Working the trade shows - Jay Skinner

Today I will outline a few very specific things both buyers and sellers can do to make attending a live trade show both wonderful and a valuable investment.
Buyers and Sellers Show - TheJaySkinner - PDTassociates.com
1) Be there on time and in the booth ready
2) Greet everyone who come anywhere near you and ask them “what do you do?”
3) Know you neighbors and what they do to decide if there is Synergy
4) Go to the events and work the rooms … don’t talk to other sales people… find customers and ask them “what do you do?’
5) Participate and add value by heading up an association meeting or committee
6) Can you play or sing a couple songs with the band?
7) Always talk about “you” your problems and what I can do for you perhaps.
8) Be friendly and outgoing helpful.. find ways to obviously serve in unexpected ways.
9) Get to know the sales people is related equipmenjt / services at the show and if they like you expect refera;ls… when they give them keep them in the loop about progress and be the best follow thru person ever.. make them look good.
10) Any more?
Come away from the show like you owned it amd helped make it a success for the attendees.

IF YOU ARE A BUYER ATTENDEE;
1) Visit the booths of all your friends and vendors... take time to be friends and show them you value their help and the relationship
2) Find new vendors to fill gaps… ask existing vendors for recommendations who to see.
3) Silver rule – silver rule - silver rule
a. Do unto your vendors how you want your customers to do unto you. Remember later on this year you'll probably be standing in a booth serving your customers in your target market.

Trade Shows in 2021 Post Pandemic

Pre-show
Let your prospects and customers know you will be there, share free ticket links, and encourage them to come so they will be connecting with suppliers in their industry who have been using the last 18 mos to 2 years creating and perfecting new ideas

Sign up with the sponsoring trade association to speak at a morning pre floor opening event and tell your customers & prospects you will be there and encourage them to come.

During the Show
1) Be there to engage and make new friends! Be there in the booth, heads up, smiles on, and have something to say when people pass by. Like: “hey there! What do you do? OR if they stop to take a quick look “Welcome to ABC Corporation” followed by “what does your company do?” unless your selling insurance please don’t say “how are you today?”
2) Minimum 2 in booth at all times, no low chairs – stand and sit on high stools so it’s Easy to pop up. Be inviting, cheerful, and professionally inquisitive…. Once you get an idea what they do then either invite them to talk just a little more about specifically how you might help them or if they are not a prospect… wish them a good show and politely disengage.
3) Don’t offer to shake hands unless they want to. Bump fists is often their thing. Don’t make it all a topic of conversation either. Don’t wear masks unless you are the Loan arranger. Our show this past week gave out three colors of wristband to telegraph visually what contact we want… Green same as always shake hands is good, yellow less contact, only fist bump or less, red stay 6 feet away. I saw lots of green and people of the yellow and red I’ll made it obvious so we could respect them too. We are all just thrilled to be out there on the road again!
4) Talk to / greet every single person that comes close to your booth. See #1 above. No excuses …. You came or were brought there to “WORK” the booth and it might more aptly be said “WORK THE CROWD!” The buyers came expecting to be approached buy sellers…. Don’t let them down! They have to go home with new ideas and contacts to prove it was worth sending them to the show. (Have a video with sound to help pull their attention too)
5) Don’t be sitting on low chairs working your phones letting people walk by. If everyone needs to check email and respond to customers then take turns…. Do what you are there to do. Once in a lifetime to see people and set your self up for the next round of big deals and sales with smart eager and aggressive probable customers with the guts to come out now and meet you! Don’t blow it.
6) So it’s likely there will be less customer traffic than you hoped. Get over it! Just him this “if you can’t be with the one you love then… Love the one you’re with!” You will make some new more aggressive and interested prospects at this show… they came knowing it would be different were likewise prepared to meet you and anyone with foresight to show up for them ….. you are showing up and investing in them to help make them more successful AND THEY KNOW IT. The less fortunate and ultimate losers are the buyers and sellers who chickened out. “love the one you’re with!”
7) Network network network ! Imagin this … the other vendors at this trade show had the same gumption and positive attitude about making things happen…. They are part of that elite forward thinking group who knows a something good can come of this . Get to know then and ask them about how their products work. Understand where they fit in the manufacturing process compared to your products or services and share with them the same….. finally suggest to them a few… not just one … but two or three of your good customer who could use their product and benefit from their great service, know how, and shared values of helping others be more successful. And then see if they reciprocate. Give and it shall be given unto you!
8) Work the OEMs related to what you do. Always start at the top. If your product or service could be bundled with a package sold by a much larger company then seek out the president, CEO, or owner of that company at the show on the 2nd day or first day to make an appointment… and get to know him…. And his group. Let him get to liking you and explore if you two aggressive post pandemic marketing geniuses should be working together to serve your mutual customer base … also be attentive and interested with the salespeople and techs and take time to understand how their products work and where you fit in. STOP SELLING and just understand like a technician what they do. Make friends and bring value to the new relationship.
9) Figure out ways to collaborate like informal partners with other vendors to benefit your shared clients. Taking turns away from the booth to walk every aisle and make friends with allied product vendors will achieve multiple great things like – name recognition, familiarity, referrals, comfort with YOU! And please remember to build your linked in as part of this. CAUTION: this looks a little like speed dating so respect the other person if he or she gets a little shy or suspicious and slow down… some people will go further faster than others…. You must build TRUST to have these relationships and the speed at which you do it depends a lot on your communication skills and reputation in the industry. If you aren’t well known yet then refer to your Associates who are build on that.
The activities above during the show hours will keep every person in your booth busy all day building reputation, professional friends, and getting new potential customers. Sitting around talking to each other is a stupid waste of time and money for your company and you except for doing collaboration, teaching, mentoring, and team building.

