Do Business Well

To create an image for my wholesale business, we constructed a four-hundred-square-foot bike shop on the floor of the show. It was complete with a brick facade exterior, shingle roof, display windows, and fully outfitted interior.

To draw attention in a show where the booths and product were becoming increasingly high-tech, we went against the trend. We built a four-booth island display to look like a circus. The product was displayed on a carousel. We had clowns handing out balloons with our name and phone number on them.

On another occasion, we wanted to take a large space, but the only place where that was possible was at the back of the show. To catch the attention of our customers as they entered the door we built a two-story booth. The top floor was set up with umbrella tables and a huge sign with the company name in aluminum foil letters. No one in the industry had ever done a double-decker display before, so we were a big hit.

2. You should create a carnival atmosphere. Give something away. Have a contest or a drawing. Hire a beautiful model. Create motion in your booth with display units that go round and round, side to side, or up and down. Produce a professional video telling about aspects of your product or service that are impossible to demonstrate in a booth.

The most successful booth we’ve ever created had nothing to do with the design or location. It was our first time in the show, and our product was totally unknown. Our goal: sell as many customers as possible a small opening order.

To accomplish this we decided to have a game. We handed out a key to every potential customer. This was done through the show producers, not at our booth. The key was attached to a brochure that explained how the game worked, including the fact that instant cash prizes would be awarded. It was also made clear that there were many potential winners.

When the attendees came to our booth, we showed them that there were two doors that could be opened with the key. The first door had a maximum prize of twenty dollars, the second a maximum prize of one hundred dollars. Those who placed a small order would get a shot at both doors. Those who did not place an order would only get to try door number one.

We then asked that they take just three minutes while we explained our product. No one said no. After we did our quick sales presentation, we handed out an easy order form and wrote up as many orders as we could. This idea worked so well the producers announced that we’d broken all records for orders taken at thatshow.

On another occasion our booths were split up over severallocations. We wanted to be sure that our customers saw all of these booths. We accomplished this by wrapping up over one hundred gifts in colorful paper and piling them in our main booth. As each customer came to that booth, they were given a slip of paper that gave all the booth locations. They had to get stickers from each of the other booths on this slip of paper. Once they had done this, they would be eligible to pick a present.

We have used roulette wheels (made from a bicycle wheel, of course), bean bag throws (at our circus), and live-plant giveaways. One of our principals gave away yo-yos with his name on them. They were a very big hit.

3. Be prepared to execute your plan. If you are there to take orders, make certain that your salespeople are prepared to write orders. This means far more than having a pen and order form. (Yes, I’ve seen situations where companies have failed to bring order forms.)

Selling at a show is different from selling in the client’s home, office, or store. You have only a few minutes to tell your story amid many potential distractions. Thus, you must develop a presentation that quickly qualifies the prospect as someone who can truly use your product. Shows are strange that way. You can talk yourself hoarse to someone who is merely a visitor, or another exhibitor’s spouse who isn’t active in the business.

When I’m in an aggressive mode at a show, I’ll usually stand outside my booth. (Some folks are really shy about walking into a booth where an obvious salesperson is hovering.) I like to take the most unusual new item we’re showing out in the aisle. I ask each passerby who is wearing the right-colored badge: “Have you ever seen the Acme hand-held hedge trimmer before?” This is one of the few times in your sales career when you are hoping for a no. Next, I provide a thirty-to-sixty-second pitch on the product. Most people in this situation are far too polite to say they aren’t interested, so . . . without missing a beat, I next ask about their business. After qualifying them as an actual prospect, I then slow down the pace to provide them with a short presentation designed to get an opening order.

Are you too shy to play the barker? Then you’ll need someone or something in your booth to bring the customer in. You can do this through the time-honored tradition of using a model to hand out literature. A professionally prepared video that reaches out and grabs attention (they must be loud and have lots of action to succeed) can help. Or you could offer some cute or appealing thing for free. For a while, it was those little warm fuzzies that stuck to your shoulder (with the company name on the tag, of course).

You might use one of the oldest carnival tricks in the world, the black-box-and-peephole gambit. Put something interesting inside a black box. Create a peephole so that the only way anyone will ever know what is in the box is to look in the hole. Important! Put a sign up that says: pool( IN HERE! Most folks can’t resist. While you have their attention, ask about their business. Then proceed on to your presentation.

A large part of preparation is training your salespeople how to sell in this environment, and letting them know what you want them to accomplish. You might be able to increase their effort by adding an incentive. This could range from a cash bonus to a promise of a big night out for the whole group if certain goals are met.

A second stage of preparation is making sure you schedule the important things you wish to accomplish. If you’re hoping to take clients to breakfast, lunch, or dinner during the show days, you’ll need to invite them well in advance. Everybody else has the same idea.

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