responsibilities. It may be a good idea to include ‘check in’ time into the schedule, so sales people acting as booth staff can check messages back at the home office and make needed phone calls. This will alleviate a great deal of staff anxiety.

12. Who will oversee booth installation and dismantling?

• Often overlooked, these two items can quickly become logistic nightmares if no one is prepared to address them. Delegate two people to this detail. Many show organizers provide this service for a fee, but you may still want to have staff members on hand supervising.

13. Does that person understand the move-out procedure?

• Someone has to arrange for moving the exhibit out of the convention center, ensuring it is properly packed, and coordinate shipping the whole thing back to the home office. Again, a team should be clearly delegated this responsibility, and provided with all the tools and resources they’ll need to succeed.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Trade Show Marketing by “The Trade Show Coach” – Susan Friedmann, CSP. For a free copy of “10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make”, e-mail: article4@thetradeshowcoach.com; website: www.thetradeshowcoach.com

10 Web Marketing Tips for Tradeshow Exhibitors
Please see Trade Show Advisor here for full article.

About the Author: The cited article on web marketing tips for tradeshow exhibitors was written by Julia O’Connor, a speaker, author, and consultant who writes about practical aspects of tradeshows. As president of Tradeshow Training, Inc,, she works with companies to improve bottom line and marketing opportunities at tradeshows. Julia is an expert in the psychology of the tradeshow environment and uses this expertise in sales training and management seminars. Contact: 804-355-7800 or TradeShowTraining.com

Through Interactive Presentations, Creativity and Participatory Activities Work Together For Attracting Visitors to Your Booth
Please see Trade Show Advisor here for full article.

Blockbuster Booth or Bust: Get the Most out of your Trade Show Dollar
By Roger Lepley
See Event Solutions magazine, February 2007

Cheat Sheet: Exhibitor Lead Tracking
Helping exhibitors become more successful at following up on leads generated at your show will give your event greater value in their future marketing plans.
By Linda Chandler
Courtesy: Expo magazine, March 2004

Lead-Tracking Track Record

The good news
- 90 percent of attendees say exhibitions are their primary source of information about products
- 57 percent will make a purchase decision in the next year
- 48 percent need to hear from an exhibitor only once before buying

The bad news
- 80 percent of all show leads are handled improperly
- 49 percent of exhibitors do little or no preshow staff training
- 43 percent of buyers receive information after they’ve decided on another source
- 18 percent of booth leads never receive any follow-up

Why Don’t Exhibitors Follow Up?

• Incomplete or inaccurate screening
• Busy post-exhibition schedules
• No lead-tracking system in place
• Inadequate staffing
• Poor accountability

Tips to Give Exhibitors

Follow-up is a three-part process: before, during and after the show.

1. Do the advance work

• Be sure booth staffers understand their assignments and objectives.

• Print brochures, catalogs, and other materials well in advance and stuff envelopes.

• Create customizable cover letters to mail with materials.

• Practice with any tech devices so you can work fluidly on the floor.

2. Be productive at the show

• Qualify leads. Use surveys and codes for hot, warm and cold.

• Verify contact information and ask for the best time to phone.

• Have team meetings to compare notes and prioritize leads.

• Overnight or e-mail leads to a staffer who can initiate immediate follow-up mailings.

• Take thank-you notes or postcards to send to best prospects while still on site.

3. Stay focused after the show

• Block your schedule for your first day back in the office and devote it to follow-up.

• Assign a specific staffer or hire a temp to assist for a day.

• Distribute follow-ups to regional/local sales, distributors or dealers.

• Set timelines for repeat contacts. Track and be accountable for the deadlines.

Taking Action at the Booth: Avoid the Presentation Trap
by Barry Siskind
Courtesy of Siskind Training, International Management and Training Company
Click here for more.

A common trap that booth staff makes is giving booth visitors too much information. They are already overloaded with information and don’t want more. Creating a presentation that whets their appetite and addresses issues that are relevant is the key.

Here is my mantra. Memorize it and before you make a show presentation run it through in your head and it will keep you focused.

“Tell them what they want to know not what they need to know.”

The difference between want and need is that the former is from your prospect’s point of view and the latter is from yours. So, put your needs aside for the moment and stay focused on the prospect. If you are not sure what they want to know about, ask. A simple question like, “What you looking to accomplish with this new product?” or, “What is the most important consideration from your perspective?”

This bit of advice is easy to say and difficult to do. Here are a few thoughts to help keep you on track.

1. Stay focused on your prospect

• The next time you go shopping, notice how you are handled. Did the service provider understand your situation or was he too busy telling you everything about the product or service that it seemed like you had already left the building? You be the judge of what works best.

2. Don’t squander your (or their) time

• Time is a scarce commodity at a trade show. You simply have too many people to deal with in too short a period of time. Spending a lot of time with one person reduces the time you have for others. Use your time efficiently. Once you have completed your task, move the prospect to the next step. This becomes much easier, when the prospect feels that the information provided is relevant to their situation.

3. Stay focused on your objective

• Your objective might be to generate leads from interested prospects, write orders or create interest in a new product or initiative. Your objective may also fall in to the “soft” category such as brand awareness or visibility. Prior to attending the show ask yourself, “What information do I need to pass along in order for me to accomplish my objectives?” and “What information does my prospect need that will help me realize my objectives?”

