Begin at the Beginning: Secrets for Success

You never get a second chance to make a rank impression. It’s a saying so true that it has become clich� — a construction used by suit salesmen and purveyors of shampoo — but it’s a saying that should serve as a saying for your booth staff.

A commerce entertainment is a non-stop series of beginnings. Every moment — from the second the doors open until they blink the lights signalling the end of the day — is a moment where you could be meeting customers for the very rank time.

If all goes well, these critical rank moments will launch a mutually bankable relationship that will last for years. On the other hand, if the idea you create is not so positive, you’ve kissed a lifetime’s indefinite quantity of business goodbye.

Beginning well’s implementation you’re half done. Once you’ve established a affinity with the client, once that positive foundation has been laid, the ambitious work of negotiating a transaction and closing a sale becomes so much easier. Here’s what you condition to know to create a favorable rank idea time and time again, over the long hours and days that you’ll be at the commerce show.

What’s for sale here?

Your institution strength make computers or indulgence automobiles. You strength sell scrub brushes. You could retail the finest gems found on the Indian sub-continent. It doesn’t really matter. When you’re at a commerce show, what you’re selling is YOU.

Today’s buyers are nervous. They’ve been through the dot-com bubble. They’ve seen Enron blow up and corporate scandal travel corporate scandal. Yet they still have to do business. How do they know who they can trust?

There will always be a due-diligence component to business, but a surprising amount of decisions are made by group ‘trusting their gut.’ During those critical rank minutes where you’re analyze out the attendee, they’re analyze you out. They are, perhaps unconciously, assessing what they perceive as your intentions and motivations. Few group believe that they can get a advantage transaction from someone they do not believe to be a advantage person.

Key Secret: Group have to ‘buy’ you before they can buy your products.

Can you hear what I’m saying?

Non-verbal act plays a huge role in creating rank impressions. Attendees are constantly watching. If your natural object language conveys the fact that you don’t want to be at the show, would prefer not to engage with attendees, or are conscionable going through the motions, they’ll pick up on that and go elsewhere.

Standing at the corner of your exhibit with your arms change surface tells attendees “Stay away! I’m on guard.” Sitting down, flipping through a magazine, or chatting with colleagues says “I’ve got better things to do.” All togther, it implementation “You’re not important to me,” even if you ask the attendees what you can do for them today.

Secret: Group won’t travel in if your natural object language says “Go away!”

The Wall of Noise

You have to approach attendees, engage them, welcome them into your booths. Unfortunately, many staffers take this to average that they must offer up a quantity stream of conversation, from the welcoming hello to the assurances that “We’ll be in touch!” as the attendee hurries to a calmer, quieter exhibit.

Talking is important, but sensing is more so. Shift the focus from your own sales spiel to actually sensing to the customer and you’ll find your phenomenon immediately improve. Ask attendees questions, and perceive to their answers. Give them your full attention. Hear what they’re saying and offer appropriate responses.

The fact that you’re focused on the attendee, wholly engaged with them, and committed, however briefly, to determination their problems, is one of the easiest, most hard-hitting ways to create a positive rank impression. It sets a advantage precedent, establishing how you will do business with this client further feather the road. You’re laying the foundation for that positive, bankable relationship.

Secret: Focus on the attendee for extremum results.

These three secrets will stand you excavation in the commerce entertainment environment. Remember that to statesman new relationships, you must rank create a positive impression. Being mindful of the fact that group condition to trust you before they do business with you, avoiding off-putting natural object language, and sensing more than you talk will activity you do exactly that. And point you’ll be excavation begun — more than half done, excavation on the way to starting a new bankable relationship.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to change their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. For a free written record of “10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make”, e-mail: article4@ website:

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