Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Table Top Display Part I


It’s not the 20’x20’ two story island exhibit with all the bells and whistles. Nor is it the full photo mural pop-up presentation so common in an in-line 10’x10’ or 10’x20’ booth. Still, the portable table top display continues to be the “work horse” of the exhibit industry. Affordable to purchase and economical to own, the table top display finds favor with its users for multiple reasons:

1. Manageable Size and Weight: If you’re tall or short, male or female, it doesn’t matter. The display is small, usually sits on a six or eight foot standard table. Graphics are eye level and easily managed.
2. Easy Transport: It packs in one rolling case, or sometimes in carry bag with a shoulder strap. Traveling out of town? Take it with you, most table top displays can be checked as luggage.* Better yet, it’s less hassle to ship it on ahead via UPS or FED-X.
3. Quick and Easy Set-Up and Dismantle. Almost all table top sets up in less than five minutes. The unit’s shipping case or bag stows under the skirted table.
4. In and Out: The table-top makes sense for those one day events. The time setting up and tear down is simple, quick and easy. The table-top display fits the bill!
5. Quality Presentation: Just because it is smaller, doesn’t mean the table top cannot present your message in a professional way. It’s all in the branding; it’s all in the message! When done right, the table top can look as professional as the free standing floor unit. There are a few rules to follow, a few things you will need to make the lowly table-top an effective presentation:

Guidelines / Dos and Don’ts:

Here are a few guidelines I wanted to pass on as you go through the selection and design process of your table top display.

1. “Super Size It!” Over the past few years I’ve seen a trend of exhibitors being overly concerned about “no hassle” set-up and dismantle. This has resulted in very small briefcase size table tops compromising the impact of their message. It may not be PC for me to say, I’ll go ahead and say it: "People are getting lazy when it comes to exhibiting at a trade show or event!" So what if it takes an extra ten minuets to set up? DO IT! It’s a small table top display, make it as BIG as you legally can. Stand out in the crowd...please! If the event is worth going to, look your very VERY best.
2. Unclutter the Presentation: There’s a tendency to use the table top display as a bulletin board! (This is a typical mistake even found on free standing floor model.) The problem? Too many small photos and other materials on the display that it begins to look like granny’s refrigerator door covered with photos and inspiring proverbs, recipes and news clippings! (I live with a granny, (“Nanny” to our grand kids) I know what I’m talking about! The presentation cluttered, is very busy, and hard to see from the aisle, visitors simply walk on by. Think of your presentation as a BILLBOARD on the side of the freeway and keep it from looking like a BULLETIN BOARD in the break room. Less is more when it comes to images that deliver a targeted message.
3. The solution is to use a table top display that has enough graphic “geography” to make an impact that causes people’s head to turn from the trade show aisle. Sure, it may take sixty to ninety seconds or more to set up the larger table top dis pay! But if that what it takes to stand out in a crowd, isn't that why you went to the event in the first place?

NEXT... The Table Top Display Part II I have some more thoughts and experiences to share with you when it comes to creating an effective table top display. For now, you’ll find a lot of table top displays on the ShaBang Exhibits' web site, there’s a lot to see! ShaBang Table Top Design Gallery


Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at: http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

ShaBang Exhibits,Inc Dallas Fort Worth Garland 214-340-2885


* Check with your airline for size and weight restrictions and rates.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Lambda Graphics = Quality Graphics, Hands Down!

Lambda is the name used to describe the process, equipment and product resulting in a visually spectacular image. Using continuous tone digital technology, Lambda graphics and mural panels are produced from the transfer of digital images onto reflective or backlit photography material without the need of a negative.

Three lasers – one each of red, green and blue are merged into a single beam that simultaneously exposes the photographic material, producing an image in a single pass. By using lasers, the total image is crisp and sharp edge to edge with intense color saturation and no distortion. The next step, similar to traditional photography, is to process the exposed film though a “wet” film developer, where the prints exit dry and are ready for lamination.

Lambda graphics have a wide range of applications including portable, modular, custom and light box displays. Murals, detachables, header panels and other components of your display can be produced using this process as front of backlit graphics.

The graphics department at ShaBang Exhibits utilizes the Lambda process for almost all the graphics projects where photo images are used. On main reason is that almost every project has multiple life style or work place images where accurate skin tone reproduction is crucial. When you’re working with Lambda… it is a photograph! When compared to ink jet print the Lambda process has additional features that results in a high quality, premier product:

Continuous Tone: Lambda produces a continuous tone where inkjet produces a dot pattern.

Sharper Images and Text: Inkjet images and text are soft around the edges. Lambda products are crisp edge to edge.

Superior Skin Tones:
Skin tones are genuine – no pink or green hues.

