How to Work an Exhibition Stand

J Alexander P

Description

The Smartest Route to New Customers!Whatever your product, service or industry, whatever the size of your company, if you are not participating in exhibitions (also called trade fairs or trade shows), you may be missing out on one of the smartest, most overlooked and yet most rapidly developing routes to new customers and markets.How to Work an Exhibition Stand teaches you how to organize your participation at an exhibition, including how to manage your exhibition stand (exhibition booth), how to train your staff in-house, how to set clear marketing goals, and how to design a coherent marketing, promotion and follow-up strategy.Your Secret Weapon in a Crowded MarketplaceIn today's crowded marketplace with its multiple and expensive marketing channels, many companies are turning to exhibitions to get their products and services in front of targeted buyers; people who want to talk to them; people who will travel to see, hear, touch, taste and experience their products or services.How to Work an Exhibition Stand reveals insider secrets on how to get the most from your appearance at any exhibition.Train Your Staff to Act like ProfessionalsAs well as fees for outsourced exhibitor training, when you add travel and accommodation costs, this can be a sizeable expenditure. How to Work an Exhibition Stand shows you how to prepare your staff in-house for an exhibition.Here's just some of the critical information you will discover inside: - 15 reasons why visitors come to exhibitions.- 26 good reasons to exhibit.- Select the right exhibition; UK or overseas.- Select your exhibition manager.- Select your exhibition team.- Select the right team for a given show.- People you don't want on your team - 3 basic types.- Exhibition team skills and competencies. - Attract visitors to your stand. - The 2 essential truths every exhibitor must know.- Why visitors don't care about you, your products or your company.- How to speak with visitors - on and off your stand.- 3 small words that help you sell.- How to make the first move.- The bitter truth of why people buy.- Four words you must never say to a visitor.- Qualify a visitor in 30 seconds.- 22 examples of stand behaviour to avoid.- Deal with visitors who are of no interest to you.- Why you should never assume you know why someone is buying.- 4 key steps to help a prospect arrive at a buying decision.- Key questions to 'break the ice' with visitors to your stand.- Deal with objections, misunderstandings, dislike, suspicion, indifference.- Deal with rejection; the secret of understanding and handling rejection.- The difference between personal and concept rejection.- Three little words to make you laugh at rejection.- The story of the Buddha and the apple; it could change your world-view!- 'In-house' games that overcome rejection.- Understand that rejection is not failure.- Using Social Media for promotion. - Uncover visitors' real issues.- Use the 'party' technique to get visitors to trust and like you.- 7 techniques to extract maximum information from visitors.- 34 questions to focus the conversation with visitors.- Use 'flimsies' to say "no" politely.- Deal with salesmen and students.- Deal with unidentified visitors.- 10 tips on how one person can deal with several visitors at a time.- Deal with troublesome visitors.- 33 tips for individual exhibitors, includes: dress, grooming, attitude.- Understand the mind of the visitor.- Identify visitors' real issues.- Use reverse-focus, open questions to keep you in control.- Why people never buy something for what it is.- Appeal to visitors' emotional buying instincts.- Why people are not interested in saving time.- Why saving money is not a major issue.- Why price is not always the main consideration.- Close the conversation: summarize; propose a plan of action; get agreement.- Take the initiative and get an appointment.- Examples of closing statements.- Use reduced eye contact to end a conversation.- Why last impressions are important.

Sujets

• Strategic management

Informations

• Publié par: Elizabeth House Press, Ipswich, UK.
• Date de parution: 11 octobre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781908886675
• Langue: English

