Transcript Lunch & Learn

NC Pavilion Lunch & Learn
Trade Show
Planning & Selling
Agenda
Trade Show Planning & Selling
•
The Big Picture: Pre-Show Planning / Measurement
•
Driving Traffic To Your Booth / Event
•
Trade Show Premiums
•
Booth Staffing:
–
Reaching Out
–
Relating
–
Reacting
–
Recording
–
Responding
Start with the End in Mind
1. Why are you exhibiting?
2. Who is your target
audience?
3. What do you want to
communicate to this
audience?
4. How will you measure
success?
5. What is the follow-up
process?
Plan in terms of one or more
of these 4 reasons for exhibiting
1. Seeing your current customers
2. Finding new customers
3. Introducing new products or services
4. Building Brand Awareness / Equity
Get Marketing and Sales on the
same page
Oprah
Ross Perot
a) Co-op a champion from the other side
b) Host periodic meetings to keep them
involved
Think ROO, Rather than ROI
Ultimately, Return on Investment or Potential Return
on Investment should be measured more by
individual metrics.
Objective Metrics
• Cost / Lead
• Cost per person demonstrated or reached in live
presentation
Subjective Metrics
• Brand awareness
• Message reception or retention
• Product or organizational perception
• Public Relations or Press
Calculating Metrics
What to Measure:
Cost per lead or per contact
Demonstration Cost per Person
Brand Awareness
Message Reception or Retention
Public Relations / Press
How to Measure it:
Total Investment
Total # of Qualified Leads
Incremental Investment
Number of Visitors
Reached
Exit or Post Event
Surveys
Exit or Post Event
Surveys
Number of Articles
Written or Ad Equivalency
What is a “Lead”?
Lead:
a suggestion or piece of information that helps to
direct or guide (the sales person who is following
up after the show); an informative hand-off of
critical information from trade show floor to sales
rep trying to get a face-2-face meeting with the
prospect.
•
Marketing must engage Sales, Interview top sales
consultants
•
What are the 5 or 6 questions that will guide the sales team
toward a logical next step in the sales cycle.
80% of leads are never followed up on! They
must be categorized and dealt with
appropriately.
Develop an Engagement Plan
• Analyze your potential booth staffing team
• Put more extroverted folks out near the aisles
• Allow more introverted folks to speak one-on-one
• Be prepared to engage all different attendees
o Engineers
o Sales & Marketing
o CEO’s
o Venture capitalists
o Students / Job Seekers
Call your Top 10 Customers
•
Call your Top 10 customers to find out what
shows they are attending
•
Ask them why they are going to the shows
•
Set up a golf or dinner—keep them away from
your competitors

This exercise may help to shape your trade
show messaging and presentation.
o
Uncover needs
o
Discuss new capabilities
o
Share case studies
Use Social Media to drive traffic to your events
Skyline, through Exhibitor Magazine, co-sponsored a brand new study, released
January 2010, based on survey responses from 383 readers of EXHIBITOR
Magazine and Corporate EVENT magazine. Survey participants are corporate
exhibit and event professionals responsible for their organizations’ trade show and
event programs.
The 4 main takeaways from the survey are:
•
High social media use, but less use so far to support event marketing - While
2/3rds of respondents are already using social media websites (such as Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs) for general marketing, only 1/3 have used
social media to support their trade show and event marketing.
•
Social media works - The study says that respondents who have used social
media claim it has provided “increased brand awareness, enriched relationships
with clients and prospects, additional press coverage, increased event attendance,
increased booth traffic, and even increased sales as direct results of their
campaigns.”
•
Social media isn’t really free - While the tools are free to use, the time dedicated
to using social media has a real cost. On average, survey respondents spend 5
hours a week or less on their social media, with nearly 1/3 of respondents taking 6
hours a week or more, and nearly 10% say they dedicate more than 21 hours per
week.
•
Social media use expected to grow - Nearly 9 out of 10 personally believe social
media has moderate to unlimited potential for exhibit and event marketing, and over
75% feel social media will increase in importance in 2010.
Sound the alarm! Hold business
development folks accountable
Create a sense of urgency among your sales and
marketing colleagues. Get them engaged and
involved in building up the presence at this event.