More Realistic Color Saturation: Front or backlit images are more vibrant.

Backlit Images:
Superior color saturation, depth, and density. Without a doubt, the best backlit images available.

Fine Definition: Product shots and people are more distinctive and clear with Lambda.


You’re going to the trade show to look your best; your graphics should look their LAMBDA best!

Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at:
http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

ShaBang! Exhibits, Inc Dallas Fort Worth Garland 214-340-2885

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

From a Nature Trail to an Aisle on the Trade Show Floor

It was in 1948 when George de Mestral took his dog for a hike. On that particular summer day, both master and pet came home coved in burrs. Mestral was an inventor and with the help of a microscope he examined one of the many burrs stuck to his pants. When I was growing up on the farm west of Fort Worth, we called them “cockleburs.” He saw all the small hooks that enabled the seed-bearing burr to cling so viciously to the tiny loops in the fabric of his pants. This thorny product of nature inspired George as he took a closer look, "I will design a unique, two-sided fastener, one side with stiff hooks like the burrs and the other side with soft loops like the fabric of my pants. I will call my invention 'Velcro' a combination of the word velour and crochet.”

Like many visionaries, Mestral's idea met with resistance and even laughter, but the inventor 'stuck' by his invention. By trial and error, he realized that nylon when sewn under infrared light, formed tough hooks for the burr side of the fastener. Together with a weaver from a textile plant in France, Mestral perfected his hook and loop fastener. Through a lot of trial and error, the finished the design was patented in 1955. The inventor formed Velcro Industries to manufacture his invention. Mestral was selling over sixty million yards of Velcro per year, the product would rival the zipper in its ability to fasten. Today it is a multi-million dollar industry.

The generic term for Velcro is “Hook and Loop.” Now produced in many different varieties of strength, sizes, weights and colors, this fastener has woven its way into every major consumer product in one form or another. It has made life easier. Where would the footwear, apparel, athletic gear, stationary, luggage industry be without this remarkable fastener that can bind, loosen and re-fasten with such ease and speed?

Without a doubt Velcro has become the “fastener of choice” for the exhibit industry. Almost like magic, graphics are positioned and mounted to Velcro receptive fabric, quickly removed, stored and replaced with ease. Exhibit hardware, accessories, lighting and other show floor necessities are dependant on this two-part miracle product.

Here’s a reminder, when you’re using Hook and Loop on detachable graphics: Go easy on the amount of Velcro you use! It doesn’t take as much to mount graphics as you would think, why? It’s STRONG STUFF! Our graphics department at ShaBang Exhibits applies only ¼” wide hook tape around the perimeter of each roll-able panel. If too much Velcro is used, many times the graphic is damaged (crinkled or bent) as it is being removed. When graphics have too much Velcro applied, the knap of the fabric is damaged, leaving the exhibit worn and “old before its time.”

From a walk in the field to a walk down the trade show aisle, the product we’ve come to depend on, that has changed the way we mount graphics and tie our shoes has come a long way. Thank you Mr. Mestral!


NEXT: What’s a Lambda Print? Do you know what Lambda is?


Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at:
http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

ShaBang! Exhibits, Inc Dallas Fort Worth Garland 214-340-2885

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Increase Your Attendance

PRE-SHOW PROMTION

One of the things I like best about the exhibit business is the opportunity to work with many different professionals in many different types of businesses, trades and organizations. My “practice” is always interesting, very diverse and includes a mini education in promoting different products and services to a broad range of trade show audiences. For example, we may be consulting an ad agency representing a software developer and then a volunteer with a local chairty in the morning and then meet with the preident of a funeral directors' association in the afternoon. Almost every day is like that!

Our showroom at ShaBang Exhibits has several conference and design areas where we enjoy a cup of coffee and discuss the form and function of the booth design along with the graphics and overall corporate branding. During these meetings, it becomes very obvious who’s a “newbie” and who’s an experienced “pro” when the discussion includes the pre-show promotion plans and projects. The professional exhibitor knows that promoting their message and inviting specific visitors to their booth and other functions before the show is a proactive, mandatory marketing task that is as important as attending the show itself. The key word..."proactive."

The statistics highlight its importance:

• 76% of attendees select whom they will visit before they enter the exhibit hall.
• Pre-show promotion can increase qualified attendance by 60%!

Here are some important tactics to consider in promoting your attendance at a show:

While ordinary direct mail marketers dream of a 2 percent response rate, exhibitor respondents in a recent survey by Exhibitor Magazine record an average response of 19%! Done right, it can be a powerful promotion that builds booth traffic, increases awareness, and most importantly, generates sales.