EACH NIGHT AFTER THE EXPO CLOSES
1) Go to the show sponsored events, continue to wear your name tags and circulate in the crowd. Smile, greet people, get close to small groups and become part of the conversations. Step up to the high tables with your small plate of food and sit with strangers NOT YOUR COMPANY FRIENDS OR A VENDOR FRIEND. Spot potential customers and sit or stand by them! That is why they came to begin with. This is small talk time …. But small talk is caring talk. It is really BIG TALK. Make friends … refer to a topic you may have discussed on the floor earlier in the day and make plans to talk kore after the show, maybe a call, or a visit.
CAUTION- other sellers - don’t tie me up or any other seller who is working the room to build relationships, making friends, and trying to impact the lives of the people who came to meet vendors like me.
2) Don’t get drunk - you will potentially say and do stupid stuff… and in the morning you will be a wreck …. So that means all the work you needed to do in the hotel room that night never gets done, next morning you are hung over, and worse yet you may have hurt your long term reputation the night before. If they are telling stories about you at the shows PLEASE let them be about your story telling prowess, or how well you sang with the band, or if you play piano or another instrument … have a few songs you can rip off well and make an impression (don’t play more than about 10 minutes. 2 or 3 songs max and then quit… better to leave them asking for more if whatever you do that is fun and entertaining in a crowd. If you have some gifts ….. share them! Make a memory. If you are not an entertainer to some degree and somehow able to get people’s attention in a small group to make them laugh a little and hear an interesting story…. Then you need to read some books on humor and presentation. My friend and mentor Jeffrey Gitomer says” If you can make them laugh, you can make them buy.” And you buyers out there know it’s easier to buy from fun enjoyable people than dry uncomfortable people.
3) Become know for your interesting and encompassing passion for what you do Professionally and how fun and nice you are to hang out with after hours – and in no way are you considered dangerous to be around because of lifestyle habits and more respected for your self control and clean living as a healthy example to others.

Trade shows are a mass public event for you to put your company and your personal name on. You make them what you want to.