Southern Ideal Home Show

WOMENS SHOW SERIESSUCCESSFUL STAFFThis presentation includes an audio component. Please turn up the volume on your computer. Click your mouse or the space bar to advance to the next slide.

PRESENTATION # 2WOMENS SHOW SERIESSUCCESSFUL STAFFPRESENTATION # 2

2The number one thing show guests remember about your exhibit at the show is not your exhibit its the salesperson they spoke to. SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.

Thats why having the right people there is critical.

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4Two of the Seven Ps of a Successful Show outlined in Making Shows Sell are Personality and Professionalism.

And by professionalism, I dont just mean you look nice and act nice.

You have to know what youre talking about and be able to express it with enthusiasm and fun. You must be able to engage people. SUCCESSFUL STAFF

5You also want to send people who want to be there, who understand the value a show can bring, and who are willing to put the effort, enthusiasm, and professionalism into doing a good job.SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.Tell them why they are there.

Once you figure out who is going to work the show, the next step is to tell them why they are there.

Make sure your workers know their mission. To create leads? To make at-show sales? To set up appointments? To introduce a new product? Whatever it is, it needs to be written out with all the details.6SUCCESSFUL STAFF

What do show guests look for in a sales person?

Ability to Solve ProblemsHonestyProduct Knowledge

Remind them what show guests are looking for new products, ideas, information and advice. And let them know what qualities they are expected to have. The ability to solve problems, honesty, and product knowledge.7SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.Tell them why they are there.Give them a goal and incentive.

And part of telling them why they are there, is to give them a goal. This gets easier with the more shows you participate in.8SUCCESSFUL STAFF

9You should have goals for the show. They should be broken down by day. Im illustrating with a mattress company here because this company knows exactly how many beds they want to sell, how many people they want to talk with and will work to reach these goals.SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.Tell them why they are there.Give them a goal and incentive.Teach them to behave.

Next, teach them to behave. And I dont mean to be nice and mind their manners. Weve already discussed the type of people who will work the show, and they should already have these characteristics.

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11What Im talking about are things like body language. In presentation number 5 about creating impact in your exhibit, I talk a lot about what show guests see as they walk past your exhibit.

Is someone doing the daily crossword puzzle what you want them to see?SUCCESSFUL STAFF

12Or someone eating their lunch? Or someone talking on their cell phone? Show guests are very likely to keep walking.

What you do want show guests to see are friendly people who look like they are ready to talk and help them with their decisions. SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.Tell them why they are there.Give them a goal and incentive.Teach them to behave.Give them a break.

But in order for them to behave the way you need, you have to give them a break. And by this I mean you must physically give them a break out of the exhibit so they can get something to eat, make their phone calls, and maintain their happy demeanor.

13SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.Tell them why they are there.Give them a goal and incentive.Teach them to behave.Give them a break.Give them support.

You also have to give them support. Support can take on many forms.

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The absolute best support you can give the salespeople working your exhibit are covered in the other presentations. The first is to give them a great exhibit to work in.

Many times, youll hear someone say Im going to work the exhibit. I say thats backwards. The exhibit should work for the salesperson. Everything in your exhibit should be designed to help the salesperson sell.

The second best support is to give them pre-arranged prospects by pre-promoting the fact you are going to be in the show.

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16Give them the literature, samples, tools and supplies to effectively demonstrate. Keep these materials at their finger tips. Give them water and maybe breath mints, but remember no food.

Theres also moral support. If youre the boss, take the shift that nobody wants.

Make sure they know youre doing everything you can to make them successful at the show.SUCCESSFUL STAFF

One thing you need to provide them with is a way to record potential business. For most of you, that will be a lead card. And to be effective, that lead card must contain much more information than simply name, address and telephone number. Use the lead card to document everything you need to know to follow up on that person after the show. What specifically do they want? What information do they need to make a decision? Do they want someone to call or visit them?

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18On each Womens Show website under the Exhibitor Documents tab, you will find a sample lead card like the one shown here. It is posted as a Microsoft Word document and is designed for you to download, save and change to fit your company.SUCCESSFUL STAFF

19Another support item you can provide is matching clothing. With coordinated shirts, lab coats, or themed outfits, guests can easily pick out the staff working in your exhibit because of their uniforms. It can be anything from t-shirts with your logo to period costumes.SUCCESSFUL STAFF

Another thing to consider is something to keep the kids busy. The Womens Shows get a lot of children traveling with mom. But trying to have a conversation with someone whose child was ready to leave an hour ago, can be a challenge. So think about bringing coloring books, giveaways for kids, or anything to keep them occupied.20SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.Tell them why they are there.Give them a goal and incentive.Teach them to behave.Give them a break.Give them support.Give them time to follow up.

The last P of the Seven Ps of a Successful Show outlined in the Making Shows Sell presentation was Post-Show Follow-through. This is probably the one I see missed the most often. There are many reasons for this. Lack of direction. Lack of a good lead system. But mainly, its because prior to the show, time was not set aside on follow up. After the show is over, its too easy to get back into your normal rhythm, and not take the time to follow up on contacts made at the show21SUCCESSFUL STAFFSend the right people.Tell them why they are there.Give them a goal and incentive.Teach them to behave.Give them a break.Give them support.Give them time to follow up.Give them a reward.

And the last way to get the most out of your sales staff is to give them a reward. They probably gave up part of their weekend. Their feet probably hurt. They worked hard. So, do something nice for them. That way, theyll continue to be the friendly, approachable people they are, the next time a show comes around.22