A good direct mail piece consists of four elements: the list, the overall look (copy & design), the offer, and the response vehicle. All four combine to make an effective direct mail piece. Leave out any one of these items and your pre-show mailer will not have its desired effect.

Eight tips and guidelines for the use of direct mail:

1. Plan to send out at least three pieces for maximum effectiveness, with the last piece reaching your prospects a week to 10 days prior to the show.

2. Make sure the list is qualified and up to date. The most brilliant direct mail piece fails miserably if sent to the wrong group of people. Draw from your internal database, past and pre-registered show attendees and exhibitors, and purchase a list of all potential buyers that are within a few hundred miles of the show.

3. Make sure you have an offer with a call to action. Invite them to bring the mailer to the booth to receive a special gift or discount on purchase, or have an RSVP response card that invites them to your hospitality events or special outings. Creating a sense of urgency helps here by saying "respond by October 15 as seating is limited" or "discount applies to first 10 exhibitors to visit our booth."

4. Personalize the mailer by using the individual's name on the envelope and enclosed letter. Have the sales staff add a handwritten note on each one, or even better, hand address each mailer, if possible. We all open mail that has our name handwritten. If this is not possible, choose a script typeface for more warmth.

5. Make sure your copy is brief and benefit-oriented. You need to speak directly to the needs of your target audience, and use different mailers for different buyer groups. Be sure to clearly differentiate yourself from your competition.

If you are showing a new product, play this up in the copy by highlighting the fact that the visitor will have the exclusive first look at your new widget that may help them stay ahead of their competition.

6. Include VIP passes or registration forms for the show that help to bypass long registration lines. Print your company name and booth number so the recipient will know which booth to visit and whom to thank!

7. Use post-show mailers to thank visitors. Or for those who couldn't make the show, offer them a company brochure or video.

8. Have an evaluation system to track the effectiveness of the mailer. Measuring your return on investment is just as important with direct mail as in trade show marketing.

Remember, you can double your response rate by following up with an emailed invitation, and increase your qualified attendance even higher with a personal phone call inviting them to your booth!

Before the show, place ads in your industry's trade publications, as well as local publications and association newsletters. Locally, you can increase awareness with billboards, airport light boxes, and taxicabs. At the show, you can have an ad in the show book, advertise on kiosks in the show registration area, and use hotel room drops under the doors — an extremely effective, and timely invitation to visit your booth!

Send out press releases prior to the show to the trade publications in your industry, and invite the editors to attend the show. At the show, make sure you have press kits, and possibly reprints of articles about your company and its products. Another good way to get your name out, and be recognized as a leader in your field, is to give work¬shops and seminars in conjunction with the trade show.

A FINAL NOTE ON PRE SHOW PROMTION:

Plan now to isure the success of your trade show while protecting your investment. Don’t rely on show management to do all the wok in getting attendees to the show. Even if they get a large group of visitors to the show, will they be the right ones for you? Will they be your target audience? A successful show will depend on your promotional efforts.


Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at:
http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Booth Staffing Tips & Training Part V

INCREASE YOUR QUALITY LEADS:

A very simple way to increase your quality leads at a trade show is to prepare a solid lead card — one that provides your sales staff with the necessary ingredients to properly follow up and close the sale. What would you rather get at the end of a show -- 100 business cards with a line or two scribbled on the back, or 100 lead cards with the prospect's answers to your booth staffer's smart questions?!

An effective lead card should not be complicated. Leave a section at the top for company, address, name, phone, etc. This step can go quickly by stapling a business card here. Have a line for the decision maker's name and number if different from the attendee. Next have a section for key questions to ask your guest. What created the need? How do they want to solve the problem? What would they like to have happen next?

To help your staffers in the questioning process, make a list of key phrases or words on the lead card that prompt the staffer. It can get pretty hectic on the show floor and staffers often forget to ask all the pertinent questions. Leave plenty of space for notes on the profile of the company and individual. If the strategic information on a potential client is not written down it will be forgotten. The last section is for the booth staffer to recommend the next course of action based on the prospect's wishes. This gives the sales staff a clear direction for follow-up. A ranking system should also be in place, based on the staffer's judgment, to aid the sales force in determining which prospects to contact first. After all, not all leads are of the same quality, and the hot leads must be dealt with immediately.

ELECTRONIC BADGE SCANNERS:

Over the past few years electronic badge scanners have become a standard tool for lead follow-up. Not always available in small shows, but for sure these lead retrieval systems are available by show management from chosen vendors at most large shows. The equipment is rented and should be ordered in advance of the show order deadlines to receive the best price. Order forms are usually found in the show kit with other show services. If more than one scanner is being used, don’t hesitate to ask for a discount, this has worked for me several times.