• Answering these questions requires some real soul searching. However, when you look at the same situation from two points of view you will quickly realize that the last thing a prospect needs to hear about is everything.

4. Be the kind of person that your prospects will want to do business with.

• People want to do business with people they like, respect and understand. This goes a long way to solidifying your relationship with the prospect. The trick is to let them talk more than you do. It’s the only way you can really focus on them and that’s all they want from you.

So, before you go to your next show do some serious work on your presentation. The results will be well worth the effort.

Barry Siskind is the president of International Training and Management, a full service exhibitor education company in Canada providing a wide range of products and services to help exhibitors improve their performance on and off the trade show floor. He is the is author of several books includding The Power of Exhibit Marketing. He is one of Canada’s most sought after consultants and speakers and North America’s foremost trade and consumer show expert. Visit his web site at www.siskindtraining.com.

Trade Show Follow-Up Through eNewsletters
Courtesy: MarketingScoop.com
For full strategy, click here.

If you’re wondering how to get the most out of your trade show leads, then you need to consider how to follow up with them. What’s the best way you ask? According to a recent article on networking, sending a customized e-newsletter right after the show delivered above average conversion rates. Click the link above to find out how to use your e-newsletter to follow up with all those prospects you met on the show floor.

Post Trade Show Evaluation & Follow-Up
Courtesy TradeShowStuff.biz

One of the most overlooked aspects of trade shows is following up on all leads obtained from the event in a timely manner and conducting a post show evaluation. Follow up activities are where most trade show exhibitors fail for a couple of reasons.

• You return to the office to find your inbox full of emails, your voicemail is overflowing and you need check on your current projects and sales.

• There is an automatic assumption that all the people you met at the trade show will call you because you gave them a brouchure and they are certain to remember you.

• No doubt, you will have some catch up to do after the trade show but the key to success is to prioritize your post trade show activities. First, follow-up with all urgent issues immediately. Second, deal with issues that have come up with existing clients while you were away. Do not sacrifice existing clients for potential new clients. Lastly, put all non-critical functions aside and start your trade show follow-up.

Follow-Up - Immediately

Post-show planning includes a multiple contact plan. Call the most serious prospects first. You should follow-up with all your leads within 48 hours of the show by email or phone. Continue to execute good prospecting and sales techniques to develop a professional relationship.

• Email all booth attendees who provided contact information (regardless of whether they are good prospects or not)
• Say “Thank You” for stopping by your booth
• Extend the offer of the trade show
• Offer your product/service solutions
• With qualified prospects, still send an email, but also state that you will call to arrange a time to meet or discuss next steps.

Trade Show ROI

Your trade show follow-up process should be planned just as well as your pre-show planning. Consider that each trade show lead has a cost, a cost you have already spent. If you spend $5000 on your trade show and came away with 500 leads, then every lead cost you $10. If on average you convert 25% of those leads, then each new customer cost you $50. On the other hand, if you don’t manage your trade show leads and 75% of them aren’t followed up on quickly, your conversion can cost you four times as much. $200?? That’s expensive!

Categorize Trade Show Leads

If you’ve done the trade show properly, you should have notes about certain hot prospects…what they want, connections that you’ve made and important things to do. Seperate these from the rest of the leads and start with these first. If you have indeed made that connection at the trade show, you will likely be remembered the next day. Something most trade show exhibitors forget is that not all leads can or should be followed-up in the same way. Prioritize them.

What happens if a trade show reaps you too many leads? That’s a nice problem to have. You still want to touch bas ewith them, to preserve as much business opportunities as possible. Consider a post-show letter or email follow-up. By using an integrated system like Word or Constant Contact, you can turn out a pretty nice “personalized” note to each of them. You might tell the reader that you will be in contact in the next couple weeks, but if they need you before that to not hesitate to call.

Trade Show Evaluation

In addition to following up with leads obtained at your trade show, one of the most important post show activities is to conduct a post show analysis. By answering some basic questions you will identify things that will help you when planning future events. Some of the key questions to ask are—

• What worked?
• What didn’t work?
• Was the booth functional?
• Was the booth in the right laocation?
• Was this the right trade show for my business?
• Did I meet the right people?
• What did I learn from others?
• What did I learn about the competition?

At some point you will be able to call the effect of the trade show complete and measure your results against your initial objectives. This is when you have exhausted all leads and closed all the business that has resulted directly from the trade show itself. If you kept good records of this activity, you should now be able to eveluate the effects of this particular show. After all, if you are going to put this much work and money into anything, don’t you want to make sure that it’s worth it?

Although ROI is one of the ways to measure your success, you should always consider the other benefits as well. These benefits can include establishing your brand, community awareness, educating the public and building new relationships and alliances with other companies. You will have to do your own analysis on these non-monetary benefits.

How Much Business Did You Close

What is the monetary benefit of the closed from your trade show? You should measure in 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month increments when looking at the value of this business. If you have made your investment back in new business in the first month, you’ve done reasonably well. At the very least, you should have made your money back plus 50% by the end of three months.

The six and twelve month measurements are to dtermine the long range profitability of any given trade show. At some point, you have to determine that you cannot participate in every trade showthat comes along. Therefore, it is imperative that you determine over the long run, which trade shows give you the best performance that you can build your long term business goals on.