Note: This text is a paraphrase. To see the entire interview you will need to watch the video.
Welcome to Exhibitor Lounge sponsored by Exhibit Edge.com. I am your host and trade show Mixologist, Michael Gray. Here each week you receive simple practical and proven tips to improve your tradeshow marketing strategy and get better results while maximizing your budget.
Mike Gray (Host) – We have back this week, our guest, Mr. Mike Gruenberg from Gruenberg Consulting.com. This week we will be transitioning from “Before the Show” and all the prep work that is done to now “At the Show.”
Mike Gray – Mike, since we are now at the show, what do we need to do to get it all together?
Mike Gruenberg – Yes, after all the prep work is before the show begins like “the reason why we are there, product that we will be presenting etc. Now an hour before the show begins, there are 2 things that need to be addressed. First thing all staff should be present to go over logistics. Everybody’s station should be defined and their role specified in the booth. Second thing, if it is a product that is being sold, is there a special financial consideration for the sales people. Like for example, if sales people to sign up a certain amount of customers for the product, will there be an incentive for them?
Mike Gray – I totally agree that providing incentives really gets the sales staff going.
Mike Gruenberg – Yes definitely. That is the key in getting sales staff excited. To summarize, that first hour before the show
- Why are we here, what are our roles?
- Everyone at the booth with definite stations assigned including the traffic cop (he or she is the person who screens and directs the traffic within the booth)
- An incentive plan for the sales staff
Mike Gray – Mike, can you give us a sneak peak into what are the 10 rules of trade show etiquettes that we will be exploring in depth next week
Mike Gruenberg – Basically it is “what we should do and what we should not do.” We want to know why we are there and what we are supposed to do so I put together this trade show etiquettes in various formats.
Mike Gray – We are going to give you all the 10 trade show etiquettes in our next session, so stay connected.
Mike Gray – Mike, one of the things you talked about was listening skills, can you tell us more on that?
Mike Gruenberg – Yes, too often we don’t give customer /prospects a chance to say to us what they want. Sales reps need to listen more and allow the customer to talk. This way , the meeting becomes more fulfilling as now sales knows what the customer wants and can make plans and appointments with the customer accordingly. It is not good if the sales person does more of the talking.
Mike Gray – Do you also have meetings at the end of the show?
Mike Gruenberg – Yes, we do have meetings at the end of the show to discuss as to how the day went. Bring sales representatives together so that they can share what was highlight of the day and what was successful and what was not etc. It is the matter of getting everyone together and pumped up over a successful day and a better one tomorrow. Remember it is show time, a stage where all sales people are kind of like actors. In the sense, it really is a performance to close the deal.
Mike Gray – That is it for this week. Mike Gruenberg will be back next week and we will analyze Mike’s 10 Rules of Trade Show Etiquette.
As always please respond with your questions or comments and let others know about ExhibitorLounge.com. We will see you next week. Until then I’m your host, Michael Gray, telling you to relax in the Exhibitor Lounge.