Depending on the vendor, the devices are available in different configurations; some are counter top, others hand held, others may require a lap top computer. Some systems may use wireless printers. The process is simple, the visitor’s name badge is scanned and stored in the system and the contact data is made available usually after the show. Most devices allow a field for entering notes for follows up. Just at the hand written card mentioned earlier, the ability to code the guest’s contact information and make notes is very important. Make sure the system accommodates this need.

Newer technology offers a Web enabled wireless mobile lead collection device and real-time web page lead management system. This new technology concept transfers data from an attendee’s badge to an exhibitor’s personal event web site. Leads can be custom qualified using the web site for personalization. With this approach, exhibitors do not need to carry away a CD or memory stick or wait in line to download or “retrieve” data at the end of the event. The wireless enabled mobile unit delivers all the sales lead data in real-time to a secure exhibitor web site with online password protected access by the exhibiting company’s personnel.

The features of these data capture systems vary from show to show. Rental prices range from $250 to $500. Remember the devices are to be returned to vendor’s service desk at the end of the show where data is retrieved. Sometimes the data is transferred to a memory stick or a secured web site allows downloading of the leads at your convenience. Most vendors allow access to your contact data up to ninety days after the event. Be sure and have a good understanding of what happens with the devise at the end of the show, where to return it, and how to capture the data. It’s important to assign a responsible booth staffer this task, lost or damaged units could be charged a hefty fee. Remind this person to get the necessary log-on information for the data download and a receipt!


ANOTHER APPROACH TO ELECTRONIC LEAD COLLECTION:

This morning I had a great phone visit with long time friend and client, Scott Mayster, Vice President of Tick Data. Scott is responsible for client services and marketing and is an experienced trade show marketer. We have worked together in the design and building of his exhibits built by ShaBang Exhibits. A true trade show road warrior, we have spent many I&D hours on the show floor. We’ve enjoyed a great working relationship, I’m thankful for his friendship.

Scott has used electronic data capture in his booth for years. He has used this technology in several forms and graciously approved me sharing these experiences and tips with you:

1. The quality of the data received from the visitors name tag is limited to that which the show management collected at registration. Most registration personnel are good with entering data from a business card, driver’s license or other certified documents. However, when the attendee enters their personal data at registration, the information may not be complete or totally correct. Information that you may need, may have been omitted.

2. Rental systems provided by show vendors are most useful at shows where most visitors may not have business cards. These shows are usually retail shows that are high in attendance and may fall in a “retail” type of show.

3. The rental scan systems are fast and efficient. The speed and ability to have the contact data in a form that you can manipulate for mail-outs, general follow up is invaluable. Having that already in digital form, (in lieu of hundreds of pieces of paper) is the first step of evaluating the success of the show and proceeding with follow up in a timely manner.

4. Scott follows a simple rule when it comes to giving “swag” (premiums, give-a-ways) to visitors. He asks permission to scan the visitor’s badge before he releases the swag that’s in his hand. WOW! that’s a little gutsy for most folks, but when you think about it, it’s a ”win-win” situation! Scott has the follow up data he needs, and the prospect gets a t-shirt or squeeze ball. Everybody is happy. In my humble opinion, that should be standard practice for swag give-a-ways in every booth…every time!

5. Another system Scott uses at shows where the approach and greeting usually involves the exchange of business cards is using the old standard fish bowl. Only this time, the fish bowl has gone high tech! The business cards in the fish bowl are scanned by a business card reader connected to his lap top computer. The program has a data fields for notes and other information that can be customized and later exported into contact and spread sheet programs such a ACT, Goldmine, MS Outlook or MS Excel.

My special thanks to Scott for sharing his experiences as we continue our Boothology study focusing on booth staffing and training.


PS Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at:
http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Booth Staffing Tips & Training Part IV

Please know that working a trade show booth is work! Be prepared to work. An old vaudevillian would say about his work, “It’s all in the timing!” Due to the temporary nature of a trade show, time is your true competitor. Qualifying, involving prospects, and disengaging visitors in a timely fashion are the actual motions of working the booth. Honing these skills will make your work easier. The goal is for these steps to become a natural process to follow as each guest approaches the booth.

QUALIFYING PROSPECTS:

1. Your first step is to develop a lead form that helps your booth staffer ask the right quesions, but more importantly, provides your field sales personnel with all the necessary information to properly follow up and close the sale.

2. Use friendly qualifying questions — if you do not immediately qualify your guest, you are wasting your time, their time and your company's money.

3. SMART QUESTIONS: Identify needs/purpose: "what created the need?", "what would you like to achieve?" Be diplomatic when asking certain questions. If you want to know who makes the buying decision, don't ask "are you the decision maker?" This can be offensive to the guest, especially if they are not the decision maker. Instead ask "how will the purchasing decision be made at your company?"

