Prepare, Like They Do at Faire!

Ruth Failer

The Renaissance Faire is just another trade show! As casual and spontaneous as it may look from the guest’s point of view, a lot goes into making sure all who enter have the best experience they possibly can that day. In order for that to happen, strict rules are placed on both the vendors and actors.

Weeks before The Renaissance Faire begins, the organizer presents three mandatory workshops for new vendors: Orientation, Costuming and Elizabethan Language.
All participants must:

·         wear acceptable clothing

·         know how to say what needs to be said

·         call people to their booth

·         display products in an inviting way

·         provide demonstrations of products or services

 Every day one hour before Faire opening, all royals, puritans, beggars, street jesters and all stage other actors are required to attend a brief meeting, preparing them for the theme of the show and special events of the day.

We can learn a lot about getting our staff educated from the policies of Faire:

Preparing (some in costume) a week before opening day

Exhibiting can be very expensive if your staff is not ready and able to accomplish your trade show goals.  Your sales representatives are bright and great at what they do, but they can’t read your mind or you theirs. Let your staff in on your expectations and give them the tools to perform. Most probably they won’t be speaking Elizabethan; they need to be conversing in a language to bring your customers closer to a sale. They won’t be a peasant, a royal, or a pirate, yet they ought to be dressed the part of representing your company brand with the proper attitude, focus and attire. 

Contact Tips of the Trade for workshops:

·         Boothmanship (booth etiquette)

·         At-show sales skills

·         Booth display

·         Pre-show marketing

• Retaining customers

Prepare your merchants to increase sales in and out of the booth.

A jousting fight to the death is optional!

Sell: Pause, Change it Up, Repeat

The other day, X Dental Company left me a voicemail to remind Kathryn of a dental appointment the following day. Since I do not know a Kathryn and I am not a patient of X Dental Company, I wondered if they had made a mistake with a patient. I called their office and the receptionist said, “We will remove your number from our records. Thank you for calling X Dental Company, we appreciate your business.”

Was she listening? 

Was she really talking to me?

Have we ever done this?

Situations like this happen all too frequently at trade shows and other selling venues. A seller begins spewing the moment a potential customer enters their booth. Sellers get into the routine of saying the same thing to every person, and by the end of day three, they sound like a robot.

Tip: 5 Ways to Customize Your “Pitch”

 Start with an important question

• Respond directly to their answer
• Mirror their speaking pattern
• Mention some of the same words they used
• Disengage by referring back to the conversation

Be sure that your potential customer knows that you are interested in them when they speak to you. The selling begins when a connection is made.

LIKE Tips of the Trade on Facebook for more tips.

Does Follow-up Sound Like You are Reading a Script?

7 Tips for Following-up with Prospects on the phone

1. Sit up straight or stand up; don’t slouch

2. Vary your tone

3. Stay away from filler words (like, um, so a, er)

4. Avoid talking too fast or too slow

5. Articulate your words

6. Speak with expression in your voice

And most importantly…

7. Include pauses to allow your prospect to speak

If I Say It One More Time

Off to the show again—your tenth show this year promoting your newest product. It’s the same product you’ve been talking about every hour of every show for the last few months. After a while you may feel like a robot, repeating the same words with the same tone of voice, over and over. Teachers, trainers and actors have this problem too. How do you make what you have to repeat consistently interesting and engaging?

I will be speaking at EXHIBITOR2012 in March to CTSM candidates, event planners and exhibitors on the topic of Selling without Spewing, a topic I have spoken and written on before. As a first-timer at this conference I was required to attend a speaker’s workshop. 

Our instructor Dan Lumpkin said something that will stick in my mind. When he walks out in front of his audience he tells himself that he is presenting a wonderful gift that he knows they will enjoy. His presentations reflect his positive attitude. He has such a following that some people will take any class he teaches just to be in the room with him. If you are going to EXHIBITOR, make one of your classes his.

Step 1: Think of yourself as handing the perfect present to your audience.

Step 2: Change the order of your presentation; talk about the benefits this particular person will find the most interesting first.

Step 3: Meet and connect with your prospect and find out why they are interested in your product.  Be sure you understand what their company does and how your product will benefit them.

Step 4: Ask questions and answer your prospect’s questions while discussing your product.

Step 5:  Positive thoughts will improve your outlook and your presentations will appear fresh. Use affirmations to reinforce the attitude you want to project.

5 Affirmations to Help with Your Sales Presentations

1. Prospects and customers are interested in what I have to say.
2. I am at my best at this trade show.
3. My products bring success and fulfillment to those who buy them.
4. Customers love our products and refer others to my business.
5. Prospects want the products I have to offer.

Close-ended Questions: Yes or No? Should you answer a close-ended question with a one- to two-word answer, or is it an opportunity to clarify and explain with a mega-minute explanation?

Watching a courtroom drama, I notice the prosecutor demands that the defense's witness “just answer the question: yes or no.” In Meatloaf’s song "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" Ellen Foley sings, “Let me know boy: yes or no?”  Trying to get a straight answer might be harder than you think. Let’s put ourselves in the trade show attendee's shoes, walking from booth to booth comparing one product or service to another.

In our scenario, the prospect asks a series of questions at various exhibits in order to find the best products, services and associates for their business. With feet getting tired and belly rumbling, the potential customer has narrowed his choices down to two. The questions are more specific, requiring a yes or no answer.  The booth staff salesperson, however, wants to capture the interested person and rambles on and on instead of giving the “yes” or “no” short answer. Head swimming, the potential customer leaves to see if a more direct answer is with the other and hopefully final company.

Keep the answer short when the question calls for it. If you are a sales representative, teacher, or trainer, you may have to practice this. At a meeting filled with trainers, we found it very difficult to do. Make eye contact with the person asking the questions, watch their body language and be aware of their reactions to your conversation. No one ever complained that the salesperson didn’t talk enough.

I would love hear what you think...

contact Ruth to get booth staff ready for their next show tel: 626-254-9369
email: ruth@BestTipsOfTheTrade.com