Extrait

How to Work an Exhibition Stand
(And generate more new business in a day than your sales team can generate in a year!)
P J Alexander
Dip.M, FCIM
Copyright 2012 P J Alexander
The moral right of P J Alexander to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Published by: Elizabeth House Press, Ipswich, UK.
Contact: [e-mail]
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the copyright owner. Any person, company or organization committing any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has used his best efforts in preparing this book and disclaims liability arising directly or indirectly from the use and application of this book.
All reasonable efforts have been made to obtain necessary copyright permissions. Any omissions or errors are unintentional and will, if brought to the attention of the author, be corrected in future editions.
Contents
Introduction
Editor’s Notes
1.THE BASICS
A checklist for the exhibitor who knows it all.
Some myths about exhibitors and exhibiting.
15 reasons why visitors come to exhibitions.
Generate new customers.
10,000,000 visitors can’t be wrong!
26 good reasons to exhibit.
10 good reasons why you should not exhibit.
Essential advice for exhibitors who want to fail miserably.
2. ADVANCE PLANNING
Choose an Exhibition Manager.
Capabilities and skills of the Exhibition Manager.
Tasks and responsibilities of the Exhibition Manager.
Decide exhibition objectives.
Marketing objectives.
Communications objectives.
SMART objectives.
Prepare an outline budget.
3. THE EXHIBITION TEAM
People power.
Objectives.
A new office.
People you don’t want on your team - 3 basic types.
The Exhibition Manager’s word is final!
Who picks the team?
Choosing your exhibition team.
Exhibition team skills and competencies.
The front-line unit.
The support unit.
How many in the front-line team?
How to select the right people for a given show.
The mix of skills needed.
What is your message?
Avoid last minute additions to the team.
Volunteers.
Example of an appeal for volunteers.
Timetable for team selection.
4. MARKETING & PROMOTION AT THE SHOW (Including Social Media) (Includes Post-Show Promotion)
Offline marketing and promotion - 14 tips (includes sponsorship, visitor packs, banner ads, show catalogues, walking ads, testimonials, carrier bags, furniture, press packs, bus stops, billboards, hotel room literature).
Premium Incentives (Freebies) - What are they?
How to choose the right freebies.
The 2-tier system to protect your freebies.
How to position your freebies.
A suitable brush-off for freeloaders.
The goodwill gesture.
The secret of choosing the right freebie.
Games, Competitions, & Special Attractions - Includes: Portrait Artists - 9 tips on how to get the most from your investment.
Magicians and playing-card experts.
Amusement arcade games.
‘X’ marks the spot games.
The Press Conference.
Famous personalities.
Photo opportunities you don’t have to pay for.
Launch & Lunch.
Hi-jacking celebrities in one easy lesson.
The Lookalikes.
What your team must do during on-stand promotion - 8 guidelines.
Deal with competition from other stands.
How to mix with the crowd.
Don’t depend too much on your special attractions.
Using Information Technology for marketing and promotion - 10 tips (includes: using your website; creating an online database; webcasting; live web TV; website launch).
Post-show promotion - 7 easy ideas for staying in touch.
Using Social Media (SM) for Trade Shows & Exhibitions.
Know your Social Media marketing objectives.
Have a Social Marketing strategy.
“What gets measured gets done.”
Do you know what is being said about you?
Social Marketing – The Listening Tools.
The 13 basic rules of Social Media.
Use Social Media to promote your appearance at the show.
Mobile phone technology – use it at exhibitions & trade shows.
Post-show follow-up.
5. SALES LEAD MANAGEMENT; FOLLOW-UP STRATEGY; POST-SHOW REVIEW
Exhibition abuse and the art of Sales Leads management – it can make or break you.
How to get qualified detailed leads.
Why collecting business cards can be a waste of time.
How to use barcode scanners (light pens/zappers) effectively.
Create your own Visitor Logging Form.
Examples of visitor ‘ranking’ systems.
Create an effective follow-up strategy.
Select dedicated follow-up personnel.
Create a lead tracking system - 5 essential tips.
The post-show review -12 essential elements.
6. BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT THE SHOW - WHAT YOU MUST KNOW
The team members’ Exhibition Dossier - 33 essentials: includes: logistics, the exhibition hall, the exhibition stand, the exhibition team, business issues, cultural issues, dress advice.