4. Decision maker vs. buying teams: many companies send buying teams to major shows, rather than a single person. Large shows can not be canvassed by a single person, so management assigns each attendee a specific agenda.

The key to remember is that you should treat the administrative assistant the same as the senior-level executive - they may be providing upper management with the only information they will get about your company.

INVOLVING PROPSECTS:

1. Practice active listening — listen to understand, not to reply. So many of us are listening for a need that we know we can fill, that we immediately jump in and respond, "Yes! We can help you with that. Our delivery time is only two weeks..." and then you jump into your presentation. Instead, briefly state that you can help them with that issue, and then get your guest to talk about ALL their needs, and really listen to their responses to your smart questions.

Before you respond with some canned presentation, make sure you really understand their needs. Confirm their position by rephrasing their statement, saying, "If I understand you correctly, you're saying that..." Your guest will appreciate your attentiveness to their situa¬tion and come away with a positive impression of you and your company.

Remember - 80% of your time should be spent listening to your guests!

2. Communication — towards commitment. Stay focused, know your message, and communicate quickly.

• bundle information
• talk benefits, not features
• use positive language
• keep your message focused on people, not things
• use real-world examples, not technical jargon
Whatever you do, keep your communication customer-oriented. Your guest is at the show to be catered to, to gather information, to find NEW suppliers.

3. Interactive discussions — demonstrate your product or service, or tie in with pre-show promotion/giveaways. Remember: what I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; what I do, I understand.

DISENGAGING VISITORS:

Disengaging is not rude or impolite. It is the logical end to a conversation. If handled properly, it will leave the prospect with a positive feeling about you, your company, and your products and services.

1. Summarize by reviewing the benefits of your product or service as related to their needs.

2. Reach agreement on next course of action -- ask "What would you like to have happen next?" NEVER end the conversation by telling the prospect what you will do. Give them the choice in how they wish you to proceed. Be sure to write down all information needed for the plan of action, then shake hands and thank your guest for visiting your booth.

3. How do you handle the problem of unqualified visitors? Due to the temporary na¬ture of a trade show, TIME IS YOUR TRUE COMPETITOR! If you launch into a presen¬tation without qualifying your guest, you are wasting your time, their time, and your company's money!

a. Use the direct approach; I'm sorry we can't help you, but thank you for stopping by our booth." Before dismissing them, though, ask if any else in their organization might benefit from your company's products and services.

b. Sometimes the attendee becomes a "pest" instead of a "guest". Give them inex¬pensive literature, telling them "this should answer any questions." An alternative is to introduce them to a manager who may be able to more easily get rid of them.

c. For unruly or disruptive guests that should not even be at the show, immediately call show management or security.


Next…. Increase Your Quality Leads

PS Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at:
http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

Friday, July 16, 2010

Booth Staffing Tips & Training Part III

APPROACHING AN ATTENDEEE / PROSPECT:

My mom always reminded me “First impressions are lasting impressions!” She never worked a trade show booth in her life, but she sure knew what she was talking about. The first impression meeting the prospect (guest) in your booth starts with the approach. It’s the first step of the sale. The folks at the infamous Dale Carnegie Sales Course refer to this as “The Attention Step” and just like Mom implied, it is very important to make that good impression within the first few minutes of approaching the guest.

As simple as it may sound, one of the most powerful things a company can do to change the effect and success of an exhibit is to have the booth personnel stop referring to people as prospects, attendees or leads and start calling them your guests.

1, Develop an open-ended opening line: "Thanks for visiting our exhibit. What prompted your interest in our products/services?"

Never say "Can I help you?" — It prompts a response of "No thanks, I'm just looking.'”

The key here is to get your guest talking about their needs by asking open-ended, smart questions.

2. Ask yourself, "What's our hook? Our most interesting story to tell?" Communicate this quickly to your guest by staying focused on your message and its relevance and importance to your prospect. If your guest only remembers one thing about your company, what do you want that to be?

3. Develop a list of questions that bear on a need. Like a good lawyer, that KNOWS the answer to the question BEFORE it’s ask, your questions have an answer already planned. The questions are well thought out, and rehearsed over and over. You will need a “repertoire” of these questions that the answer is the solution your product of service fulfills. This is a good exercise that I highly recommend. You’ll find these questions helpful on and off the show floor. You’ll find yourself using these questions every day on the phone or face to face with prospects.

