Comments on: Tend To Your Flock At Trade Shows http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/tend-to-your-flock-at-trade-shows/ Dedicated to Your Exhibiting Success Fri, 18 May 2012 14:28:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mike Mraz http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/tend-to-your-flock-at-trade-shows/comment-page-1/#comment-300 Mike Mraz Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:44:36 +0000 http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/?p=737#comment-300 Hey V - The key word you use is "appears". Most marketplaces are awash with sameness. Everybody “appears” to be the same. The key is separation. Focusing on your uniqueness from a benefits perspective is where you win. That’s easier said than done on the show floor where the attendees seem to get drunk on design after an aisle of two. As with most objectives, I think focus is so important! What you do before the show to connect with and set appointments with just the right people is mission critical. Most exhibitors will agree that having a handful of VERY powerful meetings at a show will trump a thumb drive full of badge scans any day. Targeted pre-show promotion is essential in setting up post show activity. And it’s the desire for post show activity that brings us to the show in the first place. After all, isn’t it what’s inside your blue & black suits that matters most? Hey V – The key word you use is “appears”. Most marketplaces are awash with sameness. Everybody “appears” to be the same.

The key is separation. Focusing on your uniqueness from a benefits perspective is where you win. That’s easier said than done on the show floor where the attendees seem to get drunk on design after an aisle of two.

As with most objectives, I think focus is so important! What you do before the show to connect with and set appointments with just the right people is mission critical.

Most exhibitors will agree that having a handful of VERY powerful meetings at a show will trump a thumb drive full of badge scans any day.

Targeted pre-show promotion is essential in setting up post show activity. And it’s the desire for post show activity that brings us to the show in the first place.

After all, isn’t it what’s inside your blue & black suits that matters most?

]]> By: V Fulton http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/tend-to-your-flock-at-trade-shows/comment-page-1/#comment-299 V Fulton Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:40:31 +0000 http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/?p=737#comment-299 Actually as a past real-life shepherd of sheep and a current "herdsman" of llamas in my other life, I find your shepherd analogy quite appropriate. I'm in the process of re-evaluating a trade show (fiber festival) we participate in since our herd's harvest (fine quality fiber) has changed as the individual critters have aged. Do we change focus to products made OF the fiber (which tends to minimize the softness factor), which means we target a different customer, or do we continue with the same emphasis on the ready-to-spin fiber our returning customers have purchased knowing that the quality is declining and are sales are likely to drop off? Is the change worth the effort? I see it also in my "day job" - marketing for a company that provides services rather than gizmos. Go to one of these trade shows and it's a sea of navy and black suits. Most of our business is repeat business so I think we're keeping our flock healthy but I'm not sure we're doing everything we can to bring in "new stock." I'm up against "professional" equates to "conservative." So how do we attract that new stock if everyone appears to have exactly the same food, shelter, and safety from predators? Actually as a past real-life shepherd of sheep and a current “herdsman” of llamas in my other life, I find your shepherd analogy quite appropriate. I’m in the process of re-evaluating a trade show (fiber festival) we participate in since our herd’s harvest (fine quality fiber) has changed as the individual critters have aged. Do we change focus to products made OF the fiber (which tends to minimize the softness factor), which means we target a different customer, or do we continue with the same emphasis on the ready-to-spin fiber our returning customers have purchased knowing that the quality is declining and are sales are likely to drop off? Is the change worth the effort?

I see it also in my “day job” – marketing for a company that provides services rather than gizmos. Go to one of these trade shows and it’s a sea of navy and black suits. Most of our business is repeat business so I think we’re keeping our flock healthy but I’m not sure we’re doing everything we can to bring in “new stock.” I’m up against “professional” equates to “conservative.” So how do we attract that new stock if everyone appears to have exactly the same food, shelter, and safety from predators?

]]> By: T A Balasubramanian http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/tend-to-your-flock-at-trade-shows/comment-page-1/#comment-245 T A Balasubramanian Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:03:45 +0000 http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/?p=737#comment-245 Hi Mike Sorry, I didn't mean that comment to sound like a sermon - just a word of caution (sheepish grin). Your point about 'watching' the flock is certainly worth keeping in mind. Hi Mike

Sorry, I didn’t mean that comment to sound like a sermon – just a word of caution (sheepish grin).

Your point about ‘watching’ the flock is certainly worth keeping in mind.

]]> By: Mike Mraz http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/tend-to-your-flock-at-trade-shows/comment-page-1/#comment-238 Mike Mraz Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:34:31 +0000 http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/?p=737#comment-238 Customers are not sheep. To seriously consider them as sheep isn't appropriate for sure. We must give every customer the respect she deserves and understand that she is in complete control. Customers have many options today and those options become very obvious when they visit a trade show. It's the shepherd in this old-school analogy that was intended to get the attention. Good shepherds are thoughtful caregivers who are concerned about every sheep under their care. Shepherds understand that if they expect their flock to blindly follow them, the flock will scatter. But things have changed and the words we use ARE important. When I was in grade school, the Apollo astronauts read the Genesis account of the creation story and it was broadcast to an awe struck world as we watched them orbit the moon. That wouldn't fly today. I stand corrected as a wordsmith and I stand a convicted as a shepherd. Customers are not sheep. To seriously consider them as sheep isn’t appropriate for sure. We must give every customer the respect she deserves and understand that she is in complete control. Customers have many options today and those options become very obvious when they visit a trade show.

It’s the shepherd in this old-school analogy that was intended to get the attention. Good shepherds are thoughtful caregivers who are concerned about every sheep under their care. Shepherds understand that if they expect their flock to blindly follow them, the flock will scatter.

But things have changed and the words we use ARE important.

When I was in grade school, the Apollo astronauts read the Genesis account of the creation story and it was broadcast to an awe struck world as we watched them orbit the moon. That wouldn’t fly today. I stand corrected as a wordsmith and I stand a convicted as a shepherd.

]]> By: T A Balasubramanian http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/tend-to-your-flock-at-trade-shows/comment-page-1/#comment-235 T A Balasubramanian Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:24:41 +0000 http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/?p=737#comment-235 I think it is important to begin recognizing that customers are not the human equivalent of 'sheep'. We need to watch the language we use. To my mind, visualizing people as 'sheep' that need 'shepherding' is an affront to your customers. In today's world, it is the customer who gets to decide what product or service she wants. Let us be respectful of her power to choose. I think it is important to begin recognizing that customers are not the human equivalent of ‘sheep’. We need to watch the language we use. To my mind, visualizing people as ‘sheep’ that need ‘shepherding’ is an affront to your customers. In today’s world, it is the customer who gets to decide what product or service she wants. Let us be respectful of her power to choose.

]]> By: Samson @ Popup stands http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/tend-to-your-flock-at-trade-shows/comment-page-1/#comment-170 Samson @ Popup stands Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:16:20 +0000 http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/?p=737#comment-170 Its also equally important not to over-feed your flock -- annoying newsletters and emails can easily drive a customer or potential customer away. Its also equally important not to over-feed your flock — annoying newsletters and emails can easily drive a customer or potential customer away.

]]>