• Phone calls
• Post Cards
• Emails
• Pre-show promotions
• Linkedin Update: Heading out
to Pack Expo this week …
Using Premiums/ “Give Aways”
1.
Choosing the Right Premiums:
•
Do they match your target market?
•
Do they communicate some feature or benefit of your offering?
•
Will they reinforce your brand and your image?
•
Will they make it back to the office?
2.
Target your Top prospects, instead of the whole show, then allocate
your budget accordingly
3.
Consider sending a teaser item in advance of the show
4.
Quid pro quo - get a qualified lead in exchange for the premium
5.
Consider a post – show package in lieu of an at-show premium
•
Green Items
•
Hot Items
Show Floor “Selling”
1.
Reaching Out – Ask open-ended questions
o
What brings you to the show today?
o
What is the most exciting thing you have seen today?
2.
Relating – Time is money, get right into qualifying questions. If not
a good prospect, disengage immediately; especially before putting
them in front of your executives or scientists (whom may be in
short supply).
3.
Reacting – Rehearse your presentation, then shorten it. Trade
show presenting should be condensed sharing of information.
4.
Recording – Give the sales team a bridge to the next step in sales
cycle. Close by committing to something:
5.
Responding
o
A follow-up call / meeting
o
A cup of coffee when the show closes
o
FEDEXing a brochure or white paper
Show Floor “Selling” – Reaching Out
Reaching Out – Ask open-ended questions
Trade shows are like “speed dating”.
You have 7 seconds to make a good first impression.
In Jerry Eisner’s “First Impression Selling at Trade Shows”, He states
that people form 11 impressions about you and your company in the first
7 seconds of contact: The “7-11” rule.
Show Floor “Selling” – Reaching Out
Credibility
Appearance
Knowledge
Empathy
Helpfulness
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Confidence
Professionalism
Presence
Show Floor “Selling” – Reaching Out
Your Field Office
Your exhibit is your “office
away from your office”
The more organized you look,
the more likely prospects
will want to do business
with you
Show Floor “Selling” – Reaching Out
Your Field Office
Keep your exhibit space welcoming; don’t sent
send signals that discourage attendees from
“sharing” your space, i.e. eating, drinking,
texting…
• Always smile
•Don’t cross your arms, it makes you look …..
• No fig leafing
• Be in the “ready” position
Show Floor “Selling” – Reaching Out
Your Field Office
Wear your name badge on
your right side, so it’s easier
for prospects to “capture”
your name when shaking
hands.
Show Floor “Selling” – Reaching Out
Body Language
(Prospects)
Face touching - “I’m considering”
Response:
•Let them take the lead
•Don’t rush them
Show Floor “Selling” – Relating
Speaking
Avoid the “no” response by constructing “open ended”
questions vs. “close ended” questions like
“Can I help you?”
What brings you to the show today.
Best words: Tell me . . .
Show Floor “Selling” – Reacting
Speaking
Observe the 80/20 rule:
Listen 80% of the time
Talk 20% of the time
Show Floor “Selling” – Reacting
Do you have a clear, catchy, well-rehearsed 15 second
“sound bite”?
What are 2-3 benefits of working with your company?
Does it “tie in” to the state of North Carolina?
Show Floor “Selling” – Reacting
Disengaging from a visitor
“I’m glad we’ve had this opportunity to talk today”
“I’ve taken enough of your time today”
“Thanks so much for dropping by”
Show Floor “Selling” – Reacting
Disengaging from a visitor
The walk and return: “Well, I’d better get back to my
booth…”
Show Floor “Selling” – Reacting
Disengaging from a visitor
“Based upon the information shared today, we can’t help
you, but here’s my business card, if I can help you in the
future.”
Show Floor “Selling” – Responding
What is you don’t know an answer to a prospect’s
question?
If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so and
use it as an excuse to follow up after the show with an
answer
Show Floor “Selling” – Responding
Make only the commitments you can keep.
Visitors remember promised commitments, especially
those that are not kept.
Show Floor “Selling” – Recording
Record the visitor’s expectation on follow up to
demonstrate that you’re listening, and to relieve
pressure on you immediately after the show.
Show Floor “Selling” – Responding
Back to the LEAD
What information do you need to keep your dialog going
after the show?
What information would the people following up want to
know to continue the dialog?
Thank you!