4. Questions? How important are they? I’ll answer that question with a question: When you come in late, very late, and you’re tip-toeing into to the house (as not to wake up anyone) and your “better half” surprises you and asks the question “Where have you been?” I’ll ask you, who is in control of this conversation? The answer is obvious; whoever asks the most questions is in control of the conversation! To stay in control of the conversation, the “repertoire” of questions, (both opened and closed) as mentioned above becomes your arsenal that helps you direct the conversation down the sales path.

5. Be properly aggressive -- make eye contact, smile and engage every guest who enters your booth or approaches your area. DO NOT walk out into the aisle and "pull" people into your booth. This is perceived as annoying, pushy and unprofessional. Approach the guest; ask the questions that connect you on friendly, open terms.

Now we can go to the next step. We’ll be asking even more questions. But before we do, how's your list of questions coming, Counselor?

NEXT…… Qualifying Prospects

PS Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at:
http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Booth Staffing Tips & Training Part II

BOOTH STAFFER ETIQUETTE:

Continuing our “Boothology” discussion, we look now at some rules of etiquette for booth staffers to follow as they are working in the booth. Most of these may appear to be common sense items that everyone knows and practices. That’s what you would think! Please, don’t count on it. Here’s the challenge: Next time you’re at show, check out exhibitors and especially your own booth team and see if these “booth etiquette” rules are used or abused.

Over the years, I’ve seen some real slouches on the show floor. Many have been manning booths at trade shows most of their careers. I guess “old habits are hard to break” especially for the “old dogs” that are the “experienced” booth workers. Sad to say, they are the culprits that are training the company’s next generation of booth staffers. Many of these bad booth manners are perceived by new employees as the company’s “exhibit hall culture” simply by example. Without training, or direction from upper management to follow good booth etiquette, history repeats itself.

The real challenge is to “teach old dogs new tricks.” Believe me, I know, that’s easier said than done! Without a doubt, there will be NO change unless the rules of good Boothology are not presented. That’s the first step! Remember what we said in Part I? “Fifty-six percent of a prospect's impression about your company's exhibit is based upon the booth personnel's attitude and behavior!” Again, good booth staffer etiquette impacts the ROI for the show, thus a direct impact to the company yearly sales goals.

Our staff at ShaBang Exhibits reminds our clients (especially those that are event and trade show managers)of the importance of getting these rules ingrained in the minds of booth staffers with total support and direction from upper management:

1. Avoid smoking or eating in the exhibit, refrain from leaning on counters or sitting in the booth, do not block the booth entrance, avoid crossing arms, and try to have something in your hands to avoid gesture problems.

2. Eliminate "pitch posture" -- this is the bad habit of standing on the edge of your booth or behind a podium, looking as if you are ready to pounce on every passerby with your presentation. Avoid this by not standing behind tables or counters; rather, stand to the side and don't face directly into the exhibit aisle.

3. SMILE, SMILE, SMILE!!! It's human nature -- you can diffuse uneasy or tense situations with a simple smile.

4. Avoid "radar vision", i.e. scanning the aisles for name badges, and looking at the name badge before greeting the person. This makes the attendee fee! as if you're sizing them up to determine if they are with the right company or at the proper level of seniority to be worth your time.

5. Avoid clustering with other members of your staff — people don't like to approach booth reps who are engaged in conversations.

6. And two new problems to avoid these days — don't use your laptop in full view of the attendees unless it's to do a demonstration for them; and don't talk on your cell phone in the booth. We realize that you must take certain important calls, but always take them outside your booth space, and NEVER interrupt your conversation with a prospect by an¬swering your phone.

Salespeople often feel that training isn't necessary — "we know how to sell!" they say. But what they need to realize is that show selling is very different from the traditional face-to-face sales call. In the field, prospects are pre-qualified and salespeople often know their agenda before calling on them. There is time for getting to know the prospect, finding common interests and learning a great deal of valuable information about the company.

At a trade show, you must immediately qualify a prospect you may never have heard of, much less know their agenda, then commit to a plan of action and disengage in order to greet the next attendee. You will meet several of these new people AN HOUR, not several a week as in traditional selling.

The physical demands of trade show selling provide a host of new challenges as well. A full day of meetings, show hours and hospitality events can easily mean 16 to 18 hour days! Most of this time is spent standing! Contrast this to a typical 8 to 12 hour day for a hard¬working salesperson, and rarely is all of this time spent standing and talking.



NEXT…Approaching an Attendee / Prospect

PS Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at:
http://www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Booth Staffing Tips & Training Part I

BOOTHOLOGY:

I’ve been helping folks look good at trade shows since 1989! Over the years, our ShaBang Exhibits team has gathered and shared a lot of information dealing with what we like to call “Boothology”. I don’t think you’ll find this term in Webster’s dictionary. Without a doubt, there are specific rules to follow; there's a science to the task of booth staffing that will determine the success of your show. Boothology is the practice of good booth staffing, preparation, training and selling skills.