Team members’ Personal Checklist - 17 essentials: includes the dangers of laptop abuse.
The Exhibition Manager’s Checklist - 44 essential reminders - includes: why the Exhibition Manager’s word is law, stationery supplies, show-related items, essential freight and logistics advice, briefing and debriefing sessions, the indispensable disappearing trolley.
Why uniforms must be carefully considered.
7. AT THE SHOW (i) THE EXHIBITOR - WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF!
A personal message from the author.
The most important thing at the show.
You’re not yourself anymore.
How not to be intimidated by the show.
2 essential truths every exhibitor must know.
Exhibitions are different to sales calls.
Selling at shows is not like normal selling.
Your role and responsibilities.
Why are you at the exhibition?
Individual targets - the benefits.
18 team rules.
What you have to do as individuals.
22 examples of stand-behaviour to avoid includes: the doorman, the nymphet, the poor bastard, the psycho killer and the wolf.
33 tips for individual exhibitors, includes: dress, grooming, attitude.
8. AT THE SHOW (ii) EXHIBITORS - WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT VISITORS
Why visitors don’t care about you, your products or your company: Achieve a major breakthrough by understanding this concept.
Questions, questions, questions.
Who makes the first move?
The mind of the visitor.
Why do they come? 14 good reasons.
Why do they buy? The bitter truth!
Identify visitors’ real issues.
Reverse-focus, open questions; they keep you in control.
Why people never buy something for what it is.
Appeal to the emotions.
People are not interested in saving time.
Saving money is not a major issue.
Business-to-business: price is not always the main consideration.
Never assume you know why someone is buying.
The 4 key steps to help a prospect arrive at a buying decision.
3 small words that will help you sell.
Making the first move: How it’s done.
Attract visitors to your stand.
Talking to visitors’ off-stand.
Key questions to break the ice.
Talking to visitors’ on-stand.
Never say “Can I help you?”
Killer Questions: Qualify a visitor in 30 seconds.
Deal with objections, misunderstandings, dislike, suspicion, indifference.
Understand the needs of the visitor.
Uncover real issues.
Use the ‘party’ technique to get visitors to trust and like you.
7 techniques to extract maximum information.
34 questions to focus the conversation with visitors.
Action: Close the conversation; summarize; propose a plan of action; get agreement.
Take the initiative and get an appointment.
Examples of closing statements.
Use reduced eye contact to end a conversation.
Last impressions are important.
How to deal with visitors who are of no interest to you.
Key rebuttals and how to use them.
Use ‘flimsies’ to say “no” politely.
Deal with salesmen and students.
Deal with unidentified visitors.
10 tips on how one person can deal with several visitors at a time.
Procedures to manage visitors.
Deal with troublesome visitors.
9. AT THE SHOW (iii) DEAL WITH COMPETITORS, REJECTION, THE MEDIA, SECURITY
Competitors as visitors.
Competitors as exhibitors - the advantages.
Why you should never openly criticize competitors.
Find out what competitors are up to.
Special literature keeps your secrets safe.
Rejection - Includes: The secret of understanding and handling rejection.
The difference between personal and concept rejection.
Three little words to make you laugh at rejection.
The story of the Buddha and the apple it could change your world-view!
’In-house’ games that overcome rejection.
Understanding that rejection is not failure.
Talking to the media: 6 tips.
Security advice for women - 7 tips.
Ladies: deal with visiting Romeo’s - 6 tips.
10. AT THE SHOW (iv) YOUR STAND, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES - WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Your stand, your world.
To sit or not to sit?
Literature: positioning; flimsies; storage.
10 techniques to attract an audience to your demonstration.
21 tips on how to run a successful demonstration.
A simple 3-step technique for making professional demonstrations and presentations.
Why you shouldn’t tell the ‘whole’ story.
How to encourage audience participation.
Demonstrate machinery and equipment: 17 guidelines.
9 tips for managing your product and service knowledge.
6 stand housekeeping tips.
25 general safety and security tips.
11. EXHIBITOR TRAINING
The small investment that brings big rewards.
Do you need expensive training courses?
You can teach an old dog new tricks.
Your in-house Training Programme.
Exhibito