First, and foremost, it’s important to understand that 56% of a prospect's impression about your company's exhibit is based upon the booth personnel's attitude and behavior! Translate that into the dollars your company has invested in the total show budget, and it is a stark reminder of how important Boothology effects the bottom line!

Depending on your situation, that fact should scare or encourage you! What's important to realize is that it is your own company's employees that make or break a show. You can do a great job of preparation, a targeted pre-show promotion, and design a fabulous exhibit — but the attendees will most remember your booth personnel and how they represented themselves and your company.

Booth staffer training is all too often overlooked, yet you need to invest in this training in order to truly reap the rewards of trade show marketing. Staffers need to know your goals and objectives specific to each show, they need to feel like part of a team and that their efforts are important and appreciated. They need to understand that today's trade shows are serious busi¬ness opportunities -- not a vacation or party time!

The following guidelines will help you get the most out of your booth staff:

PROPER BOOTH TRAINING BEGINS BEFORE THE SHOW STARTS:

1. Conduct at least two pre-show meetings — one a few weeks before the show, and one on-site in the booth. You will need to go over show objectives, plan lead collection, answer any "what if" questions and do role playing, formalize the work schedule and coordinate all booth personnel.

2. Make sure your staffers are in the physical condition necessary for the long hours and sometimes several days of standing and talking. Staffers should get plenty of sleep the two to three days prior to the show.

3. Wear comfortable shoes and have the proper attire. We recommend ditching the stuffy coat and tie look, and dressing all staffers in similar "business casual" attire. Matching shirts, blouses or sweaters convey professionalism and a sense of team unity, yet make the staffers look less intimidating and more approachable to attendees. Having a team look also lets the attendee know who's part of the company and who is another visitor.

4. Have a plan for the number of staffers needed (you should have two people for every 10' of space), and devise a schedule that provides 10 to 20 minute breaks at least every three hours. Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated and your breath fresh. Have a positive attitude and enthusiasm -- be prepared to work!

NEXT… Booth Staffer Etiquette

PS Large and small companies are finding the Shabang Exhibits website a good resource for information in planning a successful trade show. Check out the Trade Show Tips at: www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Give-A-Ways & Incentives

Advertising specialties (i.e. premiums, incentives, giveaways, trash and trinkets, bribes!) have been an integral part of the trade show industry since its inception. We've ail walked by exhibits loaded with pens, mugs, coasters, note pads, only to load them into our "logo bag" then take them home for the kids or, worse yet, the trash!

Which of these premiums had an impact on your buying decision? Which one of these premiums is the most effective? The answer is up to you! The most effective premi¬ums work on two levels. First, they reinforce your company's message and name rec¬ognition; second, they support your specific objectives for the particular trade show. Any ad specialty item should reflect the quality of your product or service, and the professionalism and reputation of your company.

Over the years, our ShaBang Exhibit clients have shared their experience with successful trade show giveaways.

The premium should also be something truly useful. In fact, best premiums are those that help your prospect get their job done better or faster. These have a high perceived value, yet low reproduction costs. Examples are audio and video media, flash drives, newsletters, article reprints, informational booklets, software, etc.
If you choose to use giveaways, make sure that you advertise them in your pre-show promotion and that you are getting something in return. In other words, don't fork over a prize until the attendee fills out a lead card, views a product demonstration or otherwise "earns" the reward. Use them as parting gifts — "Thank you for stopping by our booth today, please accept this (insert bribe here!) for taking the time to visit us today. "Insist on making your premiums work hard to help you get the sale.

THE WRONG INCENTIVES:
Bags and candy bowls are two of the biggest culprits here. Bags simply don't meet the criteria for an effective premium. Sure they act as a temporary walking billboard, but what use do they ever get after the show? They fail the test of long-term, post-show value. You will also find yourself always having to make a better bag. First one com¬pany upgrades, then you counter, and pretty soon these "bag wars" get very expen¬sive. We suggest avoiding any types of containers with no after-show value.

Candy bowls are probably the most worthless incentive to use — unless you are a candy manufacturer! You turn attendees into thieves -- they walk up, grab a piece of candy, and bolt out of the area before you can make eye contact with them. A candy bowl doesn't offer any value in getting visitors into your booth, in fact, it takes up valuable space and valuable time in wasted chitchat. Everything in your booth must work to help you get business. If your premiums don't help you make the sale, don't give them away.


GAMES DRAWINS AND PRIZES:
Many exhibitors use games to entertain attendees, inform them of new products, and oth¬erwise involve the normally passive visitors. Games can draw a crowd and help booth staffers interact with attendees in a fun and soft-sell manner.

Make sure that any game fits within your show objectives. If you are looking for highly tar¬geted visitors who need a lot of detailed product information, games will only be viewed as an annoying waste of their time. If however, your objective is to increase company or brand awareness to the general public, games can be a cost-effective way to stop atten¬dees in their tracks and take notice of your exhibit.

To make sure that you are getting the most out of your in-booth game, you must:
• pre-qualify participants by inviting key prospects and promising a great prize
• train your booth staffers to handle the increased traffic and congestion that may occur
• Only give a prize after you have received a completed lead form
• work product information into the format to inform while you entertain

Be careful when using games such as toss the basketball, throw the darts or miniature golf — these can draw a lot of people, but many of them may not be qualified for your products or services. Make sure the game also ties in well with your objectives — otherwise, you will be wasting your booth staffer's time and your company's money!

Drawings are primarily used to add names to your database. The key here is to make sure to give something away that will attract only your buyers. If you sell computers, advertise that you'll be giving away software or a peripheral device. If you're a catering company, offer to cater a small dinner party for free. If you sell siding, offer a large discount on re¬siding an entire house. My point here is that don't give away an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii or a big screen TV -- these will attract ALL types of people to your booth, not just your target audience.

Now, if your product or service has mass appeal to the general public, then by all means offer something that will attract everyone. But believe it or not, not everyone wants a free set of golf clubs or tickets to the big game, so make sure it truly has mass appeal.

Good at-show promotions - giveaways, games and drawings — work on 2 levels --
1. They reinforce your company's message and name.
2. They support a specific objective for that show.


For more trade show tips visit ShaBang Exhibits website:

www.shabangexhibits.com/industry-links/show_tips.asp

Monday, July 12, 2010

Choosing Colors for the Trade Show Exhibit

Choosing colors is fun, but there's more to choosing an effective color scheme than simply picking the colors that appeal to you, just as there's more to being a connoisseur of fine art than "knowing what you like." The colors that you like best might not go well together (the best example of this is Howard John-son's favorite color combination — turquoise and orange), or they might not convey the effect that you're after. Color harmony is as much of a science as an art, and follows very specific rules about hue, brightness, and contrast. Color choices are very important in the design of the structure and graphics of your new trade show exhibit. The experienced designers at ShaBang Exhibits blend color pallets that delivers the “WOW FACTOR” on the show floor.

In color as well as music, harmony means an aesthetic arrangement of parts to form a pleasing whole: a musical composition, a painting, or a graphic design. All music from Mozart to Madonna consists of the same twelve notes, and all graphic designs from Gutenberg to Glaser use the same palette of colors. If the science of color harmony is knowing which colors to use, the art is knowing what order to put the colors in, and what proportions of each. Your trade show booth is no different! The correct color combination is the key to a successful, eye-catching exhibit.

As you are planning your new trade show exhibit, start with a general sense of the effect that you're after: do you want colors that are warm or cool? Striking or quiet? Surprising or subtle? When it comes to effective exhibit colors, there are specific rules based on trade show marketing research and years of experience the designers at ShaBang Exhibits incorporate into each project.

Color choice, a very important element to the effective trade show booth.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Summit Banner Stands From ShaBang! Exhibits

This is the banner stand I mentioned from ShaBang Exhibits. It's called the SUMMIT ADJUSTABLE BANNER STAND.

I have nicknamed this the MICROPHONE STAND because it looks like one and is very easy to use. It set ups as fast and easy as a RETRACTABLE and has many more features:
1) Different size banners and posters can be used.
2) NONE easier to change out the graphics. Simple….no mechanical springs or retracting components to fail in the field.
3) Literature holder can be clamped onto the pole.
4) Lights are available.
6) Contour cut images can be mounted.
7) Banners / Posters can be mounted FRONT & BACK.
This unit is also available with a round base. With laminated graphics, this system will support a continuous (almost seamless) presentation with each banner up to 4' Wide)
8) There's another option called "THE RANGE" that provides a way for 4'x8' laminated graphics to be attached side by side.

Without a doubt, this has become one of ShaBang Exhibits top selling banner stands, outselling the retractable units, basically for the reasons outlined above.

It is SO very simple to change graphics in the future!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Pop Up Exhibits

Please know the folks at ShaBang! Exhibits in Garland, Texas carries a variety of lightweight, compact and portable pop up trade show displays. From table tops displays to 20' inline booths, this proven approach fulfills the needs of start-ups on a budget and corporations looking for top-of-the-line pop up displays and trade show display equipment or companies requiring environmentally conscious alternatives.

Friday, July 2, 2010